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!
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.
Fair trade, certified organic & rated highly by the Environmental Working Group? Yes, please! Dr. Bronner's body soap is free of synthetic detergents/preservatives--and it's a twofer: for hair & body.
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
Use reusable shopping bags regularly: Why does it matter? Why should you bother?
Nuts for Blue Avocado... order via Practically Green!
We all use reusable bags daily—purses, computer bags, backpacks. But when it comes to shopping bags, we collectively reach for paper and plastic. According to the Worldwatch Institute, Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags a year—an unfathomable number.
Polyethylene is produced largely from natural gas. Technically plastic bags are reusable and recyclable, but only a small percentage of them are recycled—Environment California estimates five percent, while the EPA says its closer to twelve percent. Either way, a plastic bag in a landfill takes about 1,000 years to break down, according to multiple sources. And a study by the Ocean Conservancy found plastic bags made up about nine percent of the debris along various U.S. coasts.
Not surprisingly, plastic bag taxes and bans are popping up all over the world as well as stateside; they’re currently banned in San Francisco. Why wait to figure out what rules your town is going to implement? You can reduce your personal use of plastic and paper instantly by switching to a reusable shopping bag today.
L.L. Bean is the King of Canvas bags
The trick to reusable bags is remembering to bring them with you. Set yourself up for success by stashing them in car trunks, purses, and jacket pockets.
Canvas versions are best for heavy hauls. For regular errand runs and groceries, bags made from recycled bottles stand up to most loads.
While there are tons of cute reusable bags on the market, don’t overdo it. Any bag takes energy and resources to make.
It’s getting down to the wire for holiday gifts! When you’re rushing, it’s so tempting to just go to any store, buy the first thing you see that’s mildly appropriate, and be done with it. But that’s how you wind up kicking yourself saying “Why did I get that [insert word: unhealthy, energy-sucking, clutter-inducing] thing. What was I thinking!?!” Even if you’re in a rush, there are good, healthy, and green choices out there.
1. Look for new-to-you vintage goods on eBay. This doesn’t have to mean antique. We know of 3 PG team members who bought from eBay this holiday season: a stainless-steel Calphalon pasta cookset; Hanna Andersson kids’ clothes made from organic cotton; and, in a frenzy, a basket full of outstanding designer scarves and neckties in perfect condition. They all cost less and earn health & stuff points on Practically Green. And psst, this Mrs. Claus is a firm believer in picking up a little something for herself… found an amazing pair of Prada boots on eBay — and miraculously they fit!
2. Opt for durable, safe materials for clothes, including organic cotton or other natural fibers. It’s not just Hanna Andersson. Brands like Patagonia, Nau, Levi’s, and Eileen Fisher use organic cotton in some of their clothing. Seek out local designers using organic materials at holiday arts and crafts fairs in your area.
Nau vest has a recycled polyester shell
3. Towels and sheets come in organic materials, too, and they make lovely gifts. Gaiam is a trusted source, and The Company Store, L.L.Bean, and Target all offer versions.
Won't you sleep better on organic cotton? This bedding is from The Comapny Store.
4. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: a DIY seltzer machine is a gift that keeps on giving! Make your own sparkling water is a complete no-brainer once you’ve got a Soda-Stream penguin.
5. Stuff a reusable bottle into your beloveds’ (reusable) stockings! Have someone on your list who would switch, but complains about bulk? Check out Vapur’s foldable, flat, BPA-free water bottle — so easy! you can buy it or lots of other choices right from the PG action page.
6. Got kids? Give toys made from sustainably harvested and renewable wood. Our users have suggested several great options! One of our favorite playthings ever:
Wooden Play Kitchen from HazelNut Kids keeps children busy for days on end
7. Doesn’t your home deserve a gift, almost any day of the year? We fell for this Plumen CFL bulb. Magical! (… even though we do, philosophically, prefer LEDs.)
Plumen bulb transforms Restoration Hardware shade!
8. If your skin feels a bit dry and neglected after all this shopping, treat yourself to a fabulous Weleda product — or two: our favorite is a squidge of rose oil with a dollop of aloe cream, mix together in the palm of your hand and stroke your deserving epidermis.
9. We’ve said it before and we’re saying it again: Experiences make great gifts! Whether it’s a local theatre production, a day at the slopes, a membership to a museum, or a gift certificate for a local farm to table restaurant—these are low impact gifts that often can be ordered right from your laptop.
What a wonderful gift: ski trip to Sugarbush!!
P.S. If your gift recipient would like to get inspiring communiques like this one on a regular basis, please take him or her by the hand to Practically Green! Registered users receive a timely letter from our team every week. And thank you for subscribing to our blog!
Close friends of Practically Green know the story: Susan’s son Hunter was diagnosed with myriad allergies, she went crazy trying to find reliable clear information to make her household healthy and green, and she decided to create a LEED for Life: Practically Green.
