Spring coaxes even the most obdurate gym rat outdoors, and what better rationale to unplug/green-up your exercise routine!
Try to exercise unplugged and outside – running, gardening, splitting wood, swimming in a natural body of water. Hiking outside or even running the stairs in your apartment or office building requires no electricity, doesn’t involve the manufacture of a stair master, and uses less resources than going to a gym. At home you can also avoid towels washed in conventional detergent and chlorine bleach, conventional cleaning products, and other less-than-eco amenities offered in most membership gyms. You can also play whatever music you want to listen to, without resorting to buying a new MP3 player or earphones that may or may not contain PVC.
Charlie Gasparino, center, chooses to shape up by using the urban landscape: “Exercising outside in the city is interesting, free & effective." NYTimes.com
You might not ever entirely give up the elliptical; bad weather happens. But try to sweat unplugged every few times, working up to doing it all of the time.
Set yourself up for success. Choose workouts that require the least amount of equipment or equipment that uses less energy. Did you know treadmills use a lot more energy than stationary bikes and ellipticals?
Seek out dip and pull-up bars in local parks.
Faced with the choice of organic blueberries from Chile or apples from New York state, which do you choose? Food miles is one of many salient topics on the agenda at Tuesday’s #YourMealMatters online event co-hosted by GoodGuide, Roots of Change, Greenovate, EatingWell, and Practically Green. See you there at 12:30 EST.
The debate about the environmental impact of food flown from far away vs. locally grown rages on. It’s especially murky when it comes to items produced locally in winter in greenhouses or with extensive cold storage. Until a standardized way of measuring total impact exists, if it ever does, it’s a challenging comparison.
People interested in reducing food miles can look for COOL (country of origin) labels on their food. If something came from too far away, swap in a more local item. In the middle of the winter, blueberries may be air freighted from Chile, while regional apples or pears stored from the fall harvest or kiwis trucked from California likely have a lower transportation impact, depending on where you live—and they’re equally tasty.
Being aware of the environmental impact of your food choices as you shop will help you select differently and lower the impact of what you eat.
YUM! Produce display at the new Whole Foods store in Plymouth Meeting, PA
Got local veggies? Need a tasty recipe? Try EatingWell.com...we've never been disappointed!
Taking food miles into account as you grocery shop isn’t always easy. Treat it like a game. Read packages and labels as you go. It’s an eye opener to see how much of our food is produced very far away.
Try to substitute the farthest-flung items for more local ones. If this is simple and everything tastes good, add more local items the next time you shop.
Eating completely locally may not be feasible year round in some climates. Still, avoiding items that have been flown from far away—domestically or internationally—is a reasonable to step to take.
If you’re one of the millions of people who compost at home, at work, and even when traveling; or if you’re considering launching a compost program this season, consider this: 7 percent of household waste, on average, can be composted. If every family, hotel, business, restaurant, and school were to compost all 81 items on this list of Things You Can Compost, from Networx, that percentage multiplies impressively. Who knew that you can compost dryer lint, tea bags, stale chips, expired jam, Q-tips (not plastic ones), matches, nail clippings, and even condoms (not latex), and dead flies from your windowsill?
Here’s more, from Practically Green’s Compost Food Waste action, worth a tidy 100 points.
Nature Mill's bins get a thumbs up from urban composter Lexy Zissu
It’s nothing short of miraculous to literally watch your garbage bag deflate–as if on a diet–simply because you compost scraps rather than send them to a landfill. Food is biodegradable (well maybe Twinkies aren’t), but in order for it to break down in a landfill, it needs access to a basic combination of air, water, light, microbes, and enzymes. Unfortunately these aren’t readily available in an overstuffed landfill. As kitchen scraps struggle to break down in non-optimal conditions, they create methane, a greenhouse gas at least 20 times more heat-absorbent than CO2.
It’s far better to collect the scraps and turn them into valuable humus for plants and gardens.
What you want to compost will affect the kind of system you’ll set up. For veggie scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, and other uncooked food, a simple system will do. If you want to compost meat, fish, or cooked food, you’ll need a hot composter, bokashi system, or worm bin.
