Author: Stephanie Kling

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Eco Tips Featured

How to Green Your Easter Baskets

With Easter right around the corner, store shelves are lined with baskets covered in cellophane and packaged with disposable toys and candy galore. If you are looking for something that is a little more environmentally friendly this year check out these tips!

Green Your Easter Basket

Before rushing to the store to buy an Easter basket, why not stop at your local thrift shop? There are always tons of Easter baskets waiting on the shelf ready to go to a good home. When you buy a used Easter basket it helps keep them out of landfills and helps reduce the impact on the environment. There are also things around the house you can use to make an Easter basket (for example you can make a bunny out of a recycled milk jug).

Green Your Easter Grass

The green plastic Easter grass found in a lot of Easter baskets are normally made from petroleum and generates a lot of emission and landfill waste every year. To help reduce your carbon footprint try to reuse the grass you have from last Easter. If you didn’t keep last year’s Easter grass you can line the basket with paper from your shredder (green is the best).  If you don’t have a shredder handy, try the office or a friend as well! When you are done with the paper lining you can put it outside in your compost bin or recycle it!

Green Your Chocolate

Try to buy local chocolate. If you don’t have any local chocolate stores at least try to find the Fair Trade seal of approval on the chocolate goodies. If you are going to buy chocolates, buy in bulk to help reduce the amount of packaging used. Instead of buying all the sweets, make them yourself!

Green Your Goodies

Instead of buying plastic toys that are bound to break and need to be replaced, try and put reusable toys or activities in the Easter basket. Items like puzzles, board games, and playing cards can be reused for years to come. Even better put some gloves, a gardening shovel, and some planting seeds (make sure to check what can be grown in your area this time of year.) We are sure you are going to be planting those seeds early Sunday morning!

Check out our Pinterest page for great Easter ideas!

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Featured Gadgets & Gear

The Good and Bad of Air Purifiers

Spring time is here again and so is seasonal allergies! Coughing, sniffling, stuffy nose, watery eyes and other symptoms making it hard to sleep and be comfortable at home? You need to get an air purifier. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America almost 19 million Americans have been diagnosed with allergies. Many people with allergies take medications, avoid allergens or use air purifiers. But do air purifiers really work and if they do what kind should you buy?

What is an Allergy?  Having an allergy means your immune system tends to adversely respond to a specific protein in your environment. “These proteins, otherwise known as allergens, can cause skin or respiratory problems in otherwise healthy people. An allergic reaction can manifest itself as an itching of the skin, a swelling of your nasal and lung passages, wheezing, anaphylactic shock and death”.  An air purifier will not work for food, drug or skin allergies; but, it can help with hay fever, asthma, allergic rhinitis and allergies to pollens, dust mites, mold and pets.

Which ones work? Some of the most effective air purifiers on the market for allergies and asthma are HEPA filtration systems. You can use a HEPA filter system in your furnace or attach it to an HVAC unit, which circulates air throughout your home. Portable, room-sized HEPA filtration systems are also convenient for the office. The downside is these purifiers can run you anywhere from $50 to $200 dollars and don’t forget about the replacement filters too!

Some other options. For those with asthma and allergies, the Austin Healthcare Mate has a carbon filter and two pre-filter, which do not need to be changed for three to five years. The IQ Air HealthPro Plus features a hyper HEPA filter that can trap particles smaller than 0.3 microns; however, the filters need to be changed every six to 18 months. Finally, the BlueAir 403 air purifier captures 99.97 percent of 0.1 micron particles, and works more quietly than the other brands (Fidler).

Which air purifiers to avoid? Although electrostatic air filters clean the air in your home, they tend to produce ozone, which has been shown through Consumer Reports testing to irritate lungs and actually make asthma and allergies worse (and it’s bad for the environment too)!  The report claims that the ozone can mix with chemicals in home cleaners and might possible produce formaldehyde. This formaldehyde can then seep into your bedding, couch cushions, carpets, etc. Avoid gas-phase absorption air filters as well. They do not trap contaminants; rather, the filters work to convert the contaminants into harmless compounds. They typically rid the home of smells, not allergens.

Sources: ehow.com, (http://www.ehow.com/about_6502007_do-air-purifiers-work-allergies_.html).

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Featured Recycling

Recycling Your Old Electronics

According to the EPA, of the roughly 2.25 million tons of used and unwanted electronics each year, 18% is collected for recycling and roughly 82% winds up in landfills. We all have that junk drawer in our home, filled with discarded cell phones and chargers we don’t want to throw out (don’t!) but don’t quite know what else to do with. Here’s what you do: Recycle them for cash. Sites like SecureTradeIn.com, YouRenew.com and Gazelle.com will pay for your used phones and other electronics.