Challenges remain. For example: how to stock up on candy and special treats that are safe for everyone, family, guests, visitors. Ta Da! A few weeks ago, Susan found a wonderful site called the Natural Candy Store. This small California company is run by two sisters, Dawn and Irene, and their mom Molly. You can see their favorite candy here.
For example, Caramella Vegan Salted Caramels, $13.95. Ingredients: Organic unrefined cane sugar, organic coconut milk, organic agave nectar, organic cocoa butter, organic dark chocolate (organic cocoa mass, organic unrefined cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla), organic coconut oil, sea salt.
Our customers have a variety of lifestyle and dietary needs – natural, organic, vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free, corn syrup-free, kosher, food dye sensitivities, fair-trade, GMO-free, etc…. they pay very close attention to ingredients. We work hard to provide as much information as possible about each item, including a complete ingredients list…. We want to make it easy for anyone, whatever their special dietary requirement, to find candy they can eat and feel good about eating.
The increasing incidence of conditions like ADHD and autism is also a significant factor. Many parents find that a diet free of artificial ingredients reduces symptoms, with research suggesting artificial colors and preservatives do indeed increase hyperactivity in children. Sugar always gets blamed for making kids hyper, but the research has never supported that — it’s probably all the artificial, petroleum-derived artificial colors and flavors that usually goes along with sugar that’s the real culprit!
Find out what food you buy regularly that contains artificial sweeteners (5 points on Practically Green)
Find out what food you buy regularly that contains artificial colors and flavors (10 points)
Find out what food in your house has artificial preservatives in it (5 points)
Choose organic or natural candy as a treat (10 points)
What makes this frosting blue? Cabbage!
Surf Sweets Organic Jelly Beans w carrot juice concentrate
Let’s stop talking and start ordering and enjoying! Dawn promises excellent customer service, and expedited deliveries are available for last-minute types.
Bonus: choose free samples with every order.
Cruise through the Candy Store guided by this key
Did we mention salted caramels? From Dawn’s description:
Enrobed in award winning milk chocolate & sprinkled with grey sea salt. Wrapped in festive holiday label! This simple & beautiful caramel highlights the richness of true Madagascar vanilla beans. From the first and only organic & fair trade bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the US!
Size Information: Each 1.83oz/52g box contains 4 caramels.
Ingredients: Sugar**, cream (milk)*, non-GMO corn syrup*, cocoa beans**, milk powder*, butter (milk)*, cocoa butter**, grey sea salt, ground vanilla bean*. *Organic **Organic & Fair Trade
Organic info: USDA Certified Organic
Theo Salted Caramels, Organic & Fair Trade
Last but not least, the Hangover Drops from England are miraculous, according to Dawn: “These all-natural, curative candies taste like yummy fruit punch (non-alcoholic, of course!).” Ingredients: Sugar, glucose syrup, citric acid, ginseng, natural flavors: bramble, lemon, orange, raspberry, rosehip, natural color: beetroot red.
Find them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @cleancandy
Why is Sending e-cards for the holidays green?
If you send out holiday cards, or if you think you really should—and if you haven’t gotten around to it yet, consider this:
Greeting cards aren’t large, but their impact is. A quote from the book Green Christmas puts this fact into perspective, “According to Hallmark, the 1.9 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the United States could fill a football field ten stories high and consume 300,000 trees.”
E-cards to the rescue! Sending an electronic card for any holiday 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.
That factoid is from this Practically Green action:
It’s worth a total of 15 points for impact in the Energy and Water categories … one of the 542 actionable and manageable positive next steps you can take in your life starting right now today. Only 1% of Practically Green’s community has already checked it off… be part of boosting that percentage during the next few weeks!
Smilebox lets you add music and video to e-cards
Check out a bunch of other great other ideas for greening your holiday:
A peek at the Holiday Eco Actions on Practically Green
Rebecca Sama, Practically Green's Products Specialist
Our products team just added three new e-card recommendations, submitted by you the Practically Green community and vetted by to be sure they meet our Product Guidelines.
Two of the World Wildlife Fund's free animated e-cards
Choose from the pingg vault.. or upload your own designs!
From the cocodot collection
You can't go wrong with PaperlessPost, and we love the animated envelope opener....
We’ve already applauded Patagonia’s fantastic Black Friday ad on this blog: “It’s a classy reminder: Sometimes, the best Stuff is the stuff you already have. Which is why we have dozens of Stuff-related actions at Practically Green…” — and we loved the comments from readers:
Now two of our favorite and longtime deeply green friends have also blogged about Patagonia’s stunner message, and we wanted to capture them for you.
