G Foods

Adventures Inspired by G

Making Things Inspired by G

G Books

More Ideas for the Letter G

Go, Gentle Hands, Glue (so many projects for this!), Ghosts, Goals, Glacier, Giraffe, Grass, Globe, Germs, Gender, Giving, Guatemala, Glass, and Gift. 

One of my goals for this year is to write company a month to point out I notice their crappy environmental policies. It's easy and fast to do, so join me! They only know we care if we say so with our money and our words. 


We are extreme lego fans in this house. Where I have been able to stop the flow of almost all plastic toys, my boys absolutely cannot resist the building, instructions, and endless opportunity of your tiny little blocks. They even want to keep looking at the boxes! Now grandparents, uncles, and aunts love buying them these sets as gifts.

This year, we took them to Legoland as their big Christmas gift, and they loved it. I, on the other hand, felt kind of uneasy.

Legoland (at least in California) is a weird combination of efforts to cut waste-making, lecturing their visitors on (pretty lame) ways to cut their personal consumption (at the entrance/exit of a gift shopping selling plastic toys in plastic packaging), and some surprising gems of actual green changes.
- The hotel room had (maybe) refillable shampoo bottles next to single use plastic water bottles.
- The restaurants had compostable plates and plastic silverware and lids.
- Plastic toys everywhere. Clothing and other items all made in countries that do not regulate their labor.

It's like Legoland will happily admit plastic is a problem, but maybe not one they personally feel responsible to solve. When you walk out of one of the rides (and into the gift shop), you can see this sign:



What about you, Legos? You are part of the problem, what more can you do about it? I am so glad you are doing something, and I am grateful brands are taking this up, but we both know this problem is bigger than plastic straws on the beach.

Ok, I get that if you are going to a theme park devoted to a brand of plastic toys, you are going to be hard pressed to find much of anything else. I mean, how high of a horse can you get on? That said, I think this points to a larger problem that Lego has (and can solve).

A few years ago, Lego got some good press for saying they were trying to come up with an alternative to the plastic they make their toys with. Now, there is talk that they will make their blocks out of everything from sugar to hemp. That is dang cool, and I hope that you find an amazing solution.

But Lego's blocks aren't your  biggest problem- it's their single-use, pure garbage, better options ALREADY available plastic bags.

Much like the small efforts wrapped in large blindpots at Legoland, your legos come wrapped in your biggest blind spot- single use plastic bags. There are usually a handful of these plastic bags in every box.

Let's do some simple math.
Online estimates suggest that 7 lego sets are sold every second. (Wow!)
Let's make the (very) conservative guess that there are 5 plastic bags in each one (some have way more).
That means that Lego sells 35 single use plastic bags a second.
That's 2,100 a minute.
That's 126,000 instant garbage plastic bags in an hour.
About 3 million single use plastic bags a DAY
Ok, are you ready for this? 1,103,760,000 single use plastic bags a year.

Holy crap. ONE BILLION. And that is the conservative guess.

If only someone had already come up with alternatives to plastic bags! Lego, you could save our planet from a billion pieces of totally useless plastic a year.

Thanks for what you are doing already, but you can take this first step now. People have already solved this problem, so while you are working on blocks, you can totally solve the bag problem. You could try recycled paper boxes or bags. You could also do a plant-based or compostable plastic bag.

It's time to start making REAL changes where it makes the most positive difference (instead of just getting you the most press). All toy manufacturers need to abandon plastic packaging completely. Be a trend setter and let's see who follows suit.

It's clear you know that our world is in trouble and that plastics are a major part of the mess we are in. You can do so much good by making this change. Why not get started now?

Sincerely, Sunshine Guerrilla

In 4 days, the Global Climate Strike will be staged in communities all over the world. Even in the US, they are having them everywhere, from Tennessee to New York City. If you haven't looked yet, you will probably be shocked how many are near you. Seriously, click that map!

Have you been worried about the environment lately? Reading about the Amazon being on fire? How about the Mass Extinction we are in? Are you trying to push down your worry about climate change?

The best way to feel better (and have a little hope) about the environment is to get involved and do something. Even if you have NEVER participated in something like this before, you should go to the Climate Strike near you. We desperately need your help, and we need the numbers at these events to be so overwhelmingly large that our leaders have no choice but to take Climate Change seriously.

Now, I know how hard this is to do, especially if it is out of your comfort zone or you have never tried it before. It's even more stressful if you have little ones in tow; just going to a new playground or friend's house can be crazy terrifying with my spawn! Going to new places with little kids can feel terrifying- will it be violent? How will they hold up? Will we be annoying people? And, of course, what if they have to pee?

I know I thought all of those things before I went to my first march after having kids, but I took the leap, and I am so glad I did. Nothing gives me hope like getting in there and getting involved. It gives me hope, and it puts me next to lots of other humans who care so I don't feel alone.

If you have been debating whether to show up to the Climate Strike, please, please do it. You have the power to turn this around with us, but only if you turn your concern into action. If you are nervus about it, don't be scared! Here are my best tips for participating in political action (even with kids).

1. Write the Organizers

Are you worried about whether this event is likely to escalate? Whether there is transit nearby? If there will be bathrooms you can take your toddler to? Just ask! A real person or group organizes these things, and if they are good at what they do, they may have even thought of these problems. If not, you can at least feel confident that you are bringing up a question that another person wishes they had asked.

 If they aren't helpful or forthcoming (or you feel uneasy about their answers), you know that isn't an event for you. That's ok! Go to something else instead. Otherwise, you can get a lot of questions answered by simply asking around. They want you there, so they will want to help.

