These bags are killing our planet…do YOU use them? (Video)

In this video, Kelsey Rae and Steve Linder discuss the importance of reducing plastic bag consumption.

Fast Facts

  • It takes 1,000 YEARS for a plastic bag to decompose in a landfill.
  • Americans go through 88 BILLION plastic bags per year.
  • The manufacturing of these bags requires 12 MILLION barrels of oil.
  • Only 1-2 PERCENT of all plastic bags are recycled in the U.S.

So What?

Kelsey gets real fired up about plastic bags because they are unnecessary waste that hurts our environment on so many levels. Not only are we contributing to the burning of fossil fuels that leads to global warming, but we’re also increasing our dependency on foreign oil and all the fossil fuels burned just to transport the oil to our shores. Plastic bag production also requires the use of toxic chemicals like sulphurous acid that creates acid rain and water pollution.

Aside from all that, the UN estimates there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean. Thousands of marine animals and over 1 million birds die each year through strangulation or accidental ingestion of this trash.
What Can You Do?

  • Use reusable cloth shopping bags always. (Don’t forget them at home or in the car!)
  • Tell the cashier you don’t need a bag when you have just 1-2 small items.
  • Reuse your plastic bags as trash bin liners, to bag up cat litter or for lunch bags.
  • If you do have any plastic bags at home, recycle them to make new bags.
  • Give reusable shopping bags to friends and family for Christmas gifts.
  • Share creative activist independent films like Ramin Bahrani’s “Plastic Bag.”
  • Consider organizing massive plastic bag recycling events or initiatives in your area.

Join Vocal Trash's movement to
“THINK…before you throw it away!”

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

Fourth Graders Win Recycling Contest (Video)

Kids at Eagle Mountain Elementary are rewarded as they "THINK…before they throw it away!"

The fourth grade class at Eagle Mountain Elementary School gives us hope that we truly CAN make the planet a better, greener place. On Friday, May 6th the Vocal Trash crew performed a special song and posed for photo opportunities with the kids at the school to reward them for recycling, reducing and reusing the most trash.

What Was The Contest All About?

Vocal Trash started their movement to get people excited about recycling and thinking before they throw things away. For the past three years, Eagle Mountain Elementary in Forth Worth, Texas has been participating in a “Going Green Week” contest aimed at getting kids interested in recycling and raising money for the school.

All week long, the kids bring in items like chip bags, juice boxes and candy wrappers that have the recycle logo on them. The whole school is eligible to participate, but only the class who collects the most trash could win a special meet-and-greet with national performing eco-entertainers, Vocal Trash.

In the end, the collected trash is sent in to Terracycle.net to be converted into products and, for every unit of waste sent in, the school receives money back. So it’s a win-win situation!  

In addition to the contest, the school also held a drive to collect paper products, old printer cartridges, old cell phones, PDAs and laptops. The proceeds will be donated to charity or come back to the school.

What Are People Saying?

We’ve gotten some great feedback from the event so far. One enthusiastic fan said, “I love you guys!!! You all rock! You make us kids want to recycle so reusable things don’t get thrown away!! Come to EME again – we all love you!”

Many students initially felt “there was nothing in it for them” when it came to recycling. Yet, over the course of the week, they realized that a clean and safe planet was an important cause that benefits everyone. 

Pamela English, the school’s 4th grade science teacher, when asked about this performance by Vocal Trash, said, “I cannot think of a better program to promote recycling and helping the environment. The added benefit is the kids and teachers love it. I get asked on an almost weekly basis each year when is Vocal Trash coming back. It is definitely one of the highlights of our school year!”

According to Steve Linder, the group’s creator, “these are great platforms to reach out to young minds and help create that all important awareness.”

How Can I Get Involved?

·         Contact Vocal Trash to organize your own Going Green Week fundraiser!

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

Are you the next Vocal Trash photographer?

Calling All Photographers!
Vocal Trash Needs YOU!

Hey fans,

As you know, Vocal Trash has been entertaining around the country, spreading our message to

Photographer

“THINK…before you throw it away!” how to reduce, reuse, recycle and be a more earth-conscious, educated consumer. In fact, this summer the group will entertain crowds in New York, Washington, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, and we’re adding more locations weekly!

What we need is:

LIVE PHOTOS of Vocal Trash performing at a venue near you!

But here’s the deal: we already have tons of photos of the group posing with fans (which, admittedly, we also love). What we really need at the moment are live action shots with the group that showcase the different venues, the crowds, the event signs and the entertaining nature of the Vocal Trash live performances. Our favorite photos will then appear in our “Backstage Pass” monthly newsletter’s “Where We’ve Been” section.