Wendy Gordon
First, from Wendy Gordon’s piece in The Huffington Post: “How I Spent my Black Friday Selling, not Buying, Patagonia Fleeces on eBay”:
….my plan this year for Black Friday was to sit out the retail game altogether. That was before I saw the ad… ”Don’t Buy This Jacket.” … It went on to encourage readers not to buy what they didn’t need and to sell their used Patagonia products on eBay…. So while I had promised myself I wouldn’t buy anything other than a quart of milk (we’d run out) on Black Friday, I made the transition effortlessly into über-cyber-saleswoman, posting every one of the fleeces my 20-something sons had outgrown on the retail site, along with all those shirts they’d really never liked in the first place.
Oh, it felt good. So good, in fact, that I ended up cleaning out three whole closets. What I couldn’t sell through the Patagonia initiative, I bundled up for the nearby thrift shop.
**************
Jeffrey Hollender
And, from Jeffrey Hollender’s blog, “Don’t Buy This: The Truth About Sustainability”:
Having not broken my obsession with the print version of The New York Times, I was thrilled to greet Black Friday by opening to a full-page ad from Patagonia that urged readers “Don’t Buy This Jacket.”
To the best of my knowledge, Patagonia has never purchased a full-page ad in the Times, and for this, the first time that they did, they are urging consumers to buy less stuff. This exhibits both true leadership and untarnished truth about what it means to be sustainable.
The copy reads: Don’t buy what you don’t need. Think twice before you buy anything.
Click here for Jeff’s complete post.
PGer Nick Rockwell (that IS a Patagonia vest?)
Thanks again to Chelsea stringer and Patagonia enthusiast Nick Rockwell, who told us about the ad before anyone else had mentioned it, and who caught a Cyber-Monday sequel in his email:
6 easy ways to avoid BPA at the Thanksgiving table, by Founder/CEO Susan Hunt Stevens
Is anyone else in Thanksgiving planning mode? While Googling stuffing recipes this week, I read a report from the Breast Cancer Fund. I want to share it with you because I have several VIPs in my life battling breast cancer—and I bet you do, too.
Herb roasted turkey from EatingWell.com
They were curious about how much bisphenol A (BPA) might be in an average Thanksgiving meal. BPA is in can linings because it acts as a protective barrier between the metal and the can’s contents. But it actually gets into the food, acts as a synthetic hormone, and has been linked to breast cancer as well as many other health issues. So they tested the canned foods that are typically found at a Thanksgiving meal—things like cream of mushroom soup, creamed corn, green beans, and cranberry sauce by big brands including Campbell’s, Carnation, Del Monte, Nestle, Ocean Spray, and General Mills. Here’s what they found: “Single servings of almost half of the products tested had levels of BPA comparable to levels that laboratory studies have linked to adverse health effects.”
Apple cranberry pie, thank you First Prize pies!
Thankfully, there are ways to reduce the amount of BPA in any meal—holiday or otherwise. The first step is to stop using canned food, or to reduce the amount you use, and to buy fresh produce instead. These 6 actions from Practically Green will help you ditch the BPA for Thanksgiving and still have a truly tasty meal:
1. Shop at farmers’ markets, where cans are extremely rare (many end shortly after Thanksgiving, but there are also winter markets)
2. Eat local produce in season
Sure hit! Sweet potato recipe from Food52.com, photo courtesy Sarah Shatz
3. While you’re at it, buy organic when you can–if not fresh, frozen is preferable to canned organic veggies
4. Use BPA free cups and bottles
5. When reheating or defrosting in a microwave, use glass or lead-free ceramic instead of plastic; heating plastic speeds the release of its chemical components into food
6. BPA can be found in soda cans, too, so why not replace them with fizzy natural juices in glass bottles?
Which brings me to this week’s PG Holiday Tip, a friendly reminder: Take your reusable shopping bags while out gathering all of your holiday meal goods!
We’re loving this four piece insulated kit from our partner BlueAvocado and are thrilled that they are offering you, PG members, 25% off your holiday orders! Just use the code balovespg25 at checkout. The bags are made from recycled fibers containing plastic bottles, and hold up to a total of 70 pounds—that’s at least several holiday roasts! If you have too many bags already, these would also make a great gift for someone who is still trying to break the bag habit.
Deluxe 4-piece Shopping Kit from BlueAvocado.com
*** We’ll update this Corporate Gift Guide in the weeks ahead and hope you’ll continue to contribute your ideas – here, on Facebook, and via Twitter @practicallygrn. ***
From last week’s inbox:
Q: Quick question, what is an appropriate green sustainable corporate holiday gift? It is complicated. We don’t want to purchase sustainable goodies that have to make their way here from Australia. Additionally, we want to be sensitive to the state of the economy and our friends who have lost their jobs. Thank you, Robin Freedman, Waste Management, Inc.
Thanks for asking, Robin! Here are a few ideas to start the conversation.
