What’s with all the plastic bags caught in trees and bushes lately?

Why not recycle them instead?

(Why not bring reusable shopping bags and stop using these altogether, as many places now require…. Seattle, Long Beach, San Francisco, Washington, Hawaii, New Delhi, Italy, France, China, Tanzania….)

From an illustration by Ben Katchor for "Bags in Trees" in The New Yorker, Jan. 12, 2004

Nearly 1 million bags are used each minute worldwide. Recycling rates of plastic bags hover near 10 percent (only about a third of paper bag recycling). Suffice it to say that we have a long way to go to reduce the number of plastic bags that are thrown in the trash and wind up in our waterways as well as our overstuffed landfills.

In 2010, D.C. businesses began seeing a drastic reduction in bag usage; environmental clean-up groups witnessed fewer bags polluting regional waterways

Unfortunately many curbside recycling programs don’t currently accept plastic bags. If this is the case where you live, seek out a grocery or retail store near you that will accept them for recycling. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to recycle them curbside, make sure your bags are properly secured within the bin. They won’t get recycled if they blow away.

Reduce the amount of plastic bags you need to recycle by not taking them at stores in the first place—use a reusable bag instead. You can even bring reusable produce bags to go inside your shopping bags! Reusing the plastic bags you do have stretches the considerable resources that went into making them.

Our friends at Blue Avocado ease the switch BYO bags, with zippy design & a passion for reducing plastic bag waste.

Check with your town or municipality to see if they recycle plastic bags. If they don’t, ask them to start.

Look online to find a store that accepts plastic bags for recycling near where you live. Double check to see what kind of plastic your bags are; some stores only take back plastic #2 and #4 bags. See if they take produce bags as well as shopping bags.

Keep in mind these guidelines from Waste Management:

Clean plastic bags are accepted in recycling containers at many grocery stores. However:

• Plastic bags are a major cause of litter and waste. It is much better to use a durable shopping bag.

• Plastic bags cause litter, slow sorting and jam machinery at recycling centers. Empty recyclables out of bags and boxes, and put them loose in recycling containers so that they can be easily identified and sorted.

From SimpleHuman: Mount this slim profile storage bin in pantry, under sink, or on wall to keep plastic bags organized & at the ready.

Earth911 makes it super easy to find a plastic-bag recycling drop-off.

At Earth911, choose an item, type your ZIP code...

… and presto! You get info on where to go and how to get there.

Or visit PlasticBagRecycling.org.

We’re not the only ones who see bags in trees everywhere; check out Beth Terry’s blog My Plastic-Free Life, or Windy, the story of the plastic bag caught in a Pennsylvania tree in 2008 (and disappeared during the freak snowstorm of October 2011).

• The New York Times: Taking Aim At All Those Plastic Bags
• YouTube: The Dangers Of Plastic–Interview With Charles Moore
• YouTube: The Plastic Bag–A Mockumentary
• Rodale.com: You Pay $88 A Year For Free Plastic Bags
• Rodale.com: 8 Ways To Reuse Plastic Bags (Until They’re Banned)

Instead of Eating Takeout, Bring Meals in Reusable Containers—from Home to Work (or to School, or Wherever you’re Headed)

We admit to a slight obsession with food: delicious, simple-to-make food that won’t make us fat or sick. Food that’s healthy, and with the simple style that comes from smart recipes and great ingredients. Lucky for everyone: in 2012 we inhabit a Foodie Culture. Most of us have unprecedented access to celebrity chefs, home-cook bloggers, and inspired organic entrepreneurs. Just check out EatingWell or Food52, or the Family Dinner website. Frankly, anyone who says they can’t figure out how to eat right just isn’t giving it a fair chance.

Follow @MarthaRShulman on Twitter

One way to stay mouthwateringly inspired is the daily dose of Recipes for Health from Martha Rose Shulman of The New York Times. Every week Martha picks one ingredient, or one type of food (muffins, anyone?) and goes nuts (heh heh). This week’s theme: “Lunches to Take to Work.”

Although I work at home, my lunch requirements are probably similar to those of many of you who work in an office. I don’t like to eat complex dishes with strong flavors like raw garlic or onion at midday, because I don’t want those flavors lingering when I get back to work. I want a lunch that’s light and simple, enjoyable but not distracting….

I so enjoyed working on these recipes, as they provided me with great lunches all week long. They’ve kept all week in the refrigerator, and they don’t require refrigeration during those few hours between the time to get you work and the time you eat your lunch, though all of them will taste fresher if they have been in the fridge.

Egg Salad & Greens Wrap: If you can hard-boil an egg, you can make a scrumptious wrap to take with you for lunch (TY nytimes.com)

Have fun with Martha’s recipes, post your lunchbox favorites for all to share—and please, don’t neglect to check off this 20-point action!

There are many great reasons to BYO meals to work. First up, the food. Who knows what sort of produce, meat, preservatives, and chemicals are in the corner deli’s turkey club or the coffee shop’s muffin. When you pack your own meals, you control the ingredients. If you’d like lunch to be local, organic, and free of hormones, antibiotics, pesticide residues, and trans fats, brown bagging it is healthiest for you, your farmers, and the earth we all share.

Black Bean Chili: A medium-hot vegetarian chili that freezes well. From "Clean out the Pantry" week on Recipes for Health

A Goodbyn bento box makes your BYO meal more fun, guaranteed!

Speaking of brown bags, packing meals in reusable containers reduces waste. According to CleanAir.org, the U.S. population tosses out enough of them plus plastic cups, forks, and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times. These one-use items clog our landfills. Many resources go into making takeout containers. Our food is in them for mere moments before we toss them. It’s a system that doesn’t make much common sense.

If you can’t commit to bringing your own food daily, try for a few times a week. Bonus: you’ll save money.

Grocery shop and pack your lunch. If you eat breakfast or even dinner at your desk, try packing them, too. There are many waste-free reusable containers and wraps available in stores and online. Shop around. And don’t forget a cloth napkin and a reusable water bottle.

