This is the last installment of The Urban Environmentalist from the Center for the Urban Environment (CUE)because that organization has, sadly, closed its doors. Rebeccah Walsh conducted this interview with Samantha Delman-Caserta, co-owner of
3r Living, about Park Slope and the importance—and challenges of—recycling.

CUE:  Where are you originally
from?

Delman-Caserta: I was born in Staten Island, NY.

CUE:  When did 3r Living open and what lead you to start up the venture?

Delman-Caserta: 3r Living was opened in 2004 after over a year of research and
planning.  Mark at the time was an environmental lobbyist working on some
major issues in NYC.  This gave us exposure to information on new technologies,
materials, etc… that were much better for the environment. At that time I was
a buyer in the housewares area and began looking to see what new things were
readily available in the market.  It amazed us both that there was a large
amount already and that no one was focusing on bringing it to the consumer and
educating them on better choices.  So we decided that we would do it.

CUE:  Do you think that the blend between entrepreneurship and education
is true of most merchants or unique to businesses like yours with a social
mission?

Delman-Caserta: I don't think that
it is only exclusive to social mission based businesses.  Actually in my
opinion education is a part of customer service – no matter what the
product. 

CUE:  How did you choose the location
of your business(es) – and what do you like best about your community/customer
base?

Delman-Caserta: At the time, Mark
and I lived in Park Slope on the up and coming 5th Avenue.  We
knew that Park Slope was already considered the recycling capital of NYC and
that residents already understood the issues facing us in terms of Global
Warming, etc…  So we were pretty sure that there would be interest and
understanding of our mission.  As for Maplewood, NJ – after three years of
business in Brooklyn – we decided to bring our offering to another part of the
Tri-state.  Being that Maplewood is known as "Park Slope West"
and has a very similar demographic, we thought it would be a good fit.

We have been overwhelmed by the support in both of the communities.  Our
customers really appreciate what we are trying to do and most let us know
often.  It is so amazing each time we see one of our repeat customers – it
means a lot.

CUE:  How do you evaluate your
products in this era of green washing?

Delman-Caserta: Well, it is a little
bizarre that although there is more availability of merchandise than when we
started, it is a more arduous process.  This is because we now need to ask
more questions and research our companies,  designers, etc… more thoroughly. 
In the beginning, most of our vendors were in it for the same reason that we
are – to make a better place for future generations (hence our "Future
Friendly Products").  Now it seems a lot of companies are doing it
because it is a "trend."  We make it a policy to test all
products in our own home and to never sell a product if we are not positive
what it is made of, how it was made and how it can be disposed of at the end of
its life.

CUE: You're well known for the
recycling role you play in the community—what's the recycling landscape like in Brooklyn and
Maplewood and how do you see that changing in the next several years?

Delman-Caserta: It has always been a
part of our mission – to help our community dispose of materials that NYC or
Maplewood Township does not accept.  This has been greatly received by our
neighbors and we have been happy to offer (and pay) for this service for the
last 5 years.  But recycling is a business and it is becoming more costly
and in this economy the market for some of the items is reaching its
maximum.  What does this mean for the future?   We are not sure,
but we hope that it will not affect our ability to continue to do our part.

CUE: I think people don't
always consider the associated costs and economy of recycling. Can you talk
more about that–or give an example?

Delman-Caserta:  Yes, we agree
with you.  Most people think that because recycling is a part of disposing
of "garbage" that there is no cost associated with it. Especially
since trash services are "free" in NYC although your taxes have
actually paid for it.  But this definitely is not the case. 
Recycling is a business and since someone needs to make money doing it – they
charge for it.   As they should.  We need to remember that
processing some of the materials that we recycle (batteries, electronics,
etc…) means that someone is exposing themselves to dangerous toxins. 

CUE:  If you could pass a law
tomorrow that would help small businesses locally, what would it look like?

