Listen To Some Music While Doing Some Good #LessWasteChallenge

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#LessWasteChallenge, A Prairie Home Companion, Alejandro Jodorosky, Banjo, Baritone Ukulele, Blank Tape Records, Cara Reynolds, Chandler Pratt, Colorado, Concertina, eco-friendly, Fiddle, guitar, Guitar Mike Clark, Harmonica, Haunted Wind Chimes, Inaiah Lujan, Kazoo, magical mobile art machine, Mandolin, Mandolin Desirae Garcia, Maria Emilia Borja, Melodica Chela Lujan, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, OpenAir 1340 Colorado Public Radio, psychedelic, Pueblo, Rattle Your Bones, recycle, recycle toys, recycled, Sarah Megyesy, Sun Shining Bright, TerraCycle, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, Tom's of Maine, Vocals

Take the #LessWasteChallenge and recycle your old toys!

TerraCycle and Tom’s of Maine have partnered to create a free recycling program for used/loved toys from now through April 30!!!

You can send those old or broken toys to TerraCycle for free, courtesy of Tom’s of Maine. Here is how easy it is!

1. Request your free shipping label

2. Fill a box with toys (10 pounds per box)

3. Send TerraCycla your toys to be recycled

Free shipping labels are available until April 30th and your toys may be in any condition!

Broken toys. Used toys. Forgotten toys. Instead of bagging them up and putting them on the curb, try recycling.

This year, Tom’s of Maine challenges you to reduce 1 lb of waste per week through the #LessWasteChallenge. And they want to help you meet this goal by providing a free recycling program for your old toys.

Toy Condition: Your toys may be in any condition. Instead of being thrown away, these old toys will be sorted and recycled into cool, new creations.

Less to the dump, R6 it!

– Mushpa

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So Many Pens, So Little Time

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and recycle permanent marker caps, Free Recycling Programs, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, recycle, recycle bottles, recycle brita all filters, recycle brita faucet systems, recycle Brita® pitchers, recycle dispensers, recycle filter packaging, recycle marker caps, recycle markers, recycle mechanical pencils, recycle pen caps, recycle pens, recycle permanent markers, The Pen Guy

I have been saving pens, markers and mechanical pencils when they die for a long time now. I store them away in the utility room like some crazy hoarder. I have no idea what I will do with them all, but I know dumping toxic plastic into a landfill at the rate I would is not an option.

Honestly, we don’t buy so many pens in the Mushpa + Mensa household, they just appear from everywhere and nowhere. Actually, Mensa came home from visiting her family with a huge pen caddy full of pens, pens and more pens, most which were dried out. Last night they joined the rest of my dead pen collection and I thought, okay now is the time to figure out where these pens need to go to start their second life.

Here is what I discovered:

The Pen Guy – He makes art out of pens. He covered his Mercedes Benz with pens… I mean come on, that’s cool and eco as long as the car never ends up in a landfill! The Pen Guy, collects and reuses thousands of pens in his art that would otherwise be thrown out. Donate your Ball Point, Dry Erase, Crayola, Felt Tip, Markers, Mechanical Pencils or any other type of pen and experience the transformation into beautiful recycled pen art. Here is where you can send the pens and keep them out of the landfill.

The Pen Guy – P.O.Box 994 – Forestville, CA 95436

If you are sending via UPS or FEDEX please address it to:

The Pen Guy – 6484 Mirabel Road, #994 Forestville, CA

Terracycle – They have boxes you can buy to recycle pens. Acceptable waste for this box are pens, pen caps, mechanical pencils, markers, marker caps, permanent markers, and permanent marker caps. Then the plastics undergo extrusion (a high-volume manufacturing process in which raw plastic is melted and formed into a continuous profile) and pelletization (the process of compressing or molding a material into the shape of a pellet) to be molded into new recycled plastic products. Terracycle also has a very helpful link to free recycling programs like for Brita and Pure water filters, guitar stings, cigarette waste and tons of other stuff!

The Prang Power Recycling Program – If you use Prang art pens, they offer you a free recycling program for said pens.

There isn’t a multitude of options out there for pen recycling, but there is something. That means we can all do something. Also, invest in a pen or mechanical pencil you can refill. I am going to once I exhaust the last pen in this house! I will keep you abreast of the situation.