Ask your office manager to stock the kitchen with real plates, reusable utensils, and glasses.

When eating takeout, BYO reusable containers for the counter staff to use instead of their disposables.

• Bookmark This Site: Takeout Without
• Bookmark This SIte: WasteFreeLunches.org
• Planet Green: Bring Your Own Lunch Box

OK… so you’ve already reduced your shower time to 5 minutes or installed a shower timer… now for a super challenge: Take Navy Showers—one of Practically Green’s 27 Water-Saving Actions, and worth 20 points.

We’re guessing the Navy Shower was invented before the Navy was coed, with long-haired sailors who require conditioning treatments and enjoy complex exfoliating regimens. But even the spazillas among us don’t have to take a long involved shower every single time. And, when you read the description of a Navy shower, you’ll see that the point is to keep the water running only when you actually NEED it to be running. Excellent products help… such as Weleda’s Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash, a current favorite (see photo).

The Clean Beauty Blog asks, "Every wondered what it was like to shower in freshly squeezed orange juice?" Exactly....

Taking shorter showers is an easy way to significantly reduce your water usage. The average shower length in America is approximately eight minutes. According to the EPA, standard pre 1992 showerheads use over five gallons of water per minute, while standard post 1992 showerheads and low flow showerheads average one and a half to two and a half gallons per minute. You know both how long you shower and your showerhead, so do math. Multiply it by one year. Wow, right?

Taking a Navy shower is no problem in the French West Indies... sigh. (Credit: Julie Warburton Design)

Navy showers (used on ships to preserve precious water) are a manual way to achieve low-flow showerhead savings without changing a fixture—a great option for the unhandy or for renters.

Using less water bathing allows more to stay in the ground or in a reservoir, which in turn helps maintain a natural H20 balance and saves some for future use. There are many parts of the country that do not have enough water to support the current population and levels of water usage. Even if you live in a place with ample rain, there may be a drought. At least 36 states expect shortages in the next five years.

Taking shorter showers will also save you money on water, heating, and sewer bills.

Hop in the shower, get wet all over. Turn off the shower, lather up. Turn it back on, rinse off. You’re done.

Navy showers are least painful in warm climates. For those who brave them in cold climates, at least they save hot water.

• Treehugger.com: Navy Showers–Water Saving Goes Hardcore
• PracticallyGreen.com: Conservation, Preservation, And Stewardship
• U.S. Geological Survey: Water Science Questionnaire–Water Use At Home
• Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program

Is your dishwasher a noisy old wheezer? Chances are it’s costing you lots of unnecessary money to run. If you’re in a position to replace it, here’s the scoop on Upgrading to an Energy Star model.

A smart first step: visit TopTenUSA.org, where you’ll find ten dishwasher brands ranked by “Energy Factor (in cycles per kWh), which accounts for both water heating and electricity use.”

Watch this quick video for basics on why energy-efficient appliances will save you money and perform so well…

Energy Star models are on average 10% more energy efficient than non-qualified models. If your dishwasher is pre-1994, you can save 8 gallons of water PER LOAD. That’s enough water each week to do two loads of laundry!

Today’s most energy-efficient dishwashers combine improved energy efficiency with superior cleaning performance. By using less energy and water, high-efficiency Energy Star-rated dishwashers save you a good deal of money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving natural resources.

Bosch Evolution 500 dishwasher is as quiet and efficient as it is sleek....

Energy Star-rated dishwashers are available at major national retailers like Home Depot, Sears, & Best Buy, as well as from local specialty appliance retailers. Use The EnergyGuide label to compare the energy use of similar models. Other tips include:

* Buy the right size for your needs. If you select a small model but operate it more frequently, over time you might use more energy than you would with a bigger model.

* Choose a dishwasher with several wash-cycle options. If your dishes are only slightly soiled, you can use a light or energy-saving wash cycle, which uses significantly less water and electricity.

* Choose a dishwasher where you can turn off the “Heat Dry” option. That will save you 15-50% of the energy used to run the cycle.

Kenmore Elite Dishwasher earned top scores in washing & energy use on Greener Options consumer reports.

If you’re interested in clean energy, here’s a simple one-time action: Sign up for green power from your local utility.

Click here for a map that shows you what’s available in your region – wind, solar, hydro.

Here’s another map showing the states that offer significant grant programs to reimburse your adoption of renewables—FYI some of these grants are quite significant, i.e., use the $ to take a nice vacation!!

One of many useful (and free) maps at DSIREusa.org

“It’s the simplest thing someone can do to change the dynamics of the electric power grid,” explains Larry Chretien of MassEnergy.org. “It’s the stroke of a pen. Once you sign up, you just enjoy having clean energy power.”

Wind Turbine at Portsmouth (RI) high school feeds into regional power grid

“The average American family uses 500 to 600 kilowatt hours of electricity every month. Our New England GreenStart mix of renewables costs 2.4 cents extra per kWh, so it’s an add of $12 per month to your bill. That extra amount is 100% federally tax deductible. “

According to Larry, the vast majority of Americans have access to green power.  If you already take advantage of a program, don’t forget to add a nice fat 200 points to your score!

Purchasing clean and renewably generated power is one of the most effective actions you can take to minimize the environmental impact of your own energy use without purchasing a renewable-energy system for your home.

When you sign up for green power, you are telling your utility that they have to buy your annual usage (if you signed up for 100%) from a renewable source (wind, solar, etc). While the power delivered to your home may not be directly from that source, you have driven up the demand for that clean power, which in turn makes it more economically viable for large-scale renewable projects to be built.

What's powering the lights at your house? (TY Truex Cullins, Burlington Vermont)

Contact your energy utility or utilities (electric & gas) and inquire about purchasing 100% clean, renewably-generated power from them.

Ask as well about the additional cost of buying green power — it’s most helpful to speak with your utility service provider(s) in terms of additional cost, as a percentage based on what you’re paying right now for energy.

To find out which utilities in your state offer green power and what the price premium is for it, visit: http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml

Avoid idling your car. We know: It’s cold, you’re waiting to pick someone up, they’re late, and you don’t want to turn off the car and get out, or you can’t park it, or both.