2. Go with a Group

My best advice is to go with friends. Or your partner. Your cousins. Someone who you know already, who you can trust. If you are going with kids, going with other people who are parents (or who bring their kids themselves) makes a huge difference. Our first march with kids we went with two moms that I love so much, and even though they were kid-free that day, they still have those mama sensors on.

Nothing covers your blind spots like having another person and another perspective at the same event. One of my friends is so much better than me at bringing snacks (or enough snacks... my kids eat a lot). Someone else will remember bringing enough water or have a better awareness of where the bathrooms are.

Going to an event like these can feel really vulnerable. That vulnerability can feel scary, but it also is a great opportunity to build community. Even if you don't know someone really well, it can be a very cool way to bond, and it just feels less scary to walk into a crowd with someone next to you.

So, if you have a march you really want to go to, ask someone to come with you! The more the merrier (but really, one of the most powerful parts about these demonstrations is simply seeing how many people care enough to show up. So getting people to come with you is important political work!)

3. Make a Sign

No matter what, it feels good to show up with a sign. It can help you connect with others and reflect on why you are there in the first place. If you plan to go with kids (even the really little ones), sign-making can be one of the most important parts. It is a time to work together, but also talk about what it is you are participating in. The day can be so busy and speakers often stink. In other words, they may not understand what the heck is going on in the moment.

Use the quiet art-making time to talk a little more about why you care and why it is important to do something. This may feel silly, but the more you do it, the more civilly literate your kid will be. That's a big victory all on its own.

Lastly, lots of kids will love the interaction and attention they get from having the sign. In fact, my kid just loves having something to hold, whether it gives him attention or not! It is a perfect tool for making the day weirdly fun.

4. Be Prepared

Yes, there are things you need to bring. The more prepared you are, the better a day you can have. Here are the things everyone needs to bring (and a few bonus items if you have kids with you).

1. ID. Be able to identify yourself.
2. Phone numbers written down. In the age of cell phones, you may not know your contact's number off the top of your head. If your phone battery dies, it can be a big problem! Be sure to have them written down too.
3. Phone numbers ON your kids. If somehow you got separated (this has NEVER happened to me before. Not even close. But just in case), you want someone to be able to call you immediately. Have your number on your kid somehow.
4. Weather-Appropriate Layers. I am totally one of those people that tends to just say "whatever, it will be fine" and wear flip flops in the snow. Don't do this for a protest. You will be outside for a long time. And if you are marching, you want to be able to be cool enough while walking and warm enough when standing still.
5. Snacks! If you are taking kids, bring double what you think you will need. We bring tons of fruit and veggies. If I were really on point, I would have some pb and j on hand too.
6. A Bottle of Water. We bring our Klean Kanteen or Liberty Bottleworks bottles, because they are pretty lightweight.
7. Paper and  a Marker. Can be great to have if you want to write down someone's information.
8. A First Aid Kit. This is if you are one of those hyper prepared people. Otherwise, you will probably be ok without it. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared.
9. Sunscreen. Take care of that skin!

I carry all of this in a small backpack, and we have usually had a stroller with us too. It hasn't been a huge problem to move with lots of stuff. I also see lots of wagons out, which is genius for hauling multiple kids and stuff at once.

You will see suggestions for other things like bandanas or natural remedies for tear gas. I have never gone to a demonstration that felt tense enough to bring those sorts of supplies. And if I got somewhere and it felt that combative, I would probably leave (if I had my kids with me). But honestly, I have gone to at least 7 or 8 demonstrations in the last few years, and I have never seen anything that wasn't respectful and safe.

5. Be Kind and Keep an Eye Out

Just be kind to people. When you are standing around, make small talk with your neighbors. If you see groups out that interest you, go talk to them!

There can be nervousness about things getting testy, but here is my advice- keep mostly to the periphery, go for marches (they are easier than standing still), and

Climate Strikes are youth-led, so I have never heard of any nonsense happening- it is literally a space for kids.That said, these events can be spaces for conflict, so keep an eye out. If an area does seem tense, just steer clear of it. Like I said, I have never had a problem, but I also have a lot of privileges being a white lady with babies, so police and other people have never been anything but polite.

You can use your privilege to diffuse tension or to keep the vibe constructive. Get to know your neighbors. Ask to take pictures of the signs you like.

6. Identify your Potties (or Exit Routes)

Force potty breaks when you can. Also, as every parent knows, that isn't going to stop your lovely spawn from needing to pee the worst possible moment. Their bladders are wired to do this. So, keep an eye out for public restrooms or restaurants (you can buy a cookie if you need to).

Also, it helps to be aware of what your exit plan is. Parking nearby or public transit can both be good or terrible solutions, but you do what works for you. I get that it may not be perfectly in the spirit of the event to drive there, but it is ok to make this part of it as easy and comfortable for yourself as possible. No shame, and you can always try something more ambitious next time, but if it's your first time, choose what is most comfortable for you.

7. Going for a Bit is Better than Not Going at All

The long run times of these things can be a deterrent from taking the leap and trying. Go for the time you can go. If it isn't the whole time, that's ok. Better to show up and be counted (even for a short time) than to never get involved. It may be easier than you think too! Be loud on your social media about going, because you may empower someone else to go for it next time.

In other words, just go! You will not regret it. Get to the Climate Strike. We need you there.

What is your best advice for participating in a march or protest?

Palm oil is a growing industry. Once used primarily for a cooking oil, now it is in about 50% of American household products. This huge boom in interest is coming at a pretty dramatic cost to our rainforests, destroying one of our best defenses against climate crisis, endangering a huge percentage of our biodiversity, and displacing indigenous people who live there. Rainforests are razed every day to make space for more palm oil plantations.

Obviously, for the sake of all of our survival, this needs to stop. 