“People” say you do not really need pens or pencils anymore with all the electronics out there, but for me holding a pen in my hand is more organic and honestly where my truth comes from. I wake up every morning and write on paper using a pen for a half hour or so. It manifests my destiny, so I will keep on with it, but in a more environmentally conscientious way.

Here’s to you Mama Earth.

Love,

Mushpa + Mensa

Mushpa + Mensa’s Low Impact

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#GiveBackPack, abuse, against forced labor, alternative apparel, Alternative Earth', biodegradable fabric softeners, certified organic, child labor, chrome, Common Thread, copper, eco-friendly, environment, Fair Labor Association, FLA, G2 Eco-Wash, insufficient wages, low-impact dyes, mordant, Mushpa + Mensa, Mushpa Y Mensa, natural enzymes, non-toxic, non-toxic clothing, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, organic, organic cotton, organic cotton certified, Philanthropy, R6, reclaimed water, recycle, reduce, Reflect, ReImagine, Replenish, reuse, safe working practices, Social Responsibility, STATE Bags, sustainable fabrics, Workplace Code of Conduct, Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production, WRAP, zinc

The main shirts that Mushpa + Mensa hand-print their original designs on is Alternative Apparel’s 100% organic collection, made from pesticide-free organic cotton.

Is Alternative’s cotton certified organic? 

A: Yes. Anything in our line stating it is 100% Organic Cotton is certified organic cotton, produced pesticide-free. We keep copies of the organic certificates on file.

The dyes used to color Alternative Apparel’s pesticide-free organic cotton tees are low-impact dyes. Let’s breakdown this process called low-impact dying. A low-impact dye is a dye that has been classified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 as eco-friendly. Generally, low impact dyes do not contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals (like chrome, copper and zinc), or mordants (a substance, typically an inorganic oxide, that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material).

Low-impact dyes are dyes with a higher than average absorption rate (70%-80%, depending on the color). This means less water is required in the rinse process and less dye runs off in the water; therefore, the dyes have a lower impact on the environment. Alternative Apparel also use a G2 Eco-Wash to finish garments which uses 60% less water and no chemicals.

Alternative Earth’s collection water washes with reclaimed water, the organic cotton is certified, biodegradable fabric softeners and natural enzymes for their super-soft finishes to make the best basics.

Alternative Apparel make their clothing from sustainable fabrics (currently 65% of the fabrics they use are eco-friendly, although they are working to increase this figure), with a transparent supply chain in officially audited factories.

Alternative Apparel publishes its factory vendor guidelines, which the company says are in line with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct, on its Social Responsibility page. The company states that many of its factories have Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP) certification, and that Alternative Apparel places ethics as a priority in vendor selection: Alternative Apparel is committed to safe working practices for all employees.

Manufacturing: They have all the right policies against forced labor, child labor, abuse, and insufficient wages — and they work nearly as hard on keeping their clothing non-toxic. Their factories are frequently inspected to make sure their dying processes are toxin-free, and their wool is sourced from sustainable alpaca farms in Peru.

The first elements we consider when selecting a vendor is their ability to meet our social compliance standards and the quality of their products … Typically, there are only certain geographic areas of the world that can meet our production needs. We head to those areas and search for vendors that exceed our expectations and requirements. If a factory does not meet our social compliance standards from the very beginning, we don’t even consider them. After that, we base or search on the quality of the goods and the efficiency with which they can be produced.

Environment: Thirty percent of their sales are from the Alternative Earth line Mushpa + Mensa uses, which is made from organic cotton, low-impact dyes, energy-efficient facilities, and absolutely no toxic substances. A portion of their sales benefits a variety of environmental organizations and charities.

Philanthropy: Alternative donates to multitudes of different charities under their “Common Thread” program. For instance, like with STATE: Going Beyond the Bag. STATE Bags one-for-one model provides at-risk kids with a fully-stocked backpack every time someone purchases a bag. That means when you get an awesome bag, you support #GiveBackPack at the same time.

Down with fast fashion! R6 – Reduce, ReUse, Recycle, Replenish, Reflect, ReImagine.

