Tag: eco home tips

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Eco Tips Recycling Uncategorized

Online Social Recycling

It’s happening again. You’re online connecting with friends, posting pictures, and responding to event invites. Eventually, you become vaguely aware that clearing out the closet is fast becoming a fading dream, but it doesn’t have to be. You can do it all with social recycling.

Invite Friends to Spark Online Chatter

With social media, you can invite your friends to an event, group page, or hangout without using your personal homepage as a source of contact. Instead, you can create an alternate way to exchange information for your online recycling project:

  • Facebook events: set a date and time for a recycling event and invite your friends
  • Facebook groups: create a group page focused on exchanging and recycling items
  • Google Hangouts: have a video chat with friends to plan upcoming recycling plans
  • Twitter: tweet about your upcoming event or post photos of items looking for a home

Events

If you can create an event to meet friends for dinner or a birthday, you can create one to host a recycling party, event, or both. Do yourself a favor and ask if a few guests can arrive early to help sort clothing types and sizes, books, toys and other items. Consider these event ideas as a starting-off point:

  • Throw a clothing-swap party in the day for kids or at night for adults
  • Schedule a yard-sale event or combine forces, making it a neighborhood event
  • Create an online flea-market event or page, so everyone can post photos of wares to share

Volunteer Meet-ups

Sometimes it’s not possible to host a gathering in your home, but you can still host a meet-up with your Facebook, Google and Twitter friends at an organization looking for volunteers. Here are a few suggestions to consider:

  • Meet at your local animal shelter and bring blankets, sheets, bath- and beached-sized towels
  • Choose a non-profit, such as Dress For Success or Career Gear, and donate gently used clothes
  • Volunteer at a local library and donate your used books, CDs, cassettes, records, and DVDs
  • Roll up your sleeves and build your own Little Free Library or your neighborhood

When you create events with friends and family, you create memories. These are special because of the company and the intention. So the next time you’re whiling away the time online, have some productive fun with social recycling—create new memories and clear that closet out.

~Maureen F.

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Eco Tips Uncategorized

Go Green in the Kitchen

The kitchen may be one of the busiest rooms in your entire house, and it’s no surprise that kitchen appliances use a large portion of a home’s energy. Additionally, due to dishwashers and sinks, much of a family’s water usage happens in the kitchen. Use these tips to conserve energy in your kitchen every day. Not only will you be helping to save the planet, but you will also be saving yourself some money. There’s no reason not to use these five tips to go green in your kitchen.

1. Washing dishes.

If you wash dishes by hand, don’t run the water constantly. Instead, fill one side of the sink with soapy water for washing, and fill the other side with clean water for rinsing to save water. However, most newer models of dishwashers are much more efficient than washing dishes by hand, and you won’t need to pre-rinse the dishes. However, you should only run the dishwasher when it is completely full to save on electricity and water.

2. Check fridge and freezer seals.

If the seals on the doors of your refrigerator and freezer are leaky, you could be losing money every month as cool air escapes from the fridge. Put a dollar bill in the door so that it is half in and half out. If you can pull the bill from the door easily, you should replace the seal or give it a good cleaning.

3. Use small appliances.

Instead of heating the oven every time you want to cook, try using a slow cooker. This will not only use less power, but it also helps you to avoid heating up your house in the summer. You should also consider using small appliances, like electric teapots, toasters, and rice cookers, instead of your stove if you can.

4. Fix the sink.

If your sink drips, you could be wasting gallons of water every day. A new washer only costs a few cents, but it could save you many times that on your water bill each month.

5. Install a water filter in the sink.

If you are used to using bottled water, try installing a water filter on your kitchen faucet. You can fill a water bottle and still have the convenience of portable water. However, you won’t have the expense of buying water bottles, and you won’t be generating trash. Alternately, you can use a water-filtering pitcher.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so express your heart for the earth by utilizing these green kitchen tips.

~April F.