We can stop consuming palm oil (the blog has lots of tips coming on how to identify and avoid it), but real change can only come when companies choose to stop using it or only use RSPO palm oil. And right now, they are operating under the assumption that people don't care enough to pay attention.

So, here's all of our missions. Write and tell them that we do care.

It doesn't have to be a novel. It can even be a facebook post, an email, or even a couple of tweets.

To give you an example, I am going to write Jif peanut butter. Now mind you, I cannot actually eat this product, but my children eat it almost daily (specifically, peanut butter sandwiches they dip in jelly). We have tried a few local brands with little success, and end up buying the biggest jars of jif we can find. We switched to "natural" Jif, because it didn't have as many unidentifiable ingredients. But, it has palm oil. So, this is my attempt to reach out. You can use the same model to reach out to the businesses you wish would stop with the palm oil:

Dear Jif, 

Your product is one of the most beloved in our house. My kids eat your Natural Peanut Butter everyday. Sadly, we are going to stop buying it because of it's use of palm oil. This is a letter to ask you to consider another oil or a certified ethical palm oil in your products. 

The explosion of palm oil in products is leading to major environmental trauma to our planet. Rain forests, which we desperately need to fight climate crisis and to conserve biodiversity, are being cleared to make more palm oil plantations. This unchecked expansion has destroyed 20% of our planet's precious rain forests. These plantations have also forced indigenous people out of their homes.

Unless you stop using this problematic ingredient, you are endorsing and contributing to this injustice and destruction.On your website, you mention that you are aware of the problems with palm oil, and claim to work with ethical sources, but you use no specifics and have no certification. You can expand on this commitment to more concrete action. 

I can no longer stand by and watch our rain forests be destroyed, so I will choose another peanut butter until you choose to do the right thing. 

Please step up and help our planet and rainforests. We need your help! 

Sunshine Guerrilla

Ok, see? So simple! You can write a letter like this too. Here is a template.

Dear [Company], 

We love your [name of the product. We [a sentence on how you use the product]. Sadly, we have to stop buying your product because it contains palm oil. This is a letter to ask you to consider another oil or certified ethical palm oil in your products. 

The explosion of palm oil in products is leading to major environmental trauma to our planet. Rain forests, which we desperately need to fight climate crisis and to conserve biodiversity, are being cleared to make more palm oil plantations. This unchecked expansion has destroyed 20% of our planet's precious rain forests. These plantations have also forced indigenous people out of their homes.

Unless you stop using this problematic ingredient, you are endorsing and contributing to this injustice and destruction. [Do your research and check their website- do they address the problem? Be sure to acknowledge the efforts they already make] Please show your commitment to a continue to take care of the planet by expanding your efforts and avoiding uncertified palm oil all togehter.

I can no longer stand by and watch our rain forests be destroyed, so I will choose another peanut butter until you choose to do the right thing.

Please step up and help our planet and rainforests. We need your help!  

[Your name here]

So, as you discover palm oil products in your space, send a note to the company letting them know this is unacceptable. Companies change because they think that they need to. They hardly ever make positive changes out of the goodness of their hearts. We have to tell them to change, or they assume we don't care.

So get involved! You can do this!

This blog is on a mission to get plastics out of fashion and out of our waters. You can read way more about this on this post. We need your help. I am going to write some of the biggest producers of clothing and tell them to stop using ANY plastic-based synthetic fabrics. Join me in speaking up. You don't have to be as long-winded as me, you just have to say something. Our voices will amplify each other. 

from the gap - this model is not impressed

Art Peck (CEO of Gap Inc),

 You have a big problem, but it isn't what you think it is.

I have read that The Gap is having some challenges. Your brand is actually made of multiple stores- Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta, and apparently the only store that is doing well is Old Navy.

Business Insider pinned Old Navy's higher popularity on lower prices. In other words, Old Navy is perfectly practicing fast fashion. They see this as a good thing, but the moral cost of this "success" is high. And the bottom will fall out, because it isn't a deal if the clothes fall apart immediately.

So what are you leaning on? Lots of plastic-based, synthetic fabrics. To keep costs low (and follow the Old Navy model) you are going all in on fast fashion, making cheap plastic junk instead of the kind of clothes that would actually last.

Plastic seems to have snuck into every corner of your Gap fashion line- your athletic wear has it (pretty normal at this point), but so do almost all of your dresses and even some of your denim. Basically everything in Old Navy is made of plastic (and lasts about 6 minutes) as well.

So it's pretty clear you are just trying to double the Old Navy model at your Gap and Banana Republic stores as well. In a way, I get it. If I want to invest money in

This is a big problem. I am sure you know this, and you have made the decision to chase profits anyway, but I want you to know that I notice, and I still think you can do the right thing.

We know that the clothes you are making and selling in your Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta stores are doing unfathomable environmental damage. Every time these items are washed, they shed plastic into the washing machine and out into water sources. The fibers are very small, but each load of laundry can send thousands of them out into our water every wash.

There are now billions of these tiny plastic threads in our water. Scientists have found them in the most remote corners of our oceans, in much of the food we eat (including almost all salt), and in human stool. This would be horrifying enough, but we now know that plastic is poison for humans. We know it is linked to hormonal and endocrine problems, even cancer. It becomes clearer and clearer that the chemicals in plastic are doing serious damage to our health.

So, making plastic clothes is basically like shooting poison into the water in every corner of this Earth. Later, when we will see plastic like asbestos or other toxic chemicals, your company (and its willingness to pander to fast fashion) will be seen as a villian, unless you make a change now.

So, doubling your Old Navy model- cheap plastic clothes, cheap labor- only adds to your responsibility for this problem.

So I am asking you to do something surprising.