Get your Alternative Apparel organic cotton Mushpa + Mensa original design t-shirt on and feel good in it, while feeling good about yourself. Functional art Mushpa y Mensa style.

-Mushpa

 

The 100th Post of La Mushpa y La Mensa

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100th post, artist, Cara Reynolds, diy, etsy, fashion, from scratch, gay, handmade, home-made, homemade, lesbian, love, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, organic, plush animals, queer, recycle

Jefe Helping…

Mensa and I are always talking about consuming less, needing less, getting rid of excess. Things that anchor us to one place be it literally, monetarily or mentally.

We do little things like take our worn out old clothes, wash them and then cut them into a million little pieces to stuff our Plush Pets…

Pierre, the Lavender, Recycled Fabric, Eco-Felt Plush Pet

…or make some deeelicious seitan from scratch, while whipping up some organic, coconut oil based mayo… I personally am extremely gifted in mixing alcohol with almost any “leftover” liquids (frozen or flowing) and it tasting like nothing you’ve ever had before (in a very good way).

Cocktails Anyone?

Some bigger things are Mensa creating an amazing backpack out of an old bag, after her million year old bag disintegrated right before our very eyes. The very backpack we packed with soy milk (something we have talked about learning how to make since we consume so much of it…stay tuned) and such this weekend after working in the co-op (don’t ask). We biked over 8 miles and this revitalized beauty made it through like a champion!

The Bag That Rocks

We also made our fantastical Mushpa y Mensa cloth sign out of old pillow cases and fabric pieces. See below…

Mushpa y Mensa – Arts Not Crafts!

We are making it happen more and more every day, but we need a challenge….something to keep our momentum soaring towards our destiny. What we came up with is…well let’s start slow, why don’t you get to know us first…see what we mean when we say “from scratch”.

La Mensa’s Robot Girl With a Twist

We are here for a reason, all of us. Let’s make some stuff together, see what we think, then figure something out. Let’s connect as they say, in a good way.

This is our 100th blog post and the start of something gargantuous! :] Life, as La Mensa would say is, “pretty bad-ass.”

– La Mushpa

10 Points of Redemption

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Cara Reynolds, carbon footprint, Cortelyou Green Market, eco-friendly, etsy, green, green markets, lesbian, lifestyle, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, nyc.gov, Organic Cloth Eco Bag, recycle, tea, The Old Wilmington Candle Company

Mensa and I were talking earlier today over tea and coffee about how we can decrease our garbage output and came up with 10 Points of Redemption. Here they are for your viewing pleasure.