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Lawn & Garden

Keep Your Garden Healthy: Tips for Natural Ways to Prevent Pests and Common Plant Diseases

After spending hours tilling and planting the garden, the last thing you want is for all of your plants to become pest infested and/or covered in fungus or powdery mildew. Applying pesticides will add harmful chemicals to your crops, the soil and future plantings as well as effect the flavor of your fruits and vegetables. There are a range of safe and natural things you can do to keep your current and future garden healthy.

Start With the Soil

The soil is the first place to begin controlling disease and insects in an organic garden. Using soil that is full of organic nutrients and matter will help your plants thrive and produce a healthy, productive crop. Insects and diseases thrive off of injured and weak plants, but when they are strong and healthy, garden plants have an ability to change their chemistry naturally in order to defend against its enemies. Things you can do to strengthen the soil include:

  • Adding compost materials to the soil before planting. Items such as egg shells will provide natural nutrients to the soil.
  • Always mulch the surface of the garden to help suppress weeds, protect soil erosion, increase earthworm activity and prevent slugs and snails from taking over. Leaves, straw, pine needles and grass clippings make excellent mulch for a garden.

Prevent Fungus 

The best way to fight fungus in the garden is by using natural items you probably already have in the kitchen. These simple remedies will help to safely and naturally keep out common problems, such as fungus and disease.

  • Apple cider vinegar is excellent for treating a range of plant diseases, such as black spots and powdery mildew. In a spray bottle, mix 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 2 quarts of water. Spray the infected plants with the solution when the temperatures are the coolest, such as in the morning or early evening. Avoid spraying the plants when there is direct sunlight on them and repeat daily until the condition is cured.
  • Milk is an ideal virus and fungus fighter for the garden. To prevent fungus, simply sprinkle a few tablespoons of powdered milk in the soil before planting. If you notice fungus on the leaves of plants, spray a mixture of equal parts of milk and water (1-cup milk and 1-cup water) directly on the infected leaves.
  • Baking soda is an excellent treatment for plant fungus. In a spray bottle, mix 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, a few drops of liquid, biodegradable dish-washing liquid and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Spray the infected plants, including the base of the plant and the underside of leaves.

To help keep your garden healthy year after year, it is important to rotate the crops. Avoid overwatering plants, especially if you are noticing fungus or mildew. An excellent way to improve the health of your garden as well as try new garden foods, is with companion planting. Companion planting simply means arranging plants that are beneficial for each other. For example, planting a strong smelling herb near the vegetables will prevent insects from smelling the vegetable plants.

~Rene W.

Categories
Eco Tips Lawn & Garden

Growing, Using, and Preserving Fresh Herbs

When a recipe calls for dill, oregano, or basil, many cooks reach for a jar of commercially prepared, dried herbs in the pantry. However, to have the freshest, most delicious flavors, experienced cooks know that there is no substitute for fresh herbs. However, most home cooks use a wide variety of herbs, and buying them all from the supermarket could get expensive very quickly. One solution to fresh herb flavor without the expense is to grow your own herbs at home.

Growing Herbs

Thankfully, most herbs are simple to grow at home. A sunny spot and some average soil are all that are needed, along with a little effort. Basil, oregano, dill, parsley, cilantro, and mint are among the simplest herbs to grow. Start small the very first year so that you will not get overwhelmed.

Many herbs grow well from seeds, and this is an inexpensive way to get started. Basil, parsley, thyme, cilantro, and dill are good candidates for starting from seeds. However, perennial herbs like rosemary, chives, and fennel are slower growing. You will probably be happier with them if you buy them in small pots, already started.

Plant your herbs in a well-drained spot that gets six to eight hours of sunlight daily. Water them when the ground gets dry and pull weeds that pop up. Pay attention to the tags that come with the plants and space them appropriately.

Harvesting Herbs

When your herbs have established themselves, you can start snipping bits of the foliage for recipes. The peak of flavor is achieved right before the plants flower. You can prolong this period by snipping off the flower buds before they open. Never harvest more than one-third of the plant at once to avoid weakening the plant. Harvest the leaves from the outermost part of the plant, allowing the inner leaves to grow.