- Restaurant meal: Especially in economically volatile times, who wouldn’t appreciate a nice meal out? Arrange a gift certificate to a local, sustainable restaurant! Metro New Yorkers will love a certificate to dell’Anima; got a favorite client in LA? Our sources say TrueFood in Santa Monica is the best. Mmm, in Kirkland, Washington, where Robin works, Café Juanita looks like a very good choice.
Eat at a dine green certified restaurant
Eat at a local, sustainable restaurant when traveling
Wine. Find a local wine shop who knows their organic, biodynamic, and natural wines. Ask if they ship or offer local delivery. Our personal vintner, the Wine Bottega in Boston’s North End, has a Farm to Glass case-of-the-month program that’s sure to thrill your recipients! You can request a mixed case to be delivered within metro-Boston or sent via FedEx. Owner Kerri Platt, a Yale-educated biologist, writes an informative brief to accompany each hand-picked selection, which can be delivered via Metro Pedal Power or shipped FedEx. If you can’t locate an inspired sommelier near you, contact the Wine Bottega team: staff@thewinebottega.com.
- Sparkling water maker. Speaking of beverages, we don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love to see a Sodastream Penguin in the office kitchen to make fizzy water from tap:
- Leafy Office Plant. What’s greener than this?! A local nurseryman can fill your order, or consider a super-legit source like White Flower Farm. There’s no more gorgeous (and foolproof) selection than an Amaryllis from White Flower Farm. One it’s bloomed, these can be set outside (once it’s frost-free) and practically neglected; they’ll set up a new blooming display next year. If the Amaryllis doesn’t grab you, review this gift section. Perennial = Sustainable!
- Old school: We called Tiffany & Co. to see if they have anything greenish to offer business accounts, and here’s what they said:
Tiffany IS vintage, Tiffany is durable, nobody throws out a Tiffany gift, nobody even throws out a Tiffany BOX!
We had to admit we agree… we even save empty Tiffany boxes. So, consider this planet paperweight. It might cost less than you’d imagine. And rest assured it won’t go into a landfill.
- Cards and Invitations: Paperless Post is our favorite online resource. Check out their designs – and don’t forget the envelope linings!
P.S. Our friends at The Family Dinner gave this plug on our Facebook wall – and we have to say, the book is amazing and should be in everyone’s kitchen… perfect for anyone on your list who has ever complained about having a decent dinner conversation with their teenagers.
P.S. As you make your selections, please consider these PG gift-giving actions:
Give experiential holiday gifts
Wrap a gift using used wrapping paper, boxes, bows, ribbons
And finally, don’t miss Lisa Borden’s tips for gift giving:
Susan Mazur-Stommen is a cultural anthropologist focusing on how people adopt sustainable, green behaviors. She conducts her research from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy as the Director of Behavior and Human Dimensions, renowned for their States’ Scorecard for Energy Efficiency (see image ahead).
Susan argues that “in order to achieve true, lasting, behavior change in the area of sustainability, we have to use a multi-layered approach, tackling the problem with various tools and media. It’s important to think about the ‘whole person’ when we discuss behavior change, and that includes things like emotions, physical well-being, and how our environment may be affecting us on any given day.”
“For example,” she told us, “some popular ideas for going ‘green’ aren’t always very practical in terms of people’s real lives. Take line-drying, for example. Proponents fail to figure in the cost of the person who has to stand outside for an hour putting all those clothes on the line and then taking them back inside. When you consider the cost of that person’s labor, standing in the heat or cold, line-drying is not the ‘free’ energy saving solution it is often touted as, at least in terms of the individual and their limited time and physical energy.”
Susan gave us a few further insights from the social and behavioral sciences to share with you.
1) Social norms:
Robert Cialdini tested messages about saving water on the cards you see propped up in the bathroom of a hotel. He found that the most successful was one that read, “Two-thirds of our hotel guests decide not to get fresh towels during their stay in order to save water, won’t you join them?”
Reason: People like to ‘stay in line’ or ‘tribe’ with their peers and neighbors, it is a powerful incentive.
Note: Practically Green’s leaderboards encourage you to choose more green actions!
2) Foot in the Door:
Robert Cialdini also tested the ‘foot in the door’ concept, which says that people are much more likely to agree to make a big change if they are first asked to make a very small change. It works like this: if you ask someone for a nickel, and then later go back and ask for a dollar, the people you asked for a nickel will be much more likely to give later (which of course widens the gap between givers and non-givers even more!)
Note: That’s why PG offers so many ’small’ actions, worth just 5 points but still very important! A handful from the Recycling section:
3) Reciprocity:
Offering someone something begins a relationship of give and take that people find extremely hard to resist. This is one of the reasons charities include those address labels in their appeals: they have already given you something, and now you are enmeshed in an obligation to return their ‘gift’ even if you don’t like it, want it, and did not ask for it!