How To Participate:

You can get these original pictures to us by posting them to your Facebook account and sharing your album or pictures with the Vocal Trash Fan page. Please let us know in our comments section below or our Facebook wall that you posted them, so we’re sure to check ‘em out.

What You’ll Get:

Each month we’ll choose up to three lucky fan’s photo to appear in the newsletter. This incredible photographer will receive a SPECIAL GIFT from the Vocal Trash crew! Currently, we’re giving away an autographed photo of the group that will be specially mailed to your home. Future giveaways may include an autographed CD or VIP passes to see the group perform!  Feel free to suggest what prizes you would like us to add and you may be the recipient.

Help us spread our message to “THINK before you throw it away!”

Conserve Energy Today In Every Way! (Video)

How Does Vocal Trash Save Energy?

In this edition of the Vocal Trash's Street Show, you’ll hear Steve Linder playing the opening theme for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey using air conditioning ducts found in a landfill! Finding creative and entertaining ways to reuse old trash is just one of the group’s creative outlets. They’re also fully committed to providing you with insightful ways to make a difference at home and in your community. This week, let’s think a little deeper about the conservation of energy.

But first, here are some ideas you can easily do to conserve energy from Daycreek.com:

  1. Unplug Your TV.  Of course, simply turning it off is not enough! When you completely unplug your TV, you will be surprised how much electricity you’re saving and how less you are going to pay for your electric bills. Don’t forget to unplug other appliances, too.
     
  2. Think Big, Spend less.  Living in a big house is instantly going to cost you extra if you live alone or with only one other person. Try moving to a smaller house and for sure it will be no time before you notice you’re saving your community’s power supply in a big way.
     
  3. Use cold water when washing clothes. Who would have thought using cold instead of warm water in washing your clothes could make a difference in conserving energy? Now that you know, try to do it whenever possible.

How Does Kelsey Rae Conserve Energy?

Kelsey says you can easily conserve energy when you’re not at home just by programming your central heating and/or air conditioning to turn off automatically when you’re away. Setting your timer is not only effortless and easy, but it also saves you big bucks off your energy bill each year!

It also helps that you’re not the only one in the world who goes out of the way to conserve energy. Here are two ideas from different environment groups on how to live in a cleaner, sustainable environment:

  1. Daycreek.com suggests using a clothesline to dry your clothes when possible, instead of running the dryer…the only energy expended here will allow you to get your exercise in for the day!
     
  2. Award-winning Got2BeGreen.com says the best way to conserve energy is to try to replace all electrical appliances with those “Green” products that are leaders in energy conservation. For example, if you replace your 2-year old air-conditioner with the latest air-conditioning technology from a company that is claimed by environment authority groups to be one of the best energy-conscious companies out there, then you’re definitely moving in the right direction. For more renewable energy information go to GreenEnergyChoice.com.

How Does Larry Parish Conserve Energy?

Did you know you spend $12 a year by operating your fan for eight hours a day? This may not seem like much, but it adds up! When you’re not in the room, turn off your fan and unplug it. Furthermore, you can save another 20 percent off your energy bills and conserve energy if you replaced just one 100-watt light bulb with a compact fluorescent.

Conservation of energy can be part of your lifestyle everyday if you

"THINK… before you throw it away!"

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

Water, precious and rare…what YOU can do right now to conserve! (Video)

How Do YOU Conserve Water?

Kelsey Rae of Vocal Trash reuses her dryer sheets as cloths that absorb grease and grime from her pots and pans. That way, she can avoid throwing these big items in the dishwasher altogether! Did you know that you use 15 gallons of water every time you run your dishwasher? In fact, if every American installed water-efficient appliances, this would save more than 3 trillion gallons of water each year!

Here are some more water facts*:

  • Less than 2% of the Earth’s water supply is fresh
  • Only 1% of the Earth’s water supply is unfrozen and suitable for drinking
  • A person can survive a month without food, but less than a week without water.
  • In California, landscaping accounts for 50 percent of their home water usage.
  • In 1990, industries released 197 million pounds of toxic chemicals into our water supply
  • Water suppliers process 38 billion gallons of water for domestic use each day

How much water do you use?

  • Most Americans use between 140 and 170 gallons of water each day
  • Showering and bathing uses 27 percent of our home water consumption
  • A leaky faucet can waste 100 gallons of water a day
  • A 10-minute shower uses 40 gallons of water
  • Baths use 36 gallons of water
  • You go through 5 gallons of water leaving the sink run while you brush your teeth
  • A toilet flush uses 6.5 gallons of water. This adds up to 881 gallons/week/household

Stop and consider the importance of water

Vocal Trash members, Kelsey Rae, Steve Linder and Greg Dugan are letting you know that you can do your part in our national water conservation efforts by taking quick showers instead of baths, upgrading to energy efficient appliances, only running full loads of dishes or laundry, only watering your lawn as necessary, fixing leaky faucets, and using a bowl of water to clean fruit and vegetables rather than running water over them.