Coolest Compost Bin might just be this one from PriscillaWoolworth...
Compost pros advise worms: lots. WORMS? If you want to bypass the wrigglers, purchase their castings by mail from WormLadies.com
You can make your own composter or buy one at a garden center or online.
Urbanites can compost! You don’t need a yard. Worm bins tuck into most corners with no smell or mess. There are also automatic composters ideal for apartment dwellers.
A fantastic no-fuss option is compost drop-off. Increasingly–especially in urban areas–there are community drop off points and even municipal pick up. Check with your farmers’ market or community garden for local details.
- Practically Green: How To Avoid Mountains Of Holiday Garbage
- PG Picks: Lead in toys, the 2011 green jobs conference, composting without a yard, the economic injustice of plastic, energy-saving charging stations, and small green homes
- Practically Green: Composting Guide For Girls Who Don’t Like Worms
- Celebrate Earth Day all Month Long! #4 Top Action: Healthy Green Kitchen Compost, with Tips from Laurie David
- YouTube: How A Bokashi System Works
- YouTube: How To Worm Farm Compost
- EPA: Basic Information — Composting
- Practically Green: Kitchen To Garden –Compost Basics
- Earth 911: Composting While Cooking — A Guide For The Kitchen
If you’re in the mood for spring gardening we’ve got lots of ideas, from reacquainting with local farmers’ markets, signing up for a share in a CSA, pot up a few containers of herbs or veggies, or even plant your own garden or participate in a neighborhood garden!
Why not have fresh veggies handy at the office? Here's a green salad with asparagus & peas from "Top 10 Most Popular Spring Recipes" at EatingWell
Can’t possibly have a garden at home because you don’t have a good spot, or because practically live at work? Maybe you can organize a vegetable garden AT work! PG user Jakob Barry wrote in to recommend an office solution: “No, I don’t mean the occasional salad bar but a real thriving workplace garden either within an industrial park, courtyard, or on a balcony.”
Gardeners Supply Company is a favorite on-line shop for tools and planning
Jakob points out 5 key advantages to an Office Garden:
- Less waste. Office gardens reduce waste: people pick their own vegetables on-site and mix them up in a reusable bowl. No disposable packaging waste! (And don’t forget to compost!)
- Less money. A package of seeds costs a dollar or two and provides an abundance of sustenance. An office garden takes some effort to maintain but will reduce overall expenses.
- Less pollution. Food transport can be fuel-intensive. Buying local solves part of the problem. Growing local in an office garden helps prevent a few less puffs of smog from dirtying the world.
- Better air quality. Plants promote air quality, indoors and out.
- It will inspire: Once employees taste the fruits of an office garden as opposed to the sometimes rubbery make up of fast-serve salad, a few may even be inspired to make their own gardens at home!
We’ll add a sixth: happier, healthier, more relaxed & more productive workers. How about it? Can you imagine starting a vegetable garden at work? Do you have one going already?
Next up, we’ll chat with Kristee Rosendahl, the creator of Smart Gardener, an intuitive and interactive platform for gardeners of all levels that’s so eerily reminiscent we’re ready to nickname it Practically Green for Gardeners!
Jakob Barry, whose idea for Planting a Garden at Work may just become a new Practically Green action for Spring!
You’ve cruised Practically Green’s 453+ actions, chosen the ones that make the most sense for you. Did you know you are invited to submit ideas for green living that we haven’t thought of? Please do! And now, we have a special challenge: participate in the #YourMealMatters event on Twitter, Tuesday 3/27 at 12:30 EST, come up with a new on-topic action for Practically Green, and you’ll be part of the fastest growing and most influential database of sustainable next steps around.
Details from GoodGuide’s blog (please read to the end!):
Do you think that sugary breakfast cereal is only going to affect your waistline (and maybe lead to an energy high that will crash by lunchtime)? Think again. Did you know that your daily bowl could also be contributing to unethical working conditions, the destruction of nutrient rich soil or other environmental and social downfalls?