1. Join the Park Slope Co-Op. I went in the Park Slope Co-Op Sunday for the first time and was very interested in what they sold and how economically priced everything was. Cheap really. My friend let me know the deal. There is a $25 joining fee and a Member Investment of $100. It is refundable if you decide to leave. You have to do one shift a month and you’re a member. Their site is great. The have a daily produce list which includes each item’s price, where it was grown, and the farm’s growing practices.
2. Next, all produce we buy must not be packaged and to buy things in season and local when possible. We are the new owners of the ECOBAGS® Organic Cloth Produce Bag. It’s great, but we need at least 2 more, maybe net
3. Stop and think pre-purchase. Be creative. Meaning we always think we need something and then we go and get it… Other times we walk around our palace and find amazing things we can use instead. We get creative. We need to do that more often.
4. Know the environmental impact of everything we purchase. Yeah seriously. I mean is it really that hard to find out on this thing called a computer every minute detail about anything in the known universe? Number 4 will only stop impulse buying, which is probably a good thing.
5. Can we do candles somehow? I guess tea lights are out of the game as each one includes a metal base you just add to landfills when done. Then of course here we go again with the petroleum. I mean how is it we can consume toxins everyday, even our zen mood making candles are killing us! The problem is candle wax is generally made from paraffin wax. Burning a paraffin wax candle is much the same as allowing a diesel truck to idle in your livingroom. Paraffin wax contains a noxious mix of carcinogenic petro-carbon that not only affects your health, but blackens the inside of your home, and emits toxic chemicals like benzene and toluene. Petroleum as we all know is not what you would call renewable either.  Don’t worry everyone I did some research on alternatives and it seems pure soy candles and beeswax candles are the work around. I was in Wilmington, NC this weekend and discovered this great store called, The Old Wilmington Candle Company. They sell all types (except tea lights) of 100% soy based candles. I had heard that soy candles often contain a bit of paraffin wax, the gentleman who worked there explained that it is true some soy candles do contain paraffin wax, but theirs do not. Just be aware to check your labels or ask before buying. We bought Miss Sarah’s Rose Garden, which smells fantastical!!! Sidenote at The Old Wilmington Candle Company they also make all their candles on site. That’s cool.
6. Soap without packaging. That is an easy one. You can find bulk un-packaged soap almost anywhere. We will start using said package free soap and get back to you on what we think!!! Maybe we’ll even make our own soap…and then blog about it. ;]
7. Bulk vinegar. We use vinegar and water to clean almost everything (check this out), so we thought it would be a good idea to buy it in bulk. In doing research it seems that some white vinegars use petroleum as a starter (it’s used to create alcohol, which is then oxidized with bacteria to convert the alcohol to vinegar). It seems that was the case “back in the day”, but now a days companies seem to use corn and apples as their starters, but you should check first to be safe. Even though it is for cleaning and not consuming it is still toxic to you and the world. I have reached out to a few places to see if we can buy it in bulk (filling our own container), but have yet to hear back. Will let you all know when I find any spot.
8. Glass over plastic. This is an easy one. If there is a choice buy glass even if it is more expensive. You can use the glass for storage, like to keep your dry foods in, loose tea, etc.
9. Closest compost. It is important to not waste when unnecessary, so why not turn your food waste into compost? Sundays at Cortelyou Green Market is the closest to us. What about you? If you are in New York and want to see which farmer’s market does composting go here.
10. What’s recyclable. We live in NYC, so if you do to check out NYC.Gov. Here’s the breakdown:

What and How to Recycle with Sanitation:PAPER & CARDBOARD

newspapers, magazines, catalogs white and colored paper (lined, copier, computer, staples OK) mail and envelopes (any color, window envelopes OK) paper bags, wrapping paper, soft-cover books, telephone books (paperbacks, comics, etc.; no spiral bindings), cardboard egg cartons and trays, smooth cardboard (food and shoes boxes, tubes, file folders, cardboard from product  packaging), corrugated cardboard boxes (flattened and tied)

Place all paper recyclables together in CLEAR bags, or in any bin labeled with GREEN recycling decals or marked “MIXED PAPER”. Or place in the white dumpster for paper recycling, if your building has one.) Flatten and bundle large pieces of corrugated cardboard and tie with sturdy twine, or break into small pieces to place in your recycling bin or bag. (Or place loose in the white dumpster for paper recycling, if your building has one.)

See how you can reduce your junk mail.

Don’t include the following with your paper recycling (see why):

hardcover books, napkins, paper towels, or tissues, soiled paper cups or plates, paper soiled with food or liquid paper with a lot of tape and glue, plastic- or wax-coated paper (candy wrappers, take-out containers, etc.) photographic paper

BEVERAGE CARTONS, BOTTLES, CANS, METAL & FOIL

• milk cartons & juice boxes (or any such cartons and aseptic packaging for drinks: ice tea, soy milk, soup, etc.)
• plastic bottles & jugs only
• glass bottles & jars only
• metal cans (soup, pet food, empty aerosol cans, dried-out paint cans, etc.)
• aluminum foil wrap & trays
• household metal (wire hangers, pots, tools, curtain rods, knives, small appliances that are mostly metal, certain vehicle license plates, etc.)
• bulk metal (large metal items, such as furniture, cabinets, large appliances, etc.)

Empty and rinse containers before recycling. Place all together in CLEAR bags, or in any bin labeled with BLUE recycling decals or marked “BOTTLES & CANS”.

Remove caps & lids. Place METAL caps & lids in the recycling bin; put plastic caps & lids in the garbage.

Wrap knives or similar sharp metal objects in cardboard (such as a piece of cereal box) and secure with tape. Label the package “CAUTION: SHARP” and place with other designated metal, glass, plastic recyclables. For Home Sharps/Hypodermics, see Household Medical Wastes.