Give up the plastic clothes. Stop making them. You can even make a big deal about it to get some good press for The Gap. Your stores still have a lot of pull, and you sell so much in a year. Think how much plastic you could keep out of the world by simply becoming a plastic-free company. If the Gap is having an identity crisis, why not stop racing to the bottom, and instead become a company that stands out for doing the right thing?

Even your athletic wear can be low plastic or plastic-free. I have done the research; companies are figuring out how to make great leggings and athletic clothes without plastic.

I get that this is a scary concept. Wearing something from Old Navy is basically just putting on a plastic bag, so this move would be way out of your current business model. But it is the right thing to do. And just maybe, doing the right thing would be enough to set you apart.

Thank you for reading and considering. Your company can be better than plastic.

Sunshine Guerrilla



Finding synthetic fabrics in your closet? Write the companies that produced that clothes and tell them to stop with all the plastic clothes! 

Dear ThredUp,

I am obsessed with your store. My sons’ and my wardrobes are now about 90% secondhand, and so much of that is thanks to you. When I can’t track something down locally, I can usually find it on your site.

I recommend you constantly to everyone. I switched to secondhand clothes for environmental reasons- shopping your secondhand site means fewer clothes are going in a landfill and we don’t have to support the often unethical manufacturing of clothing. Plus, our boxes of clothes come wrapped in paper instead of plastic! You have made it easier for everyone to save money, do the right thing, and shop secondhand. Truly, my love for your site could not be deeper, and I totally believe in your vision of a circular fashion economy.

That said, I have a bone to pick with you.

When you announced that you were making your own clothing line, I was so excited! I loved the concept and when I first saw the prints for the shirts and dresses I thought they were just gorgeous.

Then I looked closer, and my heart broke a little.

About half of the clothing in your new Remade line is made of plastic-based synthetic fibers. Remade, in theory, is such a genius idea; you stuck to staples, not trendy pieces, with long lives ahead of them. You also have a buyback promise, so when people are done with the clothes, you will actually buy them back.

I love it! But here's the thing. Every time you wash a plastic-based synthetic fabric (like the polyester and elastene in your clothes), the fabric sheds tiny plastic microfibers into our water sources. As the fabric gets older and looser, it sheds more and more plastic pieces each wash.

These microscopic pieces of plastic are a very, very big deal.

We know that these plastic pieces are one of the biggest threats to our environment and to our existence. This plastic in the oceans outnumbers the start in the sky, and as of now, it is impossible to clean up. Scientists now find tiny microplastics from clothes in every recordable corner of the oceans. Every water source. Most salt. Even in human feces.

But what can a tiny piece of plastic even do? The truth is we don't even know the full extent of the harm these tiny shreds of poison are doing. We know that plastic is linked with hormonal changes, endocrine problems, and cancer. We know what some of the plastic chemicals do (cancer), but so much is still unexplained.

What we do know is that plastic is poison. If you knew the clothes you were selling was blasting asbestos into people's water, would you do it? Of course not! You guys at Thred Up are way to awesome for that! But history will see this the same way.

 You show amazing concern for the environment all over your site (moreso than basically ANY other online store I can think of), I could not believe you would send even one extra piece of plastic out into the environment. Please stop this trend.

If you want to do more to STOP plastic microfibers and synthetic fabrics, why not add a reminder on all the secondhand clothes that all synthetic fabrics shed plastic. Thhis could help people become more aware of the problem and be more mindful of what they are buying.

Please stop selling plastic clothes. You are too good for this.

Dear Disney Parks,

When I read that the Disney Parks were giving up plastic straws this morning, I was so excited! 175 MILLION fewer pieces of plastic a year is AMAZING (as long as there are still some straws for the people who request/need them)! Even better, you taking a stand continues to set a standard for all businesses to use fewer plastics and use greener options instead.

I just visited Walt Disney World a month ago, and we were so excited when on our first day, we got paper straws at Animal Kingdom. But the rest of the parks didn't do it! It was heartbreaking to see, and it only made me notice the epic amount of plastic waste you are creating all over the parks, from the toys, to the TERRIBLE plastic bags (seriously, a park with every inch designed, where everyone is carrying these ugly bags?), to the silverware, and more. In fact, I wrote a post to help Disney visitors avoid the waste, because it was so ubiquitous.

I just saw waste everywhere, and we know you can do so much better. 

You yourself point out that taking care of the environment has always been a part of who you are as a company. I have also always been struck on how mindful you are of creating mindful and innovative solutions to problems you come across in any other park. Those two parts of the Disney spirit can come together by setting a new, greener standard for everyone. You have the resources and the epic efficiency to set big goals and actually achieve them, and this could save the Earth (and your business, clientele, etc) for generations to come. Nothing could be more important for your business or our collective future.

I loved reading your environmental goals, and I think your longterm goal of "attaining a net zero greenhouse gas emissions and zero waste, while conserving water resources" but from what I saw on my trip this June, there is a long way to go. So many of us, individuals and companies, have blind spots about the harm we are doing. And we maintain poor habits, because it's just what we have always done.

So I want to point out some of the key sources of waste you could still address to get you closer to your goals. The emissions of the stuff you manufacture and ship across the world. The waste of all those plastic bottles and utensils. The emissions of the food you serve. It all matters, and all of these areas offer you opportunities to get better. You have taken great steps, but there are many steps left to take.

I am elated about the changes you are making and your commitment to the environment. That said, there is a hell of a lot more to do, and you can keep making This rather long list is only the tip of the iceberg, but these are all attainable goals:

Skip More than the Plastic Straws

I am so glad you are completely eliminating polystyrene cups (and take out containers? I hope?), and that straws are almost done. But you can be much more aggressive in removing single use plastic from your parks.

