A vegan diet has been proven to reduce your environmental footprint dramatically since meat and dairy production contribute heavily to greenhouse gas emissions. But it can be hard to eat vegan year-round. Luckily, we've found PETA's top 10 scrumptious vegan recipes of 2014 that provide many options for your next meal.
Tofu-Spinach Lasagne
1/2 lb. lasagne noodles
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb. soft tofu
1 lb. firm tofu
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. minced fresh basil
2 tsp. salt
4 cups tomato sauce
- Cook the lasagne noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Squeeze the spinach as dry as possible and set aside.
- Place the tofu, sugar, soy milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, basil, and salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the spinach.
- Cover the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles (use about one-third of the noodles). Follow with half of the tofu filling. Continue in the same order, using half of the remaining tomato sauce and noodles and all of the remaining tofu filling. End with the remaining noodles, covered by the remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Easy Vegan Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. vinegar
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, soy milk, vinegar and vanilla.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk together until just combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with the batter.
- Bake 15-18 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Frost your cupcakes!
Frosting
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp. unsweetened soy milk
- Using a mixer, beat the vegetable shortening until light and airy.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, vanilla and one tablespoonful of the soy milk at a time until smooth.
- Beat on high for another two minutes until light and fluffy.
Makes 24 cupcakes
Sumptuous Spinach Salad With Orange-Sesame Dressing
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, drained, and chopped
2 medium-sized sweet peppers, sliced and deseeded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, sliced into rounds or halves
Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Combine the olive oil, rice vinegar, orange juice, sesame oil, agave nectar, garlic, and smoked paprika in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until combined. Adjust the flavors, as needed, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the spinach, peppers, onions, and orange slices, then drizzle with the orange-sesame dressing. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Avocado Reuben
2 slices rye or pumpernickel bread
Mustard
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled, and mashed
1/4 cup sauerkraut
- Spread one slice of bread with some mustard, the other slice with Thousand Island dressing.
- Place the bread slices, dry side down, in a lightly oiled skillet. Top one slice with avocado, and the other with sauerkraut.
- Over medium heat, grill the sandwich until lightly browned and hot, about 5 minutes. Put the sandwich halves together and enjoy!
Makes 1 sandwich
Chef Chloe’s Tiramisù Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. instant espresso powder
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup water
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tbsp. dark rum
1 cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips
Canola oil
Powdered sugar
Vegan whipped cream, optional
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the water, maple syrup, and rum.
- Add the liquid to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix; the batter should have some lumps in it.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or griddle and heat over medium-high heat.
- Pour ¼ cup batter onto the skillet. When bubbles appear in the center of the pancake, flip it.
- Let cook on the other side until lightly browned and cooked through, about 1 minute more.
- Remove from the skillet and keep warm in the oven.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. If the batter becomes too thick, add a little more water, 1 tablespoonful at a time.
- To serve, dust the pancakes with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of vegan whipped cream if desired.
Makes 2-3 servings
Easy Vegan Pad Thai
1 cup water, plus more for soaking the noodles
1 10-oz. package rice noodles or ramen-style noodles
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 12-oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into chunks
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
Juice of 2 limes
3 Tbsp. sugar
Sriracha, to taste
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)
- Fill a large microwave-safe bowl with water and heat in the microwave until boiling. Carefully submerge the rice noodles in the water and let soak for about 15 minutes.
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic cloves and tofu chunks. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce over the tofu and sauté until golden brown.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, sugar, Sriracha, remaining soy sauce, and 1 cup of water.
- Add the soaked noodles and peanut butter mixture to the tofu and cook through, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and chopped peanuts and serve right away. Enjoy!
Servings: 2-3
Vegan Pizza in 5 Steps
1. Roll out your store-bought or homemade dough and place it on a pizza stone or wooden pizza peel.
2. Top it with fresh ripe tomato sauce or some accidentally vegan store-bought sauce.
3. Add some optional toppings to spice things up, such as vegan bacon for a salty crunch or fresh sliced bell peppers and/or mushrooms for a savory veggie fix.
4. This is the best step! Grab a few kinds of your favorite vegan cheese and sprinkle them all over your pie. My personal favorite is Daiya mozzarella with a smattering of GO Veggie! parmesan sprinkled on top and over the crust.
5. Bake the pizza in an oven preheated to 550 degrees (yep, you read that right!) for eight to 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust begins to brown
That’s it! Go enjoy your delicious vegan pizza, maybe with some fresh herbs sprinkled on top! If you’ve got some time to spare before dinner is served, check out our delicious Caesar salad to serve alongside your pizza.
Creamy Dill Potato Salad
3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (try Vegenaise)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover completely. Add some salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until just tender but not falling apart.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and let cool.
- Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
- Cut the cooled potatoes into 1-inch cubes and add them to the bowl, stirring carefully until coated.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
2 medium zucchini
2 garlic cloves
1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup vegan grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp and seeds, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell (use a spoon for this). Chop up the pulp from the zucchini.