Credit: Slate.com

Sometimes it seems easier to sit in that car with the motor on. But the next time you’re tempted to idle, keep this action in mind. That’s all we ask: avoid idling. Not: don’t idle your car under any circumstances! Simply think twice about it, even if you don’t own a car but use one sometimes. Even if you ride in a taxi or an airport shuttle occasionally—and, for example, you notice the driver has the engine running in seasonable weather, with his window open. This way, you’re informed. And you can add 20 points to your score!

Of course, if you have an electric car you can idle all you want. Right?

No gas: no fumes! Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept

Idling is a common—and unfortunate—practice among drivers, although there is little evidence that it has any benefit. Some people claim that idling in the winter is good for warming up your vehicle, but gently driving your vehicle will warm up it up much faster than letting it idle.

Others claim that it takes more fuel to start your vehicle than to let it idle for a minute. This is a myth; according to the Department of Energy, the fuel used to start your vehicle is equivalent to amount of fuel your vehicle uses when it idles for a few seconds. When your vehicle idles, it gets zero miles per gallon.

Idling also pollutes. There are schools that have adopted idle-free zones for dropping-off or picking-up kids so they won’t be inhaling that much exhaust—both inside and outside idling vehicles.

Did you know that children breathe in twice as much air for their body weight as adults? Here's a sign that's available from the Portland (Oregon) department of transportation.

In London, a new campaign urges drivers to 'make a small switch' to help deliver cleaner, healthier air... see www.tfl.gov.uk

Reduce unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions by turning off your car if you’re going to be stopped for more than ten seconds.

During winter, try idling for ten seconds, then start gently driving to your destination.

Consider asking your school or local business district to adopt an idle-free zone.

• California Energy Commission: Idling Your Car
• SierraClub.org: Green Your Driving Habits–Don’t Idle
• Portland Bureau Of Transportation: Please Don’t Idle Near School
• FuelEconomy.gov: Many Factors Affect MPG

Who doesn’t want to save money? Here’s a great way to do it with sustainability in mind: join Practically Green’s Frugalista Sprint! Starting today and through the end of the month, we’re checking off actions for the Frugalista badge. Frugalista badge? Yes, it’s that adorable little pink pig that you see on your PG dashboard when you’ve completed 25 of these actions!

The Frugalista badge rewards you for taking actions that save money while promoting a healthy green life. Some are beyond easy and others require an up front investment, but all will save you money in the long term.

Today’s action: Switch to cloth napkins at home regularly. Frankly this couldn’t be easier. We’re invetrate cloth napkin users and we’ve peppered this post with great suggestions on how to embrace cloth napkins at your house. You could use a favorite old shirt (clean!) as a napkin. More ideas—including why it’s worth the bother—right here:

Using cloth napkins that you wash and reuse instead of paper napkins that you use once and throw away saves natural resources (trees!) and helps minimize the amount of garbage you contribute to landfills. Science backs up this common sense choice: in a life-cycle assessment (this is a technique for assessing the environmental aspects and potential impacts of a product or process) of cloth versus paper napkins, Treehugger’s Pablo Paster declared cloth the winner with about ½ the total impact.

Set of 6 linen napkins with a different gentle admonishment on each... irresistible! From Etsy.

May we suggest: "No texting at the table"?

The same assessment found linen to be more eco-friendly than cotton, in terms of both energy and water used. Any way you look at it, reusable napkins beat paper hands down. If the cloth napkins happen to be linen, vintage, or organic cotton, so much the better. Bonus: cloth makes for a prettier table.

Would you like to have a handy napkin for picnics & take-out? Try PeopleTowels! Choose from dozens of fab designs on derrière-soft organic cotton.

Prowl eBay if your Grammy didn't give you elegant linen napkins.... these transform your table, easy to launder when you line dry!

Pull out those cloth napkins that sit in a drawer waiting for special occasions and put them to use every day. Don’t have any? Stock up. You may need more napkins than you think if you use them regularly.

PG Tip: Assign everyone in the family their own very special napkin ring.... that way they keep track of their cloth napkin all week long!

To use the least amount of cloth napkins as well as laundry, assign each family member a napkin ring. That way you will know whose is whose. Have everyone hold onto his or her napkin until it truly needs a wash or to the end of the week.

Wash napkins in cold water with other clothes so the load is full.

• Planet Green: Choose Cloth Napkins Over Disposables
• Treehugger: Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?
• PracticallyGreen.com: Top Green Action, Just In Time For Earth Day: Switch To Cloth Napkins!

SKIN. Now that’s something we all have in common.

Why is it green to pay attention to what we put on it?

You might be interested to compare this action to the other Personal Care actions on Practically Green. (Why does Switch to natural body lotion have an impact of 20 points, whereas Switch to natural toothpaste, Switch to a natural deodorant, or Switch to natural face cream are worth half that amount?)

Note: This post is illustrated with the lotions that other PG users have already recommended…  all natural, all great, i.e. all vetted by our team. If your favorite isn’t pictured, we all want to know what it is! Please submit it pronto! PG’s product team will review for possible inclusion on the action page.

An enriched moisturizing lotion made with Biodynamic sea buckthorn oil. It’s perfect for revitalizing your skin after a bath or following damaging exposure to the sun.

Like most conventional cosmetics, body lotion can contain a number of synthetic chemicals that have been linked to everything from cancers to hormone disruption to birth defects to skin or eye irritation. Not so pretty.

Highly scented lotions likely contain synthetic fragrance, which the Environmental Working Group deems a high hazard due to its links to allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, and potential effects on the reproductive system. Natural versions perfumed with essential oils are a safer bet. While cream formulations vary brand to brand, they tend also to be made with parabens and multiple controversial petroleum-derived ingredients.

This moisturizing chocolate truffle is made from absolute cocoa essential oils blended with 100% premium, unrefined, organically grown & produced shea butter.

Be especially careful with conventional lotions that claim to make you look younger, tan your skin, contain sunscreen, or be antibacterial; the chemicals in all these tend to be particularly suspect.

