It’s a pain to clean the inside of a microwave. Whatever you have to do to get the zapped on gunk out of there, don’t use a conventional cleaner! When you clean with them, they leave behind residues that can get in the air you breathe but also the food you’re heating. Most chemicals in these products should not be heated to the temperatures generated by a microwave.
To clean microwave safely, Ingredient #1: LEMON
To clean microwave safely, Ingredient #2: GLASS CONTAINER (this one's from Williams-Sonoma)
It’s difficult to know exactly what a cleaner contains as cleaning product formulas are currently considered government-protected trade secrets. Manufacturers aren’t required to disclose their contents to consumers. So they don’t. Sometimes there are warning labels like “danger” “poison” “toxic” or “hazardous.” These are best not sprayed in a microwave. Generally speaking conventional cleaners contain hazardous, often petroleum-derived, chemicals including ammonia, glycol ethers, synthetic fragrances, and even the synthetic antibacterial agent triclosan—which have been linked to cancer, asthma, hormone disruption, liver and kidney damage, and more.
If you have an oven-cleaning product already, you might want to check it on GoodGuide.com
Using a natural cleaner reduces your exposure to these chemicals and keeps their residues out of our waterways. But when it comes to cleaning a microwave, it’s just as easy—and very safe—to rely on a few household staples.
Either place a half of a lemon or distilled white vinegar with water in a microwave-friendly bowl (preferably glass). Heat for five minutes. The steam generated by either mixture will loosen food residue. Wipe it away with a damp cloth. The lemon will leave behind an especially pleasant fresh natural scent.
- eHow: How To Clean Your Microwave Without Chemicals
- NaturalCleaningService.com: Vinegar And Steam– A Simple Microwave Cleaner
- PracticallyGreen.com: How To Clean A Microwave
- DrWeil.com: Are Conventional Household Cleaners Harmful?
EnergyStar does not yet rate microwaves, but smaller is most energy-efficient. This one's by Daewoo
What do most people need? On our list: Time.
And this year we have a whole extra DAY. What to do with that extra 24 hours? We decided to throw a Twitter party to chat about the possibilities.
You’re invited!
Leap Year Twitter Party
Tuesday, February 28th, 9 to 10pm EST
Use hashtag #PGLeapYear
Please join us for a Twitter party to chat about healthy & sustainable living!
Eat, Sleep, Drink Wine, and Recycle!
Moderated by Elise Jones of @HereinthisHouse & @Mommybites
With Susan Hunt Stevens & Alexandra Zissu of PracticallyGreen @huntstevens @alexandrazissu
* * * Amazing Prizes!! * * *
See them on @Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/practicallygrn/pgleapyear-twitter-party-prizes-to-be-won/
From @Cuddledown @TazaChocolate @ApplegateFarms @HipCycle @TataHarper @Goodebox
Mythic @SafePaint, @LateJulyOrganic Snacks @AnforaNYC wine bar @Weleda @Holstee @FetchDog
Tweet with Special Guests!
Priscilla Woolworth @EcoWoolworth
Susanna Schultz @GreenDepotLLC
Kerri Platt @WineBottega
Megan McWilliams @GreenDivaMeg
Karen Lee @EcoEtsy
Sarah Badger @Stonyfield
Dawn Woollen @FamDinner
Tara Klein & Amy Hall @EILEENFISHER
Jennifer Schiff @Foodily
Amy Burba @PeopleTowels
Veronique Pittman & Emily Fano @GreenSchoolsAll
Kimberly Pinkson @KimberlyPinkson
Lori Alper @GroovyGreenLivi
Anneka Wisker, @MomsCAF
Lisa Gosselin @EatingWell
Jennifer Barry @Earth911
Angelica Ott @CocoEcoMagazine
@PaigeWolf of Spit That Out
Janelle Sorensen @Honest
Josh Camire @KJWines
LisaBorden @LisaBorden
Mary Rockwell @DowntownCookie
Chris Chappell @RamblersWay
Gabrielle Melchionda @Madgabsinc
Lori Bitter Publisher, Eons @loribitter
…and lots more! Check the Practically Green Facebook page for updates, follow @practicallygrn and the rest of the participants on Twitter… and please share with your tweeps! SEE you there!
Do rising gas prices have your attention? Take charge with PG’s Green Car actions: 8 ways to control your gas-tank expenditures.
Today’s highlight: Drive the speed limit
Uh-oh: sometimes guilty of this! Let’s find out why is this such an impactful action, worth 50 points…. and check it off! After all, even NASCAR is going green!
We all like to get where we’re going as quickly as possible. Less time spent on the road is more time spent at our final destination. Unfortunately driving the usual 5 miles an hour over the speed limit is costing you more than you might think. According to the EPA, gas mileage for most cars decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 miles per hour. For every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph, it’s like paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas! That can really add up, especially on long trips. Better fuel economy will also mean fewer greenhouse gas emissions for the miles you drive.
If you drive a hybrid, e.g. this Chevy Volt, you get another point boost!
If you have trouble keeping the same speed, use cruise control. Set it to the speed limit.
You could also employ a back-seat driver to keep an eye on your speed and help you resist the temptation to keep up with others as they zoom past. Use your savings for a latte?
Practically Green has four categories of Actions: Energy, Health, Stuff, and Water. These headings organize the PG database of 432 things you can do to have a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
What’s the Number One Water action, checked off by 99% of Practically Greeners?
Wash Only Full Loads of Laundry.
Read on to find out why it’s so popular, and how to do it yourself!
Save clothes from kitchen splatters by wearing an apron or smock! This one's on Etsy from Drapes of Wrath from
The average family does six to eight loads of laundry a week. (Note: If you run a hotel, a hospital, a restaurant, a Turkish bath, a baseball team, you’ll obviously have to increase these variables accordingly.) A standard washing machine uses about sixty gallons of H2O per wash, while a water efficient machine uses about forty gallons. If you haven’t been washing full loads, try it. By consolidating, you might wind up doing fewer loads per week, saving money, energy, and thousands of gallons of water over time.