Delman-Caserta: Wow – that is a tough
question.  A law that I would love to see worked on and passed is for
manufacturers to own-up to their responsibility for their products at the end
of their life span.  This would not specifically help small business, but
it would force the larger corporations have to absorb the cost for the disposal
of their products and spur green innovations.   In turn local
governments could the use more of the funds that they currently spend on
garbage and recycling on programs to help small business (or any other need).

(Interview conducted by
Rebeccah Welch, Senior Associate Director of Communications at the Center for
the Urban Environment. As a guide to a more sustainable New York City, the
Center is dedicated to educating individuals about the built and natural
environments. For more about our work visit www.thecue.org.)

 Here
is a snapshot of the sustainability issues that faced the borough and city this
past September. The links were complied by Rebeccah
Welch, Associate Director of Public Affairs, at the Center for the Urban
Environment (CUE). To learn more about CUE, visit  www.thecue.org.

More
Delays and Changes at Whole Foods [Brownstoner]

Tappan
Zee Replacement Plans Aim High [NY Post]

Eat Well
Goes to Brooklyn [The Green Fork]

Green
Brooklyn Conference Held at Borough Hall [Brooklyn Eagle]

Wind
Farm Site Considered 10 Miles From Queens Shore [New York
Times]

Signs
Commemorate Revolutionary War in B’klyn [Brooklyn Eagle]

Planning
Commission Approves Willets Point Plan [Crain’s]

11th
Avenue Mantis [Brooklynometry]

Flatbush
Frolic Environmental Fair Photo Gallery [Sustainable
Flatbush]

Mayor
Opposes Carbon Tariff [NY Sun]

Grand Army Plaza Designs Unveiled
[Brownstoner]

Atlantic Yards Postponed Again
[Crain’s]

Advocates Push for No Cars in Prospect Park
[NY Daily News]

Restoring New York’s Oysters
[Scienceline]

Urban Environmentalist NYC: Ask the Expert
[GL]

Water
Board Chief Resigns [NY Post]

Toll
Brothers’ Gowanus Rezoning Certified by DCP [Brownstoner]

Where Brooklyn
Worked [forgotten new York]

Gowanus Water
Station Examined [Brooklynometry]

Officials
Say Green Cabs Are Safe [NY Post]

Urban
Environmentalist NYC – Ask the Expert [OTBKB] 

Hearing
to Focus on Upstate Drilling [NY Sun]

Officials
Hope to Keep Astroland Open [Daily News]

A
Look at New York’s New Glass Skyline [New York
Magazine]

New
MTA Hybrid Buses Take to the Streets [NY Times]

East
New York Farmers Market Celebrates 10 Years [Sustainable
Flatbush]

Perhaps
a Park Slope Energy Coop? [GL]

Disappearing
Mom-and-Pop Shops at BHS [Brooklyn Eagle]

Closing
Bell: Pigeons and Gentrification [Brownstoner]

Urban
Environmentalist NYC: The Blue Jewel Revealed [GL] *

Here is the occasional feature from the Center for the Urban Environment (CUE). In this submission CUE staff interviews Alexandra Zissu, writer/editor/speaker and native New Yorker. Zissu who will be speaking on the subject of “Breathe Easy: A How-To for
Creating a NonToxic Home Environment" at Green Brooklyn.. Green City on September 18th. The event—sponsored by the Center for the Urban Environment—is in its fourth year and is the borough’s largest celebration of environmentally conscious programs, projects, and initiatives in New York City. In close partnership with the Green Market at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, this year the full day fair and symposium promises to help New Yorkers weed through what ‘green’ really is. For more information visit www.greenbrooklyn.org.

CUE: Thanks for taking the time to answers some questions in our “Ask the Expert” corner. As a guru of the non-toxic home environment—let’s start with the basics. How do you define toxic?

Zissu: Anything with the potential to harm human health and the environment. That’s pretty wide ranging, I know, but also covers what I tend to refer to as toxic.