A utility could utilize a combination of ‘reciprocity’ and ‘foot in the door’ in a message. Say at the beginning of summer you want to get people to raise their thermostats in general to reduce peak load, you would send an insert in the mail, or an email that would read:
“Dear John Q Customer, we here at utility X appreciate how you have worked to save energy in your home these past few years. To honor your commitment to energy savings, we have donated $50,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of America. All we ask in return is that you commit to turning your thermostat setting up by ONE degree this summer.”
Next summer….the follow-up…
“Dear Customer, we really appreciate how much energy you and your neighbors saved last summer, and to recognize that, this year we have DOUBLED our donation to Charity X in your name. All we ask in return is that you consider turning up your thermostat by FOUR degrees this summer. If you decide to take the pledge, please send in the enclosed BRC. Thank you for your support!”
Now, theoretically, the combination of social norming, reciprocity, foot in the door, and a pledge (whereby you can also evaluate level of intent) should result in some serious savings.
And this leads to the final insight,
4) Grant McCracken’s “Diderot Effect”:
Susan told us the story of the French philosopher Diderot’s new bathrobe:
“He received a lovely new bathrobe, cherry red silk, and he was sitting in his study one evening with it on, and feeling terrific but then he began to notice that the fabulous new robe made the rest of his surroundings seem shabby. ‘I need a better chair,’ he thought. ‘A nice desk…. New wallpaper. The bookcases are a mess!’ The idea is to introduce a disconnect between the consumers’ old selves and their new selves which can result in their wanting to bring all of these parts of their identity back into line, or what McCracken calls, ‘unities’. An example of this might be a new mom who carefully purchases Bisphenol-A free baby bottles, but at the same time drives a gas guzzler which pumps pollution into the air her baby breathes. The disconnect between her decisions begins to gnaw at her and pretty soon she considers replacing it. Thus a whole chain of actions goes into effect. Pretty soon this mom is evaluating her food choices, her indoor air quality, her household waste, inefficiencies at her job. The activity of bringing her lifestyle choices into ‘unity’ with one another is an example of the Diderot effect.
At Practically Green we see the Diderot effect every day: once people begin checking off actions on their dashboard, they begin to get addicted to the process, it takes on significance, they continue and eventually share their accomplishments with their friends and colleagues.
One more story from Susan, who says that simple social recognition can be a powerful driver for change:
“I once met an older gentleman named Frank, a retired maintenance worker. He likes to walk around town, and at the end of his block was a little pocket park that would have been a nice place to sit except that people were filling it up with discarded cigarette butts. He started cleaning it up every day. Eventually he won an award from the city council. They put a plaque up and named the park after him. It wasn’t that complicated, but it made Frank feel great so he got even more involved. He started working at the public library, going to city council meetings. So this social recognition was effective. It was very cheap for the city to recognize Frank’s good works, and at the same time, they reaped the reward of his intensified volunteer efforts!”
Bingo: Practically Green gives badges when you complete sets of actions. For example, here’s the new Conscious Consumer badge. How would you like to join the 12% of PG users who have already earned it!!
Click here for the complete playlist of actions: http://practicallygreen.com/badges/conscious-consumer
Check out the ACEEE 2011 State Energy Scorecard… where are you? Follow ACEEE ion Twitter @ACEEEdc and join them on Facebook.
Water: Got too much? Not enough? What are the coolest new products for conserving water? How do the experts view this precious resource?
** Please join our free webinar on November 16, 1-2pm ET to get expert advice and answers. **
Register here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/458003078
Practically Green has 51 Water-related actions, from Wash only full loads of laundry (99% of PG users have done this already; 20 points) to Install a shower timer (Only 1% of PG has done this one! Why is it the least favorite Water action?)
What would happen if the entire country decided to Turn off the faucets while brushing teeth? Or if every Fortune 1000 headquarters Installed a rainwater harvesting system? (150 points!)
We’re hosting an online event for a deep dive on the subject.
Panelists:
• Molly Hislop: Program Director, Green Education Foundation
• Michele Hudec: VP of Product and BizDev, American Standard Brands
• Stephanie Thornton: Community Outreach, WaterSense, EPA
• Martin Wolf: Director of Product/Technology at Seventh Generation
• Peter Yost: Director of Residential Services, BuildingGreen
• Alexandra Zissu: Editorial Director, Practically Green; Author, Planet Home and more
Moderated by Practically Green’s Founder & CEO, Susan Hunt Stevens.
As we all get pumped for the holidays, here’s a mantra to relieve stress: instead of buying new stuff that’ll go in the trash, why not shop on eBay, thredUp, Freecycle or your local thrift shop to get what you need? Alternatively, swap! And don’t forget Mom’s closet!