Using less water allows more to stay in the ground or in a reservoir, which in turn helps to support wildlife and preserve H2O for future use. Even if you live in a place where it rains a lot, there may be a water shortage. Concerns are rising that there may not be enough clean water to support population growth. Reduced mountain snow pack and earlier run-off driven by rising temperatures are affecting available water supply, even in areas that don’t technically have droughts or restrictions. At least thirty-six states expect water shortages in the next five years.
Blogger "LittleBirdLostInRome" observes: "No one here uses dryers for their clothes - everyone just hangs them outside their apartment windows. Actually, I like it! It feels very quaint. I like looking outside and always seeing laundry hanging there."
The items that tend to be washed in less-than-full loads include delicates; last minute must have outfits (for dance rehearsal or a soccer match); and things you might prefer not to mix (kids stuff with adult clothes, or either of those with towels and sheets).
Doing full loads only is about shifting your habit. Try mixing things and see what happens. Or hold off washing until you have a full load of similar items. Buying an extra pair of baseball pants will help with the last minute washes.
Stretch the time between laundry loads by hanging towels to air dry
- Practically Green: 4 Practical Ways To Green Your Laundry
- Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program
- How Much Water is your Home Wasting?
Each of Practically Green’s 428 actions comes with Recommended Products. Because once you’ve learned why a next step is so smart, healthy & efficient, you’ll want to do it! More than 1,500 products are included on the database, from BIG — a Lennox Gas Furnace to upgrade your heating system — to medium, e.g. eco-friendly office supplies — to tiny — for example a virtually weightless birthday e-card from Paperless Post.
How do these products get onto Practically Green for everyone to see, and buy? They’re submitted by all of YOU, Practically Green users!
Here’s how to submit a product on Practically Green:
1) Search the Practically Green database for the relevant action. If you want to nominate a high-mileage car, you go to:
Upgrade your vehicle’s fuel economy to 27 to 37 MPG
2) Scroll down the action page, beneath the “Why’s it green?” and “How to do it?” blurbs.
3) You arrive at “Recommended Products and Services.”
4) Look at the listed products — and if your favorite is not there, click on the “Suggest a product” button.
It looks like this: 
5) Complete the form:
6) Product suggestions go directly to Rebecca Sama, Practically Green’s Product Specialist. Rebecca assesses submissions from every imaginable angle and, if your favorite is legit it goes live on the site for others to consider, rate, share, and possibly purchase. Click here for Practically Green’s Product Guidelines.
So, if you’re in the market for a new fuel-efficient vehicle — or reusable water bottle, or natural shampoo, or organic snack idea — chances are you’ll find what you need right here!
Once you read the product description on Practically Green, you might be persuaded to buy or lease a new car, who knows!
Babysitting this week? Before you pack them up for another expensive sticky day at the theme park, consider an eco-friendly art project!
Even the most recalcitrant teenager enjoys painting, and why not? Grab a piece of wood from the dumpster, paint it with no-VOC color, and presto! Your tenth grader has a fabulous new bedside table… and 10 more points on his PG score!
Get inspired on Etsy!
Why not paint a wall! Be sure to use No-VOC paint, such as Mythic.... as seen on this mural in Auburn, Washington.
Maybe you have a rock! Lin Wellford can show you how to turn it into a python, a shark, or a rabbit:
Get your rock and mark your design
Rabbit! Courtesy LinWellford.com
Artists of any age may lose themselves in the fascinating scent of certain markers and paints. Don’t! Those mysterious aromas might be/probably are unsafe chemicals — and they’re especially dangerous for smaller children and expecting moms. Here’s more on Choosing Eco-Friendly Art Supplies: Why it’s important, and How to do it.
Fab bowls from the Clementine blog
If you’re an artist or have kids, chances are your home is overflowing with markers, crayons, pens, glue, and paint. Sadly many art supplies contain and offgas unsafe chemicals. Exposure to them can result in headaches, nausea, breathing problems, lung and kidney damage, and even cancer.
Your nose already knows this—have you ever gotten a good whiff of certain kinds of markers? These—and some paints—can contain air polluting solvents like xylene and toluene, which are neuro, reproductive, and respiratory hazards. Crayons and paints may contain unsafe pigments containing heavy metals. Glues may contain formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Not exactly what you bargain for when your kid draws you a rainbow!
Clementine Natural Soy Crayons. Ingredients: kosher soy wax, mineral pigments, beeswax... and "as always, no chemical dyes or additives."
Eco Paint: Powder based exploratory finger paint handmade w/ natural + organic fruit, plant/vegetable extracts from annatto seed, beets, carrots, curcumin, purple sweet potato, red cabbage & spinach, flour, cornstarch, wheat paste & earth clay.
Even the eco-friendlier art supplies on the market should be carefully researched. It’s not enough to have a label saying the product conforms to an ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standard. This sounds promising, but it’s not a meaningful claim. ASTM ingredient reviews can be performed by employees of the art supply manufacturer.
Use your nose as a guide—avoid anything that smells strongly of chemicals as well as anything fragranced.
Avoid modeling clays; they often have high levels of phthalates.
Natural pigments and materials like beeswax and soy wax are preferable to petroleum-derived paraffin wax. Plant dyes are preferable to synthetic pigments.
Simpler is better—choose crayons and pencils over markers. Don’t use products with warning labels.
Don’t allow young children to put art supplies in their mouths. And always wash hands after doing an art project. Don’t snack as you doodle.