An ultra-rich whole-body cream that deeply hydrates, restores and protects dry, rough skin of any age. Active ingredients include organic sunflower seed oil, organic pansy, & organic, biodynamic calendula flower extract.

If your current lotion doesn’t have natural or organic certification, look it up on the on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database or the GoodGuide. If it turns out to be too risky to wear, replace it with one that scores better and contains natural, organic, or biodynamic ingredients.

Rated extremely highly on EWG's Skin Deep database, Trillium Organics body butter is 97% USDA certified organic. Great for lips, feet, cuticles & all over smooth, deep, protective moisturizing.

Paraben-free, made with stimulating certified Fair Trade shea butter, kola + ginger infusions & virgin palm oils. Handcrafted using traditional methods; intended for everyday use.

Not available in your drug store? Check natural product stores and online.

You can also use safe food grade organic oils like safflower, coconut, or olive as moisturizer. Buy one just for the bathroom or your vinaigrette may suffer.

Rated well on EWG's Skin Deep database. Borage Therapy is formulated to relieve dry cracked skin in days, promotes growth of healthy new skin cells. Active ingredients: colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, borage oil & rooibos extract.

A safe, effective, powerful blend of herbal extracts & vitamins to gently calm dry skin anywhere on the body. Does not contain coal or pine tars, or steroids

• The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
• GoodGuide.com: Moisturizers
• PracticallyGreen.com: Cosmetics Maven Has A Healthy Green Beauty Makeover
• Must Watch: The Story Of Cosmetics

Earning high marks from GoodGuide, this rich body lotion provides long-lasting moisture... leaves skin feeling soft, smooth, supple with natural ingredients like coconut oil, honey & vitamin-rich orange wax.

On a chilly day, set the thermostat at 67°F, down from 71°. You’ll barely notice, and those 4 degrees will make a big impact on your energy bill!

How much will you save? Ask your utility company and check your statement to be absolutely certain, but we’re guessing you might save about 15% over the course of the season. You might even enjoy health benefits…. many of our New England friends swear by sleeping with the window open at night, no matter what.

Lounging around at home? Wrap up in this cashmere yummy, 50" x 65" and on sale now at WilliamsSonoma

Turning down your thermostat is one of the simplest and most effective actions you can take to protect the environment and reduce your energy bills. In general, adjusting the thermostat down by just a single degree in the winter can cut heating-energy use by about 7%.

Lower office temps are a breeze when you wear a Nau vest!

If you choose to turn down your thermostat by four degrees in the winter, you’ll be saving close to 15% in energy costs — and you’ll also be avoiding the release of greenhouse gases into the environment and utilization of non-renewable resources.

In most systems, this should be pretty straightforward. The only hard part is ensuring everyone in the home KEEPS it lower (children, visiting relatives, spouses). You also may want to stock up on sweaters and put blankets on the couches.

If you recently purchased a programmable thermostat you may want to consult the owner’s guide (which should be included with the unit) to manually adjust the programmed setting.

Snuggy slippers help, e.g. these "wicked good" ones from L.L. Bean -- order in dark brown and you can get away with them at the office?

We blogged about the amazing Nest a few months ago…. it’s an innovative game-changer, in our view.

Nest programmable thermostat

Other programmable thermostats work well—and they cost much less:

Hunter Fan Company Programmable Thermostat

Black & Decker Home Power Monitor

Black & Decker's Home Power Monitor keeps track of energy usage in either kilowatt hours or $ amounts to help you save money + prevent waste. This is a great way to monitor your spending on heating & cooling.

Thermostats and Control Systems: Energy Savers

P.S.

If you have insulated window treatments, don’t forget to pull them shut before you leave the house—and on sunny days, leave them UP!

This action goes toward your Frugalista badge!

Next time you’re inside, look around the floor. Near the wall. You might see something like this:

The red light at the top means this strip is ON. Turn it off when you don't need it!

It’s a smart strip, of course! Ever wonder why they’re called SMART? Or why it’s SMART to switch them off when you aren’t using them? Read on.

Did you know that even after you’ve turned off your TV or powered down your computer, they continue to use electricity? This is referred to as vampire or phantom energy use. Pretty much all electronics do this—unless unplugged from a socket—which is why phantom energy accounts for 10 percent or more of your energy bill each month. Unplugging devices is one way to stop wasting energy and cash, but it’s a very tedious process.

Enter the perfect solution: a smart power strip.

Belkin's Conserve Switch Surge Protector comes with a wireless remote, so you can shut off power—including standby power—to all of your electronics with the flick of a switch. It has six switchable & two always-on power outlets, so items you need on will remain on.

Depending on the kind of strip you purchase, it will either power down automatically or you simply press one switch. Either way, you’ve cut power completely to multiple devices at once—reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of your electricity and saving money. Win-win.

The colorful Smart Strip in the photo is, well, smart. It stops drawing power when your gadgets are turned off so no more wasting money on vampire energy. It’s got ten outlets: a great choice for home offices or entertainment centers. Plug it in, start curbing your energy costs.

Buy a smart power strip at an electronics store or online (this will cost around $30). Plug in everything from your laptop to your phone charger and you’re on your way to saving energy. For bigger savings, consider investing in multiple power strips for your home office, media room, and kitchen.

Plug items you want to leave on into the wall. Or purchase a smart strip equipped with a mix of outlets that are always on, as well as power saving ones. This configuration allows you to keep some electronics on (like your cable modem or DVR), while shutting others off (like your TV or DVD player).

Cool mirrored Isole' power strip: combination power strip & motion sensor. With six outlets controlled by occupancy and two uncontrolled outlets, this energy saving power strip is ideal for home, school, or office.

• Unplggd.com: Roundup–Five Great Power Strips
• PracticallyGreen.com: Energy Vampires 101
• The New York Times: Atop TV Sets, A Power Drain That Runs Nonstop
• Terrapass.com: Remove Wall Warts And Slay Electricity Vampires

If you’d like to add 270 points to your Practically Green score, simply insulate your roof, walls, basement, and pipes.