- Combine the zucchini pulp, garlic, tomato, mushrooms, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, olive oil and 1/2 cup of the vegan Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Divide the mixture among the zucchini shells.
- Place the stuffed zucchini in a 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.
- Bake uncovered for 5 minutes more. Top with the fresh basil.
Makes 2 to 4 servings
SpicyBuffalo Cauliflower ‘Wings’
1 cup water or soy milk
1 cup flour (any kind will work—even gluten-free!)
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into pieces
1 cup buffalo or hot sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil or melted vegan margarine
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Combine the water or soy milk, flour, and garlic powder in a bowl and stir until well combined.
- Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is baking, combine your buffalo sauce and olive oil or margarine in a small bowl.
- Pour the hot sauce mixture over the baked cauliflower and continue baking for an additional 5 to 8 minutes.
- Serve alongside vegan blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
Makes 4 servings
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According to Forbes, the Three R's sustainability catch-phrase, and the recycling cause it bolstered, remain synonymous with the U.S. environmental movement itself. There's only one problem: despite being touted as one of the most important personal actions that individuals can take to help the planet, "recycling" – as currently carried out in the U.S. – doesn't work and doesn't help.
Turns out, there is a vast divide between the misleading, popular notion of recycling as a "solution" to the American overconsumption problem and the darker reality of recycling as a failing business model.
The Myth: Recycling Began as a Plastics' Industry Marketing Tactic
A recycling dumpster in Los Angeles. Citizen of the Planet / Education Images / Universal Images Group / Getty Images
When it was first introduced, recycling likely had altruistic motivations, Forbes reported. However, the system that emerged was never equipped to handle high volumes. Unfortunately, as consumption increased, so too did promotion of recycling as a solution. The system "[gave] manufacturers of disposable items a way to essentially market overconsumption as environmentalism," Forbes reported. Then and now, "American consumers assuage any guilt they might feel about consuming mass quantities of unnecessary, disposable goods by dutifully tossing those items into their recycling bins and hauling them out to the curb each week."
Little has changed since that Forbes article, titled "Can Recycling Be Bad For The Environment?," was published almost a decade ago; increases in recycling have been eclipsed by much higher consumption rates. In fact, consumerism was at an all-time high in January 2020 before the pandemic hit, Trading Economics reported.
But, if the system doesn't work, why does it continue? Turns out, consumers were misled – by the oil and gas industry. News reports from September 2020 revealed how the plastic industry-funded ads in the 1980s that heralded recycling as a panacea to our growing waste problem. These makers of virgin plastics were the biggest proponents and financial sponsors of plastic recycling programs because they created the illusion of a sustainable, closed-cycle while actually promoting the continued use of raw materials for new single-use plastics.
To the masses, these programs justified overconsumption and eased concerns over trash that could be thrown into recycling bins, Forbes reported. Generations of well-meaning Americans since the 1970's and '80's – believing these communications masterminds – have dutifully used-then-recycled plastics and other materials. They trusted that their discards would be reborn as new goods instead of ending up in oceans and landfills.
The plastics industry went even further, lobbying 40 states to put the recycling triangle symbol on all plastic – even if it wasn't recyclable, Houston Public Media reported. This bolstered the public image of plastic as a renewable resource, but the cost was clarity about what actually can be recycled. As recent as 2020, a Greenpeace report found that many U.S. products labeled as recyclable could not actually be processed by most domestic material recovery facilities.
The Reality: Most Recyclables Aren't Being Recycled
An initial pre-sort removes contaminates, items that can't be recycled, at Republic Services in Anaheim, California on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Paul Bersebach / MediaNews Group / Orange County Register / Getty Images
The U.S. relies on single-stream recycling systems, in which recyclables of all sorts are placed into the same bin to be sorted and cleaned at recycling facilities. Well-meaning consumers are often over-inclusive, hoping to divert trash from landfills. Unfortunately, the trash often ends up there anyways – with the additional cost of someone at a recycling plant sorting through it.
The single-stream system is easier on consumers, but results in a mixed stream of materials that is easy to contaminate, hard to sort and more expensive to process. There are a variety of items – including dirty pizza boxes, old clothing, hangers, plastic bags, aerosols, batteries and electronics – that, if added to a residential recycling bin, will contaminate the entire batch of recyclables, a Miami recycling center representative told EcoWatch. At that point, it can be too costly and too dangerous for employees to hand-pick out erroneous items. Because these items cannot be processed in the same way as recyclable materials, their inclusion often means the whole batch will fetch a lower price from buyers or must be thrown away.
"Most people have the attitude that if they just put it in the blue bin, it will get taken away and somebody will figure out what to do with it, but putting something in the blue bin and actually recycling it are two very different things," said David Biderman, CEO and executive director of the Solid Waste Association of North America.