You know that getting rid of single use plastic is vitally important, because you have already removed plastic straws. All plastic heads to either landfills or water, and it has become a key threat to animals everywhere. As many have noted, plastic has become a major ecological disaster for this generation, and we have produced more in the last ten years than in all of human history.About 50% of this is single use plastics, which has become a major part of your parks. All of your bags are plastic, most of your cups and straws are plastic, and I didn't see any compostable utensils either.

The amount of plastic waste your parks create is unthinkable, and just removing straws and stirrers doesn't address the full problem. 47 million visitors head to Disney World a day. Even at our most conservative guess, you are still tossing 150 MILLION pieces of plastic a year without the straws. And honestly, it is probably in the 100 millions. If the next generation is struggling to find clean water or are all suffering from endocrine system problems because their water is poisoned with plastic, they probably don't have time to come to your park.

All of your single-use plastics can be replaced with better options. Only use recycled paper bags instead of plastic. Compostable utensils are also pretty easy to come by. Switches are already readily available- use them! It may be more expensive, but it is an investment in your future visitors. Do it soon, before plastic chokes out us all.

Have a Featured Reusable Water Bottle (Help Promote Reuse)

Florida is freaking hot- we spent our whole trip sweating! For that reason, I saw people left and right chugging from single-use plastic bottles. I know you have paper cups of water available at every restaurant, but often the lines are long and people would rather have water bottles with them. So there are single use bottles everywhere.

Well, I think there is a better idea.

You are geniuses of promoting. What if every year, you had a feature reusable bottle. You could have an option or two each year as the perfect souvenir and collector item for diehard Disney fans. You could even partner with an amazing American-made company like Liberty Bottleworks. You already offer refillable cups at the resorts which we used a bunch and saw that people loved to carry with them. This just takes that idea and makes it accessible (and collectable) for everyone who visits the park.

Then, be bold and stop selling single use water bottles. People would still have access to cups, reusable bottles, and anything they bring with them, but cut water out of your single use bottles. How could you make this work in the parks if people hate waiting for water cups? I have an idea...

Add Water Bottle Refilling Stations EVERYWHERE 

(Imagineer the Heck Out of It)

Those little counters are pretty awesome. I mean, they leave you feeling like you did something good, and you can see how this little good decision is adding up.

You could do a world of good by adding similar refill stations all over your parks (instead of selling water bottles). It will be the perfect place for people to refill their bottles, but you could also, in your Disney way, come up with a tracker or counter that gives people that positive feeling when they fill up their bottle. You could make it a competition between the parks each day even!

This is not one that will make you more money, but like so many of the little thoughtful things you do at the park, it will warm the hearts of your guests and make their visit that much smoother. Plus keeping thousands of water bottles out of the landfills a year. Not too shabby.

Think Recycled, Not Recyclable

The first souvenir I bought at the park was handed to me in an unecessarily big, gaudy plastic bag. When I asked your completely lovely cast member whether there was another option, she said no, but that the bag could be recycled.

Sigh. Having the possibility of being recycled does not make packaging green. We know that only 9% of plastics are actually recycled, and even your parks had a shockingly low number of recycling receptacles.

You say in your post that you will "reduce" plastic bags. Reduce? How about eliminate and replace them all with recycled (and recyclable and compostable) paper bags? I think that with a cool, maybe vintage-feeling design on it, you could add to the ambiance of the park while eliminating that waste. If there are items you think still need to be carried in plastic, why not make recycled plastic bags? No new plastic is needed ever.

For that matter, how about selling an eco-friendly and recycled line of toys! You could partner with the geniuses at Green Toys and make something really special (and good for this Earth).

Manufacture (Everything) in the US

We were at Disney World the week leading into the 4th of July, so there was patriotic merchandise all over the place. I am all for items that express people's pride in their country, but I have a big issue with what you were selling:

None of it was made in America. In fact, I couldn't find any non-food items that were made in the US in the whole "World."

This breaks my heart for so many reasons. First, because the thousands of items you sell at these parks are all made in foreign countries because they allow lower wages and lower standards. I don't care how cute a Mickey shirt is, if it is made in Poverty, it isn't worth it. If every store is filled with evidence of another human being's mistreatment, it doesn't exactly seem like the Happiest Place on Earth to me.

 Not to mention, if you added 10% of American-made merchandise, you could create so many American jobs, supporting the primary population that frequents your parks. Just saying.

But even more importantly, every object that is made in lower labor standards tend to come with lower environmental standards as well. Then, each object is wrapped in plastic and shipped halfway across the world to Florida, wasting thousands of gallons of fossil fuels in the process. The closer an item is manufactured, the less negative impact it has.

I very much doubt you would ever solely sell made in America items, but why not choose some to make here? And point it out, so Earth-loving Disney visitors can see what their most ethical options are easily? Maybe the day is not coming where everyone will care about this (even if they should), but if they do care, you should have lots of options for them.

Continue to Be a Star of Solar Power

I remember being so excited about your giant Mickey-shaped solar farm in Florida, but I think replicating that success could be a profound way to have a positive impact. How can you make even more of Disney World solar powered? What about your other parks? Right now, you are at 41% lowered emissions, but if you make solar power central to your parks, I bet you could get that number much lower.

Green Your Fleet of Buses

If you asked my two little boys what their favorite part of Disney World was, they would probably start naming off the transportation! And I love it too (but for totally different reasons).

Your excellent public transportation systems, especially for people staying on the resorts, probably saves thousands of pounds of CO2 from the environment. We didn't have to rent a car, and all of our transport was shared. It also worked almost perfectly every time, we barely had to wait at all (minus one time in a thunderstorm, but it was character building). That is already an epically huge accomplishment and should be celebrated.

