Organic food continues to show strong growth, despite a weak economy. Find out what’s behind the label.

Organic food continues to gain market share, despite troubles in the economy as a whole. This is especially true in Europe and in environmentally conscious enclaves like college towns — but what is perhaps most exciting to some observers is that organic foods have also penetrated much of mainstream culture, appearing in force at major supermarkets, big box retailers and at fast food joints. Most everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the USDA organic label now, but what’s really behind that iconic seal?

Here we take a look at some of the myths and surprising facts about organic foods:

Organic Isn’t Always the Smartest Choice

As food writer Mark Bittman recently wrote in the New York Times, to some, organic “seems to have become the magic cure-all, synonymous with eating well, healthfully, sanely, even ethically.” However, according to Bittman, “eating organic offers no guarantee of any of that. And the truth is that most Americans eat so badly — we get 7% of our calories from soft drinks, more than we do from vegetables; the top food group by caloric intake is ‘sweets’; and one-third of [the] nation’s adults are now obese.”

To some observers, the most eco-friendly, and healthy, option is to eat lower on the food chain, since meat has a disproportionate impact on the planet and can contribute to health problems. Simply eating more plants and whole grains can also be a cheaper option than buying organic foods, which, we know, can often be more expensive than conventional alternatives. Eating less processed and prepared foods, and cooking more at home, can provide similar benefits.

It’s also true that an organic label provides no information about where an item was produced, leading some critics to complain that it would be greener for them to buy an apple from the orchard up the street than to get an organic one at a grocery that has been flown in from New Zealand. Sometimes eating locally and in season can be the greenest option, although some also warn that the “food miles” debate can be overstated, particularly when it comes to the high production resources needed for meat. (According to research from Cornell University, beef production requires a ratio of energy expended to protein content of 54:1, compared with just 4:1 for chicken.)

For us at The Daily Green, the takeaway message is that we don’t have to be organic purists to eat better. We try to eat local, seasonal and organic foods, choosing each product as it makes sense for us and falls within our budget. We relish the fact that more choices are becoming available, and we vote with our food dollars for tastier, greener fare.

Please do not wait to start conserving as much energy as you can to reduce your climate change emissions! And please ask your elected representatives to push for strong legislation to move toward overall reduced energy usage and increased alternative energy production.

• Quick & Easy Energy Tip: Take the Zero-Volt Challenge and reduce your energy bill today!
• Set Goals: To reduce your energy consumption:
  • Set specific energy reduction goals (for electricity, gas, and gallons of fuel consumed in your car(s)) — for example, commit to using 20% less per month
  • Determine a baseline to start reducing from. Print the energy and water consumption chart and post in a visible spot in your home. Updates:
    • for your car(s): chart the number of miles you drive each month
    • for your home/office: chart the gas “therms” and/or electric kilowatts per hour (kWh) used in the last 12 months (for comparison to each month this year)
    • Make specific changes in products used and family member habits:
      • buy energy saving products where needed
      • read the Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town page for ideas on reducing mileage/increasing mileage efficiency
      • get your family involved by asking for specific changes in everyone’s habits (e.g., tape signs to light switches reminding family members to turn out lights when they leave a room, tape a sign to your car dashboard reminding the driver to check tire pressure during the first week of each month, assign someone to turn out all lights and cut power to unused appliances (to reduce standby powerusage) each night)
      • look for additional ideas below
    • Once a month, add the new usage information to the charts and make adjustments as needed to reach your goals
    • Use the money saved to do something fun with your family (if you have children, increase their allowances by the amount saved to encourage them to get involved in finding new ways to conserve)
    • Join the Carbon Conscious Consumer program by New American Dream to receive new ideas monthly.
    • Kitchen: Kitchen Unplugged — ways to conserve energy in the kitchen
    • Carbon Footprint: The Carbon Footprint Calculator helps you to determine your carbon dioxide emissions from major sources: home energy consumption and transportation by car and plane. This information can be tracked over time, allowing you to gauge the impact of actions you take to reduce your carbon footprint.
    • Carbon Offsets: If you are taking a trip, consider buying carbon emission offsets.
    • Home Shade: In hot areas, if you have west-facing windows use window tints, blinds, deciduous trees or trellises to help keep out heat from the summer sun. In general, you will lower your summer air-conditioning bill by planting trees and bushes along the west side of your home.
    • Paint Colors: Paint your home a light color if you live in a warm climate and a dark color if you live in a cold climate.
    • Insulation: Insulate your hot water heater (a tank that is warm to the touch needs added insulation), as well as hot water pipes and ducts located in unheated areas.
    • Standby Power: Reduce ”standby power” (the energy used while an appliance is switched off or not performing) at home and at work. The easiest way is to unplug appliances that are not being used. You can also plug your appliances into power surge protector strips (with multiple electrical outlets) and turn the power off at the strip.
    • Lights Off: Whenever possible, keep lights off during the day. Consider installing a well insulated skylight if more light is needed. Encourage family members to get in the habit of turning off lights when they leave a room (taping small reminder notes to light switches can help).
    • Location of Home: Choose a place to live that reduces the need to drive (easy access to public transit, easy biking routes, close to work and stores, walk able community, etc.).
    • Solar Cooker: Consider using a solar cooker to cook some of your meals.
    • Cool Water: When turning on a water faucet, unless you need warm water choose the coolest water setting.