No, this is not buttercream cake frosting: it's icynene insulation sprayed between the rafters: this keeps conditioned air where you want it!

For another 20 points, insulate your ductwork! “Ductwork!?” I can hear some of you renters screaming: “what’s that?”

To understand the concept of insulation: think of these dogs as your pipes, and their plaid coats as the insulation. (TY Bill Cunningham of the NYTimes Style section)

Okay, we know: if you rent your space, or merely inhabit it as a worker, a guest, a student, or other non-invested person, this set of actions might not be for you. But if you’re a home owner, a real-estate manager, a facilities manager, you know how important it is to insulate. And even if you are a tenant, you might be able to improve upon the stuffing in your walls.

If you're ever in San Francisco, visit the Levis headquarters for a fabulous example of denim insulation. 200,000 pairs of jeans were used in this location, many of them collected from Goodwill

Owens-Corning has a new product called EcoTouch and exacting green building guru Alex Wilson gave it a thumbs up: ”EcoTouch is a large, important step for Owens Corning…. Its introduction last year was the first step of a top-to-bottom transformation of the company’s ubiquitous pink fiberglass insulation, making that a healthier, safer product.” Click here for his February 2011 blog post on it at BuildingGreen.com.

Handy diagram at OwensCorning.com guides insulation choices

Excellent insulation, captured by Bill Cunningham

When properly installed, insulation reduces the energy necessary to heat your home in the winter and cool it in the summer. Reduced energy means lower bills, results in fewer emissions, and consumes fewer natural resources. A perfect trifecta.

Almost any insulation can be considered green because of the energy benefits, but some materials are eco-friendlier than others. Some manufacturers use high percentages of recycled content, or substitute natural castor oil for petroleum-based materials. There are versions created from recycled blue jeans, recycled newspaper newspapers, and wool. Some foams are made from renewable products like soy, and avoid use of ozone-depleting chemicals. Steer clear of dangerous ingredients such as formaldehyde, a “known” carcinogen in Europe and a “suspected” one in the U.S., which has also been linked to allergies and asthma and is routinely used as a binder in insulation.

Have an experienced contractor conduct an analysis of your home’s walls, and then walk you through your options.

Air sealing any leaks before adding new insulation is common practice (and highly recommended!). Wall insulation is often installed in combination with added roof insulation.

Tip: ask your contractor if insulation close to R-40 can be added to your walls (the R factor is the measure of resistance to heat flow). This will assure maximum effectiveness, quicker payback from your investment, and provide extra comfort throughout the home. Bonus!

• Energy Savers: Wall Insulation
• Inhabitat: New Ideas for Green Insulation
• Energy Savers: Adding Insulation to an Existing Home
• This Old House: “Insulation”
• Bookmark This Site: Simply Insulate

Even if you have a no Fur policy for your body, don't skimp on padding your building envelope! (TY Bill Cunningham for another great illustration.)

Why is Eating a Vegetarian Diet worth a whopping 200 points on Practically Green?

Why is this a super-score action, as impactful as Sell a car and don’t replace it and Buy a pre-owned home instead of building new? Eating your veggies is good for your innards, and it’s usually great for your wallet―you know this already―unless your idea of veggies is truffles (see photo please) and Gianduja at Le Bernadin. Here’s why it’s also a top action for Sustainability.

A favorite veggy recipe: White Truffle Grilled Cheese (you only need a drop of truffle oil!); TY Food52 & KarmaCucina

Remember, you’re in charge! You can ease away from your juicy sirloin habit just one day a week, or decide to eat meat only on weekends.

Mark Bittman: "In the USA we eat almost 10 billion chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys each year. And that’s just us! That kind of settled it.... with the Food Matters Cookbook I’ve proven to myself (and hopefully to all who cook from it) that {it} doesn’t feel like a sacrifice & leads to incredibly inventive, delicious food.

A vegetarian diet is an environmentally friendly one. The conventional production of meat–from feed to slaughter to transport—is energy intensive. By not eating meat, you basically eliminate that entire footprint from your personal consumption.

Not all cows are for eating... these Brown Swiss beauties at Shelburne Farms help make award-winning cheddar

The global demand for meat has risen dramatically in the past few decades, leading to an increase in factory farms. The average family of four consumes between 500 to 800 pounds of meat yearly. This kind of mass production consumes enormous amounts of energy, pollutes the air and waterways, and requires increasing amounts of corn, soy, and other grains—often genetically modified and intensively sprayed with pesticides. This has led to the destruction of vast plots of the world’s tropical rain forests. There are many studies comparing vegetarian and meat-based diets. One often quoted stat: a meal of fruits, vegetables, and grains generates 24 times less greenhouse gas emissions than 6 ounces of conventionally raised beef.

Get inspired with tasty veggy recipes at EatingWell.com, like Elise's Sesame Noodles!

If you’re eating conventionally produced dairy, you’re still involved with the factory farm system. Dairy from local, pastured animals—preferably organic–will have a lighter footprint.

The health benefits of being vegetarian depend largely on what you eat–processed packaged foods don’t have the same nutrients as whole foods. There has been some concern about the health effects of highly processed soy. Also, for people interested in eating local foods, soy might not be grown locally.

There is no single type of vegetarian. A classic vegetarian avoids eating animals, even fish, but there are certainly vegetarians who maintain a bacon or a chicken exception.

• Scientific American: How Meat Contributes to Global Warming
• Greenbiz.com: A Meat Eater’s Guide for Easing Climate Change Impacts
• The Guardian: Eat Less Meat/Dairy Diet?
• Practically Green: Vegetarian Cooking And Eating–Try The Weekday Veg Plan With Spring Pesto
• ADA Journal: Production Of Red Meat Should Be Curbed In Order To Conserve Natural Resources
• Bookmark This Site: HappyCow.net
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Effects Of Soy On Health Outcomes

The eagerly awaited update on this classic has easy-to-read tables, figures, menus & food guides to help you determine how to meet your daily nutritional requirements. The book also suggests what plant-based dietary components and factors play active roles in both prevention & treatment of chronic illnesses.

