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!
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?
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.
This past weekend the Big Apple prepared itself for the Green Shows at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Designers included United Bamboo, Bamboo by United Bamboo, Study NY by Tara St. James, H. Fredriksson, Luis Valenzuela, The Battalion, Anja, and Artists and Revolutionaries. These 8 designers are making clothing that is more sustainable for our world. Not to mention, they have such fabulous outfits!
Anja's hand knit Alpaca sweater with sage organic wool leggings. Certified organic & sustainable textiles used only. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
H. Frederickson 100% reclaimed wool coat. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
A Luis Valenzuela dress made from organic silk that was hand-dyed and hand-woven. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
These glamorous eco-luxury designers mostly create sustainable items using materials that are environmentally friendly! Many use eco-printing, local production pieces, fair trade practices, recycled/reclaimed fabrics, organic cotton, natural textiles, peace silk (cruelty-free silk), and various other practices that enable their collections to be eco-friendly and sustainable. Buying sustainable clothing allows you to earn 10 points on your Practically Green account. What do we mean by sustainable clothing? For us, it means clothing that is made from organic cotton or other natural materials.
The Battalion features a white poly faux fur top with organic black bamboo leggings on the bottom. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
Bamboo By United Bamboo's organic black wool sweater with organic white cotton romper (certified organic linens, hemp, and cotton). Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
Study NY's sweater top with 100% wool tweed pant. Wool can be a sustainable choice, but always check how it was grown & produced by reading the label. Courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen
Wearing what you already own, participating in clothing swaps, and shopping vintage when you want something new-to-you is as green as it gets. Inevitably the desire will strike for something truly new. Choosing organic cotton or other natural materials can drastically reduce the impact of what you buy.
According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, conventional cotton farming uses about 25 percent of the world’s insecticides and more than 10 percent of the pesticides. The pesticides used on cotton happen to be among the world’s worst: five of the nine most commonly used have been identified as possible human carcinogens. Others are known to damage the nervous system and are suspected of disrupting the body’s hormonal system. One widely quoted statistic is that it takes one-third of a pound of chemical pesticides to produce one conventional cotton t-shirt.
Manufacturing synthetic fabrics, including polyester, is an energy-intensive process that requires large amounts of crude oil and pollutes the air, which can cause or aggravate respiratory issues.
Beyond fabrics, other eco-concerns pepper the manufacturing chain: processing and washing are water-intensive; chemicals used to bleach and dye clothing harm our waterways; formaldehyde is used on permanent press fabrics; packaging and transportation take a toll.
Certified organic cotton is a solid alternative to conventional cotton and synthetic fabrics. For patterned or colored items, look into what kind of dyes are being used. Wool and hemp are also good choices, especially if they were sustainably raised/grown and produced. Always read the fine print.
To all those who didn’t know that you could be chic and green at the same time: these pictures are your proof! Why not strut your stuff in a stylish and sustainable way that makes a difference for the planet.
Pictures and information were primarily taken from Melissa Breyer’s article on Treehugger.com with photos courtesy of Amanda Silvana Coen.
With one week ’til Valentine’s Day, we’re launching the Date Night Sprint! Go for it! Sprinkle a bit of Sustainability into your V-Day plans, and this Date Night badge will pop up on your Practically Green dashboard:
Step 1: Make a reservation to Eat at a local, sustainable restaurant and/or a Dine Green certified restaurant
Dining out sustainably with your honey hits all 4 categories of impact: Energy, Health, Water, and Stuff. Plus, the DELICIOUS category!
Do a little research to find a restaurant that serves your kind of edibles–organic vegetables that haven’t been heavily sprayed with synthetic pesticides, meat from animals that weren’t raised on factory farms or administered hormones or antibiotics, and maybe some ecologically produced wine to wash it all down with.
Food isn’t the only thing that can give a restaurant a big old eco footprint. According to the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), the restaurant industry consumes a third of all U.S. energy used by the retail sector and the average food service facility uses 300,000 gallons of water per year. Couple this with the fact that Americans are said to eat 30 percent of their meals away from home, spending more than 40 percent of their food dollars at restaurants. Support restaurants taking steps to reduce their ecological footprint.
We can't stop smiling when you take us out to a fine restaurant that specializes in fresh seasonal cuisine! (Hint: Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley)
In Chicago? You are in luck! The DineGreen directory recommends the Bleeding Heart Bakery.... build a cake for your Valentine
For the past 20 years, the GRA has been working to create a more environmentally sustainable restaurant industry. They reward existing restaurants with points in seven environmental categories: water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical-pollution reduction. The GRA also provides restaurants with guidance, information, and solutions for becoming greener and more efficient.
Some of the cool requirements that must be fulfilled in order to become a Green Certified restaurant include: a full-scale recycling program, zero polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), and a total of 100 accumulated points.
Consult the Green Restaurant Association’s Dine Green restaurant directory to find Green Certified restaurants near you.
Note to Valentine: We'd say 'Yes, please!' to a dinner at dell-anima in NYC! Psst: If we say the words "DINE GREEN" to our server or bartender we'll receive a complimentary glass of Lambrusco!
Additional Resources:
- Local Harvest Restaurant Search
- EatWellGuide.org: Travel Map
- Planet Green: How To Find Restaurants That Use Organic And Local Food
- Bookmark This Site: OrganicKitchen.com
- Slow Food NYC
- PracticallyGreen.com: Special Dinner Out? Consult The Green Restaurant Association’s DineGreen Directory Of Eco-Healthy Chefs
Eating local when gardens are abundant is one thing, but what about eating local in Boise, Idaho in January? That’s exactly what two friends named Randi and Janet challenged themselves to do.