Coupons! Coupons! Coupons!

According to Consumer Reports, the average American spends nearly $5,000 a year on groceries. With the organic sector showing the largest amount of growth in the food industry presently, coupons for organic foods are also becoming more common. Online coupons from your favorite organic food makers are another viable option to save some green.

Buy Whole, Unprocessed Foods

The more processed or refined food is, the less nutritional value and fiber it will have. If you just have to have that cinnamon honey whole-wheat graham cracker that’s been doubly wrapped, look for either packaging that’s biodegradable or recyclable packages such as glass, aluminum and PET (polyethylene terephthalate — the embossed number “1″ indicator that you commonly see) whenever you can. Also, check out foods in the bulk aisle and buy enough so that you can enjoy them for the next couple of weeks.

Buy Store Brand Foods

If you’re still drawn to the more popular big natural and organic stores because they offer items that are not as readily found in the typical supermarket (such as exotic-tasting soups and funny-sounding figs), look for private-label items. They’re cheaper and taste just as good if not better than those products that have been marketed and packaged up the wazoo.

Learn the Dirty Dozen

The dirty dozen are the most highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals — even after washing and peeling:

1. peaches
2. apples
3. sweet bell peppers
4. celery
5. nectarines
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. pears
9. imported grapes
10. spinach
11. lettuce
12. potatoes

Buy their organic version whenever possible. Look for savings on those fruits and veggies least likely to have pesticide residue.

Don’t Shop Alone

Shopping with a friend allows for the possibility of sharing of costs on biggeritems — not to mention the sharing of gas it might have taken to get to and from the grocery store. If you have a membership at a no-frills warehouse store, split large packages of food up with your buddy. You don’t really need a whole 12-pack of 10 pounds each canned organic tomatoes now, do you?

Bringing your own bag to the supermarket, sorting your plastics and biking to work isn’t enough, green volunteering is your answer to making a real eco-difference.  As much as we are doing our part in contributing to world conservation efforts, so much more is out there.  Step it up by doing just a little more (and in return, get a great travel experience too).  Outdo yourself and go the extra green mile:

Better Than Your Own Bag

Refusing plastic bags at the market has become somewhat common practice in the states.  Why do we do it? To conserve resources.  BUT, do you reuse your Ziploc bags, coffee filters and plastic food wrap? No that’s gross, you shouldn’t.  Better ways you can go a little further in your conservation efforts:

Rainforest Conservation in Ecuador/Panama:

DOSOMETHING.COM is currently featuring a volunteership dedicated tomaintaining, rebuilding and educating about the natural rainforest at the Monte Saino Reserve in Punta Galera.  To volunteer you need nothing more than an openness to learn, a one month commitment and $400 bucks (which buys you all meals and cabin housing for the duration of your stay).  Daily activities include: planting rainforest seeds, raising and selling products for market, conducting educational conservation workshops, raising crawfish and general reserve maintenance.  So trade your supermarket bag for a backpack and roll up your sleeves (and pants, since you can only get to the reserve by foot, horse or canoe).