Dubbed the Magic Wand by many beauties, L'Oreal's Clarisonic is upgrading, which might mean swapping yours out... but what to do with the cast-off?

How exciting! You just received a new hairdryer, telephone handset, camera, electric toothbrush, rotating face exfoliator! (…you know who you are) You’re swapping out your energy-hog toaster oven for a new compact microwave! Good for you! Now what are you going to do with the old ones? Throw them into an opaque Hefty bag for the garbage guy to transport to a crammed landfill? Not so fast.

that is, the electronics besides computers and cellphones, which have their own special set of info (and points!)

Did Santa bring you a new scooter? Fab! What's the plan for the old electric scooter you don't need any more?

E-waste, otherwise known as discarded electronics, is one of the largest—and growing—contributors to solid waste today. This should come as no surprise considering how quickly the latest must-have gadgets become obsolete. And then what? People throw them out. Unfortunately electronics contain metals including lead, nickel, cadmium, and mercury that are extremely harmful if they end up in landfills, where they can leach into the ground and water. Some e-waste gets exported and burned—polluting the air and poisoning the workers charged with this unsafe task.

You're obsessed with the awesome new camera you got for your birthday. We know. But what to do with its predecessor?

While computer and cellphone recycling receive the bulk of e-waste attention, many other electronic items can and should be recycled—including microwaves, home theater items, and all kinds of equipment associated with computers and cameras. Basically it’s good common sense to keep anything with a circuit board out of landfills. Bonus: recycling e-waste also recovers some natural resources like copper, gold, and silicon, which can be reused in manufacturing processes.

Try Gazelle.com to trade in all sorts of stuff. They power e-cycling programs for Costco, Office Depot, Sears, Walmart and other stores.

Try repairing and reusing before recycling. Reuse includes donating items you no longer find useful to an organization or someone who might find it very useful. If you prefer not to donate, you can also resell many electronics.

When the time comes to recycle e-waste, check online for the best options near you. Some towns have e-waste collection centers. Others organize occasional e-waste collection drives, as do environmental organizations as well as schools.

At Earth911, type in your item and your location... and...

... choose the solution that works best for you!

Manufacturers and major retailers like Best Buy also accept most forms of e-waste. Call ahead about specific items before you lug them to a store.

Other helpful resources:

EcoSquid

Best Buy’s E-cycle

“The essence of good manners is not exclusivity, nor exclusion of any kind, but sensitivity.”

Reading a review of “Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That?,” a new etiquette book, we were reminded of a few green pet peeves: idling delivery trucks, littering pedestrians, and, in our very own house, teenagers and spouses. Specifically: Would it kill you to turn off the motor when you’re inside the building delivering packages? Would it kill you to put your donut wrapper in a trash bin instead of dropping it onto the sidewalk?

And, Would it kill you to turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth? Is the sound of running water essential for sparkly dentals?

Today we focus on Turning off Faucets while Brushing Teeth. A no brainer: it’s free, it’s easy, a quick 10 points, and 60% of the Practically Green community is already doing it.

If you simply cannot remember to turn off your faucet, consider a Mac Faucet hands-free model (with matching soap dispenser)

A standard faucet can use about 2-3 gallons of water per minute. Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth can save around 20-30 gallons of water per week per person. For a family of four, this can translate into over 6,000 gallons of year.

In addition to saving money, using less water allows more water to stay in the ground or in a reservoir which helps to maintain a natural water balance, support wildlife, and preserve water for future use. Don’t assume that because you live in a place where it rains a lot, there isn’t a water shortage. Even in areas that don’t technically have droughts or even water restrictions, concerns are rising that there may not be enough clean water to support population and water growth due to reduced mountain snow pack. At least 36 states expect water shortages in the next five years.

It seems basic: Turn on, wet toothbrush, turn back off. So why is it so darn hard?? Especially for five-year-old boys?

Like anything, it takes practice to develop a habit and have a routine. If you need a little help in developing this routine, try installing a motion sensor faucet or a foot pedal faucet.

From PedaControl the flow of your faucet with a convenient foot pedal. Pedal Valve designed their hands-free faucets to help conserve water and as a more hygienic option. Great for kitchens, baths.

Drinking Water: Conservation, Preservation, and Stewardship

Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program

Sometimes it’s handy to buy a bottle of water, especially if you’re traveling, especially if drinking water is sketchy. We know. But for most of the time, it makes sense to establish another routine: Replace bottled water with filtered water. Once you read this explanation, you’ll probably agree.

Water bottle with built-in filter, from Brita

By switching to filtered water or just plain tap water, you can save significant amounts of money, natural resources, and avoid a huge source of waste. Americans drink 21 gallons of bottled water per capita per year and it’s not a cheap habit. Water costs 240 to 10,000 times more than tap water.

In terms of resources, supplying Americans with plastic water bottles for one year consumes more than 47 million gallons of oil. That’s enough to take 100,000 cars off the road and 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, according to the Container Recycling Institute. And only ~30% of water bottles are recycled.

Bottled water is not necessarily safer than your tap water. Municipal tap water is tested much more rigorously than bottled water. An investigation of 10 brands by the Environmental Working Group found that several ranked the same as municipal tap water, and several were worse. Unless you have a special health concern, tap water is likely to be just as safe.

Want one in every color! Each pitcher holds 10 8 oz units of filterable H2O. Perfect for home, office, or dorm. Brita Grand

If you like the taste of your town water, then get a few jugs and cool it in the refrigerator.

Posh Chez Panisse restaurant serves filtered tap water & house-aerated sparkling water in lieu of bottled water...You can too! Use repurposed clear wine bottles (soak off label) as water carafes; just fill w/ cold water. (Thank you, Remodelista)

PUR 3-stage faucet mount

If you want to filter it for taste or to get out an impurities, decide whether you want to go with a filtered pitcher or add a filter to the faucet or system.