Food production has changed dramatically over the past several years, making food cheaper at the expense of our health and the environment. While some would argue that the industrial food system has brought efficiency and reliability to our food supply, the changes in how we get our food have resulted in a major disconnect between consumers and the rest of the food system. However, there is a growing movement to address this disconnect, bring mindfulness back to eating, and show people that their meals do indeed matter. We’re getting in on the action, and so can you: now is your chance to learn how small, simple changes to your everyday meals can have a big impact on your body, the environment and society.
Join the “Your Meal Matters” Twitter chat party on March 27 at 9:30am PST/ 12:30pm EST to learn how. GoodGuide (@GoodGuide) will be partnering with organizations across the globe including Greennovate (@Greennovate), Roots of Change (@RootsofChange), EatingWell (@EatingWell) and Practically Green (@PracticallyGrn) to share ideas about how each of us can make an impact. We will spend an hour discussing everything from what to do with your leftovers to how to navigate the grocery store. Just follow the hashtag #YourMealMatters to join in!
The party doesn’t stop there! To add to the excitement, we will pick the best tips to be featured as Practically Green actions after the chat. If you have a great idea about how to (easily!) make healthier and environmentally friendly food choices, it could be broadcast to the entire Practically Green community and help thousands of other people make better meal choices.
Partners include:
Greennovate: A sustainable consultancy that aims to raise environmental awareness by providing innovative educational programs such as this “Three Meals That Matter” video.
Roots of Change: Works to develop and support a collaborative network of leaders with interest in establishing a sustainable food system that share a commitment to changing our food thinking, food markets, and food policies.
Practically Green: A community for people striving to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Provides tools that make green actions much simpler, more personal and fun.
EatingWell: A bi-monthly national food and health magazine and website that provides the inspiration and information people need to make healthy eating a way of life through recipes, cooking tips, health information and coverage of food news and sustainability issues.
We are also excited for organizations including Meatless Monday (encourages going meatless on Mondays to improve the environment and personal health) and Sustainable Table (educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food) to join in the chat and lend their expertise. Let us know in the comments section if you will be attending also!
Stay tuned on Facebook and Twitter for unfolding details! We are eager to field your ideas for new actions that everyone in the PG community will love to check off and add to their goals.
Cleaning Green is pretty simple, really. You can postpone major dirt purges by having a few rules about Taking Shoes off at the Front Door and not allowing Food outside designated eating areas. You might even ask the smokers in your life to desist in your space.
Easy tip: Take off Your Shoes! These spiffy flats can be admired from across the room — no need to tromp them all around indoors!
Think about it: if everyone’s eating meals at their desk, or while standing up walking around, or grabbing pizza while splayed out on the sofa—to say nothing of smoking a butt here and there–your place is bound to get messy. Fast.
Once you’ve made up your mind to clean, here are few guidelines:
1) Be picky. As in, be selective about your cleaning products: read labels and don’t use anything containing ingredients you can’t pronounce. You might be surprised how easy it is to use natural ingredients for great results. Ingredients like vinegar, lemon, and hot water. (As our editorial director Lexy Zissu likes to say, you may feel as though you’re mixing salad vinaigrette, but trust us, these ingredients are effective!)
To clean microwave: lemon + vinegar + glass bowl + damp cloth
2) Be careful. If you absolutely must use a strong chemical product to get rid of a horrendous stain, then be careful about it: open windows to let fresh air in, and wear protective gloves/goggles if need be. Do not let your pets or kids nearby.
Fresh air is Mother Nature's cleaning secret (Andrew Wyeth painting "Love in the Afternoon")
3) Be mindful of how much water you use when you clean. Must you use hot water, or would or lukewarm do? A few degrees can make a big difference to your energy bill. Think about what happens next to that water. If you use natural cleaning products, can you reuse the greywater to water plants or rinse off your driveway, balcony, front gate, or dog?
4) Plan ahead. Do you go through a six-pack of paper towels when you tackle a cleaning project? Are they made from recycled paper? Consider a reusable cloth rag or towel instead.