Janet: “I had a few goals going into this challenge, including a transition to healthier local food habits and reducing my recycling by focusing more on “pre-cycling.”
Randi: "I was in a sustainable frame of mind... I wanted to do something significant. Healthy for me, my family--and less impactful on the planet."
Practically Green: How did you ever decide to do this?
Randi: Janet and I had lunch in early December. We got the idea to develop a personal challenge for 2012 and support each other. I’d just completed a class at Northwest Earth Institute called “People, Place, and Planet,” so I was in a sustainable frame of mind… I wanted to do something to appreciate where food comes from, something that would be healthy for me, my family, and the environment. I was questioning excessive packaging and what really was available from local sources. I wanted to now begin to answer those questions, and better understand what was available organically, locally, especially this time of the year.
Janet: It’s one thing to eat local in Boise during the gardening season – and Randi and I both have vegetable gardens. But in the dead of winter? We decided to try it at an intense level for the month of January.
Randi and Janet did their homework in December. They interviewed local experts and researched local food offerings. They aligned their primary focus around foods/products locally grown and produced in Idaho, and they also included Oregon and Washington.
IdahoPreferred.com has this keyed map of local food sources; there's likely to be a similar resource for your region
PG: Any a-Ha moments?
Randi: One tip, set aside time on Sunday afternoon and cook for the week. Potatoes, legumes, hearty soups and stews.
Janet: Before the January challenge, I didn’t really enjoy cooking or planning meals. When we initially discussed the challenge in December, my hands were sweating at the thought of doing this challenge. I knew I needed to develop healthier habits around food, but prioritizing the time and making it happen seemed like a big undertaking. But to my surprise, there are many local options to choose from in Idaho. The transition was much easier than I anticipated and I actually do enjoy planning meals and cooking now. I also find I’m not wasting food (at the end of the week) by adopting easy strategies and investing this time. These are habits I’m carrying forward past January.
Randi: I was amazed at how wonderful this was from a community perspective. Everyone at our local farmer’s markets was so helpful, supportive and interested in what Janet and I were doing. Not only was it eye-opening and fun to discover the variety of delicious local food sources, it was enriching to meet the people behind them all. These connections and relationships will be ongoing. The other thing “that’s next” for me is to learn how to can, freeze, and preserve all the bounty from my husband’s organic garden this summer and fall… so we can enjoy during the winter months next year.
Janet: My family drinks a lot of milk. I calculated: we consume an average of 140 or 150 gallons a year. I recycle the plastic jugs, but one of my goals in doing this challenge is to also reduce the amount I’m recycling and focus on “pre-cycling,” i.e., eliminate the demand on resources before I use them. I’ve transitioned to now local milk bottle exchange and I have completely eliminated the need to recycle the plastic. It was so easy to make the transition and it’s another outcome I’ll continue moving forward too.
Mid-month they began craving organic strawberries; Janet started texting Randi, “I miss lettuce!”
It helps to have an enlightened food-services team at work: "HP Cafeteria board in Boise with some of our local farms & produce listed available in the cafeteria daily. The board is located just inside the entrance of the Cafeteria. It’s a great reference for considering options to everyone’s daily diet."
What’s next for these two? They’re thinking about a blog and we’re urging a cookbook. Enjoy their recipes below. We’ve included local sources for you Boise residents, and to inspire others to seek out Winter Farmers Markets and CSAs in their areas. (Community Supported Agriculture programs are hopping–even in winter in New England! See FarmFreshRI’s excellent directory, and You Go Wishing Stone Farm!).
Local find: Zursun Idaho Heirloom Beans
Note: Janet writes a blog as a result of her expedition to Antarctica last year. Go there for details on this January Local Expedition!
Get inspired! See all of Practically Green’s Locavore actions:
- Buy local produce seasonally
- Plant a vegetable garden
- Plant containers for herbs or vegetables
- Shop at a farmers’market
- Shop local businesses regularly
- Sign up for CSA (community supported agriculture)
- Use a sustainable caterer
Order Idaho White Cheddar from Ballard Cheese in Gooding, Idaho
Janet sourced tasty flour tortillas from Casa Valdez in Caldwell, Idaho
A few recipes/menu options from Janet and Randi:
– All-Idaho Breakfast or Lunch Burrito
- Local farm eggs, scrambled in CloverLeaf butter
- ½ Idaho potato, cubed, with diced Idaho onion (to taste) and sautéed in CloverLeaf butter til tender
- Applewood-smoked bacon, diced and sautéed from Porterhouse Market (optional)
- Shredded cheese from Ballard Farms
- Flour tortillas from Casa Valdez
Note: You can also add or substitute in your favorite legumes as well.
Place ingredients in center of slightly warmed flour tortilla and fold to make burrito. Further warm in low-heat oven (wrapped in foil) or in microwave (not wrapped in foil).