CUE: If I can’t do everything to keep my home free of toxins—what are the three most important things I can do?

Zissu: I often give a talk to various groups that covers a "toxic top ten list" — ten home areas where people can make changes that will really make a difference in terms of minimizing their exposure to the bad stuff. Before I launch into the top ten, I always give three beyond simple changes anyone can do tomorrow to immediately reduce indoor air pollution. Once you’re feeling proactive, it’s easier to launch into those ten areas, I have found. These three tips include:

1. Take off your shoes before or just after entering your home. The residues on your soles — gas, pesticide, dog shit and so much more — should not be tracked into your home, especially if you have a crawling baby. One scientist I often interview at the NRDC says removing your shoes should be considered an “everyone-does-it” public health measure along the lines of handwashing. Apparently Brooklyn has the second highest pesticide use in all of New York State (thanks, roaches). Kicking off your heels couldn’t be easier and the results are dramatic and instantaneous.

2. This is particularly important among for urban working types: don’t dry clean your clothes. Wet clean or CO2 clean instead. The chemical used in conventional dry cleaning is a probable human carcinogen. For more information: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/wetclean

3. Switch all of your conventional cleaners to green ones. 

CUE: There are so many “green” products out there, how can the average consumer differentiate between those that are legitimate and those that are not?

Zissu:  It’s tragic that there is so much greenwashing going on right now. At the same time there are very few trustworthy regulations out there along the lines of the USDA Organic stamp for food that could help the average consumer figure out which so called eco cleaning product, face cream, or even mattress is what it claims to be. So it’s crucial to do your homework before you go shopping. That way you’ll never find yourself in the grocery store wondering which "green" toilet scrub is better. Luckily there are now many great resources to help you figure out what’s legit. See below.

CUE: For local Brooklyn-ites, how does “buying local” play out in building a non-toxic home environment?

Zissu:  To my mind, buying local usually refers to food. Brooklyn has many great farmers markets, clued-in restaurants, and a well-regarded food Co-op that can make local eating a reality, even year round. In terms of local for other aspects of the home, I like to ask myself whenever I’m in the market for anything — is it possible to get, say, a chair that was made around here from reclaimed wood from around here? Craig’s List, Freecycle, and dumpster diving make furnishing "locally" more possible. So does hiring local artisans to do millwork, and doing things like buying locally made pottery and clothing. There are even people in and around the city making soaps, creams and more. All of this falls under the term local.

CUE: Theses are tough financial times for many of us—does income play a role in living organically and what are some easy things that everyone can do in their house that doesn’t require added expenditures or products?

Zissu:  I get this question more often than any other question. I’ll start with food: I have belonged to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm for 8 or 9 years right now (check out www.justfood.org for CSAs that deliver in Brooklyn) and although I love and frequent my local farmers markets, I find it to be the most inexpensive way to get local, organic fruits and vegetables. Through them I now also buy my meat and things like honey and maple syrup. You’d think my grocery bills would be much higher than they were back when I wasn’t only eating local/organic but they aren’t. Eliminating supermarket shopping from my life has made the overall experience a lot cheaper. This carries over to all other aspects of life. Yes, the "green" things I buy are often more expensive than their conventional counterparts but living this lifestyle— I buy so much less extraneous stuff than I used to that I actually spend much less money now than before. There is a lot of focus on purchasing things when discussing an environmentally friendly way of living. I understand why, but it’s a bit of a contorted conversation. When I think of my own environmentalism, I don’t automatically think of shopping! But I know that transitioning to a more treehugging approach requires changing more than a few products. On the whole, I find "green" to be a leaner existence, and therefore less expensive. Or at least no more expensive than my conventional counterpart. To answer your question more fully, I’d say NOT buying anything new doesn’t require added expenditures or products. Use all purpose products instead of buying ten different cleaners for various rooms in your house, or a cream for your eyes, another for elbows, another for hands. You get the point. Kids maybe need one new toy instead of eighteen. Try making your own cleaning products. Carrying around a reusable water bottle really cuts down on cash and waste. Less is more. And less plastic is even more than that.