We’ve got 19 green cleaning actions on Practically Green, and we’d love to have 20. Check out Switch to a natural all-purpose cleaner and Stop dry cleaning your clothes (or never start); or Clean your microwave safely and the DIY favorite Make your own cleaners, including laundry detergent. Try one and let us know how you do! If you have an idea for green cleaning action #20, we’d love to hear from you.
Note: This post is repurposed from Cuddledown’s blog, “The Bedding Snob.” If you’ve ever wanted to create a comfortable night’s sleep for yourself, you may already know about Cuddledown, the Maine company that offers topnotch bedding stuff — sheets, pillows, down comforters, pjs, much of it organic.
In celebration of the 4th annual Fix a Leak Week, here’s a set of water-saving actions you can tackle at home — or ask your building management to address.
Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks? Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That’s why WaterSense reminds Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year during Fix a Leak Week.
Today, Fix leaky faucets and valves:
Guess what? In the average American home, the amount of water wasted from leaking valves is almost as much as is used to shower! That translates to over 3,000 gallons of water—not to mention money—possibly wasted yearly per house. No joke.
If you decide to replace faucets, look for the WaterSense label, which certifies both water efficiency & the ability to provide adequate flow.
While water has traditionally been a cheap and easily obtained resource, the future is less clear. Decreasing the amount of water wasted by leaks helps to maintain a natural balance and save water for future use. This is smart even in places that currently have no droughts. A least 36 states expect water shortages within the next five years.
Park Howell is a water champion in Arizona, with zillions of no-brainer ideas for saving water in drought-prone climates: wateruseitwisely.com
If you have a leaky faucet, fix it!
Check for hidden trickles of water by shutting off all of your faucets and checking the reading on your water meter. Leave the faucets off, and after a few hours check the reading again. If the number has increased, you have a leak. Time to play sleuth to find out where it’s coming from.
Check and double-check your faucets and showerheads for stray drips of water. If they’re the culprits, it’s a pretty simple fix.
To check your toilets, put a couple drops of food coloring in the tank. If the bowl begins to turn the color of the food coloring, you may have a leak.
Professor Toilet from American Standard blogs on water-saving tips. Follow him on Twitter @ProfessorToilet!
Thank you, Practically Green user Peggy Isham, for telling us about the Green Streets Initiative, which invites Boston-area groups to participate in a Car-Free Challenge on the last Friday of every month beginning March 30th! A pack of local retailers offer a variety of specials on these Fridays (we haven’t gotten beyond the free class at O2 Yoga, personally). Corporate sponsors range from the American Heart Association to Zipcar.
How about it? Is there a challenge like this where you live? Email GreenStreets for tips on how to get started in your town!
Grand Central Station sends millions of commuters in and out of New York City daily
We are going to assemble the Practically Green team for this challenge… even if our inveterate car commuters complain, we can ask them to join us for a part-way leg! (Already wondering if Working from Home counts.)
For more info on the Boston-area Walk/Ride Day Corporate Challenge, click here. Follow them @walkridedays and on Facebook.
What do people do on the subway to work?
For more info about why Taking Public Transportation to Work is so impactful, please read on.
Not near a bus route? Could you possibly Walk to Work? Bike to Work? Carpool? Imagine if we all did this once a month, as the Green Streets Initiative suggests. What if we did it once a week? Every day?
Over 50 percent of Americans have access to mass transit, but only 4.5 percent use it regularly. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) found that the most energy efficient households are located within close proximity to a bus or rail line. The members of these households drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles annually than people in similar households with no access to public transit.
It all depends on where you live... and work. Santa Barbara offers scenic mass transit
When you take public transportation, you reduce congestion, emissions, and energy. It’s also kind on the wallet; APTA says an individual can save $9,293 annually commuting via mass transit. A family with two commuters can save more, or downgrade to one car and have one person using mass transit to get to work or school. Every trip counts, if you’re using it once a week, several times a week, or daily. The more you do it, the bigger the eco-impact. Added benefits to letting someone else get you to and from work: there’s time to read and respond to emails.