Tell us what you are doing today to conserve water by leaving a comment below. Vocal Trash wants to hear from you.

*Source

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

Earth Day Approaching…are you a Water Warrior? (Video)

Become An Aveda Water Warrior

“A child dies every 21 seconds due to lack of water,”
Kelsey Rae tells us in this Vocal Trash video. 

Watch Steve Linder, Kelsey Rae, Larry Parish, Greg Dugan, Chris Beck, Anthony Silva, and Angelo Salas; as the Vocal Trash crew wants you to think about why we should recycle, the benefits of recycling and the importance of water conservation.

Celebrate April 22nd by participating in Earth Day activities like a water conservation awareness walk or a special salon event that gives discounted haircuts and extensions, with a portion of the proceeds donated to charity.

How Does Aveda Help For Earth Day and Earth Month?

Over the last 4 years, the Aveda beauty products brand has donated $12 million in consumer-raised funds toward clean water projects in the United States and abroad. Their charitable sponsored events have improved water access for 550,000 people and counting!

What Can You Do For Water Conservation?

  • Buy an Aveda candle and 100% of your proceeds will be donated to the Global Greengrants Fund
     
  • Donate a dollar to protect clean water around the globe
     
  • Simply check in to the Aveda Facebook page and Aveda will donate a dollar on your behalf
     
  • Be sure to support brands and establishments – like Kelsey’s favorite Arlington, TX salon, William Edge – that truly care about the environment and make it easier for their clientele to donate to a cause as well.

Share your experience with groups that help water conservation or your Earth Day contributions. 

Join Vocal Trash in their movement to heal the Earth!

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

Plastic Bottle Caps…the ugly truth (Video)

Aveda Leads In Plastic Bottle Cap Recycling Campaign

News Flash:

Plastic bottle caps are not recycled! I know… it’s shocking, right? These little caps sit in landfills forever or get whisked away into the water supply system, where they wash up on beaches or are mistaken for food by sea birds who then endure fatal obstructions. In this video, Vocal Trash® members Kelsey Rae, Steve Linder and Greg Dugan look for progressive solutions to help you be a better steward of the Earth.

Why Can’t Bottle Caps Be Recycled?

Bottle caps (and many other types of product lids) are made of Plastic #5 or Polypropylene, a sturdier type of plastic that does not melt as easily as the Plastic #1 or Plastic #2 that most neighborhood recycling programs pick up on a routine basis. There is about a hundred-degree melting point difference between #1 and #5 plastic. While this plastic can technically be recycled, it cannot be recycled alongside the other plastics or the whole process can be contaminated.

What You Can Do:

Did you know that some companies are accepting bottle cap donations to melt them down into bottles for their products? For example, anywhere AVEDA beauty products are sold, you can recycle the following types of caps:

  • shampoo
  • beverage
  • milk
  • peanut butter
  • flip-top beauty product
  • detergent
  • pharmaceutical

Unfortunately, they do not accept yogurt lids, margarine/cottage cheese "tub lid" tops, metal lids, lotion or spray pumps.  

Where Can I Recycle My Caps?

You can recycle these caps wherever Aveda products are sold. If you don’t have an Aveda near you, Whole Foods now offers a receptacle for Plastic #5 products. Earth911.org allows you to search places near you for recycling just about anything.

What else do you feel should be recycled in your area that is not?

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

What? Recycled Instruments…Musically Speaking (Video)

What? Musical Instruments Made of Recycled Trash?

Hey gang, the Vocal Trash® troupe is at it again – this time with a couple new instruments made by their friends at KnotAFish.com. Picking junk out of a landfill and making it into usable instruments is what Vocal Trash is all about; starting the movement to “THINK…before you throw it away”, through music and laughter.

Check It Out:

Steve Linder is playing an Upright Milk Urn Bass made from a six-inch golf cart rim, angle iron and an old milk can. Larry Parish is playing a Jerry Can Guitar, which has a nice bluesy sound – all while being made of an official US Army Jerry Can. Lead vocals, of course, are provided by the lovely Kelsey Rae.

It’s Not That Hard:

All you need is some creative thinking. Not so long before the recent disaster in Japan, they held a contest which asked participants to create musical instruments from recycled materials.