Now what if you took that huge win, and made it even greater? Finally switching to electric buses. I saw that you tested the idea way back in 2013, but have since replaced most of the fleet with conventional fossil fuel buses. While you are setting all these enormous (and excellent) goals, why not commit to switching over as this fleet needs replaced? You could save tons of money in the long run AND get your emissions down that much further!

No More Tiny Shampoo Bottles

I saw in your proposal that you plan to reduce in-room plastics by 90% in the next few years. My hope is that this includes eliminating those tiny travel shampoo, lotion, and conditioner bottles. All of those can easily be switched out for dispensers that can be refilled, eliminating HUGE amounts of plastic.

Even better, this simple move will hopefully be an inspiration and game-changer for hotels all over the country and world. It can be seen as the better, more ethical choice and will hopefully takeover as the norm. You could start a trend that keeps millions more bottles out of the landfills and water. Well done!

Make Money Off Your Merchandise Twice

This would be totally unprecedented, but looking at how many Disney buy and sell groups there are on facebook, I am convinced you could make a ton of money and help everyone shift their paradigm around secondhand shopping. Secondhand shopping keeps things out of landfills, cuts down on plastic waste (since new items are usually shipped in plastic, and cuts out fossil fuel use. Every item bought secondhand instead of new is a win for the environment.

But I think a secondhand Disney store would be a huge win for you as well.

A Disney thrift shop would require a small staff, no shipping, and a lot of financial rewards. It could be at Disney Springs, so vacationers could stop and sell back their old Disney-branded swag. That t-shirt that didn't get much use or the stuffed Mickey the kid never ended up taking to. You could only accept things in the best condition and still bring in new merchandise every day.

Then you sell it again. And you get to make money off of these souvenirs more than once! People would essentially be trading in old shirts for new ones, and you could make money off of that shirt a second time. I think it appeals to Disney fanatics too, because they can always check for stuff they may have missed the first time. Before I visited Disney, we bought our cute Disney gear secondhand (and after being there and seeing where things were made, I never bought anything new). You could be in on this business, as well as selling higher priced collectibles to those out to find them.

I can't think of any business that does anything like this, but you have always been a trendsetter, and I think it could be a game changer.

Introduce More and Better Vegetarian and Vegan Options

I couldn't help but notice that many of your restaurants, especially the quick dining options, have no or very few options for people who do not eat meat. This seems crazy to me, especially because you have a huge fanbase of park goers who are vegan- they even have their own (pretty awesome) Facebook page!

If you are committed to helping the environment, then providing and promoting meat-free options is another incredible way to do a lot of good. We know that the meat industry is one of the largest creators of waste, a key contributor to climate change (so much CO2 emission), and abuses many of our natural resources (not to mention many of the animals.

If you want to get ever closer to zero-emissions, you need to think of the emissions of the food you serve as well. 

I am not suggesting you make your parks vegetarian, as you are obviously hosting so many people with so many tastes. But what about making a commitment to serve less meat overall in the parks by replacing one meat option on every menu with something vegetarian or vegan? And you have such great food, certainly you can come up with more delicious options people would be excited about.

For example, we had dinner at a Quick Service restaurant in Hollywood Studios that basically only sold hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches. It was a food low point for sure (those hot dogs were gross), so why not make it better and do a cool caprese sandwich instead? Or even try some vegetarian hot dogs!?

If you want to have a more positive impact, give people more vegetarian options worth obsessing over! Vegetarian options that even the meat eaters will choose. If any place can rise to this challenge, it's Disneyworld.

Partner with Other Green Companies

You have some partners (I am thinking especially of those cartoon villains at Nestle) who take actively negative roles towards the environment and the people in it. Nestle steals water from the American people and packages it in environment-destroying, super toxic, never going to decompose plastic. They also target their nastiness at vulnerable populations, and are generally the worst. I don't want their Mickey Head ice cream bars of malice.

Want to show real gusto and resolve in saving our world? Stop partnering with companies like these and instead look for companies that are protecting the environment. If other businesses aren't stepping up, the amount of money you are working with certainly gives them a reason to.

Everything else you are doing is vital, but this piece of the puzzle could change everything for the better forever. Stop doing business with people who don't care for the environment, and let's see what magic can really take place.


As you said in your post today, doing right by the environment is an essential part of the DNA of Disney parks. Walt himself said: "conservation isn't just the business of a few people. It's a matter that concerns all of us." Eliminating most plastic straws (hopeful you will still have some for people with disabilities) is a great step to take, but hopefully some of these ideas could also help in really helping you have a more positive impact on the world. There is a lot left to be done, but you are Walt Disney World! You can definitely do it.

Dear Barilla,

It pains me to do this, because there are few things I love more in the world than carbs. We use your pasta a lot, and you have certainly figured out how to dominate the noodle section in most grocery stores.

That said, you have a serious problem. But don't worry, it is so easy to solve.

Each of your boxes of pasta comes with a little plastic window in it. I don't particularly understand why. Are you worried people won't trust you? That you snuck farfalle into the lasagna box? Why do you expect your customers will absolutely not trust you? I just don't understand it.

Your little plastic windows mess up a perfectly good thing. We know that plastic combined with cardboard makes both more difficult to recycle (mostly people don't separate them). We also know that plastic is quickly becoming one of the greatest threats to our food sources, our environment, even our survival! Plastic has all sorts of chemicals in it that we don't want in or near our bodies (because they mess with our hormones, they are linked to cancer, they are the asbestos of our generation).

So why are you putting it near my food? Especially when it is COMPLETELY unnecessary? It's not even aesthetically-pleasing; if anything, it makes your packaging look cheaper. Are you worried the pasta won't have a good enough view without it?