Better Than Recycling

Sorting things into paper, plastic and aluminum makes us feel like we’re saving the rainforests and freeing up space in landfills.  But for every can you separate, some douche throws two bottles in the trash.  Recycling is a goodwill notion and although it is a small part of contributing to environmental sustainability, recycling isn’t the full extent of what you can do.  Take it to the source:

The Green Volunteers Network

The GREEN VOLUNTEERS NETWORK is focused on providing memberswith no cost (or low cost) lists of volunteerships aimed at conservation all around the world.  To join the network, you must pay a one-time fee by purchasing a guide book for $18.90 (includes Shipping and Handling).  You will be provided with a user name and password and receive updated online lists of worldwide volunteerships from then on.  Some good ones from the sample list:

• Environmental Advocacy in Guatemala: THIS program, set in a natural rainforest reserve, focuses on reforestation, conversation advocacy and community building.  At about $350 per month (for housing and all food), it’s a super cheap way to get involved in preserving natural resources.  If you choose to volunteer for more than 12 weeks, you get to stay in a furnished house (where you can sort your recyclables until you turn blue) for $50 per month.  You can also get Spanish lessons for an unheard of $3 bucks an hour.
• Summer Work Camps in Greece: Remember how you planted that tree in elementary school on Earth Day?  Well, this program is like that but on a much larger scale.  SUMMER WORK CAMPS last for 2 to 3 weeks, cost 120Euro (about $174 USD) and aim to plant trees and set up forest fire prevention mechanisms in remote places all around Greece.  This way, you can tan naked for the rest of the summer knowing your laziness is well-deserved.

Better Than Biking

We bike to lessen our carbon footprints (meaning reduce the ozone damagingCO2 emissions that gas-powered vehicles spew into the air).  Yes, biking is a fantastic form of alternative transportation.  How do you take it a step further?

Recycling Bikes!

Through the PEDAL POWERED MACHINES, program in Central America, you help turn used bicycles into other eco-friendly machines to help sustain farming and business in the region.  What can you make out of a used bike?  Well, washing machines, plows, laptops, electricity generators (you get the picture).  Your feet, though smelly at times, are powerful always.

Reef Check:

Coral reefs aren’t just great scenery for snorkeling and scuba diving but a natural way to control the CO2 levels of the ocean.  In addition to providing shelter for thousands of marine species, reefs maintain a balance between land and water which supports the existence of everything on earth.  Those cars and trucks you refuse to drive have already destroyed a large percentage of world reefs, with the reefs of the Philippines being at the top of the charts (only 5% of their reefs are in good condition).  Luckily, there is something you can do to help besides biking.  Headquartered at UCLA in California, the REEF CHECK project is dedicated to protecting the coral reefs of the world and have volunteer availabilities wherever there is a reef (especially the Philippines).  If you have diving experience, are a marine biologist (or studying marine biology), volunteering here would be a great hands-on experience.  If you’re not marine savvy, they also welcome photographer and fundraiser volunteers.  Here is a list of countries with Reef Check projects.  You can select your country of interest from the alphabetical list of contacts to see if a volunteership is available.

Our choices to live greener lives is having a positive impact all over the world.  We are collectively using less and doing more. Reusable shopping bags are cutting plastic waste, recycling and biking have become the norm.  But when it comes to truly making a world impact, know that your reach is much greater than just putting a can in the blue bin.

There are many reasons to buy organic foods. The USDA Organic label tells you that fruits and veggies weren’t raised using manmade chemical pesticides, fossil fuel- or sewage-based fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. On meat, the label indicates that the feeds provided met those same standards, and that the animals weren’t administered hormones and antibiotics. Bottom line: “Organic” is more sustainable and healthier — for the environment and farm workers, certainly, and often for you and your family.

How is organic healthier? It’s healthier because some studies suggest that organic produce has more nutrients than its conventional counterparts, probably because the soil is left in better condition after repeated plantings; and healthier because you avoid ingesting any harmful pesticide residues left on conventional produce.

How is organic healthier? It’s healthier because some studies suggest that organic produce has more nutrients than its conventional counterparts, probably because the soil is left in better condition after repeated plantings; and healthier because you avoid ingesting any harmful pesticide residues left on conventional produce

But, particularly as the economy sags and millions of Americans lose their jobs, it can be hard to afford the often-premium price charged for organic foods. That’s why we’ve published this updated list, based on Environmental Working Group’s latest compilation of government data about pesticide residue.

The fruits and vegetables on this list were the least likely to have pesticides detected on the parts you eat, after typical washing, whether or not they’re certified organic. (Remember, though, that the farmworkers and the farm soil, will thank you for any organic purchases you can make.)

Pack a No-Waste Lunch Box

The idea of lunch brought to and from school in a paper or plastic bag seems so ’80s, but the use of an actual lunch box or reusable sack (although they’ve been around for years, too) is back in style, and choices in material, colors, and sizes make your eco-friendly options all the easier.

Save a few trees by using cloth napkins and do your part by lessening landfill waste with reusable utensils. Both can be ported back home the same way they found their way to school — within a lunch box or reusable sack.

