Two things I want to share in this posting -- a little story about my recent hospital visit and some cool events coming up:
Saving the Enviroment at the Hospital
Yesterday, I was at Virginia Hospital Center for a routine check-up. Before the exam, I had to remove my clothes and put them in a large plastic bag the hospital provided. As I was waiting along with several other people, I noticed the trashcan was full of these (used) plastic bags. It occurred to me -- what a waste! It didn't seem the bags were made from recycled materials ... the bags themselves weren't being recycled ... and the hospital was clearly using many, many bags each day.
As I sat there thinking through all this plastic bag stuff, an extremely pleasant manager came by and asked me if I'd like some coffee. (Sidenote: I've had great customer service experiences at the hospital and think it's a fantastic facility.) I declined the coffee but decided I'd take the opportunity to pitch my cause about the bags. I asked if the hospital could explore other options ... Could the hospital recycle the plastic bags they currently use? Could they switch to plastic bags made from recycled materials? Or could they switch to bags made from recycled paper? Are there more environmentally friendly options or processes? The manager I'd cornered was interested (and said she'd heard other concerns in the past) -- she also promised to pass along my feedback to the higher ups. The morale of the story: Take every opportunity to look around you and think about how the situation could be different -- how things could be improved or changed to result in a positive impact on our environment.
P.S. If you have kids, you might want to check out "The Magic School Bus" Holiday Special DVD that's all about how recycling helps save the Earth. We checked it out from the Arlington Public Library I watched it last night with my 4-year-old, Carter, and though she didn't "get" it all, she understood enough and loved it!
Good Events Coming Up
May 19: Solar Open House
May 17: A Sense of Wonder — A One-Woman Play about Rachel Carson (supposed to be awesome!)
May 23: Green Kitchens and Bathrooms (good one of you're thinking about remodeling)
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Jennifer K. Smith, 17-year resident of Arlington,
Arlington County communications mgr. (& AIRE blog manager)
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