Ingredient sources: Local eggs: fairly plentiful here; I bought mine at Stonehenge Produce. CloverLeaf butter: Buhl, ID. Potato: same as eggs; Idaho potatoes are in every major grocery store here. Applewood smoked bacon: purchased in Eagle, ID at Porterhouse Market. Cheese: Ballard Farms, Gooding, ID. Casa Valdez tortillas: Caldwell, ID. Legumes: Boise Co-op and Stonehenge Produce
– Quick Flavorful Favorites…
Local Butternut squash (cooked, 1-inch slices). Squash purchased from Capital City Farmer’s Market (Boise) in November. Preparation Note: Peel, cut in half length-wise and bake for 40 minutes on 300 (or until tender). Slice in 1-inch pieces. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator to reheat for healthy snacks during the week.
Large bowl of local Fuji apples for easy family access. Fortress Brand from Fruitland, ID. Purchased from Stonehenge Produce (Boise)
Toasted local potato bread, Zacca Red Pepper Hummus (spread) and top with Purple Sage Herb Farm fresh basil. Hummus and Basil: both local and purchased at the Boise Co-op.
Potatoes aren't the only tasty item on Idaho's menu in January!
All Idaho Breakfast – French Toast
- Potato Bread from Café de Paris (local bakery)
- Local farm eggs
- Local red potatoes
- Idaho Huckleberry Syrup
- Cloverleaf Butter and Milk
- Lavender pepper
- Applewood smoked bacon (optional)
- Apple slices
Mmmm... bet Dorothy's wild Huckleberry Syrup is delish
Ingredient sources: Local farm eggs: Stonehenge Produce, Boise, ID. CloverLeaf butter and milk: Buhl, ID (available through Stonehenge Produce in Boise). Lavender Pepper: Starlight Brand from Star, ID. Purchased at Porterhouse Market Eagle, ID. Potato: same as eggs; Idaho potatoes are in every major grocery store here. Applewood smoked bacon: purchased in Eagle, ID at Porterhouse Market. Apples: purchased at Stonehenge Produce, Fortress Brand from Fruitland, ID. Huckleberry Syrup: Homemade by Dorothy brand, Boise, ID purchased at the Boise Co-op.
Superbowl Sunday promises to be a spectacular event this year. Practically Green offers 20 ideas worth a total of 360 points to make your Tailgate Party greener and more fun!
Giants vs. Patriots: Superbowl XLVI (nfl.com)
While the real action is on the field, think of the following as your very own game; the more actions you take, the more points you earn. Enlist your friends to do the same and get a friendly competition going. If we all take some of the actions below, we’re in for a great season where we’re all winners. Go Team Green!
We admit it! Obsessed with SustyParty’s compostable plates and bowls. Order in your team’s colors & toss into the compost without even scraping the food off!
Go Waste Free
Pack your own reusable plates, water bottles, glassware, and utensils: 20 points!
BYO cloth napkins or PeopleTowels: 20 points!
Or use recycled paper napkins and you’ll still get 10 points.
People Towels: We think Coach Belichick would go for the heart tree! Coach Coughlin: "Dream Green"?
Drink And Eat Sustainably
Fill your (reusable) bowl with organic or at least more natural chips and snacks, snag 10 points.
Drink wisely – celebrate touchdowns with organic and/or local beer (10 points), hydrate with filtered tap water in a reusable bottle (10 points), and stay awake and warm with organic coffee (20 points). You winos want to look for eco-friendly wine (20 points). Jack your score by 10 more points when you recycle the corks — and add a big 50 when you recycle the bottles!
Whew! Is it half time yet? If you’ve done ALL of those actions, you’ve got 180 POINTS already!
More:
Fire up your grill with eco-friendlier briquettes (10 points) and cook up some sustainably raised meat (another whopping 50 points!) and/or organic veggies (50 more!). Who knew eating guacamole could be SO extra-green?
Southwestern Layered Bean Dip: one of a zillion drooly ideas on EatingWell's special Superbowl recipe collection
If you’re a sausage fan, definitely throw some of Applegate Farms’ organic hot dogs (10 points) on the grill. Do you have a solar-powered grill/oven? Our friends Corey and Lynn of Celebrate Green swear by them — they’ve got another 20 points each!
Applegate Farms cheezy bacon organic hotdog: Yes, please!
Clean Consciously
Before you chow down, clean your hands with a natural hand sanitizer or hand soap and score another 10 points.
When the game is over, recycle everything in sight. We already mentioned bottles; beer cans count for another 20 points!
Wipe up spills and degrease the grill with a natural all-purpose cleaner for 10 points, not to mention reduced air pollution.
That’s a total of 360 points! Sounds like a nice round number to us. How’d you do? If you’ve got more ways to Green up Superbowl Sunday, please post them or drop us a line. (Hmmm, maybe Practically Green should give points for suggesting new actions?)
Not everyone can win a fancy Superbowl ring, but we can ALL be Practically Green!
What’s with all the plastic bags caught in trees and bushes lately?
Why not recycle them instead?
(Why not bring reusable shopping bags and stop using these altogether, as many places now require…. Seattle, Long Beach, San Francisco, Washington, Hawaii, New Delhi, Italy, France, China, Tanzania….)
From an illustration by Ben Katchor for "Bags in Trees" in The New Yorker, Jan. 12, 2004
Nearly 1 million bags are used each minute worldwide. Recycling rates of plastic bags hover near 10 percent (only about a third of paper bag recycling). Suffice it to say that we have a long way to go to reduce the number of plastic bags that are thrown in the trash and wind up in our waterways as well as our overstuffed landfills.