So I am begging you, on behalf of myself and every other pasta lover out there (who would also not like the ocean to be overrun with plastic), change your packaging. Put a picture of the pasta inside on the outside of the box, and I promise we will all believe you. The best way for us to tackle this plastic problem is to start with the stuff that doesn't even make sense and that no one will miss.

That plastic, pointless as it is, still adds up. So get rid of the pasta window, keep thousands of pieces of plastic out of the world, and do the right thing.

Sincerely,

Sunshine Guerrilla

If you like this post, please share it! This blog is all about making small changes. The more people who make these small shifts, the better the Earth will be!

This month, we are fighting plastic pollution by writing companies we think could be doing a lot more to help the environment. The challenge for you is to write at least 5 of these letters yourself! Tell the businesses you love to break up with plastic for good!


Dear Poke Cafe,

Your poke is delicious, and my son is obsessed with you. If he had his way, we would be eating your bowls of spicy tuna and rice every day. And I actually really like coming into your store- it is low key and the staff is always extremely helpful and friendly.

But I just can't do it, because you use way too much plastic.

We know now that plastic, especially single use plastic like you use in your store, is wreaking havoc on our world and our oceans. Single use plastics are pooling at the center of the Pacific Ocean, making a garbage patch bigger than the state of Texas. Your store uses plastic bowls, plastic straws, and more.

Fish eat that plastic. As plastic continues to be a bigger and bigger problem, less and less fish will actually be edible. You are a poke shop. In the future, wouldn't you like to continue selling fish? Who has a higher stake in getting plastic out of the ocean and fish than you? It is literally your business!


If you can run a business, you can run it ethically, and your refusal to raise your standards (even as the city around you does) will cost you business. These are simple fixes, and you can do it!

1. Get Compostable or Reusable bowls

Every bowl you use adds up. You can find compostable options easily in the city (many other restaurants already use them). Even better would be to add more reusable plates, and wash and reuse.

2. No more styrofoam cups!

When I asked for a cup of water to avoid a plastic bottle, you gave me styrofoam cups! What!?!?

Seriously, doing the right thing is so easy! Switch to paper or reusable cups, especially for water. Styrofoam has no place in restaurants.

3. Cut out all Plastic

4. Embrace Green Waste

Poke Cafe, you can do it! Get plastic out of your restaurant and save your future product! The fish need your help, and I need to keep buying poke, or my son will never forgive me.

If you like this post, please share it! This blog is all about making small changes. The more people who make these small shifts, the better the Earth will be!

from 3D Printing for Beginners

It's plastic-free July, and here at the blog, we are psyched. If you haven't done it yet, check out the Plastic Free July page and join the challenge!

Cutting plastics out of your life is essential for your health, happiness, and the future of our Earth. Plastics are poisons, and. I guarantee the next generation will be shocked and horrified about how we used these poisons for everything. So get packaging away from your food, plastic straws away from your drink, and plastic fibers off your clothes (and out of our water sources). Any plastic you can get out of your life is awesome, and we 100% support you and your awesomeness!

That said, I have another challenge for you this month. It won't take much time but can totally help us in the fight against plastics:

Write five businesses (restaurants, dentists, stores, museums, amusement parks, whatever!) and ask them to cut their plastic habit. 

Don't like writing letters? Write 10 quick yelp reviews instead.

Individuals cutting plastic out of their life is awesome for 2 reasons- first, it keeps plastics out of our landfills and oceans. Second, it sends businesses the message that you are looking for plastic-free and ethical options.

We know businesses are starting to notice. KFC is cutting plastic straws. So is McDonald's (but only in the UK... potential letter-writing option?). The whole city of Seattle is starting a plastic straw ban.

from zmscience

But we need to go faster. We know that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is somewhere between the size of Texas and Russia. We also know about 70% of it is microplastics, which sink down into the ocean (into fish and into our food). We know that water scarcity is a real coming problem, and we know that we are poisoning the water that is available. We also know that plastics are petroleum products, and they are connected to Climate Change in a number of really concerning ways.

Plastic is so much of a problem that National Geographic recently did a whole episode on it.

Plastic pollution is a big deal, and we need change to happen faster. If you or I give up straws, we keep a hundred or so straws out of the landfill and waters this year (this is NO SMALL THING). If a restaurant does it, that number is in the thousands. If it is a big chain, we are talking millions or even a billion.

So our job as consumers is to hold the businesses we love accountable. Get on Yelp and write five reviews that bring up plastic packaging. Write them a letter. Write on their facebook page. You have so many options for reaching out to people to let them know this matters to you as a consumer. If they hear from enough of us, change will happen, but we have to get proactive.

For this blog, we write a Letter to Get Better series, and we have actually had some successes! Last year, I wrote the Seattle Aquarium about their gift shop working directly against their mission, and they added some Green Toys for a better option! How cool is that!? I have watched a business go through the transition of losing plastic straws, and though they took some slack for it, I think people are coming around (and I don't think it cost them any business).

So it is worth doing and it can make a difference. Just like everything else in this battle, every little gesture and effort makes a difference and shifts the momentum towards the good.

My biggest advice is to write companies that you already love. They need to be worried about losing your money, and if you don't shop/ visit/ pay there, then what do they care what you think!? Start a mental list of the places you go most often, and then start to notice ways they could break up with plastic.

How to Phrase your Letter

I know that getting started is the hardest part, so let's do it together. I am going to do it for a restaurant, but use whatever business makes you the happiest.

Dear Management (or Owners or HR Department- try to have a good guess at who you are talking to and use names if you can!) at ....