When all else fails, you can decorate your own hands! These ideas are from "A Show of Hands," sold on LandOfNod.com
After any holiday, you’re bound to have some extra things to recycle and Valentine’s Day is no exception. Even if you tried to limit the amount you consumed or switched to more conscious products, it’s likely that you still got a few cards or have or have some wine bottles to recycle. Recycling may be the easiest way to be green yet people aren’t always too sure if they are doing it the right way or what exactly is recyclable. Here to help ease your recycling anxiety and clear up any confusion is Practically Green. There are many actions on our page that will help guide you towards the right way to recycle all sorts of things! The great part is that the recycle actions allow you to gain up to 50 points
Websites like earth911.com are there to help you with where & what you can recycle!
Why Recycle?
Trash usually ends up in landfills, which can leach unwanted and potentially harmful chemicals in the environment. Many recyclable materials such as glass containers aren’t recycled at all! The upside of recycling is that it reduced the amount of trash in landfills, which means that it avoids both landfill costs and expansion. If you recycle, you are directly contributing to the amount of natural resources that are saved. Also, many states give money back for containers (usually stated on the back of the bottle/container) if you recycle them. That means extra cash!
How to: Recycle
There are many resources on our various recycle action pages that will help guide you towards recycling better to be more green! If your town has a recycling program, get the blue bin, and start recycling what you can’t reuse. If your town does not have a recycling program, ask for one! In the meantime, find a store or a center willing to take back anything recyclable.
If your community offers curbside recycling, make a habit of filling your bin with all recyclable items. If there is no paper recycling where you live, gather a few like-minded neighbors and start actively petitioning for it.
To lessen the amount of waste produced, Waste Management created a series to engage, remind and encourage residents to recycle more at home and to introduce the “Zero Waste” concept that items with value should not be thrown away in the garbage.
In addition to the information in the videos – Waste Management has more tips on how to achieve “Zero Waste” at home.
• Knowing what’s in your trash that can be recycled is the first step toward more effective recycling.• Make recycling a family affair. Talk about what can and can’t be recycled.• Post recycling guidelines in a prominent area for easy reference.• Avoid the temptation to toss out hard-to-clean containers. Use a spatula to remove remaining food waste from recyclable containers.”
Here are some fast recycling facts!
- The EPA stated that only a quarter of glass containers are recycled each year and nearly 90% of what’s collected is made into new containers.
- According to the American Forest and Paper Association the amount of paper recovered for recycling in 2010 averaged 334 pounds for each person living in the U.S.
Recycle!
So just remember that recycling will help save water, oil, trees, and money! It will reduce air, water, and ground pollution and even creates jobs.
Any discussion about nuts often includes allergies, but this week we had the opportunity to think about their sustainability. A Practically Green visitor wrote to info@practicallygreen.com asking about the environmental impact of nuts.
The question was simple enough: “Which nuts are most environmentally friendly—peanuts, walnuts, and almonds because they are grown in the United States?” but really got us thinking. Likely, nuts’ sustainability isn’t something you often think about, so we decided to share our research!
While there isn’t a specific action on our database about eating organic nuts, we do have several encouraging organic food—especially fruits, vegetables, milk, and coffee. Eating organic food is important, as you well know, because it reduces the amount of pesticides and chemicals in your body, your farmers’ body, as well as in the air, land and water resources we all share.
If you can commit to buying organic vegetables regularly, you’ll earn 50 points! And since peanuts are not technically nuts, but are in the legume family, which is a class of vegetable, eating organic nuts can be counted in this action.
There are some things to consider when purchasing nuts:
Can’t find organic almonds in your local grocery store? You can buy them on nuts.com—order now and they’ll ship today!
1. Is it USDA Certified Organic? There are plenty of organic nuts on the market (see the extensive organic section on Nuts.com)
2. Where are they grown/raised? Most USA-sourced nuts are grown in California, so buying USA made likely means that your nuts have traveled less miles to get to your table, that is unless you live closer to Canada or Mexico than, say, California. It’s best to buy as close to home as possible.
Peanuts, Almonds, Walnuts (Black & English), Pistachios, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Soy Nuts, and Hazelnuts can be grown in California.
Hickory nuts, butternuts, and black walnuts can be grown in New England.
Macadamia nuts are grown in Hawaii, so may not be the greenest purchase if you live in New York…Brazil nuts and cashews grow in tropical environments, so are imported from far off locals.
According to the USDA, peanut consumption makes up 67% of all nut consumption. Photo credit: http://www.peanut-institute.org.
The key is to make sure to check the label to find out where the nuts were grown as many nut varieties are frequently sourced from China, India, or Brazil.
3. How is it made? How is it packaged? How are workers treated? Consider Fair Trade, carbon offsets, solar powered plants, recycled packaging, small farm vs. industrial farm.
We reached out to James directly to ask what prompted him to submit the question and he said: “I wondered because nuts are an excellent source of protein and other good stuff for vegetarians (trying to decrease that source of environmental destruction). Then it occurred to me that my favorites–cashews–must not be great from the standpoint of all the energy it takes to transport them from the tropics. I love Practically Green because you present such an encouraging range of things one can do to help a little. Really practical. And you manage to send new information often enough to be a useful prompt but not so often that I feel inundated. Keep up the great work!”
James is spot on--peanuts are a great source of protein, and Teddie Organic is one of our favorite peanut butter brands!
Thanks, Jim, for your support and prompting us to research this topic and share it with all our blog readers!
This past weekend the Big Apple prepared itself for the Green Shows at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Designers included United Bamboo, Bamboo by United Bamboo, Study NY by Tara St. James, H. Fredriksson, Luis Valenzuela, The Battalion, Anja, and Artists and Revolutionaries. These 8 designers are making clothing that is more sustainable for our world. Not to mention, they have such fabulous outfits!
