Connie Holloway

I'm a big mushroom hunter- and Meredith shared with me how to find chantrelles. Very excited.

Our industry is collaborative and just being in the studio is important for what I overhear going on around me. There really is no substitute for that. Teleconferencing is OK- but not as a steady diet; too much is lost in translation (body language, bad equipment, incomplete connections). Plus there is a certain amount of energy use associated with electronic solutions- that energy use needs to be addressed.

I’ve followed Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Guidelines before but haven’t reviewed recently. What I’m more aware of now is that it’s not the type of seafood (salmon or tuna, eg) but  the place it is caught from (Pacific Chnook salmon are to be avoided) or how it is caught, or who is selling it (Russia or Japan). 

Plastic bags have been a concern recently, as our recycler will no longer take them. I learned that several grocery stores (Albertsons, Safeway, Fred Meyer) will accept not only the plastic grocery bags I use, but dry cleaning bags and packaging "film" (what tp comes wrapped in). Also the Amazon bubble packs that have "Store Drop Off- Plastic Bag" label on them can be dropped off as well.

I've been confused by the impact that China has had on the recycling market so watched a PBS documentary on it. China refuses recycling from abroad because they now have their own market and are closing their recycling loop. Recycling in the US as a result has become more expensive, but still less expensive than building new landfills. Counties that ask customers to separate their recycling command a higher price because their recycling is cleaner. New markets that use recycled materials need to be created.