Steer clear of prepackaged foods, juice boxes, and pouches, which create even more unnecessary hardship on our precious land.

And finally, pack your food and drink in reusable containers. Just think of all the money you’d save per child per school year if you packed just two snacks and a drink in reusable containers.

Lunch Box Alternatives

So, you’ve gone the distance and prepared your own food. Now it’s time to consider your lunch box of choice to put it in.

Laptop Lunch Boxes were created by two eco-conscious moms about seven years ago when the savvy pair realized that the best way to help parents pack wholesome, low-waste lunches was to “provide them with a lunch system that was not only convenient and economical, but also appealing to kids.” Thus, the Laptop Lunch Box was born. Made of lead-free plastic, its unique design, reminiscent of a bento box, features single-serve individual containers, reusable utensils, a water or juice bottle and a handy carrying case.

If lunch sacks made from organic cotton or recycled plastic soda bottles are more your children’s bag, reusablebags.org offers a cool selection, too — some even come with nontoxic reusable freezer packs.

End the Sandwich Doldrums

Kids like to play with their food and eat with their hands (some of us adults still relish those activities too). Get them involved in making the foods that they’ll be taking for their lunches.

Burritos, quesadillas, soft tacos and wraps are all great sandwich alternatives and travel well in a lunch box. Spend some time with them in the garden choosing vegetables, take them shopping and have them pick out different ingredients like vegetables, fruit, healthy snacks and whole grain pastas for the recipes you make together.

Want to take a more proactive approach to ensure that school cafeteria food meets your green standards? Check out the Farm to School Program, which partners schools and local farmers. This program includes farm visits, farmers’ visits to classrooms and students participating in a wide variety of agricultural experiential education programs. The USDA National Farm to School Program is another alternative that works with schools to not only connect them with small local farms to increase the amount of locally grown food served in schools, but also provides health and nutrition education opportunities for teachers, parents and students by means of farm visits, classroom education and school garden opportunities. And one last suggestion: The O’Mama Report offersEleven Tips for Change that helps you map out a plan for getting organic foods into your school district.

The article presents ten tips for green or environmentally friendly gardening techniques. Tips include using less water and fertilizer and more natural compost.

Green gardening isn’t about getting your garden as green as possible! Rather, green gardening is about applying green, or environmentally conscious gardening techniques. Green gardening is the way of the future and hopefully more and more gardeners and homeowners will join in to help prevent our environment from further damage. There are simple gardening habits that you can apply to help prevent damage to our environment and to help water conservation efforts.

Tip 1: Water Efficiently
Sounds pretty straightforward but there are some ways you can enhance your water conserving efforts when it comes to gardening such as seriously cutting back on watering times, only watering at strategic times of day (such as in the evening).

Tip 2: Install an Irrigation System
Consider the installation of a sprinkler or irrigation system for your lawn. Irrigation systems work great at targeting the specific areas of your lawn that need to be watered thus cutting back on unnecessary watering of unneeded areas. Plus, irrigation systems often come with a timer option which would further help cut back on over watering, all too often we set the sprinkler out in the lawn and forget to move it or turn it of. A timer is a great way to prevent this.

Tip 3: Go Organic
Say goodbye to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They are not a helping the environment and in some cases could get into the water. There are many wonderful organic or natural weed killers and organic compost that will help your lawn look great. Compost is really a great fertilizer.

Tip 4: Make Your Own Compost
Making your own compost is a simple task that is not only good for your lawn but also helps cut down on waste. You can make your own compost by taking vegetable or fruit scraps, such as the peeled skin from a carrot, potato, apple, etc. These work well and also give your lawn great nutrients that they wouldn’t get elsewhere

Tip 5: Mulch
Using mulch throughout your garden is not only a beautiful way to enhance the look of your garden but it also provides a natural way to save water by less need to water and protects plants as well.

Tip 6: Plant Drought Tolerant Plants
This technique, known as Xeriscaping will significantly help reduce water usage in your garden.

Tip 7: Use Plants Native to Your Area
Planting native plants will cut down on the need for water and fertilizer. For example, if you live in Michigan, do not plant a cactus in your garden!

Tip 8: Make your own Planters
Making your own garden planters is a great way to recycle empty containers. You can rinse out cottage cheese containers, fill them with dirt, add your plant and you have a great new planter- for free! And in these challenging economic times, who isn’t looking to save some money!

