spectrum
> music
Rock
and Rolls
One nonprofit reduces
waste by feeding the
homeless
For more info visit
rockandwrapitup.org.
>
Anyone who has ever worked
in catering has witnessed the
end-of-the-night spoils that
characterize an extravagant
event: extra foie gras, bits of
brie, scraps of steak tenderloin.
In fact, about 95 billion pounds
of uneaten food ends up in US
landfills every year.
It was this disparity that
prompted Brooklyn native Syd
Mandelbaum to create Rock
and Wrap It Up! The nonprofit
More than 25 million pounds of food have been salvaged
“green-achieving organization”
collects leftover food from 150
performers at venues across the
nation and donates it to more
than 43,000 soup kitchens and
homeless shelters in 500 US
cities. Artists who contribute
to Rock and Wrap It Up! include
Bruce Springsteen, Christina
Aguilera, and Aerosmith. Twentyfive sports franchises and several
school cafeterias have also
recently joined the effort.
More than 25 million pounds
of food have been salvaged so
far, and with hopes to donate
meals from federal galas and
military bases, the 18-yearold organization is poised to
generate even greater savings.
“The less food that goes into a
landfill,” says Mandelbaum, “the
more of it goes to people who
need it.”
—James Sherwin
Paige Tolmach, Soleil Moon Frye, Elizabeth Birkett, and their children (left)
serve as founders and the inspiration for the Little Seed (below).
“I felt really
lost. I couldn’t
find a lot of eco
alternatives.”
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Seed of
Change
Punky Brewster may be all grown up now, but
Soleil Moon Frye is still up to the do-gooder ways
that made her character a beloved ’80s icon. Last
October, Frye and friends Paige Tolmach and
Elizabeth Birkett opened the Little Seed, a hip, onestop shop in Los Angeles for eco-conscious parents.
The impetus behind the store’s development was
22 | february-march 2008
simple necessity: The three new
mothers had trouble finding
nontoxic
and
earth-friendly
products for their children. “I felt
really lost. I couldn’t find a lot of
eco alternatives,” says Frye, who is
pregnant with her second child.
Children’s products like
Ecoland onesies and Kate Quinn
organic-cotton dresses make up
the majority of the Little Seed’s
offerings, and soon, kids will be
able to amuse themselves in the
store’s spacious arts and crafts
area. However, the Little Seed
also features adult-friendly
amenities like a luxe nursing
station and stylish jewelry
just for moms. From content
>
For nationwide orders and
eco-educational information,
check out thelittleseed.com.
to construction, the store
is extremely eco, including
reclaimed wood countertops,
recyclable shopping bags, and
VOC-free paints. “We wanted
to bring new life to what we
knew as organic,” Frye says.
“We were all truly inspired
to make a difference and do
something positive for the
planet.”
—Jessica Tzerman