It is significantly easier to rely on public transportation when you live and work near a station or stop. If you’re in the market for a new home or apartment, prioritize access to public transportation. Or park and ride.
Even proximity can’t eliminate some of the challenges that come with public transportation: coordination, schedules, and service. Thankfully many employers are supportive of (and get incentives for) public transportation use. Speak with your manager to find out what your company offers.
- PublicTransportation.org: Riding Public Transit Saves Individuals $9,293 Annually
- About.com: Public Transportation–Fast Track To Fewer Emissions And Energy Independence
- PracticallyGreen.com: My Love/Hate Relationship With Public Transportation
- American Public Transportation Association: Access To Bus And Rail Lines Reduces Driving
If you think race car drivers aren’t green, think again.
Leilani Munter
Leilani Munter is one professional race-car driver who personifies champion performance at the track — and environmentalism. Known as “Carbon-Free Girl,” she’s working for tire recycling, racetrack composting, energy-efficiencies like LED lighting, and bio-fueled cars. Leilani has been thinking and acting sustainably for years – and she’s been eating that way as well. Last month at Daytona she launched an eco-education program to “educate and engage the 75 million race fans in the USA and inspire them to rethink their day to day habits for our planet. Each time my car hits the track we address a different environmental issue and have a specific call to action.” Since 2007, she’s adopted an acre of rainforest “every time I sit in a race car, since the emissions are always a question.” Leilani plans to run a “Fueled by Veggies” car later this season.
“The incongruity is part of what makes going green in this sport so impactful,” said Michael Lynch, Nascar’s director of green innovation. “There’s a bias that the sport is not green and therefore the fans aren’t green.” (NYTimes.com) We’re impressed with the organization’s sincere efforts to recycle, conserve, and even using sheep to mow the grass!
We caught up with Leilani Munter between races recently.
“I’ve always liked to go fast. The more races I win, the more people will listen. I know what you’re thinking: race-car driving is not green. I completely agree, And that is exactly what I intend to change.”
PG: Why is eating vegan so important to you?
Leilani: Everyone associates carbon footprint with fuel – cars, trains, ships, racecars, but 40% more greenhouse-gas emissions are coming from livestock raised for food.
PG: What’s you favorite Practically Green action?
Leilani: I’m a big supporter of MeatFree Mondays. I love the one-day-a-week approach. It’s really not so hard to make the change. I love cooking for people using fake meat. People come over to my house and they’re shocked! What appears to be a grilled sausage with grilled onions on top, is not!
Plunge into mouth-watering recipe database to find meatless recipes, like this Savory Roasted Orange Tofu & Asparagus from EatingWell.com
Leilani echoes NYTimes “Eats” writer Mark Bittman when he says, “My point here is to make semi-veganism work for you. Once a week, let bean burgers stand in for hamburgers, leave the meat out of your pasta sauce, make a risotto the likes of which you’ve probably never had — and you may just find yourself eating ‘better.’”
Try Mark Bittman's "Recipes for the Semi-Vegan" — this collection appeared in The New York Times on 1.29.11
PG: What tips to you give people who are interested in shifting to a more plant-based diet?
Leilani: People always ask me, What new cookbooks do I need to get? My answer is You don’t! There are so many great meat substitutes out there, just start trying them. You do not have to change everything in your house! When a recipe calls for ground beef, use vegan ground meat. When It calls for milk, try almond milk. People say, You mean I can have white-wine mushroom chicken risotto? And I say, Of course you can! Just use a chicken substitute! I have people over and cook them Tofurky tacos and they say, WOW I’m eating tacos! It looks and tastes like meat!
Find out more about Leilani at CarbonFreeGirl.com, follow her on Twitter @LeilaniMunter, and check her out on Facebook and YouTube.
Blog PotLuck! Please share your favorite meatless dishes, recipes and ingredients…. Chef Bittman raved about Savage River Farms “real fake chicken” in the NYTimes yesterday.
Bittman was fooled by this “chicken” wrap from Savage River Farms.