Misunderstandings, misinformation and mislabeling aside, the harsh reality was and remains that most plastic can't and won't be recycled, reported NPR. For example, the EPA reported that plastic generation in 2018 was 35.7 million tons, accounting for 12.2 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW) that year. Of this total, only three million tons were recycled (an 8.7 percent recycling rate). The vast majority – 27 million tons – ended up in landfills, and the rest was combusted. The environmental agency also estimated that less than 10 percent of plastic thrown in bins in the last 40 years has actually been recycled.
The situation is slightly better for other recyclables, though they make up a smaller percentage of MSW. For example, glass products totaled 12.3 million tons in 2018, or 4.2 percent of the annual MSW generation. Almost 25 percent of glass was recycled, 61.6 percent ended up in landfills and 13.4 percent was combusted.
Post-consumer paper and cardboard for 2018 totaled 67.4 million tons, or 23.1 percent of total MSW generation for the year. The material also had the highest recycling rate of any other material in MSW – 68.2 percent. 25.6 percent of paper ended up in landfills and 6.23 percent was combusted.
According to this EPA data, recyclable plastics, glass and paper accounted for 18.5 percent, 5.2 percent and 11.8 percent of MSW landfilled in 2018, respectively. Those three materials alone comprised 35.5 percent of the total landfilled trash in the U.S. for the year; had they been properly collected, processed and purchased, they theoretically could have been diverted and recycled.
The Reason: Recycling Is Bad Business Around the World
Recyclable waste must be sorted, cleaned and processed before it can be sold as a commodity on the open market. Nareeta Martin / Unsplash
Unfortunately, the EPA data also shows that 2018 was not an anomaly but rather another data point showing how the single-stream system in the U.S. has never been economically viable or feasible on a large scale. To further understand why recycling in America is failing, we need to think of recycled goods as commodities – because that's what they are.
According to the recycling center representative, municipalities and counties pay for residential and commercial recyclables to be trucked to local and regional recycling plants for processing. Clean batches are sorted and/or compressed into bales of similar plastics, paper, aluminum or glass. The centers sell the cleaned recyclables on the open market to buyers who will process them into recycled materials like plastic pellets or post-consumer paper; these can be turned into new products.
This entire process – the processing and creation of saleable recycled goods – costs money. As with any good, profitability requires selling for a higher price than it costs to make. Contaminated batches are harder to process into new products and therefore fetch a lower price on the market, if they can be sold at all. Currently, U.S. recyclables are no longer profitable, and no one wants to buy them.
China used to buy the majority of the world's plastics and paper for recycling, The New York Times reported. The U.S. has been the #1 generator of plastic waste in the world for years and used to ship more than half of its total plastic production to China, a November 2020 study found. The research also noted that up to one-fourth of American plastics sent abroad were contaminated or of poor quality, which would make it extremely difficult to recycle anyways.
Starting Jan. 1, 2018, China banned imports of most scrap materials because shipments were too contaminated, The Times reported; the country no longer wanted to be the "world's garbage dump."
As a result, the U.S. and other Western nations who had relied on China to offload their recyclables saw a "mounting crisis" of paper and plastic waste building up in ports and recycling facilities, The Times reported.
The Western nations began sending recyclable waste to other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Malaysia. These countries often lacked the infrastructure to handle recyclables, so a lot of the waste ended up incinerated or landfilled
In response, in 2019, the United Nations passed an amendment to the Basel Convention hoping to protect the poor and developing countries who'd taken up China's vacated role in the global recycling trade. The amendment ambitiously aimed to clean up the global trade in plastic waste, making it more transparent and better regulated and allowing developing countries to reject contaminated shipments. The U.S. did not ratify the amendment, and new evidence suggests it continues to send illegal and/or contaminated shipments to developing countries.
Domestically, the closing of the Chinese market to U.S. recyclables bankrupted many domestic recycling programs because there was too much supply and no real demand. The smaller Asian countries could not accept nearly as much as China had. Prices of recyclables dropped, and bales of scrap materials were sent to landfills and incinerators when they couldn't be sold, another Times article reported.
This left waste-management companies around the country with no market for recyclabes, The Atlantic reported. They've been forced to go back to cities and municipalities with two choices: pay a lot more to get rid of their recycling or throw it away. The news report noted that most are choosing the latter.
"The economics are challenging," agreed Nilda Mesa, director of the Urban Sustainability and Equity Planning Program at the Earth Institute's Center for Sustainable Urban Development. "If there is not a market for the recycled material, then the numbers do not work for these facilities as well as cities, as they need to sell the materials to recoup their costs of collection and transportation, and even then it's typically only a portion of the costs," Columbia's State of the Planet reported.
Tiffany Duong is an avid ocean advocate. She holds degrees from UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and is an Al Gore Climate Reality Leader and student member of The Explorer's Club.
She spent years as a renewable energy lawyer in L.A. before moving to the Amazon to conduct conservation fieldwork (and revamp her life). She eventually landed in the Florida Keys as a scientific scuba diver and field reporter and writes about the oceans, climate, and the environment from her slice of paradise. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram @lilicedt.
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