Single-use plastics, virgin plastics, and the fact that only a small percentage of it gets recycled are the problems. Government based plastic recycling programs, when available, do not work. If it is not profitable in the global plastics market these programs will throw the plastics stockpiles in landfills. And then just image the large carbon footprint of shipping all the plastic waste around the world.  There needs to be a change in our plastics recycling systems.

Ghost nets! Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been abandoned or lost in the oceans and cause serious damage to the marine ecosystem. Modern fishing nets are made of synthetic materials that don't easily degrade and will have a continuous cycle of destruction if not removed from the oceans. To learn more about ghost nets go to earth.org, Olive Ridley Project, or wikipedia.

This EPA grant funded program will allow the community to keep hard to recycle plastics out of the landfill, as well as out of the oceans, and turn it into synthetic "lumber". This recycled plastic lumber/decking (think Trex composite decking) will be made out of plastic ocean waste, ghost nets, and plastic consumer waste. All collected, processed, manufactured, and sold locally. No more big carbon footprint and logistical costs of transporting the plastic waste globally.
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY!

Plastic ocean waste + Plastic consumer waste = Community sourced and manufactured plastic lumber. All made and sold in Alaska! SO EXCITING!
This community project is made possible by your participation and excitement, plus the following partnerships:

• EPA. To learn more about the grant funding and in depth details about project goals visit the EPA website here. 
• Alaska Plastics Recovery and PKS Consulting, Inc.
• Sustainable Seward
  
• ReGroup
  
• Cook Inletkeeper
• And the collection bag hosts: The Goods, Sustainable Wares, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Cook Inletkeeper's Community Action Studio, and various locations in Seward.

REDUCE, REUSE, REFILL, REFUSE, AND RECYCLE. Recycling is always the last option. Here are other ways to keep single-use plastics out of the oceans and landfill:

• Properly dispose of your waste and pick up any litter that you come across to reduce the amount that ends up in our waterways.
• Reuse containers that you can't avoid purchasing.
  
• Refuse plastic containers. Choose products that come in more easily recyclable containers, like aluminum and glass.
  
• Reduce the use of smaller containers. Can you buy in bulk or DIY? Can you grow your own?
  
• Refill at your local refill shop. This website is a great resource to find one in your area.
• Choose products that are sustainably manufactured and avoid greenwashing. Shop consciously, shop SUSTAINABLE WARES!
  

Other links not listed above:

• Ghost Gear: https://www.ghostgear.org/projects/2018/10/10/northwest-straits-derelict-fishing-gear-program
• Peninsula Clarion: https://www.peninsulaclarion.com/news/seward-recycling-program-to-turn-plastic-into-lumber/
• Alaska Public Media: https://alaskapublic.org/2021/05/19/anchorage-engineer-plans-to-recycle-ocean-garbage-into-plastic-lumber/
• Earth 911: https://earth911.com/how-and-buy/products-made-from-recycled-ocean-plastic/
  

The idea that powdered detergents are bad for septic systems has come up twice in the last couple of weeks and although I didn’t believe it I had to do some research to back up my disbelief. What did I find out? Professionals tell septic system owners that powdered detergents (laundry and dishwashing) will clog their tanks and this is a MYTH, well sort of.
After reading up on it I realized it is not a difference between powder and liquid detergents, it is about natural/biodegradable ingredients vs. chemical/petroleum based ingredients. And it is about the fillers and additives. The professionals need to give a more detailed explanation before spreading this MYTH. And consumers need to dig a little deeper into their cleaning product ingredients because labels and product marketing can be very misleading and confusing.

A septic system, in partnership with ground soil and bacteria, works to filter waste water before it returns to the groundwater. A septic system needs the right balance of water, pH, and bacteria to keep the system healthy. Any disruption to this process could damage the health and structure of a septic system and pollute the surrounding ecosystem.