Is there a Home You and a Work You? Do you tend to recycle more at your house, or at your office? If you’d like to green up your working environment, consider this action:
Use Eco-Friendly Office Supplies
Offices don’t tread lightly on the environment. Think of a conventional, cubicle-filled setting and all of the paper, computers, phones, printers, pens, pencils, and lighting involved. Imagine the resources and electricity needed to keep it all running.
Can you find the 10 items in this office that could be more eco-friendly? (Thank you @GreenisUni for excellent photo archives!)
While there are broad changes that can be implemented in any office to reduce this impact—minimizing electricity use, purchasing only the greenest electronics, instituting a recycling program—smaller changes are important, too. Buying eco-friendlier and recycled office supplies can help.
Most of us have a sense of why virgin paper has such a heavy impact—the harvested trees, the manufacture, the bleaching and dying, and eventually the staggering amount of paper that never gets recycled at the end of its useful life—adding more waste to our already overstuffed landfills. But have you ever considered what you’re writing with? By some estimates, more than 14 billion pencils are produced every year—many made from wood from ancient forests. Add to that the billions of pens, highlighters, crayons, and markers used in offices–and never recycled. That’s a lot of resources.
Are your office lights on all night long, when nobody's there?
Ask your office manager to switch to greener supplies, including recycled content notebooks and printer paper. These are widely available. Form a green committee to advise if need be.
Add reusable plates to the office kitchen—or at least paper plates and napkins containing recycled content.
Pens and pencils made from recycled materials can be purchased. There are also pencils manufactured from FSC-certified wood. Some pens only require refills rather than entirely new pens when they run out.
Remove extra weight from your car to increase fuel economy
Have a car? Do you also have certain objects that “live” in the car? Or ON the car? They’re weighing it down and reducing fuel economy. Today’s action encourages you to have a good look!
Thule makes great cargo carriers, easy to remove when you don't need them!
Most of us keep numerous items in our cars—trunks are handy little storage units!—and rarely consider the impact the extra weight our clutter has on gas mileage. According to the Department Of Energy, 100 pounds of extra weight in your trunk could reduce your gas mileage by 2 percent.
It’s not just what’s in your trunk, it’s what’s on top of your car. Those Yakima and Thule roof racks sure make you look outdoorsy, but they create serious drag, which will further reduce your gas mileage. According to Cartalk.com, an empty rack mounted on your vehicle can reduce your gas mileage by 5 percent. Other sources put that reduction as high as 12 percent!
Ultimately, a vehicle’s gas mileage is dependent upon many variables; some are out of your control while others are easily managed. Reducing the amount of weight inside of and on top of your car is completely in your control. You’ll use less gas, create fewer emissions, and save cash, too.
Once you've got your golf gear packed efficiently, you might forget to remove it! TY Planet9.com for the photo
Love this photo of Dad/junior & accompanying how-to article from SCJohnson at rightathome.com
Remove any extraneous stuff you have lying around in your car.
If you have a roof rack, only place it on your car when you need to haul something or are going on a trip. Take it off when you’re not using it.
To gild the lily and make sure your car is performing its best, make sure your tires are properly inflated.
Our most recent Twitter party was such a blast, with so many great comments and stupendous participation, that we want to share 2 minutes of the conversation with you. Literally, 2 minutes. Here we go with the Bonus question our moderator Elise Jones of @Mommybites posed at the tail end of the party — followed by 120 seconds of fast answers and links to more info on Practically Green.
(NOTE: For the full party transcript, which goes from 9pm EST on 2/28 and is still continuing, please find hashtag #PGLeapYear.)
10:00 P.M. EST Q7 What new efficient/healthy/sustainable routine are you ready to begin.. right now today! #PGLeapYear
10:00:01 to 10:02 P.M. EST, 2 minutes of answers:
Here’s how Practically Green can help, @LLLSummer: Walk to work regularly and Switch to a reusable water bottle
Walk or bike to do your regular errands
Plant containers for herbs or vegetables
Find out what food you buy regularly that contains artificial sweeteners
Replace bottled water with filtered water (tap or jug)
Try the Frugalista badge!!