Even if you find your old hunk o’ junk has been sitting so long it has no value, remember that the parts in it are still valuable (and potentially toxic if not disposed of properly) so clear the clutter and recycle your electronics — or look into donating cell phones to charity.

Where to Donate

Freecycle.org and sites like it (including Freesharing.org and Sharing is Giving) make giving away your stuff super easy.

Goodwill has teamed up with Dell in the Dell Reconnect partnership. Computers, keyboards, monitors, and printers are among the items accepted at more than 2,600 Goodwill locations.

National Cristina Foundation will find an organization that can use your computer, printers, and other peripherals and software, as well as cameras, fax machines, answering machines, and more. The group will arrange with you for pickup or delivery of the equipment.

Recycling for Charities will donate cash to a charity of your choice, with a percentage of the market value for every item to be refurbished or a set amount for recycled items, ranging from a penny to $100.

The Salvation Army accepts computers, monitors, printers, DVD players, VCRs, typewriters, stereos, copiers, radios, and more. Call your local office or check the organization’s website for more information.

 

Categories
Eco Eats

Fresh and Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe

In honor of National Pie Day, we have decided to share a delicious Strawberry Pie recipe with you. Strawberries are currently in season, so be sure to pick some up from your local farmer’s market.

Sweet Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

1 C- Sugar

1 C- Water

3 TBSP- Strawberry gelatin Mix

3 heaping TBSP- Cornstarch

1 Pint Fresh Strawberries

1 pie crust

Optional Ingredients:

Whipped cream cheese

Whipped cream (for topping)

Graham cracker crust

Directions:

Combine sugar, cornstarch and dry gelatin mix by stirring well. Add water and cook until thick and clear over medium high heat. Make sure to stir constantly to prevent scorching. Set aside and let cool.

Wash and trim fresh strawberries (trim off the tops and the bottoms too if they aren’t “pretty”.) Cut in half and arrange over pie crust. When the filling has cooled (room temperature) pour over fresh strawberries.

Chill until served.

Additional notes:

You can garnish with whipped cream if desired! Sometimes when we make this we use fat free cream cheese, whip it with the mixer, and line the bottom of the pie crust (some say it helps to prevent soggy crust, we think it tastes delicious!) You can also make your own pie crust or use the premade ones!

Nutritional Info (approximate) Servings: 8/Amount per serving: 1/Calories per serving: 320/Total Fat: 14g/Cholesterol: 15mg/ Sodium: 180mg/Total Carbs: 48g/Dietary Fiber 3g/Protein 3g.

Recipe adapted from the Southern Living.

Categories
Lawn & Garden Recycling

3 Simple Steps to Create Your Own Rain Bucket

You have heard the old saying “April showers bring May flowers…” but did you realize you can save on your water bill and the environment just by investing in a rain bucket? A rain bucket can be anything you want it to be. Whether you use an old plastic moving tub, a plastic bucket, or even an old garbage pail, you can use those to collect greywater. A type of grey water is rainfall and while you can’t drink rainwater, your plants can certainly use it! You probably won’t collect enough water to water your plants throughout the entire season but it will certainly help keep the soil moist during the hot summer months.

Make sure to put your rain bucket near downspouts, that way the rain buckets can collect the water that lands on the roof. Your roof normally is the largest surface area so you will be able to collect the most water from these areas (a shed can work too!)

It is really easy to make your own rain bucket it just takes a little time and a trip to Lowes or the Home Depot (you might even have some of the materials in your garage!) For this project you are going to need:

1 – 32 Gallon Vinyl Trash can with Lid (preferably)
1 – 1″ PVC Male Hose Adapter
Drill with 1″ Spade Bit
White Caulking Plumbers tape

Step 1.  Once you have found the location you would like to place your rain bucket, measure and cut the downspout above or near the top of the rain bucket. Normally you would cut off part of the down spout so the end sits a little higher than your bucket. Cut a hole in the shape of the downspout near the top of the bucket. You can also cut an overflow hole about the same size on the other side to allow excess water to escape when it’s full.

Step 2. Next, drill a 1″ hole about 3-4 inches from the bottom of the rain barrel. Using some common plumbers tape, wrap the threads of the adapter to keep water from leaking through the hole. Screw adapter from the inside so the threads are exposed to the outside of the Rain.

Step 3. Insert the downspout pipe from the roof into the rain bucket and attach the overflow to the other side. Attach a garden hose to the bottom adapter and caulk around the gaps to ensure the unit is sealed. This is important as mosquitoes would love to nest in your rain barrel (if you don’t have a top for your rain bucket buy mesh netting.) Once everything is connected, fill with water and test. The pressure from the amount of water contained inside the rain bucket will allow you to water your plants without much difficulty.

