Junk mail begone! Declutter your mailbox
Junk mail fills our mailboxes — 2 pieces a day on average in 2012 — and it can feel nigh impossible to staunch the flow. Sightline published an expose on junk mail in 2016, after a staff member spent years…
Recent Posts
Getting rid of 465 things in one month – it’s not as hard as it sounds
It starts out easy – day one, get rid of one item. Finding one thing in your house to get rid of is really not much of a challenge. By the end of the month, you might be feeling differently….
Lessons from a Month of Meal Planning
I used to diligently plan my meals each week, but I fell out of the habit about five years ago. I felt like I’d developed a good repertoire of recipes I could prepare from the pantry and fridge — but…
Rumor has it… that your recyclable plastics are being thrown away
Some of you may have heard rumors that some of the recyclable materials you put in your recycling cart or dumpster are being thrown away. This is, fortunately, not true in Kirkland. So where did the rumor come from? China…
2017 Recycling Year in Review
For some, 2017 was a trying, tumultuous, and odd year to say the least. We all experienced a new administration in Washington, DC; horrific shootings in Texas and Las Vegas; devastating hurricanes in Florida and Texas; a disturbing trend in…
Imperfect Produce: A Review of an “Ugly Vegetable” Subscription Box
UPDATE 4/2018: Imperfect Produce now delivers to Kirkland zip codes. More than 20% of the fruits and vegetables grown in America never make it off the farm because they aren’t perfect enough for grocery store standards. As a consumer, this…
What Do You Do with Old Pool Water?
Is draining the hot tub or pool on your fall chore list? If so, please follow these steps to avoid harming the environment. Pool water contains chemicals that are toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Debris from backwash water…
Don’t Stress Out about Your Lawn this Summer
Lawns in western Washington don’t require irrigation to survive. If you don’t mind a brown lawn during the summer, your lawn will green up again when the rains return in the fall. Watering deeply once a month in summer helps…
Yard Smart Rain Rewards
Do you live in the Juanita Creek watershed? Are any of your roof’s downspouts connected to Kirkland’s stormwater system? If you answered “yes” to both of these 2 questions, then your property may be eligible for the Yard Smart Rain…
Waste + Weddings: My efforts at making a less trashy wedding
I got married this past summer. It was a whirlwind of activities and events, planning and coordinating. When looking forward to my big day, there was lots to consider – but one thing I couldn’t neglect was the environmental impact…