Posted on July 4th, 2009
Why throw away a barely used paper napkin each night with dinner? Try using cloth napkins instead of paper ones. If the napkin isn't getting dirty, use it again until it is. Personalize napkins with family members' names to help keep reused napkins safely in the custody of their rightful owner. Feeling extra sexy? Buy napkins made from organic cotton, launder them in cold water with non-tox detergent and line-dry them for max energy saving.
Thanks to Jan Bakke for suggesting this tip!
Posted on July 3rd, 2009
At this time of year, fireworks prevail at celebrations around the world, especially in the US on the 4th of July. Fireworks are certainly pretty, but they are far from green. The smoke and dust from fireworks contains various heavy metals, sulfur-coal compounds and other noxious chemicals. Yuck! Do your part to keep celebrations green without being the grinch who stole all the fun: start a letter writing campaign to your local City Council or Park & Recreations Board asking them to consider using Sekon biodegradable, gunpowder-free fireworks next year. They're good enough for Disney's nightly fireworks show, so they should be good enough for your town too, ...
Posted on July 2nd, 2009
It's summertime and the livin' is easy. Since summer is synonymous with pool parties, campfire cookouts and backyard bbq's, you might agree that the smell from a grill can spark up nostalgia. Keep the memories clean and green by minimizing the disposables at your next function. Whether you’re throwing or going to the next bash, BYOC: bring your own cup. Toting your own punch/wine/beer/iced tea sized cup will help you remember which one is yours, and cut back on waste. Who knows? You might even start a trend, which is always cool.
Photo by Jon Sullivan.
Posted on July 1st, 2009
Did you know American landfills are clogged with more than 5 billion pounds of used carpet every year? Crazy, right? If you or someone you know (or work for) is thinking of swapping out their carpet, do your darndest to keep that rug out of the landfill by recycling it. Carpet recycling isn’t as easy as aluminum, glass or paper recycling, but it’s worth the extra effort to keep all of those rugs out of landfills. So…. Why’s it so tricky? Generally speaking, carpet is made up of four of five different types of fibers (nylon, polyester, olefin, etc.), plus a backing, a pad and an adhesive. To recycle ...
Posted on June 30th, 2009
Have an area rug that likes to wear dirt like it's trendy? Before you reach for your Hoover, consider a couple alternatives to bring that rug's style back up to speed. If it's small enough, take it outside and shake it out. If its larger, sweep it instead. Not only will you save some energy from not using the ol' electrical outlet, but you'll get a bit of an arm workout, too.
Posted on June 29th, 2009
Considering ditching your car for good, but worry about the occasional trips where bags of groceries outweight arm strength while standing on a bus? Have no fear:
Zipcars are here.
Many cities have started programs to make it extremely simple and easy to borrow a car (and in many cities, it's a hybrid vehicle, too!). You can get your errands done, feel good about your lessened impact, and save dough on car payments, car insurance, and all the car goodies that tend to cramp a pocketbook's style. Check out the
website to see if borrowing a car is possible in your 'hood.
Posted on June 28th, 2009
Ah, the joys of digital photography: you can take as many photos as you'd like and erase the unflattering ones without wasting film or development chemicals. When it comes to sharing your favorite snaps, there are many options to keep it green, too. Reduce printing by uploading your favorite photos in an online gallery, easy for sharing, or print one on a mug to give to your favorite coffee lover at the office - you know, the one who is always using the disposable cups.
As for charging your trusty sidekick, here's a few things you can do to keep your power high and your footprint light. First, as you might know by now, unplug your camera charger ...
Posted on June 27th, 2009
Color, flavor, and less fat. What words could be better for someone who wants to be health concious, but enjoys eating food? This what you get when you choose fresh foods instead of frozen. Not only will you be supporting farmers (and yes, organic is always better if you want more natural freshness), but you have the added benefit of knowing that your food is real and unprocessed, meaning naturally lower in sodium and free or preservatives. Add the fact that you won't be purchasing food in boxes or other wasteful packaging, and you have yourself a green meal.
Have a late night snack attack? if you do find yourself in a convenience bind, choose those ...
Posted on June 26th, 2009
Summer is a great time to hit the court and play a few rounds of tennis. What you might not know is that there are hundreds of millions of tennis balls manufactured world wide every year - approximately 20,000 tons of landfill waste. Don't freak out! Your favorite summer sport doesn't have to be wasteful.
Rebounces found a way to put the bounce back into dead balls and sells them back as practice balls. How cool is that? Play tennis and enjoy yourself -- just save your dead balls and send them to Rebounces to get them back in the game. Now that's what we call love.
Posted on June 25th, 2009
Because you're sexy, you may have removed yourself from junkmail lists, started borrowing instead of buying books, printing double sided at work and generally reducing the amount of paper you use. Take it one step further by using your debit or credit card instead of cash as much as possible. Cash money is produced using lots of paper, ink and energy. If you have another option, use it! Using electronic banking and passing on cash often helps you track your spending more easily too. In this economy, reducing the amount of money you spend is important, but reducing the amount of paper you use can be too.