You are now ready to sustainably water your flowers and vegetable gardens well into summer!

Sources: ezinearticles.com, (http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-a-Rain-Bucket-in-3-Easy-Steps&id=2441701).

 

Categories
Featured Recycling

6 Surprising Items That Can Be Recycled

Ever looked at an old pair of eyeglasses and wondered if it could be recycled or have a collection of old wine corks and didn’t know what to do with them? We have compiled a list of some surprising things that can be recycled.

Eyeglasses

When your prescription changes or you decide you want new frames, don’t just throw away your unwanted glasses! New Eyes for the Needy is committed to providing corrective eyewear to people who need them in the United States, or elsewhere on the planet or in developing countries.

Foam Peanuts

Even though they protect your fragile package from breaking, foam peanuts have to be one of the most annoying things ever when they escape from their box. Since they have been such a nuisance filling up our landfills some companies are making the “foam” peanuts from vegetable starch. The peanuts made from vegetable starch are non-toxic and biodegradable (if you put one in water and it disintegrates you have the earth-friendly ones)!  If you have the other kind of foam peanut you can call The Peanut Hotline (not a joke!) at (800)828-2214 for a list of places that will take them off your hands.

Holiday Lights

Got burnt out holiday lights? The folks at HolidayLEDs will gladly take your old lights, shred them, and sort the remaining PVC, glass, and copper. Those raw materials are taken to another recycling center and resurrected as something new. They start collecting lights at the end of October and it accepts lights until the end of February.

Crayons

Don’t toss those broken and stubby Crayolas! Instead, mail them to the National Crayon Recycle Program, which takes unusable, broken crayons to a better place. They’re melted in a vat of wax, remade, and resold. The program has saved over 47,000 pounds of crayons.

Fishing Line

Fishing line is made from monofilament, a non-biodegradable plastic that you can’t put in your everyday recycling bin. At Berkley Fishing, old fishing line is mixed with other recyclables (like milk cartons and plastic bottles) and transformed into fish-friendly habitats. So far, Berkley has saved and recycled more than 9 million miles of fishing line.

Wine Corks

Your recycling center probably doesn’t accept wine corks, but companies like Terracycle and Yemm and Hart will. They turn cork into flat sheets of tile, which you can use for flooring, walls, and veneer.

 

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Featured Green Building Home Design

3 Green Insulations You Should Consider When Remodeling

When thinking about remodeling a great way to reduce your carbon footprint is by choosing green insulation.  By choosing the correct insulation you can also reduce your energy cost.  You don’t have to choose the traditional fiberglass insulation; there are many different environmentally friendly choices.

Here are the top 3 green insulation options:

Sheep’s Wool

When wool fibers are compressed, they form millions of tiny air pockets. These pockets trap air, which keeps the animals — and homes — warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Plus, wool is very breathable, which means it can absorb moisture from the air without affecting its capacity to retain heat. Specifically, the outer layer of wool fiber is resistant to water. However, the fiber’s inner layer loves water and can absorb about one-third of its weight in moisture without ever feeling damp. And when wool becomes moist, it generates heat, which in turn prevents condensation. If you insulate your home with wool, you don’t need to adjust your heating or cooling systems as often as you would with other materials and that saves money. Wool insulation keeps buildings cool in the day and warm at night, and it’s more fire resistant than other types of insulation.

Cotton

Cotton is a natural and renewable resource, which makes the plant one of the greenest insulation products on the planet. Cotton insulation is similar to fiberglass insulation in several ways. For one thing, it can be rolled into batts. Cotton insulation doesn’t contain formaldehyde which has been linked to some types of cancer.  Cotton is very good at absorbing moisture, and when treated with boric acid, becomes flame retardant. However, one of the drawbacks of cotton insulation is that it costs about twice as much as fiberglass.

Icynene

Perhaps no home insulation seals your house as completely and as thoroughly as the spray-on foam insulation known as Icynene, which is made from castor oil. Once it hits the surface, Icynene expands nearly 100 times it volume. The puffy sponge cake-like substance creates a thick blanket of insulation that tightly seals air leaks. Not only does Icynene stop drafts, it also muffles noise. Icynene can reduce a home’s energy bill by 30 to 50 percent. Icynene works so well because it traps air in tiny bubbles during the foaming process. As the foam cures, the air remains in place. However a drawback of Icynene is that it’s expensive — about three times the cost of fiberglass.

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Eco Tips Featured

Four Ways to Switch Up Your Exercise Routine

Winter weather means comfort food, sweaters, holidays, family time and boots. That also means we get comfortable with all the big, baggy clothes. Don’t get comfortable, get fit! Here are three tips to green your exercise routine.