Tip 9: Collect Rainwater
Collecting rainwater is a simple way to re-use rainwater for your gardening needs. Using a rain barrel is an easy and cost effective way to collect mineral and chlorine free water which you can then use for watering lawns, yards, and gardens and more.

Tip 10: Hang Bird Feeders or Nesting Boxes
Hanging bird feeders and besting boxes will allow for birds to nest in your garden which will only enhance your garden naturally even more. This is due to the fact that birds eat pests that you don’t want in you garden such as sails and slugs. So instead of fertilizing against these little bugs, simply invite the birds in to do it for you naturally!

We would all like to be a little bit greener, but figuring out where to start can be daunting. In her book It’s Easy Being Green, author and founder ofGreenMatters.com, Crissy Trask, provides tons of great ideas. In addition to simple green tips, you’ll find info on eco-friendly products, decoding eco-labels, and green living myths. Here are just a few of our favorite tips for making your life and your home greener

• Fix slow drains. Pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain and follow it with half a cup of white vinegar. Let it sit for twenty minutes to a half hour, then pour boiling water down the drain (about two quarts).
• Turn your soap-bar scraps into usable shavings. Using a cheese grater, grate several scraps into shavings and put them in a decorative bowl next to the sink. Just take a pinch from the bowl with a dry hand, add water and work into a lather.
• Buy a shower curtain that will far outlast cheap plastic ones; a shower curtain made of hemp will naturally resist mildew and is machine washable.
• Save old, tattered towels and T-shirts for cleaning. Cut them into squares and they become useful rags that can replace store-bought rags andpaper towels.
• Make your own household cleaners. This is a safer alternative to relying on harsh, toxic commercial products. Effective cleaning products can be made with borax, washing soda, distilled white vinegar, baking soda, salt, club soda, cooking oil and lemons. On their own or combined together, you can make scouring powder, furniture polish, an all-purpose cleaner and more!
• Arrange furniture to take advantage of natural light from windows. Place desks and reading chairs next to windows to cut down on the need and use of supplemental, artificial light during the day.
• Reuse glass jars for food storage. Plastic food tubs, such as those used for yogurt, can also be reused. For larger portions of leftovers, use soup and mixing bowls, then fit the top with a saucer or plate in place of plastic wrap.
• Turn off the oven ten to fifteen minutes before cooking time runs out; food will continue to cook without using the extra electricity.
• Buy several cloth napkins and use them instead of paper at home and on the go. Cloth napkins can be used several times before washing. Give each family member a unique napkin ring to store their napkin between meals.
• Fill a bowl with cold water and wash fruit and vegetables this way, instead of letting water from a faucet run over them.
• Reuse water leftover after common household uses to water plants instead of pouring it down the drain (e.g., from a double boiler, washing produce, steaming vegetables, cooking pasta, soaking beans, soaking frozen meat in its packaging, etc.). Transfer leftover water to a watering can for later use.
• Avoid planting too much lawn. Lawn need lots of water and provide no habitat for local wildlife. Create a meadow of indigenous wildflowers, plant an attractive ground cover, or plant an organic herb and vegetable garden instead. Consult your local extension office (normally affiliated with a college or university) for guidance.
• Soak labels off glass jars and reuse the jars around the house to organize loose items.
• Reuse scrap paper before recycling it. Turn scrap paper into a handy scratch pad for making lists, scribbling notes and doodling. Depending on the size of the scrap paper, cut it into halves or quarters. Staple the salvage together, blank side up, to make a notepad. If you have aclipboard, tuck scrap paper under the clip and keep all shapes and sizes effortlessly neat and handy for note taking.
• Unplug appliances to save energy while you’re away from home. Many small and large appliances continue to draw electricity even when turned off.
• Reuse notecards that are missing their envelope by tearing or cutting them in half down their spines and using the card fronts as postcards or index cards. Card backs with a blank side can also be used as index cards. This tip also applies to used cards with a blank inside or outside face. What cannot be salvaged for a new use can be recycled.
• If you live in a cold climate, paint your house a dark color. Dark colors reflect as little as 3 percent sunlight, thus absorbing more heat. If you live in a warm climate, paint your house a light color that will reflect up to 90 percent of sunlight and keep your house cooler.
• Use water-based paints instead of oil-based paints. Water-based paint isless hazardous, dries faster, saves time and eliminates the need for chemical solvents for cleanup.
• Before discarding empty latex paint cans, leave the top off and allow the remaining paint to dry completely. Latex paint is not hazardous once it is solidified
• .Schedule an energy audit to learn more about your energy consumption and what steps you can take to cut energy costs. Many utility companies and service providers perform energy audits at no or low cost to you.