I love your restaurant. We come here almost once a week, and I always get ...... As much as we love your food, I feel really uneasy about one thing at your restaurant- how much plastic you use.

When we come in, we get plastic straws and plastic cups. If we have food to take home, you use plastic take out containers and plastic bags. I am asking you to find better, more environmentally-friendly options for even one of these items.

We know that plastic is creating huge problems for our world. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the size of Texas, and all of that plastic is getting into the water and into our fish. Plastic straws and bags kill sea life from turtles to fish to sea birds every day. Since you serve seafood, you have to be concerned that this plastic is poisoning your product. We know all this plastic waste is bad for our planet, so why not have a huge positive impact by cutting it out of your packaging!

The average restaurant creates 100,000 lbs of waste each year. Much of that is food or other kinds of waste, but you could turn all of your plastic waste into something that is recyclable or biodegradable and have have a huge positive impact on the world and your community! Though the step might challenging or uncomfortable at first, you are just at the start of a wave of businesses breaking up with plastic.

Thank you for considering this, because I would love to have your sandwich without all the guilt!

Sunshine Guerrilla

That one too fussy? Here is the yelp review version. 

I love this restaurant's sandwiches, but I hate that everything is packaged in plastic. Now, if I want to order takeout, I will go somewhere else, because I don't want all the plastic. You guys are amazing, but I hope you get rid of the plastic bags!

It doesn't have to be super informative, bossy, or lengthy. Just tell them that you notice and you care. 

You could jump on Yelp right now, right 15 sentences, and have completed your mission. It may seem small, but it can be a huge step!



I am so excited for this and to keep letting businesses know it's time to go Plastic-Free! Please take the challenge, and comment below to let us know that you are in!

Dear Dolly Parton and your Book-Slinging Angel Minions,

First, I want to say thank you for distributing do many books to so many children through Imagination Library. What a genius and generous idea it is. I heard about your library, where you can have a book sent to your small child a month, from one of my cousins who used your program, and we have loved it. We really love to see what books are coming down the way next, and some have been big hits with our Bub (enough so that I am sick of reading them!).

More importantly, I think of the moms and dads who may not be able to afford many books for their 0-5-year-old children who can find real help in the Imagination Library. It is well-proven that reading and literacy are such an important part of a child's development, so this could really change lives. That's amazing.

With all that being said, I do have one BIG hang up about the Imagination Library Program- every single book that the Bub has received, from the Little Engine that Could on, has been manufactured in China. Now, I don't have a problem with the country in general, but this outsourced manufacturing causes huge environmental, economical, and ethical problems that someday my plucky train-loving toddler (and all of the children who read your books) will someday inherit:

- The books are sometimes printed with sketchier materials (especially the plastic-coated cover), which will of course go directly into little one's mouths. These lower standards around chemicals and manufacturing have caused issues before, and I am certain we will be regretting allowing these standards again.

- So many books, on this epic scale, create a huge environmental cost just in shipping. These books are heavy, and they must use up tons of fossil fuels just getting to the United States, and it seems those resources would be better spent moving those books to communities all over the country.

- Worst of all, China has infamously bad work and labor standards, and since publishing has not been there all that long, the conditions and regulations of these places remain mostly uninspected and grossly under-policed. More than once, while reading this free book to my Bub, I have had to ask if someone else's baby, or someone else's mother, were abused in making the cute little book. It isn't worth it. No free book is worth someone else being abused.

On your website, you say that Imagination Library and its local partners provide 750,000 children books in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia (the majority still being in the US). It says there are 932,000 children registered! If Imagination Library switched even a third of your book choices over to something made on our continent, the benefits would be massive:

- Sending a strong message to publishers that it is still worthwhile to manufacture in the United States. Publishing is still pretty split between the two countries, but children's books have moved increasingly to China.

- Enabling jobs and livelihoods to the families that might use this program. What you do is so noble, and it's great to help families that need it, but you can also make a big difference by providing more incomes to the parents, not just books for the kids.

- Normalizing safer, more ethical standards. Teaching parents and children about the importance of thinking about where your stuff is made, because it matters.

- Conserving fossil fuels and energy by minimizing shipping distances.

Companies like to try to make their "Made in" almost invisible- they don't want us to notice. If we do notice, they want it to feel impossible to get more ethically made goods (like books) because then they don't seem as responsible ("To stay competitive..."), but some companies, especially smaller American publishing companies are pulling this off:

Workman Publishing, who produces Sandra Boyton Books, still produces books on the continent.

Random House still publishes most (not all) Dr. Seuss books in the United States.

Cricket Media, who make the Babybug magazine (my child loves nothing more than these magazines- check them out) are still published in Chicago. Check Scholastic too!

It's not hard to find lots of great options, but you do have to be intentional in looking for them.

I know you have a huge operation with so many moving parts, but I beg you to consider making this a real part of your book selection process. You can make a huge difference for these kids now and for their world later.

Thank you for everything this program does promoting literacy and access to everyone; you are making a world of difference with your fame and power, and I am genuinely in awe. , This is just one way you can be doing even more phenomenal good in the world. I have never had more faith that a company and organization can handle the task.

Sunshine Guerrilla

If you want to read more about the amazingness of the Imagination Library or to sign your little one (anyone 0-5) up, check here.

If you want to learn more about where your kids' books are published, be sure to check that page with all the fine print across from the title page. Companies do their best to tuck that information in with all that fine print, but it has to be there, so you can look around and find something published ethically OR consider finding it used at a consignment store or on Amazon. If you are really feeling committed, you can even send the publishers a quick note to let them know they didn't get your money and why. Things won't change unless we stand up as consumers. Remember, every dollar you spend is a vote for the world your child will inherit from you.