Anja's hand knit Alpaca sweater with sage organic wool leggings. Certified organic & sustainable textiles used only. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
H. Frederickson 100% reclaimed wool coat. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
A Luis Valenzuela dress made from organic silk that was hand-dyed and hand-woven. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
These glamorous eco-luxury designers mostly create sustainable items using materials that are environmentally friendly! Many use eco-printing, local production pieces, fair trade practices, recycled/reclaimed fabrics, organic cotton, natural textiles, peace silk (cruelty-free silk), and various other practices that enable their collections to be eco-friendly and sustainable. Buying sustainable clothing allows you to earn 10 points on your Practically Green account. What do we mean by sustainable clothing? For us, it means clothing that is made from organic cotton or other natural materials.
The Battalion features a white poly faux fur top with organic black bamboo leggings on the bottom. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
Bamboo By United Bamboo's organic black wool sweater with organic white cotton romper (certified organic linens, hemp, and cotton). Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
Study NY's sweater top with 100% wool tweed pant. Wool can be a sustainable choice, but always check how it was grown & produced by reading the label. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
Wearing what you already own, participating in clothing swaps, and shopping vintage when you want something new-to-you is as green as it gets. Inevitably the desire will strike for something truly new. Choosing organic cotton or other natural materials can drastically reduce the impact of what you buy.
According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, conventional cotton farming uses about 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the pesticides. The pesticides used on cotton happen to be among the world’s worst: five of the nine most commonly used have been identified as possible human carcinogens. Others are known to damage the nervous system and are suspected of disrupting the body’s hormonal system. One widely quoted statistic is that it takes one-third of a pound of chemical pesticides to produce one conventional cotton t-shirt.
Manufacturing synthetic fabrics, including polyester, is an energy-intensive process that requires large amounts of crude oil and pollutes the air, which can cause or aggravate respiratory issues.
Beyond fabrics, other eco-concerns pepper the manufacturing chain: processing and washing are water-intensive; chemicals used to bleach and dye clothing harm our waterways; formaldehyde is used on permanent press fabrics; packaging and transportation take a toll.
Certified organic cotton is a solid alternative to conventional cotton and synthetic fabrics. For patterned or colored items, look into what kind of dyes are being used. Wool and hemp are also good choices, especially if they were sustainably raised/grown and produced. Always read the fine print.
To all those who didn’t know that you could be chic and green at the same time: these pictures are your proof! Why not strut your stuff in a stylish and sustainable way that makes a difference for the planet.
Pictures and information were primarily taken from Melissa Breyer’s article on Treehugger.com with photos courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen.
Think it’s too late to send out a Valentine’s Day card? Not to worry because the internet has blessed us with the ability to send e-cards instantly to our loved ones. Although it doesn’t add points to your Date Night badge specifically, sending e-cards is a fun and easy way to earn 15 points on your Practically Green account. The beauty of e-cards is that you can INSTANTLY send out cards and don’t have to worry about forgetting to send one to Grandma in Ketchikan, Alaska or your long lost cousin in Northumberland, UK. Most e-card websites are easy to work with and more importantly FREE!
Adorable teddy bear animated e-card on 123greetings.com
Greeting cards aren’t large, but their impact is. Sending an electronic card for any Valentine’s Day reduces the number of trees cut down, avoids the unsafe chemicals involved in processing and printing on paper, eliminates the transportation of getting cards from printing plants to stores, and keeps unrecycled cards out of landfills. By some estimates, not sending 50 cards a year (holidays plus birthdays add up!) saves five pounds of waste and 1,000 pounds of emissions. Wow, that’s an awesome save!
This beautiful card is from pingg.com and is FREE!
There are tons of websites devoted to e-cards. Surf around to find one that suits your tastes and the occasion. If the last time you looked into e-cards, all you saw were silly cartoons, it’s time to check out more sites. There are plenty now offering elegant options—some look like personal stationary. And many environmental organizations offer free e-cards on their websites.
When you’re searching for your perfect e-card online, just remember that many of our fabulous users have given suggestions on the Practically Green website under our e-card actions page. Not to worry, not all e-cards are for gushy romantics as there are a wide range of specific cards: for your kids, for a friend, humorous, etc. The fun part about e-cards is that if you browse around you can find ones that are animated with music. Bet you can’t find that in a paper card!
bluemountain.com has cute and funny e-cards that have animated cartoons, music, and just a lot of fun in one card!
Valentine’s Day is a perfect way to start but remember that e-cards are available for all holidays. Leave your friends and family in awe with your super eco-friendliness by sending out e-cards today!
Buy flowers from an organic florist
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, you’re probably buying flowers for the special people in your life. But with all the options out there, it’s hard to pick the right flowers and we’re here to help. One way to spoil your sweetie (and earn 10 points on Practically Green!) is to buy organic flowers. If you can check this off your list, you’re one step closer to earning the Date Night Badge!
Giving flowers, especially on Valentine’s Day, is a lovely gesture, and it’s even better to be on the receiving end! But if you buy conventional, pesticide-doused flowers, you may be offering—or getting—more than natural beauty and sweet scents. According to Planet Green, 79 percent of cut flowers found in the United States come from Ecuador or Columbia and are grown with 12 different potentially hazardous pesticides. Some of these pesticides have been banned in the U.S., or are used in amounts that exceed our regulations.
Unlike conventional florists, organic florists sell flowers that have been grown according to strict standards that prohibit the use of harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
These flowers look beautiful, but are they organic?
Why is this action so important? According to Jennifer Grayson’s recent HufFPost Green article on the Environmental Cost of Cut Flowers, 200 million stems of roses are bought in the US on Valentine’s Day alone, so if everyone were to buy an organic bouquet it would have a huge impact!
Good news: most organic bouquets aren’t more expensive than non-organic ones. They tend to last longer, too! Supporting organic florists encourages more growers to convert to organic and sustainable practices.
If you can’t pick you own unsprayed wildflowers, buying locally grown organic flowers is as green as it gets.