Pur Stage 3 Faucet Filter

Brita Aqualux

Brita Faucet Filtration

Multi-Pure Stainless Steel Countertop Water Filter

Multi-Pure: This stainless-steel model sits on counter next to the sink & is connected to your existing faucet. Filter life: 750 gallons.

How long do you typically spend in the shower? Is 5 minutes enough time to get cleaned up? Read on. We know of a few gadgets and even a bunch of songs that can make this an easy switch. And at 20 points, this action is obviously one worth bothering about.

Grohe's WaterCare program recommends 4-minute showers! So 5 minutes is LONG!

Taking shorter showers is an easy way to significantly reduce your water usage. The average shower length in America is approximately eight minutes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, standard pre 1992 showerheads use over five gallons of water per minute, while standard post 1992 showerheads and low flow showerheads average one and a half to two and a half gallons per minute.

By cutting your shower time to five minutes, you’ll effectively save five to fifteen gallons per shower. This can add up to thousands of gallons saved per year for just one person. Get the whole family involved and you’re like a team of water warriors.

PG Tip: Organic Cotton Spa Robe like these ones from Pottery Barn will help you shorten your shower time!

Efficient water use allows more to remain in the ground or in a reservoir, which in turn helps maintain a healthier ecosystem by supporting wildlife and preserving H20 for future use. Even if you live in a place where it rains a lot, there may be a drought. At least 36 states expect shortages in the next five years.

Taking shorter showers will also save you money on water, heating, and sewer bills.

Cuddledown has organic cotton Turkish towels: reward for your shorter showers!

Keep track of your shower time. Set your watch alarm, use a kitchen timer, listen to two songs on the radio, or install a shower timer. Up the ante by turning the shower off while you shave, shampoo, or soap up.

FloWise® showerhead from American Standard

Some devices automatically shut off the water after five minutes and won’t allow it back on for a set period of time. No cheating allowed.

To save more H20, don’t shower daily if you don’t need to.

Free shower app: Set your time, choose a wake-up or chill-out song, and presto!

Unilever Shower Ballad Unilever’s clever–and free–tool helps keep showers short. Visit their Facebook page, select your target shower time and music preference–wake up or chill out–and they’ll find your song. Press play and “sing yourself to a greener clean” until the music stops and time is up.

Five Minute Shower Timer This shower timer keeps it simple–and battery-free! Simply stick it to the wall, flip the hour glass, and when the all the sand slips through, your five minutes are up. Word is though that the suction function is not that reliable, so you might need to get crafty.

Water Droplet Shower Timer This digital shower timer is battery operated and beeps when your set time is up. The manufacturer says the strong suction cup will hold fast to any non-porous surface in your bathroom even the shower since it is steam and water proof.

Ripple: Tested by active kids to withstand everyday usage. Choose from Yellow Duck, Green House, Blue Star or Happy Turtle.

Ripple Water Saving Timers Get the kids in on the short shower wave with these fun, practical shower times. The water proof digital shower timer sticks to the wall and displays a real time clock with an easy-to-program count down timer that beeps when shower time is up.

Envirosax 4 Minute Timer Keep it simple with this basic hourglass timer–sands take four minutes to run their course, so your shower should follow suit. Bonus! With any Graphic Series Pouch, Envirosax will throw in a free timer to help encourage households to conserve water and energy.

Envirosax is a line of chic reusable shopping bags. When you order from the Graphic Series, founders Belinda & Mark David-Tooze will send you this free timer!

On New Year’s Resolutions, here’s a thought: Do them in complementary combinations. You know, yin & yang, sweet & savory, apples & oranges.

Pick one action that’s fun to do, like Switch to organic chocolate, and pair it with an action that’s a bit more drudgy, like Recycle batteries properly.

Or, pick an action that’s absolutely free, doesn’t require leaving the house or making a call. For example, Shut off the lights when you leave a room (your office, the restroom, the house). Pair that with a more complicated action: Start composting your food waste. (Although services like Bootstrap Compost sure make urban composting easy.)

We’ve recommended an action a day for the past Four days. Do you notice a complementary rhythm?

1. Use Reusable Shopping Bags Regularly

2. Turn Off the Lights When You Leave a Room

3. Switch to Organic Chocolate

4. Recycle corks

Click & add points to your score!

Today we suggest Recycling glass bottles.

Chances are you have a few empties lying around this après-holiday season. If you already recycle your bottles regularly (as 99% of Practically Greeners do), be sure to check it off on your dashboard and watch your PG score increase by 50 points. If you’re not quite there yet—if you’re still throwing wine bottles and empty jam jars into the landfill trash, or if you’re not sure where to begin—please read on. (Spiffy new recycling bin, anyone?)

Divided 45L Step-On Recycle Bin with Colored Pedals

Kathleen Plate's Gold Chandelier earrings... pick your glass color at SmartGlassJewelry.com

What’s not to love about glass? It’s not petroleum-derived, it doesn’t leach unwanted and potentially harmful chemicals into your food, and, unlike plastic and paper, it can be recycled infinitely. A glass containing your beverage today could be the glass containing your spaghetti sauce tomorrow. While only a quarter of glass containers are recycled each year, nearly 90 percent of what’s collected is remade into new containers, according to the EPA.

Wean Green Food Storage Containers: Glass, not plastic! (Order from GreenDepot or Amazon)

Recycling glass significantly reduces resource demands and avoids both landfill costs and expansion. For every ton of glass that is recycled, over a ton of natural resources are saved. Recycling glass even saves energy—recycling just one bottle saves enough to run your computer for 30 minutes (that’s 400 watt hours)! Recycled glass can be turned back into glass bottles or used for other items, including jewelry, fiberglass insulation, kitchen counters, and even to stem beach erosion.

If you live in a state where glass beverage containers have a redemption value, recycling glass can even be a source of extra cash. Enlist your kids to collect and recycle glass bottles as a way of earning spending money.

"Lopsided in just the right way": recycled glass vases, Vivaterra

Ubiquitous blue recycling bin

If your town has a recycling program, get the blue bin, and start recycling what you can’t reuse.