Some of the entrants included:

  • An instrument made of a straw and two cans
  • A collection of old printers assembled specially to create music
  • A saxophone using an air pump hose, partial balloon, film case, and a pipe
  • The winner was an assembly of horns using instant noodle containers, straws and plastic bottles

Get Started:

To get your creativity going, you could simply start off by collecting different cans to serve as percussion instruments and use plastic or wooden chopsticks to serve as your drumsticks. As you can see with the recycled (and upcycled) instruments Steve and Larry are playing, your efforts will definitely be fun and fulfilling.

What You Can Do:

Visit the KnotAFish site for more information on how to make instruments out of old leg chairs, steel trash cans, beer kegs, metal buckets, gas tanks and wash tubs. Before you throw things out, stop and think: What could I use this for? We can all make a difference if we become more cognizant about what we throw away.  So, go ahead, put your thinking cap on and who knows, soon you might be able to design your own guitar as well.

While you’re at it, help Vocal Trash spread their message about making music in harmony and in-tune with the environment. 

Like the Jam?

Click here to listen to more music from Vocal Trash and see their energizing live performance that calls attention to the plight of the planet in a groovy and entertaining way!

Speak Out: What “trash” items would YOU like to see an instrument made out of?

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

Shoes, Glorious Shoes… (Video)

 

Eco-Friendly Spring Is In, Non-Recyclable Flops Are So Out

Now that Spring – the season of renewal has officially started in North America, most of us are renewing, reorganizing and re-energizing.  Speaking of which, many people are cleaning out their closets to see what clothing they need to get rid of, keep or purchase new. This means, a heap of clothes may end up in the garbage if they aren’t recycled.  This isn’t a cool option, right?!

Did You Know…

The average flip flop stays in a landfill for 1,000 years??  That’s an entire millennium!

You Can Be Fashionable and “Green”

There are alternatives to your current clothing options; this week we are talking footwear.  

Watch as Kelsey Rae, Steve Linder, and Larry Parish of Vocal Trash bring the right balance between fashion and recycled shoes. In this video, Vocal Trash suggests a simple pair of eco- friendly flip flops or sneakers as part of your spring wardrobe.

Check Out These Other Options

  • At The Greener Good, you can get a pair of cool flip-flops that biodegrade in 20 years
  • At Simple Shoes, everything is made from eco-friendly and recycled materials
  • Dr. Scholl's offers shoes of sustainable wood, recycled materials & biodegradable soles
  • Get cheap Zoe & Zac shoes made of organic cotton, recycled rubber, eco-foam & hemp
  • Consider Toms vegan shoes using materials like biodegradable burlap & organic cotton

Recycle & Reuse!

Here are other resources for saving Mother Earth as you help others without adding to the landfills.

Together, we can make a better planet!

Join our movement to

"THINK…before you throw it away!"

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away!"

Hidden Truth about Styrofoam…shocking facts revealed (Video)

Get Styrofoam Out Of Our Landfills!

Did you know…

  • Styrofoam never goes away?
  • Americans use 25 BILLION Styrofoam cups each year?
  • We use enough Styrofoam cups to wrap around the world 436 times?

The Facts on Styrofoam

Once upon a time (the 1940s), Styrofoam was viewed as a miracle material that could hold liquids and insulate at the same time. However, it wasn’t long before the dark side of Styrofoam was revealed.

First of all, Styrofoam disposal was limited: the material accumulated alongside coasts, waterways and packed up landfills, unable to degrade over time.

Secondly, the weightlessness of this product made municipal Styrofoam recyclable programs virtually nonexistent. They didn’t want to deal with an item that could easily blow out of the bins.

There are also health concerns about the hydrofluorocarbons emitted into the air during the manufacturing process and the flame retardants used on the Styrofoam itself*. As you can see, Styrofoam is simply bad news.

What You Can Do For The Environment:

Kelsey Rae, Steve Linder, and Larry Parish of Vocal Trash ask that if you see people selling Styrofoam, let them know that it is impossible to recycle Styrofoam, that these Styrofoam cups will simply sit in landfills forever – and, most importantly, that there are other alternatives.

Reusable cups are the way to go, but did you know there are also biodegradable cups, bowls, plates and containers being made out of sugar and corn? Were you aware of another type of biodegradable packing material made out of mushroom roots and seed husks too?

Join Vocal Trash in their movement to spread the word on ways to heal the Earth – reuse, recycle and reduce! 

*Source – Greenliving.com

Vocal Trash MembersVocal Trash is a troupe of environmental entertainers who have been engaging audiences with their unique and exciting brand of entertainment for a decade from New York to Seattle. Whether in Madison Square Garden or the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Vocal Trash is environmentally conscious using upcycled materials on stage. The group asks that you "THINK… before you throw it away."