Beautiful, and organic! Check out CaliforniaOrganicFlowers.com for their full selection of organic flowers
We love Jennifer’s suggestion of forgoing supermarket cut flowers, which, organic or not, ultimately end up in the landfill (unless you compost flowers and yard waste which earns you 50 points) by choosing rare heirloom seeds and a cute vintage flowerpot. Such a fun way to celebrate the sweetness of the holiday, without the less romantic environmental impact!
At only $1.75 for these California poppy seeds, you can afford to splurge on a few packets!
Switch to organic cotton sheets
Who wants to zzzzzz on sheets and pillowcases made of cotton that was sprayed with chemicals?
No thank you!
We caught up with our friend Sarah Wissler of Cuddledown in Portland, Maine. It’s our personal go-to for top-quality and frankly lovely bedding and sleepwear. Here’s what she told us. You’ll notice she is a bit biased re: Cuddledown, which is understandable…. If you have another favorite to recommend, please post here or submit it right on the action page!
Organic Embroidered Dragonfly Bedding: LOVE. One of the Recommended Products on this PG action!
Nothing says romance like a new set of luxurious sheets – and with eco-friendly bedding, you can show the environment a little love, too. Why eco-friendly bedding? For starters, it is free of harmful substances and safe for your entire family. Cuddledown offers a wide selection of bedding, comforters, pillows, and sleepwear that are Oeko-Tex® certified. These products have met the requirements of the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 global testing and accreditation program, meaning that they have been thoroughly tested and guaranteed to be free of all harmful substances, including toxins and irritants.
Cuddledown also offers bedding and sleepwear that are certified organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Not only are these fabrics free of harmful chemicals, the results of their production pose no threat to the environment or the communities in which they were produced. GOTS is a standard used around the world to guarantee that the organic products you bring into your home are healthy and safe for you and the environment – and that these products are manufactured in fair and just working conditions.
At Cuddledown, you can also find Oeko-Tex® certified, made in Maine comforters, pillows, and featherbeds. All comforters are currently on sale – why not save energy by turning the heat down and curling up in a comforter instead!
If you’re in the market for new sheets, choosing organic cotton ones can drastically reduce the impact of what you buy.
According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, conventional cotton farming uses about 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the pesticides. The pesticides used on cotton happen to be among the world’s worst: five of the nine most commonly used have been identified as possible human carcinogens. Others are known to damage the nervous system and are suspected of disrupting the body’s hormonal system. These chemicals aren’t permitted for use on organic cotton.
Sumptuous spicy sheets from Gaiam. Low eco-impact dyes, 300-thread count, 100% organic cotton.
Beyond sprays, there are other eco-concerns involved with the manufacture of sheets: processing and washing are water-intensive; the chemicals used to bleach and dye cotton can harm our waterways, and some colorants contain heavy metals; formaldehyde is used to create permanent press fabric; packaging and transportation take a toll. Many of these concerns are minimized or avoided with organic cotton sheets.
We want to sleep on this exact bed! These over-achieving, ultra-soft, 100 percent certified organic sheets have got you covered--literally--with approval from GOTS, EcoCert, and FLO-Cert.
Most stores that sell sheets offer one or two organic options. Read the find print. The word natural doesn’t mean organic, nor is it regulated.
Just because sheets were made from organic cotton doesn’t automatically mean they’re also low-impact dyed. Choose undyed sheets or, if you want white, colored, or patterned versions, look into how the fabric was bleached or dyed.
Two solid certifications to look for are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and Oeko-Tex.
Don’t forget about your blankets, pillows, and mattress. There are organic versions of these, too.
- Treehugger.com: Organic Cotton–For Clothing, Baby, Bedding And More
- Bookmark This Site: Global Organic Textile Standard
- Bookmark This Site: The Sustainable Cotton Project
- NRDC: Responsible Sourcing For The Textile Industry
- AlexandraZissu.com: Q&A — Sheets And Towels
P.S. As long as you’re on the Cuddledown site, you might consider this sale item: Calida Organic Cotton Tank top, perfect for lounging around on Valentine’s Day — or any day! 
Go ahead, twist our romantic arms!! Let’s all get this absolutely essential action checked off and move one step closer to the coveted Date Night badge!
Taza's Valentine winner: Yes, please! "Roses & chocolate are classic Valentine’s gifts. In Mi Corazon, the two become one... enchanting flavors of pure organic rose oil & fragrant Costa Rican vanilla bean offer an exotic..." When visiting Boston, don't miss this factory tour!
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.
Order enough for everyone! Organic, fair-trade, dark chocolate hearts wrapped in red foil. Order @naturalcandystore.com
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.
Lake Champlain Chocolates has Organic chocolate bars in bold flavors like Dark Spicy Aztec and Milk Sea Salt & Almonds; organic truffles made from exotic ingredients like ginger, lemon, wild honey, figs... this box of 15 truffles will perform Cupid's job for you!
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!).
Need Now! From Endangered Species Chocolate: Tart-sweet dried cherries covered in thick blanket of premium dark chocolate. 10% of net profits from your purchase support conservation efforts.
@TheoChocolate has fair-trade, organic Valentines Day chocolate bundles... irresistible!
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.
With one week ’til Valentine’s Day, we’re launching the Date Night Sprint! Go for it! Sprinkle a bit of Sustainability into your V-Day plans, and this Date Night badge will pop up on your Practically Green dashboard:
Step 1: Make a reservation to Eat at a local, sustainable restaurant and/or a Dine Green certified restaurant
Dining out sustainably with your honey hits all 4 categories of impact: Energy, Health, Water, and Stuff. Plus, the DELICIOUS category!
Do a little research to find a restaurant that serves your kind of edibles–organic vegetables that haven’t been heavily sprayed with synthetic pesticides, meat from animals that weren’t raised on factory farms or administered hormones or antibiotics, and maybe some ecologically produced wine to wash it all down with.