Buy or use vintage or second-hand stuff for the Holidays
Holiday Nutcracker Mouse
For inspiration, here’s a vintage mouse costume that’s 20 yrs old, perfect for Nutcracker duty. Thank you, Farrah Graham of Regina, Canada, who sent us this pic with the following story:
For Hallowe’en our daughter wore a mouse costume that has been handed down in our family for the past 20 years! (And she looked just as adorable as all the mice before her!)
What are your ideas for greening the holidays? Have you used EcoFreek.com or EcoSharing.net — they’re both recommended on Practically Green and await your rating!
Save money being green
In a skittish economy, money trumps all. Everyone wants to boost efficiency, reduce waste, and be healthy not only because it’s the right thing to do but because it’s miserable watching cash float away any more than we must. Practically Green has 70+ actions you can do that are either free or that will yield impressive financial results.
Check the list! You’re probably doing lots of these things already. You’ll see several to do starting, well… Now!
Here’s a sampling. The point value tells you the relative impact of each action:
Turn thermostat down by 4 degrees in the winter (50 Points)
Turn down hot water heater (20 points)
Turn off the heat dry feature on your dishwasher (20 points)
Switch to reusable towels or dish cloths at home (20 points)
Install one low-flow shower head (20 points)
Use reusable shopping bags regularly (10 points)
Unplug (or avoiding buying) your second refrigerator (50 points)
Turn off the lights when you leave a room (10 points)
Unplug chargers and appliances when not in use (20 points)
Buy antique or secondhand furniture and home goods (50 points)
Buy a pre-owned home instead of building new (200 points)
Commit to 25 of these next steps, and you’ve earned the Frugalista badge. Who wouldn’t want this coy pig on their Practically Green dashboard?!
So go ahead, pick your 25 actions and get this savvy oinker on board your green program!
We’ve got a fabulous panel of experts coming to our Water webinar on November 16. Please mark your calendars for 1pm Eastern, full details coming soon!
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Meet Martin Wolf, one of our panelists; he’s the Director of Product & Environmental Technology at Seventh Generation. He also goes by “Scienceman.”
We asked Martin for the two or three most salient points he’d like to address during our Webinar, and here’s one of them:
Our water supply pipes and our drain pipes are connected. What goes out our drain pipes goes into a system, and is brought back into our homes and other buildings through our supply pipes. Knowing this, how should we change our thinking about what we put down our drains?
That got me thinking about my kitchen sink at home, and the drain in the sink that leads to a disposal, which grinds up all our food scraps into… pulp? mush? and then all of that glop goes … where?
To the rescue: Bootstrap Compost, a can-do composting entrepreneur who supplies households and businesses in metro Boston with a cool bin, lined with a biodegradable bag. It has a happy green lid and it looks just fine on the kitchen floor.
Who can resist this message from Bootstrap’s impresario, Andy Brooks?
Bootstrap Compost is Greater Boston’s only year-round kitchen scrap pickup service. We use bikes, trains, hand trucks, and the occasional vehicle to collect and transport compostable material from houses, apartments, dorms, co-ops, and condos. Additionally, we’ll happily collect scraps from farmer’s markets, cafes, restaurants, concerts, festivals, cult gatherings — you name it. And the coolest thing is this: all active Bootstrap customers receive a portion of super rich compost 10-15 weeks after their initial deposit to the Bootstrap Compost bank. The second coolest thing is this: We donate finished compost to urban gardens in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.
I was amazed at all the scraps we had accumulated after one simple dinner for two and a light breakfast the next morning – and this was before we scooped in our coffee grinds! There’s something a bit intimate, revealing, about showing you our compost, but here you are:
Personal compost, after one dinner, half a breakfast, and before coffee grinds
Turns out Andy is not alone: there are compost services in many other cities (go Philly Compost and New York Compost!), some of which are actually provided by the municipality (go San Francisco and Seattle!). And composting isn’t just for home: we know restaurants, companies, and even a major-league baseball team that composts 85% of its waste (go, Seattle Mariners!).
Find out why Compost kitchen food waste is worth a big fat 100 points!
Have you ever considered composting at your home, office, school? This might just be the way to ease into the practice…. Google “NAME OF YOUR CITY + compost pickup” and see what you get!
In a couple of months, the reward: they’ll deliver a bag of urban black gold – worm-processed soil that’s perfect for houseplants this winter.
Thank you, White Flower Farm
Energize Phoenix is a partnership between a city, a local power utility, and a university.
“We can be just as sophisticated about getting you to reduce your energy consumption as somebody selling you a Hummer can be to get you to increase your energy consumption,” says Arizona State University social psychologist Susan Ledlow, as reported by Emily Badger on The Atlantic.com.
Ledlow wants to create the social norm that energy conservation is something everyone does. This is a distinctly different message from “energy conservation is something you should do.” She wants people to hear that many, many people care about this, and that those people are doing something about it. “The more people hear that,” Ledlow says, “the more it becomes a social reality.”