In 2010, D.C. businesses began seeing a drastic reduction in bag usage; environmental clean-up groups witnessed fewer bags polluting regional waterways
Unfortunately many curbside recycling programs don’t currently accept plastic bags. If this is the case where you live, seek out a grocery or retail store near you that will accept them for recycling. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to recycle them curbside, make sure your bags are properly secured within the bin. They won’t get recycled if they blow away.
Reduce the amount of plastic bags you need to recycle by not taking them at stores in the first place—use a reusable bag instead. You can even bring reusable produce bags to go inside your shopping bags! Reusing the plastic bags you do have stretches the considerable resources that went into making them.
Our friends at Blue Avocado ease the switch BYO bags, with zippy design & a passion for reducing plastic bag waste.
Check with your town or municipality to see if they recycle plastic bags. If they don’t, ask them to start.
Look online to find a store that accepts plastic bags for recycling near where you live. Double check to see what kind of plastic your bags are; some stores only take back plastic #2 and #4 bags. See if they take produce bags as well as shopping bags.
Keep in mind these guidelines from Waste Management:
Clean plastic bags are accepted in recycling containers at many grocery stores. However:
- Plastic bags are a major cause of litter and waste. It is much better to use a durable shopping bag.
- Plastic bags cause litter, slow sorting and jam machinery at recycling centers. Empty recyclables out of bags and boxes, and put them loose in recycling containers so that they can be easily identified and sorted.
From SimpleHuman: Mount this slim profile storage bin in pantry, under sink, or on wall to keep plastic bags organized & at the ready.
Earth911 makes it super easy to find a plastic-bag recycling drop-off.
At Earth911, choose an item, type your ZIP code...
… and presto! You get info on where to go and how to get there.
Or visit PlasticBagRecycling.org.
We’re not the only ones who see bags in trees everywhere; check out Beth Terry’s blog My Plastic-Free Life, or Windy, the story of the plastic bag caught in a Pennsylvania tree in 2008 (and disappeared during the freak snowstorm of October 2011).
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.
Avoid idling your car. We know: It’s cold, you’re waiting to pick someone up, they’re late, and you don’t want to turn off the car and get out, or you can’t park it, or both.
Credit: Slate.com
Sometimes it seems easier to sit in that car with the motor on. But the next time you’re tempted to idle, keep this action in mind. That’s all we ask: avoid idling. Not: don’t idle your car under any circumstances! Simply think twice about it, even if you don’t own a car but use one sometimes. Even if you ride in a taxi or an airport shuttle occasionally—and, for example, you notice the driver has the engine running in seasonable weather, with his window open. This way, you’re informed. And you can add 20 points to your score!
Of course, if you have an electric car you can idle all you want. Right?
No gas: no fumes! Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept
Idling is a common—and unfortunate—practice among drivers, although there is little evidence that it has any benefit. Some people claim that idling in the winter is good for warming up your vehicle, but gently driving your vehicle will warm up it up much faster than letting it idle.
Others claim that it takes more fuel to start your vehicle than to let it idle for a minute. This is a myth; according to the Department of Energy, the fuel used to start your vehicle is equivalent to amount of fuel your vehicle uses when it idles for a few seconds. When your vehicle idles, it gets zero miles per gallon.
Idling also pollutes. There are schools that have adopted idle-free zones for dropping-off or picking-up kids so they won’t be inhaling that much exhaust—both inside and outside idling vehicles.
Did you know that children breathe in twice as much air for their body weight as adults? Here's a sign that's available from the Portland (Oregon) department of transportation.
In London, a new campaign urges drivers to 'make a small switch' to help deliver cleaner, healthier air... see www.tfl.gov.uk
Reduce unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions by turning off your car if you’re going to be stopped for more than ten seconds.
During winter, try idling for ten seconds, then start gently driving to your destination.
Consider asking your school or local business district to adopt an idle-free zone.
Who doesn’t want to save money? Here’s a great way to do it with sustainability in mind: join Practically Green’s Frugalista Sprint! Starting today and through the end of the month, we’re checking off actions for the Frugalista badge. Frugalista badge? Yes, it’s that adorable little pink pig that you see on your PG dashboard when you’ve completed 25 of these actions!
The Frugalista badge rewards you for taking actions that save money while promoting a healthy green life. Some are beyond easy and others require an up front investment, but all will save you money in the long term.
Today’s action: Switch to cloth napkins at home regularly. Frankly this couldn’t be easier. We’re invetrate cloth napkin users and we’ve peppered this post with great suggestions on how to embrace cloth napkins at your house. You could use a favorite old shirt (clean!) as a napkin. More ideas—including why it’s worth the bother—right here:
Using cloth napkins that you wash and reuse instead of paper napkins that you use once and throw away saves natural resources (trees!) and helps minimize the amount of garbage you contribute to landfills. Science backs up this common sense choice: in a life-cycle assessment (this is a technique for assessing the environmental aspects and potential impacts of a product or process) of cloth versus paper napkins, Treehugger’s Pablo Paster declared cloth the winner with about ½ the total impact.
Set of 6 linen napkins with a different gentle admonishment on each... irresistible! From Etsy.
May we suggest: "No texting at the table"?
The same assessment found linen to be more eco-friendly than cotton, in terms of both energy and water used. Any way you look at it, reusable napkins beat paper hands down. If the cloth napkins happen to be linen, vintage, or organic cotton, so much the better. Bonus: cloth makes for a prettier table.