Food isn’t the only thing that can give a restaurant a big old eco footprint. According to the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), the restaurant industry consumes a third of all U.S. energy used by the retail sector and the average food service facility uses 300,000 gallons of water per year. Couple this with the fact that Americans are said to eat 30 percent of their meals away from home, spending more than 40 percent of their food dollars at restaurants. Support restaurants taking steps to reduce their ecological footprint.
We can't stop smiling when you take us out to a fine restaurant that specializes in fresh seasonal cuisine! (Hint: Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley)
In Chicago? You are in luck! The DineGreen directory recommends the Bleeding Heart Bakery.... build a cake for your Valentine
For the past 20 years, the GRA has been working to create a more environmentally sustainable restaurant industry. They reward existing restaurants with points in seven environmental categories: water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical-pollution reduction. The GRA also provides restaurants with guidance, information, and solutions for becoming greener and more efficient.
Some of the cool requirements that must be fulfilled in order to become a Green Certified restaurant include: a full-scale recycling program, zero polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), and a total of 100 accumulated points.
Consult the Green Restaurant Association’s Dine Green restaurant directory to find Green Certified restaurants near you.
Note to Valentine: We'd say 'Yes, please!' to a dinner at dell-anima in NYC! Psst: If we say the words "DINE GREEN" to our server or bartender we'll receive a complimentary glass of Lambrusco!
Additional Resources:
- Local Harvest Restaurant Search
- EatWellGuide.org: Travel Map
- Planet Green: How To Find Restaurants That Use Organic And Local Food
- Bookmark This Site: OrganicKitchen.com
- Slow Food NYC
- PracticallyGreen.com: Special Dinner Out? Consult The Green Restaurant Association’s DineGreen Directory Of Eco-Healthy Chefs
Eating local when gardens are abundant is one thing, but what about eating local in Boise, Idaho in January? That’s exactly what two friends named Randi and Janet challenged themselves to do.
Janet: “I had a few goals going into this challenge, including a transition to healthier local food habits and reducing my recycling by focusing more on “pre-cycling.”
Randi: "I was in a sustainable frame of mind... I wanted to do something significant. Healthy for me, my family--and less impactful on the planet."
Practically Green: How did you ever decide to do this?
Randi: Janet and I had lunch in early December. We got the idea to develop a personal challenge for 2012 and support each other. I’d just completed a class at Northwest Earth Institute called “People, Place, and Planet,” so I was in a sustainable frame of mind… I wanted to do something to appreciate where food comes from, something that would be healthy for me, my family, and the environment. I was questioning excessive packaging and what really was available from local sources. I wanted to now begin to answer those questions, and better understand what was available organically, locally, especially this time of the year.
Janet: It’s one thing to eat local in Boise during the gardening season – and Randi and I both have vegetable gardens. But in the dead of winter? We decided to try it at an intense level for the month of January.
Randi and Janet did their homework in December. They interviewed local experts and researched local food offerings. They aligned their primary focus around foods/products locally grown and produced in Idaho, and they also included Oregon and Washington.
IdahoPreferred.com has this keyed map of local food sources; there's likely to be a similar resource for your region
PG: Any a-Ha moments?
Randi: One tip, set aside time on Sunday afternoon and cook for the week. Potatoes, legumes, hearty soups and stews.
Janet: Before the January challenge, I didn’t really enjoy cooking or planning meals. When we initially discussed the challenge in December, my hands were sweating at the thought of doing this challenge. I knew I needed to develop healthier habits around food, but prioritizing the time and making it happen seemed like a big undertaking. But to my surprise, there are many local options to choose from in Idaho. The transition was much easier than I anticipated and I actually do enjoy planning meals and cooking now. I also find I’m not wasting food (at the end of the week) by adopting easy strategies and investing this time. These are habits I’m carrying forward past January.
Randi: I was amazed at how wonderful this was from a community perspective. Everyone at our local farmer’s markets was so helpful, supportive and interested in what Janet and I were doing. Not only was it eye-opening and fun to discover the variety of delicious local food sources, it was enriching to meet the people behind them all. These connections and relationships will be ongoing. The other thing “that’s next” for me is to learn how to can, freeze, and preserve all the bounty from my husband’s organic garden this summer and fall… so we can enjoy during the winter months next year.
Janet: My family drinks a lot of milk. I calculated: we consume an average of 140 or 150 gallons a year. I recycle the plastic jugs, but one of my goals in doing this challenge is to also reduce the amount I’m recycling and focus on “pre-cycling,” i.e., eliminate the demand on resources before I use them. I’ve transitioned to now local milk bottle exchange and I have completely eliminated the need to recycle the plastic. It was so easy to make the transition and it’s another outcome I’ll continue moving forward too.
Mid-month they began craving organic strawberries; Janet started texting Randi, “I miss lettuce!”
It helps to have an enlightened food-services team at work: "HP Cafeteria board in Boise with some of our local farms & produce listed available in the cafeteria daily. The board is located just inside the entrance of the Cafeteria. It’s a great reference for considering options to everyone’s daily diet."
What’s next for these two? They’re thinking about a blog and we’re urging a cookbook. Enjoy their recipes below. We’ve included local sources for you Boise residents, and to inspire others to seek out Winter Farmers Markets and CSAs in their areas. (Community Supported Agriculture programs are hopping–even in winter in New England! See FarmFreshRI’s excellent directory, and You Go Wishing Stone Farm!).
Local find: Zursun Idaho Heirloom Beans
Note: Janet writes a blog as a result of her expedition to Antarctica last year. Go there for details on this January Local Expedition!