We caught up with Badger on how she became interested in the subject of environmental psychology:
“It’s a relatively new field, the idea of taking marketing best-practices on how to influence people to behave sustainably, increasing their energy efficiencies, for example, as opposed to consuming cars or building McMansions…. There was an existing model that said if you give people the right information about how to make efficient choices, stick it up on a web site, eventually they’ll change. But that’s not enough, and people realize it. Cities all over the country have posted information on how you can get your lawn clippings picked up, but it just sits there! And now there’s a new imperative: with the economic downturn it’s simply not practical for people to be wasteful any more. We’re all looking for ways to save money.”
Emily Badger, Reporter
Susan Ledlow, Social Psychologist
Badger says that real-life energy efficiencies can go viral via the power of peer pressure: “it’s possible to envision a norm that catches on in one block, spreads up the street and eventually to the neighborhood level. Neighbors chat about their retrofits, their bill savings during a rough economy. Then they see a familiar face on a subway ad for happy insulation customers. The idea spreads along the rail line. The average consumption figures on the monthly electricity bill tick down, and the norm expands out regionally.”
“People are far more persuaded by what everybody actually does, even when they say that they’re not,” Ledlow says. “There’s just experiment after experiment where you can get people to change their behavior to match the behavior of the people around them. And then they will swear that that’s not why they did it. Yet we know that happens.”
We know that positive behavior change happens at Practically Green — we hear this all the time; we share user comments on our Facebook page and via Twitter @practicallygrn. And Groups is part of it: registered users automatically join 4 Groups, including their state and zip code Groups.
My Groups (L to R): Facebook, Practically Green Staff, SXSWEco, Zip, State, Country, All of Practically Green
People love to compare their scores with their friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Have a look at the Practically Green Staff Group here.
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No wonder we felt a buzz in Boston when this state scorecard was released by the ACEEE last week; for the first time, Massachusetts ranks number 1.
From the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 2011 Scorecard
Michael Sciortino, Policy Analyst, ACEEE
“In a sour year for the economy, energy efficiency remains a growth sector that attracts investment and creates jobs,” lead author Michael Sciortino says. “It’s just plain smart to invest in energy efficiency, and that’s what the leading states are doing. There are so many things that can be done… energy efficiencies are abundant anywhere in the country. And yes, some states take this scorecard as a call to action.”
Note to States: why not sign up at Practically Green?! That way you can compare your energy-efficient progress with your peers and boost your rank next year!
The weekend’s sudden heavy storm in the northeastern U.S. had many of us scurrying to bring patio plants inside and rummaging for snow gear, all the while thinking about how high that energy bill is going to be this winter, and what we can do to manage it.
Ready for Winter? Metro NYC, October 29 (courtesy AccuWeather Facebook fan)
Here are 6 ways to beat the weather this Winter:
1) Check the status of your storm windows. Upgrade if needed.
2) Consider adding insulated window treatments or shutters.
3) Weather strip your windows.
Saturday morning, Danbury CT (photo: Stamford Advocate)
4) Insulate! You wear a coat when it gets cold; insulation is the equivalent for your building. You can insulate portions of your structure — doors, roof, walls, ductwork, pipes, basement. And, cold-weather insultation works beautifully to keep your space comfortable in hot weather. Renting? Ask your landlord about the insulation program for your building. (Show him Practically Green if he’d like to know more!)
5) You can insulate certain items, like the hot-water heater. A good test: touch the water heater. If it’s warm/hot to the touch, like a conventional lightbulb is after being on for a while, it should be insulated.
6) Turn your thermostat down just 4 degrees for an estimated 15% savings in energy costs! Put on a sweater!
With some of the money you’ll save, you might splurge on the amazing new Nest programmable thermostat we blogged about — it makes regulating your environment’s temperature almost as much fun as… having a picnic outside on a warm spring afternoon? Swimming in the Caribbean?
P.S. This post is adapted from a weekly letter that all Practically Green registered users receive as part of our service. You can opt out of getting the letter any time, but we’ve noticed most people don’t… we work hard to be sure it’s relevant good reading. If you haven’t registered at Practically Green yet, it’s easy! Take the quiz and sign up!
If you or your favorite teenager are wondering what to do this weekend, check out Project Green Challenge, now in its final week. Launched on October 1, #PGC has come up with an energizing idea every single day this month. Thousands of young participants from hundreds of schools and colleges in the US and abroad are busy competing for prizes (1st prize is a $5,000 college scholarship from Natracare). Go to the Winners Circle to see the highlighted Green, Greener and Greenest submissions on everything from eco-fashion to green recipes to energy-saving epiphanies and stories of entire families changing their habits. Have a look around! Learning and doing all this healthy green stuff is genuinely rewarding and fun.