Would you like to have a handy napkin for picnics & take-out? Try PeopleTowels! Choose from dozens of fab designs on derrière-soft organic cotton.
Prowl eBay if your Grammy didn't give you elegant linen napkins.... these transform your table, easy to launder when you line dry!
Pull out those cloth napkins that sit in a drawer waiting for special occasions and put them to use every day. Don’t have any? Stock up. You may need more napkins than you think if you use them regularly.
PG Tip: Assign everyone in the family their own very special napkin ring.... that way they keep track of their cloth napkin all week long!
To use the least amount of cloth napkins as well as laundry, assign each family member a napkin ring. That way you will know whose is whose. Have everyone hold onto his or her napkin until it truly needs a wash or to the end of the week.
Wash napkins in cold water with other clothes so the load is full.
Why is Eating a Vegetarian Diet worth a whopping 200 points on Practically Green?
Why is this a super-score action, as impactful as Sell a car and don’t replace it and Buy a pre-owned home instead of building new? Eating your veggies is good for your innards, and it’s usually great for your wallet―you know this already―unless your idea of veggies is truffles (see photo please) and Gianduja at Le Bernadin. Here’s why it’s also a top action for Sustainability.
A favorite veggy recipe: White Truffle Grilled Cheese (you only need a drop of truffle oil!); TY Food52 & KarmaCucina
Remember, you’re in charge! You can ease away from your juicy sirloin habit just one day a week, or decide to eat meat only on weekends.
Mark Bittman: "In the USA we eat almost 10 billion chickens, pigs, cows, turkeys each year. And that’s just us! That kind of settled it.... with the Food Matters Cookbook I’ve proven to myself (and hopefully to all who cook from it) that {it} doesn’t feel like a sacrifice & leads to incredibly inventive, delicious food.
A vegetarian diet is an environmentally friendly one. The conventional production of meat–from feed to slaughter to transport—is energy intensive. By not eating meat, you basically eliminate that entire footprint from your personal consumption.
Not all cows are for eating... these Brown Swiss beauties at Shelburne Farms help make award-winning cheddar
The global demand for meat has risen dramatically in the past few decades, leading to an increase in factory farms. The average family of four consumes between 500 to 800 pounds of meat yearly. This kind of mass production consumes enormous amounts of energy, pollutes the air and waterways, and requires increasing amounts of corn, soy, and other grains—often genetically modified and intensively sprayed with pesticides. This has led to the destruction of vast plots of the world’s tropical rain forests. There are many studies comparing vegetarian and meat-based diets. One often quoted stat: a meal of fruits, vegetables, and grains generates 24 times less greenhouse gas emissions than 6 ounces of conventionally raised beef.
Get inspired with tasty veggy recipes at EatingWell.com, like Elise's Sesame Noodles!
If you’re eating conventionally produced dairy, you’re still involved with the factory farm system. Dairy from local, pastured animals—preferably organic–will have a lighter footprint.
The health benefits of being vegetarian depend largely on what you eat–processed packaged foods don’t have the same nutrients as whole foods. There has been some concern about the health effects of highly processed soy. Also, for people interested in eating local foods, soy might not be grown locally.
There is no single type of vegetarian. A classic vegetarian avoids eating animals, even fish, but there are certainly vegetarians who maintain a bacon or a chicken exception.
- Scientific American: How Meat Contributes to Global Warming
- Greenbiz.com: A Meat Eater’s Guide for Easing Climate Change Impacts
- The Guardian: Eat Less Meat/Dairy Diet?
- Practically Green: Vegetarian Cooking And Eating–Try The Weekday Veg Plan With Spring Pesto
- ADA Journal: Production Of Red Meat Should Be Curbed In Order To Conserve Natural Resources
- Bookmark This Site: HappyCow.net
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Effects Of Soy On Health Outcomes
The eagerly awaited update on this classic has easy-to-read tables, figures, menus & food guides to help you determine how to meet your daily nutritional requirements. The book also suggests what plant-based dietary components and factors play active roles in both prevention & treatment of chronic illnesses.
Sometimes it’s handy to buy a bottle of water, especially if you’re traveling, especially if drinking water is sketchy. We know. But for most of the time, it makes sense to establish another routine: Replace bottled water with filtered water. Once you read this explanation, you’ll probably agree.
Water bottle with built-in filter, from Brita
By switching to filtered water or just plain tap water, you can save significant amounts of money, natural resources, and avoid a huge source of waste. Americans drink 21 gallons of bottled water per capita per year and it’s not a cheap habit. Water costs 240 to 10,000 times more than tap water.
In terms of resources, supplying Americans with plastic water bottles for one year consumes more than 47 million gallons of oil. That’s enough to take 100,000 cars off the road and 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, according to the Container Recycling Institute. And only ~30% of water bottles are recycled.
Bottled water is not necessarily safer than your tap water. Municipal tap water is tested much more rigorously than bottled water. An investigation of 10 brands by the Environmental Working Group found that several ranked the same as municipal tap water, and several were worse. Unless you have a special health concern, tap water is likely to be just as safe.
Want one in every color! Each pitcher holds 10 8 oz units of filterable H2O. Perfect for home, office, or dorm. Brita Grand
If you like the taste of your town water, then get a few jugs and cool it in the refrigerator.