"Traditional" powdered detergents, compared to liquid, contains more fillers and additives. These fillers could be composed of anything, clay, granulated plastics, or other petroleum based ingredient that does not biodegrade or dissolve in water. These non-biodegradable ingredients will build up in the top layer of scum that also contains oils, fats, hair, and possibly paper products. A small scum layer is important and beneficial to the health of a tank, it acts as a seal to keep the air out and provides protection to the good bacteria, but if it becomes too large it will create clogging problems.
"Traditional" liquid detergents will also have these non-biodegradable ingredients that do harm to septic tanks. Using liquid instead of powder detergent will not protect the health of a septic system if non-biodegradable and harsh chemicals are still being used.
In conclusion to my quick, down and dirty research, don't worry about your preference between liquid and powder cleaners when considering the health of your septic system. Do not pay attention to all the flashy marketing and greenwashing. Pay attention to the ingredients and always choose biodegradable.   Reading labels can get confusing and overwhelming because of all the variations in chemical names. Companies try to sneak in all those nasty fillers and additives using a variety of names. Environmental Working Group is a great resource to check the safety of ingredients in any household or body care product you are considering purchasing. I use this website all the time when researching new products.  They also have an app to put on your phone to use while on the go and shopping. https://www.ewg.org/

The word surfactant means surface active agent. Surfactants help to repeal dirt from a surface. There are both natural/biodegradable and man-made/chemical surfactants. This was news to me because I thought the term surfactants was something bad and was a warning sign to stay away from that product.  In its pure form, washing soda is a surfactant.

Okay, I just dipped my toes too deep into the chemistry (chemistry killed my dream of a biology degree) of surfactants and got overwhelmed! Here are a couple of websites I found that explains surfactants: https://www.safehouseholdcleaning.com/anionic-nonionic-surfactants/ and https://www.ipcol.com/blog/an-easy-guide-to-understanding-surfactants/
Feel free to explore and learn more details about surfactants all you want!

HE washing machines and septic systems hate excessive suds and having foaming bubbles don't make clothes any cleaner. For those that have already switched to natural cleaning and body care products you may have noticed less suds in your life and you and your home are just as clean and happy without all that foaming action.
SLS- Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a foaming agent. SLS is bad for your health, your septic tank, and the environment. Just take my word for it because I really don't want to learn and explain the chemistry on this one!

Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salts): removes buildup in fibers and helps keep washing machines smelling clean. Epsom salt is only mildly acidic and will not affect the pH balance of a healthy septic system. It will work as a fertilizer in the leaching field.
Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda): Molly’s Suds uses aluminum-free and food-grade quality. It reduces odor causing bacteria and sudsing (remember sudsing is BAD) and is a gentle cleanser. A septic system will benefit from the addition of baking soda. Baking soda is used as a natural, biodegradable alternative to synthetic, harsh chemicals and will help keep a septic tank from clogging without the harsh chemicals that kill off all the good bacteria.     
Sodium Carbonate (washing soda, soda ash): Molly’s Suds uses a sustainably sourced, pure product that is safe to use as medicinal and food ingredients. It is used to remove stains and is a natural, biodegradable alternative to chemical surfactants. It is also used as a natural water softener  to boost the cleaning power of the other ingredients
Sea Salt: used to prevent clumping. A natural, safe alternative to borax. There are many differing opinions on whether borax is safe.

We are opening up a section of our storefront to share with individuals who need a little push, encouragement, or place to grow ideas. This space will allow a budding entrepreneur or maker to get a little taste of the business world without the commitment or overhead. Think of it as a long-term pop-up shop but doesn’t necessarily need to be a retail/selling space. It could easily be an artist/maker studio that provides a work space with a little public exposure. It could also be slightly closed off for a little more privacy and be set up as a small office. We will charge a fee for the space but it will be based on a variety of options that are dependent on the needs of the occupant, including a gradual fee option as their business grows. Just like the Growing Shed’s mission this idea is a work in progress that will evolve, grow, or fizzle out as we see fit. Either way, we are super excited about this opportunity to bring in new budding energies to our storefront in Homer, AK!

The first to move into the Growing Shed is Martine and her plants. She is a friend and one of my inspirations for making the Growing Shed a reality. I wanted to give her the space to show off her green thumb and amazing design talents. She will be in the Growing Shed until the end of the year. We will both see where this takes us after that. I am super thankful Martine agreed to being the guinea pig for this idea and we are both excited to see what the space and her business evolves into. Martine’s plants will be available to purchase during Sustainable Wares’ open hours and she will soon have “office hours” for you to talk to her about the plants she sells. We are already starting to brainstorm ideas of what to name her business. ANY SUGGESTIONS? Please comment below!