Teens Turning Green is the absolute beehive of activity behind Project Green Challenge. A student-led movement based in Sausalito, California, they’ve attracted an amazing cast of participants, sponsors, and supporters. Practically Green is proud to be a media partner (we’re tagged as a resource on Friday’s Energy challenge!) – and we welcome all PGC participants (and their parents, teachers, coaches, aunts and uncles) to Practically Green.com! Here’s one of the recent winners:
I took the survey on the Practically Green website and found out that I’m an impressively green human (8/10). I tend not to use extensive amounts of electricity powered things in my life, and the things I do use are smaller, like phones, music players, computers, calculators and things like that. However, there are still a lot of things that can be implemented into my life to be more energy conscious. – Sophia
Judi Shils and daughter Erin Schrode co-founded Teens Turning Green. Erin’s studying in Madrid this semester, and we couldn’t resist asking Judi (the Executive Director) how the whole initiative is going. No surprise, on Day 21 she sounds a little bit busy (they’re not getting much sleep!) — and thrilled:
“It is the most inspirational work imaginable.. so many lives changing before our eyes….”
If you’re a twenty-something or teen — or if you know someone who is — we suggest diving into the TeensTurning Green and Project Green Challenge Facebook pages, where you’ll find lots of activity. If you’re on Twitter, follow them there @TeensTurningGreen and #PGC. And, read their blog!
Check out this Extra Credit submission for the Whole Body challenge, from a student at Terra Linda High School:
A sample of comments from engaged participants:
“Team Green Peas wants to encourage students to take the ‘first step’ by participating in the Project Green Challenge. This Thursday, we will be meeting with the campus Eco Reps to discuss with them our experience with PGC and the rewards of participating in this innovative program. It is our firm belief that by encouraging more students to take part in these daily challenges, they too will see how easy it is to adopt healthy and environmentally responsible habits.” – Nikki
"Just went shopping with the roomies and convinced them to make the sustainable choice :) and we bought a composter. thought y'all appreciate hahah"
“My school has an absolutely amazing AP environmental science teacher. She is definitely one of my eco-heroes and shows that anyone can be an eco-leader. She fondly refers to us, her students, as her little green army that will go change the world. Besides an extensive recycling program complete with posters everywhere, the environmental science class also makes banners out of sheets that go up on Earth Week. The most important thing though, is educating people so they are conscious of the choices their making, its impact on the environment, and what could be done for a sustainable future.” – Grace
“We have our own sustainable, organic farm with free range animals that we process ourselves. We harvested approximately 7 tons of vegetables from our own farm over the summer and we also get milk from our dairy cow and goats and eggs from our chickens, which we have lots of! Plus, we have our own farm stand weekly. We recycle and compost. We use no fossil fuels on our farm, just man and cow power!” – Charlene
- Excited to use my newly purchased aluminum-free deodorant because now I know better. I’m a Project Green Challenger!”
“If itʼs easy, and makes such a surprisingly large impact,
I should definitely do my part to help the environment
and lessen the strain on both natural resources and on
the demand for meat.” - Holly
I should definitely do my part to help the environment
and lessen the strain on both natural resources and on
the demand for meat.” - Holly
The PG Dozen: Newest Products on Practically Green
What do organic milk, a cashmere cardigan, a toilet, and chocolate have in common? They’re all recent additions to Practically Green’s Recommended Product listings. It’s human nature: when you discover something that works, that you love, you want to tell your friends so they can get it and use it too. That’s why we have this button on every action at Practically Green:
Your submission goes straight to our product specialist, Rebecca Sama. She performs an evaluation and, assuming it meets our product guidelines, it goes live. Then everyone can rate the product …
… and order it directly via PracticallyGreen.com.
Here are the 10 items we’ve added this month – so far.
Reduce Takeout Meals to Once a Week or Less: The Simple Art of Eating Well cookbook
Switch to natural hand sanitizer: Burt’s Bees Aloe & Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer
Switch to natural hand sanitizer: Clean George Hand Purifier
Upgrade toilets….: Niagara Stealth Ultra High-Efficiency Toilet
Buy Organic Milk Regularly: Stonyfield Organic Milk
Switch to Organic Chocolate: Green & Black organic chocolate
Recycle Used Electronics: Best Buy’s E-cycle service
Purchase clothing made from organic cotton…: Stewart+Brown
Recycle Plastic Bags: Formbu Over-Cabinet Grocery Bag Holder
Host or Join a Costume Swap: ThredUp
Stewart+Brown
Go ahead, send Rebecca your eco-friendly favorites!
Here’s a win-win: an easy 10-point action you can do today.
Why is “Replace bottled water with filtered water (tap or jug)” green?
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.
How to: Replace bottled water with filtered water (tap or jug)
If you like the taste of your town water, then get a few jugs and cool it in the refrigerator.
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
Recommended Products and Services that are already on Practically Green:
Multi-Pure Stainless Steel Countertop Water Filter
Got another product to recommend on this action? Please do!
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