Posh Chez Panisse restaurant serves filtered tap water & house-aerated sparkling water in lieu of bottled water...You can too! Use repurposed clear wine bottles (soak off label) as water carafes; just fill w/ cold water. (Thank you, Remodelista)
PUR 3-stage faucet mount
If you want to filter it for taste or to get out an impurities, decide whether you want to go with a filtered pitcher or add a filter to the faucet or system.
Multi-Pure Stainless Steel Countertop Water Filter
Multi-Pure: This stainless-steel model sits on counter next to the sink & is connected to your existing faucet. Filter life: 750 gallons.
How long do you typically spend in the shower? Is 5 minutes enough time to get cleaned up? Read on. We know of a few gadgets and even a bunch of songs that can make this an easy switch. And at 20 points, this action is obviously one worth bothering about.
Grohe's WaterCare program recommends 4-minute showers! So 5 minutes is LONG!
Taking shorter showers is an easy way to significantly reduce your water usage. The average shower length in America is approximately eight minutes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, standard pre 1992 showerheads use over five gallons of water per minute, while standard post 1992 showerheads and low flow showerheads average one and a half to two and a half gallons per minute.
By cutting your shower time to five minutes, you’ll effectively save five to fifteen gallons per shower. This can add up to thousands of gallons saved per year for just one person. Get the whole family involved and you’re like a team of water warriors.
PG Tip: Organic Cotton Spa Robe like these ones from Pottery Barn will help you shorten your shower time!
Efficient water use allows more to remain in the ground or in a reservoir, which in turn helps maintain a healthier ecosystem by supporting wildlife and preserving H20 for future use. Even if you live in a place where it rains a lot, there may be a drought. At least 36 states expect shortages in the next five years.
Taking shorter showers will also save you money on water, heating, and sewer bills.
Cuddledown has organic cotton Turkish towels: reward for your shorter showers!
Keep track of your shower time. Set your watch alarm, use a kitchen timer, listen to two songs on the radio, or install a shower timer. Up the ante by turning the shower off while you shave, shampoo, or soap up.
FloWise® showerhead from American Standard
Some devices automatically shut off the water after five minutes and won’t allow it back on for a set period of time. No cheating allowed.
To save more H20, don’t shower daily if you don’t need to.
Free shower app: Set your time, choose a wake-up or chill-out song, and presto!
Unilever Shower Ballad Unilever’s clever–and free–tool helps keep showers short. Visit their Facebook page, select your target shower time and music preference–wake up or chill out–and they’ll find your song. Press play and “sing yourself to a greener clean” until the music stops and time is up.
Five Minute Shower Timer This shower timer keeps it simple–and battery-free! Simply stick it to the wall, flip the hour glass, and when the all the sand slips through, your five minutes are up. Word is though that the suction function is not that reliable, so you might need to get crafty.
Water Droplet Shower Timer This digital shower timer is battery operated and beeps when your set time is up. The manufacturer says the strong suction cup will hold fast to any non-porous surface in your bathroom even the shower since it is steam and water proof.
Ripple: Tested by active kids to withstand everyday usage. Choose from Yellow Duck, Green House, Blue Star or Happy Turtle.
Ripple Water Saving Timers Get the kids in on the short shower wave with these fun, practical shower times. The water proof digital shower timer sticks to the wall and displays a real time clock with an easy-to-program count down timer that beeps when shower time is up.
Envirosax 4 Minute Timer Keep it simple with this basic hourglass timer–sands take four minutes to run their course, so your shower should follow suit. Bonus! With any Graphic Series Pouch, Envirosax will throw in a free timer to help encourage households to conserve water and energy.
Envirosax is a line of chic reusable shopping bags. When you order from the Graphic Series, founders Belinda & Mark David-Tooze will send you this free timer!
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.
Getting ready for some serious year-end partying? Consider using biodegradable or recycled tableware!
No matter what you’re celebrating, you can kiss goodbye the cheezy paper party supplies. SustyParty has amazing hand-stamped and colorful compostable plates and cups, just in time for your year-end bashes.
Every once in a while, reusable plates are truly not an option. Unless you have a lot of like-minded guests who would be happy to BYO table settings (a rare but fantastic group of people!), the next best option is to look for party goods made of recycled plastics or bio-based materials. Choosing either minimizes waste as well as the consumption of fossil fuels, a non-renewable resource.
Compostable hand-stamped star cup made of sugarcane bagasse
Heart cups “These babies are also tough: microwave, freeze or put boiling liquid on 'em”
Jessica Doubilet and Emily Holsey met each other at a party (where else) in New York, and they’ve teamed up on a terrific inventory of cool party products that won’t add stress to groaning landfills.
“We wanted to bring FUN to sustainability.”
Plates are compostable & recyclable. Colored w/ natural dyes. Made of tapioca, potato, and grass.
At the end of the day, we ask ourselves: Will this product be good for the environment, the people who made it, and the people who will use it? We also screen our products for these specific standards.
Organic party crown is machine washable, comes w/ a pack of attachable felt shapes: critters (see fish in photo), flowers and numbers 0-9. Update age year after year!
All products must meet at least three of these attributes: renewable (made from a renewable resource); compostable (it biodegrades in 180 days); recycled (made from mostly recycled content); regulated (3rd party verifications and certifications such as Fair Trade or B Corp or Cradle to Cradle); green energy (produced by green energy); made in the USA; durable; non-toxic; artisanal producer.
Shop by color, theme, category, or material
Picture one of these non-toxic, biodegradable straws in your next peach rum colada!