Turn thermostat up by 4 degrees in warm weather
Try these “I Heart Organics” actions!
Walk or bike to do your regular errands
WHEW! That was 2 minutes!
Hope you’ll follow @practicallygrn and join us at the next Twitter bash — and please post your positive changes.
Buy a Pre-owned Car: 150 points!
Eyeing rising gasoline prices week to week, and thinking about CARS more than usual — and with the super memorable Cars.com Superbowl commercial still in our minds — we’re wondering about used/we mean pre-owned cars.
Why exactly are pre-owned vehicles such a green choice? And how would we go about finding a good one?
Cars.com brings out the Confident You, gets you ready to haggle an amazing deal with your local dealer
Car manufacturing is a resource and energy hog! So much so that—this might come as a surprise—buying a used relatively efficient car can be better for the environment than buying a new car. According to the sustainability engineer Pablo Päster it takes 113 million BTUs to make a new Prius. Only after 46,000 miles do the energy savings begin to catch up.
By opting to buy a previously owned vehicle, you avoid both the energy use and the resource consumption—not to mention the financial depreciation you get by just driving a new car off the lot. Keep an eye out for a used Prius when shopping; they’re pretty high on the sliding scale of green cars.
Found LOTS of used Priuses (prii?) within easy range, Cars.com
Used cars aren’t what they used to be. Many now come with warranties that last several years and thousands of miles, particularly if you buy from a dealer. And there are so many ways to pre-shop online before you test drive.
Hmm... located this Porsche 911 on CarMax.com... it looks ready for a test spin!
If you’re purchasing from a private party, keep in mind that while the original warranty will survive ownership change, you can’t get an extended warranty from an individual.
Once you’ve made a purchase, give your new-to-you car a deep cleaning with natural cleaning products. And don’t forget to make all accessories as green as possible. Look for PVC-free mats and skip the air freshener, which is actually an air polluter.
- EcoGeek.org: Is Keeping Your Old Car Better Than A Hybrid?
- Wired: Don’t Buy That New Prius! Test-Drive A Used Car Instead
- Bookmark This Site: CarFax.com
Buyer fraud protection tips from AutoTrader.com (partial list)
People who live in cities with stellar mass transit already know the benefits of going car-free: they’re trim, they have extra cash, they may have read a great novel during their commute — and they’ve probably got a bunch of PG points! Click here for 24 ideas on how to forego your car for transportation.
Today we focus on Walk or bike to do your regular errands: 50 points.
Live in the boonies? We know, this may not be the best action for you. On the other hand, you do lots of errands online and avoid using your car that way!
Think about how many times a week you pop out for groceries, a cup of coffee, or a trip to a local spot. If you’re hopping in your car each time, try walking or biking instead. It adds up. You’ll save money, reduce your environmental impact, plus get a little exercise and fresh air.
This spiffy shopping cart comes in orange and black, too. From Crate & Barrel
The more you choose to walk or bike, the greater the benefits to your wallet and the environment due to less fuel consumption. This extends the life of your car and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Serious incentive: a folding bike like this one from Montague
The Montague all folded up! In case you need to pop it in the trunk
You might not be able to walk or bike every time you run out of milk, but for weekly grocery runs and other activities that are easy to schedule in advance, it can work. The more you skip the car, the greater the benefits to you and the environment.
You might need a new pair of walking shoes! Nikes can be recycled; check out this post on how we did it: ow.ly/9ot1T
Detours says these bike panniers were made with the environment in mind. There's something just right about biking your groceries home in a pannier made from 100 recycled fruit juice pouches.
Check out what shops are in walking or biking distance from your home. If they have what you need, choose them over stores you have to drive to.
If they don’t, see if they’d be willing to stock what you’d like to buy. What could be simpler?
Hauling groceries and other heavy items can take a toll. Invest in a reusable shopping bag with wheels or a cart if you’re walking, or outfit your bike with the gear you need to comfortably carry what you’re purchasing.
You may need to take more than one trip. Think of the workout you’re getting!
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!
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!
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