Storing and Preserving Herbs

If you have plenty of a particular herb, you can store the stems for about a week in a glass jar full of water in the refrigerator. Loosely cover the jar with a plastic bag to keep them fresh. Alternately, you can freeze fresh herbs and store them in zip-top baggies in the freezer. They will still be useful for flavoring but won’t be very good for garnishing. Last, herbs can be dried in a dehydrator or an oven on low heat. After drying, crumble the herbs and store them in jars with tightly-fitting lids.

~April F.

Categories
Eco Tips Home Design

Eliminate Fossil Fuels, Electric Bills and Natural Gas Bills With Solar

While the pressure to find alternatives to fossil fuels has eased due to somewhat lower gas prices and the media attention has shifted away from the ecology again, that doesn’t mean these issues have gone away. In fact, based on past behaviors, these issues will come to a peak yet again sometime in the future. However, one way you can know you’re doing your part for the ecology, plus saving yourself a lot of money in the process, is to switch everything you have to solar power.

You may wonder how this is possible. With today’s technology, not only is solar power more affordable and efficient than ever, but by replacing or supplanting what you currently have with electric equivalents, you can actually accomplish this. Here’s how:

  • After installing a solar system, replace appliances that use natural gas with electric ones. This includes hot water heaters, stoves, ranges and ovens.
  • Replace your heating system that may use natural gas, kerosene or fuel oil with an electric one.
  • If possible, replace your vehicles with EV (electric vehicle) equivalents. Today, not only can you find small vehicles that are EVs, but SUVs and performance vehicles as well.

Granted, the initial investment in solar isn’t cheap and replacing your existing natural gas appliances and gasoline powered vehicles isn’t an inexpensive prospect, there are lots of compensations. First and foremost, you’ll receive tax breaks from the Federal government and many state governments also provide tax breaks as well.

Also, since you’ll have eliminated electric bills, natural gas bills and gasoline expenses, those funds can be applied to defraying the costs of the solar build. What most people don’t realize is that going solar can actually be subsidized by the electric companies as well. That’s because excess electricity generated by your solar system can be “sent” through the existing power grid and redistributed by the electric companies. This means you can actually accrue credits or even be paid by the electric companies for your excess electricity.

Determining your actual ROI (Return On Investment) can be somewhat challenging. Most solar ROI calculators are limited, but can give you a general idea of your break even points. By replacing fossil fuel factors, this number can drop dramatically which means you could actually be making money from your solar system in just a few years. Not only can you save money and reduce your carbon footprint with solar, you could actually make money in the process!

~Brian C.

Categories
Eco Tips Featured Lawn & Garden Recycling

How to Create a Simple Compost Pile

Composting is a wonderful way to reuse kitchen scraps as well as discarded leaves, grass, and garden debris. Combined, these ingredients create a nutrient rich soil that your garden and indoor and outdoor plants will benefit from. There are many different ways you can make and maintain your own compost pile at home.

For inside your home, especially when a backyard is not accessible, you can make a hide-away trash bin in your kitchen to through away table scraps, any leaves you may pick up, newspapers, paper towels, cardboard and any other biodegradable materials you may find. Add water to keep your compost moist but never a watery consistency. It normally takes a couple of weeks for the compost to be ready. Use the compost soil at the bottom of the pile and use it for indoor plants or discard the soil at a local garden center or forest.

If you have a backyard, here are some different ways to create a simple compost pile:

  • For a homemade, standard compost pile, you will need three, five foot 2×4 wood slabs, a spool of mesh or chicken wiring and a staple gun. Cut the 2×4’s in half.  Find a secluded spot in your yard to put your compost pile.  Depending on how big you want your compost pile, measure and mark the area before building.  Once you’ve measured a space, place three pieces of the wood parallel to one another with enough space in between.  Place the mesh wiring on the inside of the wood slabs and then staple them to the wood.  Once assembled, begin composting!
  • If you don’t want to create your own compost pile, you can buy one from a Home Depot or Lowe’s hardware store.  You can also order compost bins online at compostbins.com or goodcompost.com.
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Eco Tips Featured

8 Simple Ways to Use Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil Has Many Eco-Friendly Uses

Coconut oil has become one of the most favored organic and eco-friendly products on the market due to its rewarding qualities.  I noticed the increase in popularity of coconut oil over the last few months and asked myself, “What is so special about this stuff other than cooking?”  I normally use coconut oil as a substitute for olive or vegetable oil in cooking because it contains healthier saturated fat.  So I did some research and learned that coconut oil can be used for more purposes other than a cooking aid.  It can be used for hair, skin, health, and household duties.  Who knew that coconut oil could cover such a broad spectrum of functions?

