Pure Simple Juice

Trash for Peace is excited to announce another sustainable supporter - Pure Simple Juice! Mmm mmm, we can't wait to gulp this juice up! Unfortunately it's not for us . . . but we are offering you a chance to win a juice or nut milk at our upcoming event!

Dulcinea Ward began Pure Simple Juice "as a way to empower  people to take control of their health and create balance in their lives through fresh juices and cleanses served with a dose of education and encouragement." We honestly couldn't have said it better. And the drinks are comprised of locally-sourced fruits and veggies and all-organic ingredients.

Take a look at her website, puresimplejuice.com for more juicy details! The cleanse looks powerfully and intensely purifying. Still looking for the right New Year's resolution? This could be a great way to kick-start your 2013.

car2go, and go! and go!

Trash for Peace's fundraiser is just days away and the donations that will help make your life more sustainable just keep rolling in. We're excited to announce a partnership with car2go! You've seen those blue and white two-seaters cruising around town and always finding the best parking spaces. Now you have a chance to be in the drivers' seat.

car2go has donated two free membership passes, each with an additional 60 minutes of free drive time. Need to run some errands but a bike or bus just won't get you there fast enough? car2go is the perfect, eco-friendly option. It allows access to a car so you don't have to own one, reducing your carbon footprint and is a pay-as-you-go system. And there are several pick-up/drop-off spots around the city so there is always one not too far away!

So get yourself in gear and try one out today! Or better yet, come to our fundraiser for a chance to win a free membership!

Check out their website for more info at car2go.com.

Sugar Wheel Works . . . working sweetly!

Long-time TfP supporter, Sugar Wheel Works has been there since the beginning, donating unusable bike parts and bike tire tubes to help the Trash for Peace team create our prototypes. It was only natural that Sugar Wheel Works is teaming up with TfP for our upcoming fundraiser! Sugar Wheel Works has donated two bike packages, complete with tires, t-shirt, a biking book and more! Pictures to come, I promise.

Founded by Jude Kirstein, Sugar Wheel Works focuses on hand-built bicycle wheels. Just hearing Jude describe how hand-built wheels can revolutionize the cycling experience as well as lives and community, it's hard not to hear how much love goes into her products.

Jude focuses on sustainability and making a positive impact throughout the whole production from how the wheels are built to how the parts are ordered and picked up. Check out her website, www.sugarwheelworks.com for more info.

BottleChange - Yes they can!

Trash for Peace is super excited to be teaming up with BottleChange for our upcoming fundraiser! Based out of Eastern Washington, BottleChange collects wine, beer, and liquor bottles from local bars, tasting rooms and restaurants, and - get this! - upcycles them into functional, artistic glassware. Oh my, you had me at upcycle. :)

Giving these bottles new purpose reduces glass waste and landfill accumulation, helping both the creators and the buyers have a positive impact on the environment. Not to mention that they look quite stylish in your hand while sipping on your preferred drink. Perfect conversation starter? I think so!

Find more products including glass tumblers, juice glasses, vases, bowls, candy dishes, candle-holders and even wind-chimes at their website, bottlechange.com. So pour a glass and cheers to inspiring sustainability!

Wrap it up! Sustainably, of course.

Ah, the holiday season is upon us, filled with final exams, strong eggnog and Christmas cheer. And if you're like me, the gift shopping isn't finished but there is still plenty of time. Right?! But I was able to pick up a couple of small items for dear friends. But how should I wrap the presents, making sure to keep sustainability and prettiness in mind?

Newspaper! Newspaper was my first thought and I quickly charged ahead, wrapping the gifts in a Willamette Week paper that was lying around. To try to resemble more a present, I picked up a couple of white cards, green yarn and crayons from SCRAP to decorate. Tapping into my younger self, I colored (more like scribbled) a pine tree and a snowman - voila! Christmas cards are done. A little yarn tied around the package and I'm good to go!

And you can be oh so much more creative than I! Try using a colored or pictured part of a newspaper - I know some of them have holiday sections that could work great. Or any other paper material you have lying around the house. Maybe an old, discarded map or a piece of cloth that you won't use anymore. I found a couple sources for more ideas - check them out!

Sustainable Ways to Gift Wrap - a blog describing just that - and they have way more creative ideas!

Unpredictable Food Gifts - still looking for gifts? Here's an article for five more ideas of food gifts that you can create and assemble yourself - instructions included.

We'll be back soon, but in case I don't see you for awhile, the Trash for Peace team would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season! :)

Rent-A-Christmas-Tree?

It's mornings like these that I love waking up in the Pacific Northwest. There is a layer of dew on the windows, the sun is peeking out and the air is crisp and rich with pine trees, reminding everybody that the holidays are near. And also reminding us that its time to get a Christmas tree!

What is your choice this year? Dust off the artificial tree from the attic or go out to the tree lot to chop down or pick your own? Well, the TfP team just recently found another option for you!

The Original Living Christmas Tree Company is an environmentally-friendly business that rents out potted pine trees for the holidays! They grow the trees specifically for the Christmas season, dig 'em up when ordered, pot them and deliver them directly to your door. Right after New Years, The Original Living Christmas Tree Company will pick them up and replant them in a park or watershed area for them to grow and flourish for the rest of their lives. A very neat idea indeed!

They have several different types of trees, including Douglas Fir, Scotch Pine and many more, that come in array of sizes so it is sure to be a custom fit for your home.

Just another option to add to your holiday traditions. For more details, check out their website here.

Recreart: The Art of Reusing

Trash for Peace is getting the whole reusing thing down to a science. And of course, we've had much help along the way! The Monday before Thanksgiving, a group of Portland State University students came together to celebrate reusing through art. It was collaboration between TfP, PSU's Sustainability Leadership Center (SLC) and the Public Administration Student Association of PSU (PASA).

The students combined their painting, lacquering, assembling, drilling and many other skills to build two ottoman tables, one bin and a cork board for the Ondine Residency Halls. In just three hours, nonetheless! As well as our partners, we would also like to thank Jason Evjen for his superb photography skills so we could document the event!