Milk is a staple in many households and a fridge without a jug, bottle or bag (depending on where you live) of milk is an uncommon sight in developed nations. According to Zenith International, global milk consumption in 2007 was around 242 billion litres; approximately 63 billion gallons.

Milk in glass reusable bottles is not as common these days, with glass having been replaced largely by paper cartons and plastic bottles – which translates to a lot of packaging.

Other issues with dairy products aside, these plastic milk jugs are churned out by the millions and are an environmental issue as so many of them enter the waste stream.

Milk jug plastic

The plastic used to make milk jugs is most commonly high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The good news is this is plastic resin code no.2 and as such, is “recyclable” (more on this below). The jugs can usually be placed in your kerbside recycling, but check with your local waste authorities first.

Milk jug recycling rates

I found it difficult to find accurate figures for the USA and other countries, but in Canada up until 2009, recovery of HDPE milk jugs varied from 38% to 63%. It’s my understanding that recovery rates have improved since last year when Canada introduced a deposit scheme whereby the return of milk jugs is financially rewarded.

Are milk jugs actually recycled?

No – in its strictest form, “recycling” means to use a discarded product to make more of the same product. However, the term has broadened over the years to represent most type of material reclamation. Milk jugs are actually upcycled or downcycled; i.e. made into different products, or repurposed. HDPE plastics cannot be used again for food-grade items.

Milk jugs are often downcycled into items such as plastic furnishings.

Milk jug repurposing tips

Aside from recycling, upcycling and downcycling, plastic milk jugs can be repurposed at home for a multitude of uses. Here’s a few ideas:

- Fly traps. Small flaps are cut in the side of the milk jug towards the top and bent outwards far enough to allow space for flies to crawl in. Water is placed in the bottom of the jug along with a smelly piece of bait, such as a small piece of rotting meat. The jug is then hung in a tree.

The flies are drawn by the smell, enter the bottle but cannot get out. When they tire, they drop into the pool and drown. The decaying flies then draw more flies.

- As a scoop. Place the milk jug on a flat surface with the handle side up and cut from just forward of the handle on a diagonal down to the base.

- As a funnel. Simply cut off the base of the milk jug and use inverted.

- Seed punnets. Cut a few inches from the base and poke a couple of holes in the base for drainage. Fill with potting mix or your preferred growth medium.

- Cut off the top and use the remainder as a kitchen bench top tidy or as a bin for collecting food scraps for use in your compost pile or worm farm.

- Use for storing dry grains such as rice and beans or even bird seed. The handle and spout makes for easy pouring.

- Cut off the bottom and use the top section as mini-greenhouse for seedlings.

- Fill with water and sand and use as weights to stop tarps from flying away in the wind, or as a doorstop.

- Fill 2/3 with water and freeze to use as freezer blocks for your icebox.

- Use for storing old motor oil until you can dispose of the oil properly.

- Cut off the bottom and use as a pet food or water bowl.

Of course, don’t forget to give the plastic milk jug a good rinse first before repurposing – water and baking soda will do the trick – and allow to dry thoroughly.

As regular readers know, we love poop-powered gizmos. And with everything fromwastewater thermal energy devices to portable poop-powered nuclear reactors popping up on our radar, there’s no shortage of sludgy stories to cover.

Our new favorite: FuelCell Energy’s chicken poop-powered fuel cell plant.

The fuel cell power plant, set to be installed at Olivera Egg Ranch in French Camp, California, will convert the chickens’ waste streams into methane gas for a mini-power plant. All methane waste from the chickens will be converted into renewable energy–a big change from the current system, where poop is stored in a giant waste lagoon and methane (a greenhouse gas) is free to escape into the air. Considering the scale of Olivera’s operations–14 million cartons of eggs produced each year–that’s an awful lot of methane.

Olivera’s 1.4 megawatt fuel cell plant will reportedly provide enough power for the entire facility, making the egg ranch a closed-loop system. “My waste disposal costs will decrease, as will my power bill,” says Ed Olivera, Owner of Olivera Egg Ranch, in a statement. “The poultry operation will continually generate the fuel needed to create electricity, reducing the amount of electricity needed from the electrical grid.”

It’s hard to see a downside to the system–electricity is produced on-site, waste that would otherwise help heat up the planet gets reused, and Olivera saves cash over time. Animal farms, are you paying attention?