If your town doesn’t have a recycling program, ask for one. In the meantime, find a store or a center willing to take back anything that involves a bottle deposit on the links listed below.

Earth 911

EPA.gov: Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling And Disposal In The United States

YouTube: Recycle One Glass Bottle At A Time

Bombay Sapphire Gin glass pendants, Etsy

Feel free to share this post with a friend!

New Year’s Eve! Celebrating, parties, and libations—including wine and champagne: CORKS! Why not plan to recycle yours instead of throwing them into the trash?

1915 English magazine illustration of a lady riding a Champagne cork (Lordprice Collection; Wikipedia)

Harvesting cork from trees Photo taken by Patrick Spencer, director of Cork ReHarvest

Cork is a highly sustainable material. It’s natural, renewable, and biodegradable. It’s also recyclable.

When you recycle cork, you extend its useful life. The material is diverted from a landfill (where, because of overstuffed conditions, even biodegradable items rarely biodegrade) and is (re)used in a wide range of products including floor tiles, place mats, dart and memo boards, and coasters. Reusing cork for these items means not having to harvest and import new material from overseas, which saves energy and reduces carbon emissions.

On Earth Day 2011, Anthropologie & the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance teamed on amazing displays in hundreds of store windows

Cork forests are said to absorb millions of tons of C02 yearly and provide vast quantities of oxygen. Though they’re considered among the most sustainably harvested forests in the world, minimizing the extraction of new cork by reusing what is already available protects them.

PG Tip: Select a nice bowl to collect corks

To locate cork drop-off locations near you, check out the sites listed below. Your local Whole Foods may also have a cork recycling bin.

Set up a spot in your kitchen where you keep your wine corks. Almost 60 percent of the world’s cork is used in wine bottles, so this is likely what you’ll be recycling.

If you’re crafty, you can even try making your own cork bulletin board.

Wine Cork Serving Tray (Etsy.com)

Bookmark This Site: ReCORK America

Bookmark This Site: Cork ReHarvest

Mongabay.com: How Cork Helps Forests And Biodiversity

PlanetGreen.com: Recycle Your Corks With ReCORK America

PracticallyGreen.com: How To Declutter Your House To Prepare For Sale

Give your corks to someone crafty? We found this 16" wreath on Etsy

Okay, now that you’ve nailed the first two New Year’s Resolutions*, here’s a reward: 10 points for eating chocolate that’s delicious, doesn’t contain chemicals, and treats workers fairly.

Dagoba Lavender Blueberry organic chocolate bar

Chocolate! What’s not to love? Well, as it turns out, conventional chocolate production is hard on the rain forest and harder on workers (some of them children).

Conventional cocoa plantations, like most farms, use large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers. They harm the environment and can remain in chocolate. Organically farmed cocoa isn’t permitted to use these synthetic chemicals.

There are a few cacao-specific things to consider as well before your unwrap a bar and devour it. It, like coffee, is a shade tree. To increase production, large plantations cut down the rain forest canopy in an effort to grow trees in direct sunlight. Beyond damaging the forest, this increases the need for chemicals. Many organic chocolates come from shade grown cacao grown on small farms. Some of these farms are also fair trade.

Mmmmm, dark chocolate with hints of orange and spice that's made with Fair Trade Certified Organic Cocoa & Sugar

Taza's 100% USDA certified organic chocolates are handcrafted in small batches from a single origin

Chocolate, coffee, caramel, and salt all in one!

USDA certified organic chocolate is widely available at supermarkets as well as natural food shops. Taste a bunch to see what you like (tough work but someone has to do it!).

A benefit of organic chocolate is that it won’t contain artificial colors or flavors. Go dark enough and it can almost be considered health food.

If you want a fair trade chocolate, look for the label.

As we write, 8 products are live recommendations on Practically Green. For example:

Would you like to buy one? Please do! How about rating it? Simply go to the action page and click click to give your thumbs up.

Do you have a product to suggest? From the same action page, click this button:

Product specialist Rebecca Sama will be delighted to test your suggestion and put it through her no-nonsense approval procedure! (Munch, chomp, YUM.)

Organic Fair Trade Vegan Chocolate Cherry Hearts.. great gift, but you might eat it first!

This gourmet very dark chocolate bar is certified organic, fair trade & contains no soy products.

Organic Dark Chocolate w/ Cacao Nibs, Yacon & Acai. Endangered Species Chocolate

And don’t forget the cocoa!

We found a truly droolicious recipe for hot chocolate at EatingWell.com

*New Year’s Resolution #1: Use Reusable Shopping Bags Regularly

*New Year’s Resolution #2: Turn Off the Lights When You Leave a Room

What's wrong with this picture? Empty room with lights on.

It’s so simple, and yet so hard to remember: Turn off the lights when you leave a room and you can save energy and money.

A standard bulb uses 60 watts of energy an hour. That’s stamped on the bulb. We get that. If you think in terms of kilowatts, here’s a little math: that bulb consumes a kilowatt of energy over approximately 16 hours. A kilowatt-hour of energy costs about 11 cents. So leaving that light on unnecessarily for 16 hours a day all year equals $40.15 down the drain. Leave the lights on in a room with multiple recessed lights and you’ve cost yourself a night out.

CFLs only use 13 watts per hour and the LED equivalent of a 60 watt incandescent uses about 7 watts per hour. So it’s a good idea to switch the kind of bulb you use. Regardless of the type of bulb you have, it’s always a good idea to turn off the lights if you’re leaving a room for more than a few minutes.

Everyone has their own way to remember to turn off the lights. Implement your own. If fear of a nagging spouse doesn’t do it, try doing a last lap around the house before leaving. Hang a reminder sign on the door. Or bribe your kids to check.

If you truly cannot remember, install a motion sensor. This is particularly good for kids’ rooms and offices.

Lutron Wireless Occupancy Sensor

Struggling to remember to turn off the lights? Try installing one of these wireless wall-mounted sensors that detects the heat from people moving in an area to determine when the space is occupied and turns the lights on or off accordingly.