Get Rid of Cotton

Cotton is a common fabric but it isn’t the most eco-friendly material. Did you know that it takes on average 400 gallons of water to grow the cotton required to make one t-shirt? Imagine how much water it takes for a sheet set. However many designers for home and fashion have started using bamboo. Bamboo is a great material for work-out clothes because it’s softer and wicks moisture and harmful bacterial away from the skin and it’s better for the earth!

Exercise Outside

While gyms are super convenient to work out, they are super hard on the environment. Many of the exercise machines stay plugged in all night, whether or not their being used. Talk about a phantom load! That also doesn’t include televisions and lights that are used every hour inside.  Our advice? GO OUTSIDE! Ride your bike, go for a run, clean up your yard and more. It’s more eco-friendly and some studies show that spending time outside will help naturally boost your spirit.

Water Bottles

We all know that one-time use plastic water bottles are bad for the environment. It’s time to commit to using a refillable water bottle for your workout routine. By using a refillable bottle means less waste in landfills and more money in your wallet!

Recycle Your Sneakers

Bought a new pair of sneakers because your old ones are starting to have holes in the soles? Instead of just tossing them to the curb, give your shoes a new purpose with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. Old shoes are used to build tracks, basketball and tennis courts!

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Eco Tips Featured Gadgets & Gear

Tips to Help Keep Your Reusable Bags Clean

Reusable shopping bags are a great way to be eco-friendly and stop yourself from using plastic bags. I not only use them at the grocery but also when I’m out clothes shopping, sometimes when I need a gym bag in a pinch, or even to run errands. I was recently told how dangerous it was to use the reusable bags without a washing in-between. When I thought about it I realized I don’t think I have ever washed my reusable bags! However I’m sure I’m not alone. A quick study was done of patrons in a grocery store and 97 percent of shoppers admit that they have never washed their reusable bags!

A recent study funded by the American Chemistry Council found that nearly every reusable bag examined for bacteria contained bugs, coliform bacteria (suggesting raw-meat or uncooked-food contamination), mold, yeast or E. coli. The study didn’t specify what strands of E. coli were found (many of which are harmless).

If you take a moment to really think about it, people are putting meats, unwashed foods and all sorts of items in these bags. Logic would tell you these bags could get unsanitary pretty quickly, however don’t just toss your bags just yet.

Some simple tips to help keep your reusable bags clean and sanitary:

  • Reusable bags should be washed after every use when carrying food just as you would clean a kitchen towel
  • Use more than one bag and label them “Meat, Dairy, Produce,” etc.
  • Don’t leave any unwashed bags in your car, the heat can help bacteria grow

How to Wash Reusable Bags

Some bags have labels with instructions on how to launder. For those that do not, if the bag is a woven canvas bag launder in hot water with your usual detergent. These can be line dried or tossed in the dryer.  Plastic-lined reusable bags should be scrubbed using hot water and soap and air-dried.

Make sure that both the cloth and plastic-lined reusable bags are completely dry before storing them.

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Recycling

6 Simple Ways to Get Kids to Recycle

With Earth Day quickly approaching it’s important to start to teach kids how to recycle, now. It normally takes about 21 days to form a new habit, which will leave a little wiggle room in time for Earth Day. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to help reduce your impact on the Earth. It is so important teach children about recycling at an early age so they will develop lifelong habits. Here are some easy tips and tricks to get your children excited to recycle!

Craft Time! Save a large storage box and fill it with old scraps of paper, milk cartons, left over ribbon, etc. Once a month have a craft afternoon and let your children’s creativity take over! You are going to be surprised with what creative and crazy ideas they come up with!

Decorate! Have your children decorate your recycling bins. When the children have a sense of ownership, they will be more inclined to take recycling more serious than before! Also you now have a one of a kind piece of yard artwork, that is sure to brighten up the curb! (If you have a city issued recycling bin be sure to check with your local officials to make sure it’s okay.)

Compost! Create a compost bin with your children. Creating a compost bin will help your children learn the difference between what is biodegradable and what is not. You can also use your compost to start a vegetable garden! Click here for tips on creating a simple compost!

Sing Along! When we were children we were taught life lessons through songs and recycling is not any different! Find a recycling tune and sing it when taking the recycling to the curb. We are a fan of Jack Johnson’s Three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) from the Curious George’s soundtrack.  Check out the song here.

Sell! Have a garage sale. Make sure to explain the reasoning behind having a garage sale to the children. Be sure to explain that you do not just throw away things. Have your children choose a couple of toys to sell at the garage sale and let them keep the profit.

Donate! After your garage sale or after cleaning out your closets, be sure to donate all unwanted items to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. Don’t forget to bring the kids along to drop off the donated items. Make sure to stress to them that nothing will be thrown away and every item will have a place to go.