Coconut oil has the same consistency as lard and Crisco; therefore it is seen primarily as a cooking aid.  However, because of its consistency and natural qualities, it can be used to help with other functions such as body and household care. Here are four of many ways to use coconut oil for personal hygiene.

Coconut Oil Moisturizer – Extra virgin coconut oil would be the best for this.  You can find this at an organic food store or in the health and body aisle of a grocery store.  Just simply take some from the jar and apply to skin and use as much as needed. Simple!

Coconut Oil Deep Treatment Hair Conditioner – This is an overnight treatment, so a shower cap will be needed.  Apply a teaspoon of oil to the ends of your hair and run your fingers through.  For deep treatment, apply a teaspoon of oil to your scalp and massage it through to the ends of your hair.

Coconut Oil Ointment – This can be used for scrapes, bruises, or any other form of “boo-boo” that comes your way.  Apply a thin layer to the scrape or bruise.  This coating protects the area from dust, bacteria, etc.  It also gives a more pleasant odor than the medicinal brand.  Place a bandage over the affected area.

Make-Up Remover – Put some oil on a cotton ball or pad and wipe away the make-up.  It’s like Vaseline but without the harsh smell. It’s impressive how well this works!

Here are some interesting ways to utilize coconut oil for household purposes:

Coconut Oil “Goo Gone” – Mix equal portions of coconut oil and baking soda, then apply the mixture on the sticky residue area.  Wait for about five minutes before scrubbing the “goo gone” with a washcloth or scrub sponge.

Coconut Oil Furniture Polish – Mix oil with a bit of lemon juice for furniture polish.  Work the polish on a small portion of the furniture to test the consistency and strength you desire.

Coconut Oil Bronze Polish – Simply put some oil on a wash cloth and rub it over the bronze surface for a lustrous shine!  This will clean and deepen the color of the bronze.  This also works on stainless steel.

Coconut Oil Bug Repellent – Mix with some peppermint extract and rub into the skin.  No more chemicals and has a pleasant smell!

Categories
Recycling

4 Recycling Tips the Entire Family Can Use

It has become more and more challenging for families to recycle these days, especially when society has a great need for plastics, metals and paper. We forget to think about how our actions with such goods affect the earth. According to the Associa Green Foundation, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic products to circle the equator 300 times every year. The good news is that families can help protect our environment by reusing basic household items.

Coffee Grounds. After having your morning coffee, use the grounds for the compost pile. Along with the decomposing leaves and food particles, the acidity from the coffee grounds will give the compost mixture a more nutrient rich combination that the soil will benefit from. If you don’t have a compost pile, simply sprinkle the grounds around plants preyed on by slugs and bugs. The coffee grounds will keep them away.

Recycled Yarn. For all those knitting and crochet lovers, there are companies who make and sell recycled yarn. For example, Nepalese recycled silk sari yarn is created using scraps from the production saris. This yarn is hand spun in Nepal and helps financially support the women who spin this unique and colorful yarn. You can find this yarn online at Himalayayarn.com and Recycledsilk.com. Do you have an old sweater you never wear? You can make your own skein of recycled yarn by simply, and gently, unraveling that old sweater to save for another project.

Reduce Trash. There are many ways you can reduce the amount of trash you and your family create. Use stainless steel water bottles instead of store-bought plastic ones. This is also a great money saver so that you won’t have to go to the store every two weeks replenishing your water bottle supply. Another way of reducing trash is to use plastic lunch boxes rather than paper bags for kids’ lunches.