Watch for an expanded product line in 2012 (hint: wedding) and check out their blog for updates; join SustyParty on Facebookand follow them @sustyparty.
P.S. Don’t forget to recycle the corks!
And click here for a quick reminder of 11 sustainable party tips:
Perfect timing: just when we were beginning to obsess about all the egregious waste and outright landfill tossing that happens at this time of the year, along comes Robin Freedman with her tips on Waste Management for the Holidays:
Robin Freedman
“If each of us took a few small steps to reduce the waste we produce or increase the amount of materials we recycle during the holidays, we’d save a large amount of materials, energy and landfill space. There’s tons of ways to cut back on waste at this time of the year, or in any season!”
Robin works for Waste Management, headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. It’s the largest “environmental services provider” in North America, so they know a thing or two about trash. WM looks at waste as a resource, focuses on how to turn around materials in the waste stream, and finds ingenious ways to repurpose waste – into new materials, as energy, and via conversion technologies. Here are her ideas for bringing waste management to your life, with links to Practically Green so you can watch these actions contribute to your score.
1) Composting can reduce the amount of organic waste produced in the home. Holiday meal preparation can generate a large amount of potato peels, fruit rinds, coffee grinds, other vegetable waste and eggshells, that can all be composted. A new compost bin filled with homemade treats can make a great gift for those looking to take recycling to the next level.
2) If you have a fresh tree, garland or wreaths, be sure to recycle them when the holidays are over. Check Earth911’s Christmas tree recycling center for local tree collection and recycling opportunities.
3) If getting your holiday decorations out of storage makes you ask yourself where you’ll find space to put them away in January, maybe it is time to clean out the attic or basement. Before you throw things away, consider whether an item still has a service life and is acceptable for donation to an organization such as the local Value Village or Goodwill Services.
4) Thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags end up in landfills every year. Reduce the number of bags thrown out by bringing reusable cloth bags for holiday gift shopping. Tell store clerks you don’t need a bag for small or oversized purchases.
5) When packaging gifts, consider reduced or no-waste wrapping options. Put a reusable bow on the gift; place the gift in a reusable bag such as a backpack or purse; or package small, themed gifts in a larger item – such as plates or tableware in placemats or a tablecloth or kitchen utensils in an apron or decorative dishtowel. Also, you can use last year’s wrapping as packaging material.
6) Make your own wrapping paper by using old maps, posters or pages from the newspaper or magazines. Recycled-content wrapping paper is also available. Save bags and bows to use again and be sure to recycle the newspapers or brown paper shopping bags after the gift is opened, or use it for padding when shipping gifts.
7) Consider giving no-waste gifts, such as music or sports lessons, memberships to a gym, the philharmonic or a museum, favors like babysitting or tickets to a sporting event or concert. Find out the gift recipient’s favorite charity and make a donation in his or her honor, or commit to volunteering with that organization.
With a little imagination and commitment, we can use this holiday season to create new traditions that help preserve the environment. For more information about Waste Management’s comprehensive list of recycling services, visit www.thinkgreenfromhome.com.
Truck picks up the Bagster, literally!
P.S. if you’re still looking for a very special gift for that certain someone, consider a Bagster – WM’s Dumpster in a Bag! It’s a 4’ x 2’ x 8’ collection bag, perfect for the DIY guy or gal on your list. Why’s it green? It takes the place of a metal dumpster, which has to be fetched off your premises one at a time; a truck can haul off 12 Bagsters in a single trip for proper disposal. Find out more at Bagster’s thriving Facebook page.
Searching for a way to say I love you, I really really love you?
As in, I really love you enough to stop texting and actually make you something? Even if I’m not a world-class artist?
Solution! Make a homemade card instead of buying a new one
String of lights is sewn across these cards; each light is cut from a magazine. Found on Etsy.com
Who doesn’t love receiving a homemade card? Not only do they really show someone you care, but also making cards by reusing paper and materials you already have around the house reduces the consumption of natural resources. You’ll save money, too.
Cookie cutter cards seen on MarthaStewart.com
While there are eco-friendlier greeting cards on the market, making them involves manufacturing emissions as well as the impact of transporting the cards from factories to stores—even if they’re printed with the best possible ink on 100 percent recycled-content and/or FSC-certified paper. DIY cards made from recycled scraps have a much lower footprint. 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.
These Holiday Santa cards at Etsy.com are made of upcycled napkins
Get creative. If you’re not, never fear, there is plenty of inspiration to be had online. The only thing to avoid is buying new materials to make your cards. That defeats the purpose!
Try taking paper you’ve only used on one side and decorating over the printed part. Use that stash of old greeting cards you might already have lying around. The recycling bin is a great source for images, letters, and photographs—from magazines, catalogs, kids’ drawings, and newspapers. Cut and paste these onto your card.
Special scissors create cute mini cards on Etsy.com
Buttons, beads, glitter, and more give any card pizzazz. Or head to the yard for leaves, flowers, and feathers.
If you’re an artist—or live with a young budding one—drawing and painting pictures and designs is always nice, especially with eco-friendly paint.
Here are a few of our Useful Links – for the full list, click to the PG action page!
Making-Handmade-Cards.com: Card Making Ideas
Treehugger.com: Does Green Greeting Cards Mean E-Greeting Cards?
Do you have a product or link to recommend? (Wink wink to @EcoKaren of EcoEtsy… ) Please do!