Get inspired! See all of Practically Green’s Locavore actions:
- Buy local produce seasonally
- Plant a vegetable garden
- Plant containers for herbs or vegetables
- Shop at a farmers’market
- Shop local businesses regularly
- Sign up for CSA (community supported agriculture)
- Use a sustainable caterer
Order Idaho White Cheddar from Ballard Cheese in Gooding, Idaho
Janet sourced tasty flour tortillas from Casa Valdez in Caldwell, Idaho
A few recipes/menu options from Janet and Randi:
– All-Idaho Breakfast or Lunch Burrito
- Local farm eggs, scrambled in CloverLeaf butter
- ½ Idaho potato, cubed, with diced Idaho onion (to taste) and sautéed in CloverLeaf butter til tender
- Applewood-smoked bacon, diced and sautéed from Porterhouse Market (optional)
- Shredded cheese from Ballard Farms
- Flour tortillas from Casa Valdez
Note: You can also add or substitute in your favorite legumes as well.
Place ingredients in center of slightly warmed flour tortilla and fold to make burrito. Further warm in low-heat oven (wrapped in foil) or in microwave (not wrapped in foil).
Ingredient sources: Local eggs: fairly plentiful here; I bought mine at Stonehenge Produce. CloverLeaf butter: Buhl, ID. Potato: same as eggs; Idaho potatoes are in every major grocery store here. Applewood smoked bacon: purchased in Eagle, ID at Porterhouse Market. Cheese: Ballard Farms, Gooding, ID. Casa Valdez tortillas: Caldwell, ID. Legumes: Boise Co-op and Stonehenge Produce
– Quick Flavorful Favorites…
Local Butternut squash (cooked, 1-inch slices). Squash purchased from Capital City Farmer’s Market (Boise) in November. Preparation Note: Peel, cut in half length-wise and bake for 40 minutes on 300 (or until tender). Slice in 1-inch pieces. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator to reheat for healthy snacks during the week.
Large bowl of local Fuji apples for easy family access. Fortress Brand from Fruitland, ID. Purchased from Stonehenge Produce (Boise)
Toasted local potato bread, Zacca Red Pepper Hummus (spread) and top with Purple Sage Herb Farm fresh basil. Hummus and Basil: both local and purchased at the Boise Co-op.
Potatoes aren't the only tasty item on Idaho's menu in January!
All Idaho Breakfast – French Toast
- Potato Bread from Café de Paris (local bakery)
- Local farm eggs
- Local red potatoes
- Idaho Huckleberry Syrup
- Cloverleaf Butter and Milk
- Lavender pepper
- Applewood smoked bacon (optional)
- Apple slices
Mmmm... bet Dorothy's wild Huckleberry Syrup is delish
Ingredient sources: Local farm eggs: Stonehenge Produce, Boise, ID. CloverLeaf butter and milk: Buhl, ID (available through Stonehenge Produce in Boise). Lavender Pepper: Starlight Brand from Star, ID. Purchased at Porterhouse Market Eagle, ID. Potato: same as eggs; Idaho potatoes are in every major grocery store here. Applewood smoked bacon: purchased in Eagle, ID at Porterhouse Market. Apples: purchased at Stonehenge Produce, Fortress Brand from Fruitland, ID. Huckleberry Syrup: Homemade by Dorothy brand, Boise, ID purchased at the Boise Co-op.
Superbowl Sunday promises to be a spectacular event this year. Practically Green offers 20 ideas worth a total of 360 points to make your Tailgate Party greener and more fun!
Giants vs. Patriots: Superbowl XLVI (nfl.com)
While the real action is on the field, think of the following as your very own game; the more actions you take, the more points you earn. Enlist your friends to do the same and get a friendly competition going. If we all take some of the actions below, we’re in for a great season where we’re all winners. Go Team Green!
We admit it! Obsessed with SustyParty’s compostable plates and bowls. Order in your team’s colors & toss into the compost without even scraping the food off!
Go Waste Free
Pack your own reusable plates, water bottles, glassware, and utensils: 20 points!
BYO cloth napkins or PeopleTowels: 20 points!
Or use recycled paper napkins and you’ll still get 10 points.
People Towels: We think Coach Belichick would go for the heart tree! Coach Coughlin: "Dream Green"?
Drink And Eat Sustainably
Fill your (reusable) bowl with organic or at least more natural chips and snacks, snag 10 points.
Drink wisely – celebrate touchdowns with organic and/or local beer (10 points), hydrate with filtered tap water in a reusable bottle (10 points), and stay awake and warm with organic coffee (20 points). You winos want to look for eco-friendly wine (20 points). Jack your score by 10 more points when you recycle the corks — and add a big 50 when you recycle the bottles!
Whew! Is it half time yet? If you’ve done ALL of those actions, you’ve got 180 POINTS already!
More:
Fire up your grill with eco-friendlier briquettes (10 points) and cook up some sustainably raised meat (another whopping 50 points!) and/or organic veggies (50 more!). Who knew eating guacamole could be SO extra-green?
Southwestern Layered Bean Dip: one of a zillion drooly ideas on EatingWell's special Superbowl recipe collection
If you’re a sausage fan, definitely throw some of Applegate Farms’ organic hot dogs (10 points) on the grill. Do you have a solar-powered grill/oven? Our friends Corey and Lynn of Celebrate Green swear by them — they’ve got another 20 points each!
Applegate Farms cheezy bacon organic hotdog: Yes, please!
Clean Consciously
Before you chow down, clean your hands with a natural hand sanitizer or hand soap and score another 10 points.
When the game is over, recycle everything in sight. We already mentioned bottles; beer cans count for another 20 points!
Wipe up spills and degrease the grill with a natural all-purpose cleaner for 10 points, not to mention reduced air pollution.
That’s a total of 360 points! Sounds like a nice round number to us. How’d you do? If you’ve got more ways to Green up Superbowl Sunday, please post them or drop us a line. (Hmmm, maybe Practically Green should give points for suggesting new actions?)
Not everyone can win a fancy Superbowl ring, but we can ALL be Practically Green!
Avoid food packaging and cling wrap containing PVC.