Paper Towel Tubes. Think of clever ways to reuse your paper towel tubes. Instead of throwing away plastic grocery bags, stuff them in a paper towel tube to reuse later. You can also give the tubes to kids to use for craft projects. Kids can color the paper tubes; make them into telescopes, magic wands or trumpets for playtime. Paper towel tubes can also be used as kitchen knife sheaths when you’re on the way to a picnic or potluck dinner. Just flatten the tube and place some duct tape over one of the ends.

Sources:  Associagreen.com

Categories
Eco Tips Featured Green Building Home Design

3 Benefits of Using Solar Energy at Home

Solar energy has recently become more popular due to its organic and natural qualities. It is also more economical to use solar energy due to its renewable supply. Ultimately, solar energy is worry-free and the only maintenance and upkeep needed are the application of solar panels and keeping the panels clean and clear of debris. There are many great benefits to use solar paneling for your home as a means of using energy.

  • Decrease in Energy Bills: When using solar energy, you are only taking from an ample supply of energy that regenerates itself naturally.  The use of non-solar energy only increases your electric bill every month, depending on the usage in your home. The application of solar panels will be beneficial because the energy produced will decrease your electricity bill.  Solar energy is free because it is natural and harnessed by solar panels.
  • Decrease Energy Demand: Using solar panel generated energy will decrease the demand for machinated energy. The production of energy costs hundreds of dollars, thus the expense of paying energy bills.  However, solar panels produce more energy than your local energy provider. All the excess energy produced by your home solar panels goes back into the power grid.  Therefore, the electric company writes you a check for the extra energy you produce.  Not only are you benefiting from home generated energy through solar panels, but you’re also being paid for the energy you produced!
  • Environmentally Sound: Solar energy is natural and can never run out. It is renewable and does not require a bill every month for its services for your home. You will experience some relief using your heater, appliances, and air conditioning unit knowing that your source of energy is renewable. Also, to produce energy without solar energy requires the use manufactured electricity, which requires a huge amount of power usage. The use of solar energy decreases the need for electric power.
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Eco Eats Eco Tips Featured

5 Reasons to go Meatless on Mondays

Meatless Mondays is a relatively new way of being eco-friendly and organic.  It’s just one day a week where you abstain from all meat and poultry. Of course, if you were to eat meat every other day of the week, you are encouraged to eat meat that is grass-fed, free range, and hormone-free.  It is both beneficial to your health as well as the environment. Here are a few important health and environmental benefits from applying Meatless Mondays to your lifestyle.

  • Decrease Cancer Risk:  Studies have shown that the consumption of processed red meat and poultry increases the risk of developing colon cancer. Those who eat more fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, with limited amount of meat, lead healthier lives and reduce their chances of getting cancer.
  • Heart Disease:  According to the results from a study performed by Harvard University, you lower the risk of heart disease by 19% if you decrease the amount of saturated fat full foods, such as meats and dairy. You can replace these saturated filled foods with polyunsaturated fats, which are various nuts, seeds, and vegetable or coconut oil.
  • Diabetes and Obesity:  Decreasing red meat consumption reduces the risk of developing type two diabetes.  Ultimately, red meat is filled with saturated fat, which decomposes into sugar in your body.  Sugar build-up will lead to weight gain and diabetes. Also, chicken you buy at a local grocery store are normally not free-range and filled with hormones. Of course, meat and poultry provides required nutrients and protein for our bodies.  But, if we are not careful, this can lead to diabetes and obesity.
  • Eco-Friendly:  According to the United Nations’ food and agricultural organization, the meat industry produces at least 1/5th of the greenhouse gas emanations, which has been accelerating the world’s climate change. This is far more than what transportation devices emit. The demand for meat only increases the amount of gases emitted. Abstaining from meat at least once a week will help decrease the demand that meat industries have to accommodate.

 

Mary Kate Seymour is a professional blogger with an English degree from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. She is one of seven children, raised in a Marine Corps family. She loves to read, write, explore new places; research new craft ideas and work on crochet projects.

She has become a frequent user of Pinterest this past year and, as a result, her “to-do” list for crafts has grown immensely. She’s an animal lover and has a miniature poodle named “Rosie.”  Her long term goal is to secure a position as a high school English and Literature teacher. She thoroughly enjoys being a writer, nanny and tutor.