Guess how many Christmas trees are cut down and decorated for the season — in hotel lobbies, nursing homes, reception areas, and living rooms across the world? An estimated 25-30 million Christmas trees are sold every year in the US alone. And what happens to all these trees on December 26th? Like so many questions of eco-friendliness, the Christmas-tree one encourages thinking about the life cycle of things: For each item we use, where did it come from, how did it reach us — and what becomes of it once we’re finished? (For more on life-cycle assessment, we recommend reading Cradle to Cradle, one of our most dog-eared books ever, by architect/visionary Bill McDonough.)
Balsam Hill artificial tree
Are artificial trees greener because they’re used year after year? Or do fake trees use harmful elements in their manufacturing process?
This tree from Balsam Hill looks so real, right? Choose Aspen Estate Fir with faux wooden trunk, Colorado Mountain Spruce, or from a dozen other choices; decide height 6 – 30 feet tall, prestrung with LED twinklers. In cramped space? Consider the flatback model. Even order branch samples if you like! We can appreciate their no-shed, low-maintenance practicality on a TV set — but what’s the admire the True Needle ™ foliage, but what are they actually made of? Plastic? What type? Recycled plastic? (There’s no info on site, and the customer service number was busy when we called….)
Flatback tree saves space
Is it greenest of all to purchase a potted tree that can be planted after the holidays? Practically Green says Yes! Use a live Christmas tree. Treehugger.com’s Ask Pablo columnist tackled this conundrum:
…from a carbon emissions standpoint, a live tree cut from a tree farm (where it is replaced), and then composted was greener than a fake tree. That said, he contended that if you hike out into the woods and cut a tree yearly and do not replace it, then the fake tree is the way to go.
The greenest Christmas tree is actually a third option: a potted living tree you plant outside after the festivities. It will continuously absorb carbon long after it’s holiday decorations are removed. And it requires none of the resources used to manufacture and then ship an artificial tree. It’s also a lot better looking.
A potted tree that can happily grow for decades is ideal, but we realize this is not a practical solution for everyone.
Size: A live tree is heavier than a cut one, because of the root system, and the tree portion is likely to be smaller than you might expect. The folks at Rockefeller Center would have a terrible time finding a large-enough pot for their tree, which is 74 feet tall this year. Transporting immense trees from their native forests to their December habitat is a mindboggling carbon-footprint calculation; imagine adding a massive root ball to the equation?
Xmas tree at Rockefeller Center, a 74-foot-tall Norway spruce decorated with 5 miles of lights (30,000 LED bulbs) & will be turned into lumber for Habitat for Humanity after the holidays.
Our 2010 tree grew 8" taller in one year
Planning ahead. Planting a live tree after the holidays is one good solution, but it requires planning: you have to prepare a hole in your yard (if you live north, dig in advance of frost) or arrange to donate the live tree to a park or school nearby that wants it. Call city hall to find out.
Timing. You can’t bring a live potted evergreen indoors for more than a few days before it begins to suffer from the raised temperatures.
What to do with your cut tree after Christmas has come and gone? Some alternatives:
Mulch. Many towns and cities offer a free mulch program for spent trees, and some even pick up the trees curbside. At Dunbar Cave State Park in Tennessee, about 1,000 recycled Christmas Trees get mulched for use on hiking trails every year.
Power. Residents of Burlington, Vermont, can drop off their trees to be chipped and burned to generate electricity for area power companies.
Dunes. Other municipalities organize projects to use trees for erosion protection. We’ve heard of these efforts in Louisiana, Alabama, the New Jersey shore. The Rockefeller tree is destined to be used as lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
Some 20,000 trees help create a stretch of dunes, 4-9 feet high, along the mile-long oceanfront in Bradley Beach, NJ
Habitat. The Heron Rookery at Baker’s Lake reuses Christmas Trees as nesting materials.
Illinois: Telephone poles, Christmas trees & 1,300 birds. Photo, Robert Sliwinski
Here’s a state-by-state directory of tree-recycling alternatives.
**** Season’s Greetings to one and all! ****
It was very thoughtful of the Wall Street Journal to include a big piece of wrapping paper in its gift guide this weekend.
Full page, 4-color gift wrap: delightful!
Here’s how it looked once I cut it out of the newspaper:
And after wrapping a present!
A decent ribbon helps...
This got me thinking about all the other ways to Wrap a gift using used wrapping paper, boxes, bows, ribbons.
- Snip up a discarded piece of clothing (clean, of course). I’ve found this is an extra-special surprise when the recipient used to wear the item him or herself! The example below was saved from last year – complete with one end still taped in place.
- Leaf through magazines and catalogues destined for the recycle bin or (gasp) the landfill. Our top publishers and ad agencies spend a fortune to make these glossy photos look great; why on earth not use them to wrap presents? (In photo, the two packages next to the small blue box w/ green tie.)
- If you’ve remodeled lately, or if you have an architect nearby, you’ve got access to fascinating white-and-black wrapping paper. Use a bright ribbon to tart it up. (Example below has fresh springs in the bow knot.)
- Maps and nautical charts.
- Paper shopping bags with cool designs.
- Tissue paper from your (we hope eco-friendly) dry-cleaner.
Front, L to R: hubby's shirt, nytimes.com magazine, WSJ; Rear, L to R: recycled building plans, blue box from UncommonGoods, Vanity Fair mag
How’s that for a start? (Don’t tell me you’re already done with your kris kringling!) And what are your eco-gift wrapping tips?
Back to top