We’ve been obsessed with tasty healthy food all week: lobster rolls, salmon, and sushi; takeout craves you can just as well make at home; hormone-free burgers and chili; and even roasted potato dominos. YUM yum yum. Now let’s get serious: what about the stuff that TOUCHES your food when you store it, transport it, or reheat it? Today’s action rewards you for choosing anything but PVC to wrap and reheat your food!
If you know of cooler storage-bowl covers, please let us know asap. For now our favorite is this set from Hunter Gatherer. Only possible drawbacks: 1) they're not organic cotton; 2) they're flown from the UK. But still. We love them.
Beaba Multiportion Baby Food Freezer Tray... not just for babies! Grown-up pesto will freeze gorgeously in these BPA-free trays.
Cling wrap is an easy solution for leftovers and a common packaging material. But not all plastic wraps are alike: some are polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which environmental groups like Greenpeace refer to as “poison” plastic. From manufacture to disposal it’s highly toxic—for humans and for the earth. Traces of the chemicals used to make it pliable can migrate into food, especially things that are fatty or warm (never microwave plastic, especially PVC!). Exposure to PVC has been linked to dizziness, headaches, asthma, liver damage, brain/nervous system damage, and increased cancer risk. People who work in or live near PVC factories have it the worst.
Here's another cool idea: Laurie David's PVC-free shower cap solution, featured in The Family Dinner. Rinse caps after using to cover food and dry them on the window sill!
PVC is particularly difficult to dispose of as it is made with heavy metals like lead and cadmium; less than 1 percent of it is recycled.
Use empty glass containers & bottles to store food--or splurge on this set from Williams Sonoma!
Ask your grocery store what kind of wrap they use, especially for meats and cheeses. If it’s PVC, encourage them to change to safer plastic #4. Get your neighbors to speak up; there’s nothing like positive pressure for green and healthy changes!
Great Deal: Pyrex storage containers. These bowls are a great alternative to plastic wrap or plastic containers for food storage. They are safe for use in oven, microwave (take the plastic tops off!), refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher.
To minimize exposure, shop for minimally packaged food and things that come in glass; PVC is also found in plastic trays, candy bar wrappers, and bottles.
At home, store food in glass, stainless steel, or lead-free ceramic containers instead of plastic. If you’re going to use plastic wrap, check to see what yours is made of (“3″ or “V” denotes PVC). But truly, a safe plate over a safe bowl tucked in the fridge does the trick.
- Practically Green: Smart Shopping and Conscious Living with Alexandra Zissu
- Green Living Tips: PVC and the environment
- Healthy Child Healthy World: Shopper’s Guide to Plastics & Food: Cling Wrap
- BeSafeNet: PVC The Poison Plastic
- President’s Cancer Panel: Eat Organic, Avoid Plastics
- Rodale.com: Plastic-Free February
- Greenpeace: The Poison Plastic
- PG Picks! Eco-friendly packaging, Laugh Green, efficient factory, green date ideas, nature and architecture, and cool green products
- U.S. Weighs Cancer Risk of Styrene and Formaldehyde
GLAD says that they do not use any PVC in their products. They also say their products are BPA-free.
Vegetarians, vegans, and pescatarians have the day off. But those of us who love eating meat from time to time are invited to Buy Meat that is Raised Using Sustainable Farming Methods: and boost your score by 50 points! (Vegetarians already have 200 points! And weekday vegetarians have 100 points! See dozens of Food actions here.) Leading up to Superbowl Sunday, we’re looking forward to buffalo wing platters, chili bowls, and an alternative boeuf bourgignon along with everyone. Today’s action encourages you to be picky about the meat in those tasty recipes: Buy Meat Raised Using Sustainable Farming Methods.
By the way, Practically Green’s actions are written by our editorial director Alexandra Zissu, the author of The Butcher’s Guide to Well-Raised Meat (among other books), so rest assured this is prime tenderloin info.
The word sustainable is widely used in natural food circles. Unlike USDA organic, it isn’t government defined or third party certified. It signifies a lot: healthy farming practices that don’t harm the environment, humane animal treatment, support of farming communities, fair wages and treatment for laborers. But in order to know what is truly meant by sustainable, and if you can trust it, you need to know your producers. Since sustainable meat is local meat, it’s pretty easy to ask questions of your farmer. Good subjects to raise include farming practices (i.e. if they’re using pesticides and fertilizers for the animal’s feed), drug use (i.e. are they administering hormones and non-therapeutic antibiotics to their animals), and general questions about how the animals spend their days. Just because something is local doesn’t mean it is automatically sustainable.
There are many benefits to meat from sustainably raised local animals: it’s usually safer and better for you and the environment, and its transportation footprint can be considerably less than its factory-farmed and mass distributed counterparts.
Smart shortcut: buy Applegate Farms meat products... totally know where each product came from (as in what farm, what town)... and enter their recipe contests on Facebook!
The biggest challenge related to buying sustainably raised meat is finding the good stuff. The process of figuring out what is truly sustainable and where you can buy it can take some time. But it’s very worthwhile. And well-raised meat is becoming increasingly available as consumer demand grows—in butcher shops, farmers’ markets, CSA-style meat shares directly from farms, natural food stores, and even in some supermarkets.
Get your grill on with healthy burger recipes at EatingWell.com!
Browse the recommended links to locate farms near you that are producing sustainably raised meat.
- Bookmark This Site: EatWild.com
- Grist: USDA Inspector General–Meat Supply Routinely Tainted With Harmful Residues
- Sustainable Table: Serving Up Healthy Food Choices
- Practically Green Book Pick: The Butcher’s Guide To Well Raised Meat
- Bookmark This Site: Farm Fresh Directory
- PracticallyGreen.com: Meat Advice To Live By–Alexandra Zissu Introduces Her New Book, “The Butcher’s Guide To Well-Raised Meat”
- Environmental Working Group: 2011 Meat Eaters Guide to Climate Change + Health
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