Place bulk metal next to recycling bins or bags.

Call 311 before discarding appliances that contain CFC gas.

5¢ deposit: Bring deposit bottles and cans back to the store for refunds.

Don’t include the following with your bottle and can recycling:

• plastic items other than plastic bottles & jugs (such as deli and yogurt containers; plastic toys, cups, wrap, etc.)
• any glass items other than glass bottles & jars (mirrors, lightbulbs, ceramics, glassware, etc.)
• Styrofoam (cups, egg cartons, trays, etc.)
• batteries
• plastic bags

If item is in good condition, see reuse it nyc for reuse options.

What and How to Recycle: BULKY ITEMS

Furniture and appliances that are predominantly metal and are too big for your recycling container or clear bag (such as washing machines, metal filing cabinets, box springs, or water heaters) should be placed beside the recycling container on your regular Recycling Day.

Before discarding appliances containing CFC gas or freon  (such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, or dehumidifiers), you must schedule an appointment to place the item at the curb for CFC recovery. You can make an appointment on the Sanitation website or call 311. For safety reasons, the law requires doors to be removed from refrigerators and freezers before placing at the curb.

Non-recyclable trash that is too big for your garbage container or bag (such as mattresses, lumber, or debris from small construction or garden projects) may be placed at the curb on any regular garbage collection day.

The Department of Sanitation will collect up to six bulk items from one address. For more information, see bulk collection on the DSNY website. There are special regulations for wood from trees and for mattresses.

For info on how to handle TVs and other broken electronics, see electronics recycling.

For info on how to donate reusable furniture and other goods, visit NYC Stuff Exchange.

Let’s do this.

-Mushpa

Compost This!

Tags

Brooklyn, Cara Reynolds, compost, compost bin, compost nyc, eco-friendly, food waste, Maria Emilia Borja, Mensa, Mushpa, Mushpa Y Mensa, recycle

It isn’t just about what we make, but also how we live. Por ejemplo, Mensa and I were trying to figure out a way not to put food waste in the garbage as to not attract flies or create a nesting site for said flies. We also didn’t want to have to bag up food everyday and throw it out. Then amidst the great obvious we realized we should compost. :] The next question is how to compost in a Brooklyn apartment. Let’s find out!!!

First off what can we compost? For us it will be food based only, but if you have land there are things you may compost from your garden you just need to do some research on exactly what. Okay, back to metro composting…

Things you can compost are:

1. fruit and vegetable scraps
2. coffee grounds and tea bags
3. manure and bedding from animals that ONLY eat plants
4. cut or dried flowers
5. houseplants and potting soil
6. sawdust and wood shavings (from untreated wood)
7. stale beans, flour, and spices
8. feathers
9. breads and grains
10. egg shells
11. nutshells
12. corncobs
13. food-soiled paper towels and napkins
14. shredded newspaper.

Some tips to good composting are add an equal amount of greens and browns to your compost bin, cut your food trash for faster composting, always maintain a top layer of browns. I said it. :]  Keep your bin moist, but not wet.  Lastly, stir well to aerate the food waste you love to call your compost.

Here is what you MAY NOT compost:

1. meat or fish scraps
2. cheese and dairy products
3. fats, grease or oil
4. cat or dog feces, kitty litter
5. colored or glossy paper
6. sawdust made from pressure-treated plywood or lumber
7. coal or charcoal ashes
8. non-compostable materials such as plastic, metals or glass
9. diseased and/or insect-infested houseplants/soil
10. biodegradable/compostable plastics

Now where to store it till we take it to a NYC drop off location? Ms. Mensa bought us a sealed, cubed container at the Dollar Store. Boom!

Artist Rendering of Our Dollar Store Compost Bin

Another option offered to New York City residents are low cost compost bins, they even have coupons for composting worms here. What???

Next, where do we bring our compost scraps once our bin is full? Here is a list of all Brooklyn drop-off locations and for those outside of the realm of Brooklyn here are food waste drop-off sites in other boroughs.

What you want to be a composting super hero??? Here is your chance to take the NYC Master Composter Certificate Course. Nice!

Alright, let’s do this!

-Mushpa