CUE: As the co-author of The Complete Organic Pregnancy—you have taken a long view of organic, non-toxic living. What is the single greatest benefit it brings you and what are some good resources for others who are interested in embarking on a similar path in their own lives?

Zissu: I don’t know what the benefit is and that’s the point. There have been 80,000 to 100,000 new chemicals introduced in the U.S. since World War II and the human health effects of less than 5 percent of these are known. I think of it as defensive driving with my body, and with my daughter’s body. I don’t personally want to wait around for our government to play catch up and admit which plastic contains harmful hormone disrupting chemicals, or which flame retardant shouldn’t have been in our mattresses, or — oops! — what’s the next DDT. Following the precautionary principle and taking steps to avoid and/or minimize exposure to the unknown is really what this is about. I have done the research and made some conclusions about what I hope the benefits are, but ultimately only time will tell. That this approach also keeps these very same chemicals away from other humans (hello, farmers) and out of the environment at the same time is critical.

Here are some of my favorite resources: www.thegreenguide.com;  www.thedailygreen.com;  www.plentymag.com;  www.simplesteps.org;  www.watoxics.org;  www.healthychild.org;  www.treehugger.com

Alexandra Zissu lives in the West Village with her family. She is co-author of The Complete Organic Pregnancy (Collins, 2006), co-writes "Ask an Organic Mom" for TheDailyGreen.com and "Green Mums" for Cookiemag.com. She’s also The Green Guide’s parenting columnist, kids editor at New York Magazine, and has written recently on eco-topics for T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Plenty, and Health among other publications. Her next book covers obsessively greening your kitchen and is due out from Clarkson Potter in 2010.

Interview conducted by Rebeccah Welch—Associate Director of Public Affairs at the Center for the Urban Environment. As a guide to a more sustainable New York City, the Center is dedicated to educating individuals about the built and natural environments. For more about our work visit www.bcue.org.

Here is the
occasional feature from the Center for the Urban Environment. This post was written by Jennifer Mokos, the Program Manager for Service Learning at the Center.  To learn more about the Center visit: www.bcue.org.

Prospect Park Lake is often covered in a green substance (see here), sometimes referred to as “pond scum” or maybe, more kindly, “algae.”  But that green film you see is actually made up thousands of tiny plants called duckweed.  If you look closely, you can see very small leaves floating on top of the water.  Each duckweed plant is made up of two leaves joined together at the base.  Simple threadlike roots reach down from the leaves into the water. 

Duckweed may be small, but it is not a type of algae. Algae are a primitive type of plant—they do have chlorophyll—but they do not have true roots, leaves, stems, flowers, or seeds.  Duckweed is a member of the family Lemnaceae, the smallest seed-bearing plants.  However, it is rare to see duckweed flowering.  They reproduce primarily by budding—a pouch forms on the bottom of a leaf, which eventually grows into a new leaf.  The new leaf can split off from the parent plant, forming a new plant, which is a clone of the original.  Duckweed, as you may have observed in Prospect Park , forms a dense floating mat on ponds and lakes.  As its name implies, it is an important source of food for ducks and other waterfowl. 

As winter approaches, duckweed produces thick bulbs filled with starches that sink down to the bottom of the lake.  The thick coating protects the bulbs from the cold winter water, while the starches provide nourishment in the light-starved lake bottom.  The duckweed bulbs spend the winter in a dormant state at the bottom of the lake.  In late spring, the water in lakes and ponds mix completely through a process called spring overturn.  As the water from the bottom of the lake rises, duckweed bulbs are carried to the surface.  The bulbs sprout into adult plants in the warmer temperatures and increased light.  As the duckweed plants reproduce, they form the dense mat you see covering the surface of the Prospect Park Lake throughout the summer.