Plant some herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes!
You can start from seeds, or buy baby plants and bring them home.
You can put them in your garden outside (make sure they aren't in a spot where wild animals will decide to mark them, though! Eewwwww!), or plant them in pots and place them in a bright and sunny window!
You'll save money from buying herbs at the grocery store, and save on packaging, too!
Plus, fresh herbs taste better than dried ones AND they're better for you- all the nutrients are still in tact!
Keep your herb garden organic. If you find that some of your yummies are being destroyed by bugs (caterpillars love parsley!), perhaps you could plant extra for them, since pollinators need all the help they can get! Or, clean them off and move your herbs indoors away from those who partake in them.
Showing posts with label green tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green tips. Show all posts
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Green Tip of the week.. "Off White"
From my "Page A Day" Calendar from May 17- which isn't today, but I liked this tip :)
Try to break the association between snowy white paper products and cleanliness. White paper products are bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives, which release dioxins- known carcinogens and endocrine disrupters- into the environment. (Plus, the chlorine industry itself is amajor source of neurotoxic mercury emissions.) So seek out products labeled Processed Chlorine Free (PCF). Same goes for cotton linens- a pure white product has most likely been treated with toxic bleach.
Try to break the association between snowy white paper products and cleanliness. White paper products are bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives, which release dioxins- known carcinogens and endocrine disrupters- into the environment. (Plus, the chlorine industry itself is amajor source of neurotoxic mercury emissions.) So seek out products labeled Processed Chlorine Free (PCF). Same goes for cotton linens- a pure white product has most likely been treated with toxic bleach.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Green Tip of the week!
Who celebrated Earth Day yesterday?
Here is a great trailer for a series called "Waste?"
http://www.whatiswaste.com/
I wanted to share this to get everyone thinking twice about what they throw away. Chances are it can be reused or recycled somehow. All you have to do is check around locally for the right place to take it!
Staples accepts ink jet cartridges and most other electronics.
Nike has a program for recycling shoes.
If you don't have curb-side recycling, you probably have a place nearby where you can take it. Walk or ride a bike there if you can! You'll get exercise and cut down your emissions.
Most Home Depot stores will recycle your CFL bulbs.
Just do a little bit of digging around, or call your local trash/recycling collectors and they should be able to help you out! :)
Here is a great trailer for a series called "Waste?"
http://www.whatiswaste.com/
I wanted to share this to get everyone thinking twice about what they throw away. Chances are it can be reused or recycled somehow. All you have to do is check around locally for the right place to take it!
Staples accepts ink jet cartridges and most other electronics.
Nike has a program for recycling shoes.
If you don't have curb-side recycling, you probably have a place nearby where you can take it. Walk or ride a bike there if you can! You'll get exercise and cut down your emissions.
Most Home Depot stores will recycle your CFL bulbs.
Just do a little bit of digging around, or call your local trash/recycling collectors and they should be able to help you out! :)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Bee Green!! Greep tip of the week...
This tip is about paper. Sugar cane paper!
Sugar Cane paper is made from a by-product (Bagasse) of sugar cane farming. It is biodegradable (faster than regular paper) and easily recyclable too!
Here is a little more info:
http://www.thesugarcanepapercompany.com/
Planet Green has a GREAT article here
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/request-sugar-cane-paper.html
about requesting sugar cane paper in your office. Or, you can use it at home in your own home office!
Sugar Cane paper does not contribute to loss of trees.
Staples has sugar cane based notepads (Awesome!), and this paper from Green Line Paper is 50% bagasse and 50% recycled content.
Sugar Cane paper is made from a by-product (Bagasse) of sugar cane farming. It is biodegradable (faster than regular paper) and easily recyclable too!
Here is a little more info:
http://www.thesugarcanepapercompany.com/
Planet Green has a GREAT article here
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/request-sugar-cane-paper.html
about requesting sugar cane paper in your office. Or, you can use it at home in your own home office!
Sugar Cane paper does not contribute to loss of trees.
Staples has sugar cane based notepads (Awesome!), and this paper from Green Line Paper is 50% bagasse and 50% recycled content.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Bee Green! Weekly green tip...
If you liked the show "Bill Nye the Science Guy" (he's so cute!), you'll love this!http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/stuff-happens/
Bill Nye is back, rockin' his bowtie with a new show on Planet Green. Each episode has a different theme and they discuss how everything we do makes things happen to the environment. The show is full of interesting facts and tips on what you can do to be more environmentally friendly.
Even if you don't get the channel, you can learn a lot from following the link above and reading different sections from the show.
Glad to see you back, Bill!! :)
*Swooooooooooon*
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Weekly Green Tip
From my "Page A Day" Green Tips calendar...
"A rechargeable solar flashlight is a brilliant alternative to one that eats up conventional batteries. Buy one- or two or three- from www.sunnightsolar.com, and the company will match your order, for people who need them desperately. (Nearly two billion people worldwide have only one option for lighting at night: a dangeous, expensive kerosene lantern.)
"A rechargeable solar flashlight is a brilliant alternative to one that eats up conventional batteries. Buy one- or two or three- from www.sunnightsolar.com, and the company will match your order, for people who need them desperately. (Nearly two billion people worldwide have only one option for lighting at night: a dangeous, expensive kerosene lantern.)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Weekly Green Tip!
After a temporary break (busy schedule), I'm back with a green tip for this week!
This is similar to the gray water tip, as it has to do with watering your plants...
You can keep a bucket outside to collect rainwater for your houseplants, or small individual outdoor plants. Since Spring is coming, it's usually a time of a lot of rain and showers for most people, so if you put your bucket(s) out soon, you'll be collecting water in no time!
You can use an old 5-gallon bucket (make sure it didn't contain any harsh chemicals though, like chlorine- unless you're using this on a plant you HATE), or an old tub from a product (such as margarine) to collect a little bit of water, or even an old drinking glass. Any container will work! When my container filled up and I didn't need all of the water, I just stored it away for later- in an old gallon bottle with a lid or something like that.
At my old house, I kept a bucket under a place where our gutters had a leak. That bucket filled up with even just a little bit of rain! So if you've got a gutter issue and need a LOT of water, that may be a good place for your collecting.
This is similar to the gray water tip, as it has to do with watering your plants...
You can keep a bucket outside to collect rainwater for your houseplants, or small individual outdoor plants. Since Spring is coming, it's usually a time of a lot of rain and showers for most people, so if you put your bucket(s) out soon, you'll be collecting water in no time!
You can use an old 5-gallon bucket (make sure it didn't contain any harsh chemicals though, like chlorine- unless you're using this on a plant you HATE), or an old tub from a product (such as margarine) to collect a little bit of water, or even an old drinking glass. Any container will work! When my container filled up and I didn't need all of the water, I just stored it away for later- in an old gallon bottle with a lid or something like that.
At my old house, I kept a bucket under a place where our gutters had a leak. That bucket filled up with even just a little bit of rain! So if you've got a gutter issue and need a LOT of water, that may be a good place for your collecting.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Weekly Green Tip: Dishwasher Soap
This week's tip comes from team member BumbleBabyMommy's blog: How to make your own dishwasher soap!!
http://bumblebabymommy.blogspot.com/2009/01/save-on-dishwasher-soap.html
It only ends up costing about 8 cents a load, so you'll save money while you save the environment! Click and read the blog for more information on why this detergent is so great.
Here's how it's done:
Mix together 1 tablespoon of Borax and 1 tablespoon of Baking soda. Then put it into the soap compartment of your dishwasher and run the dishwasher as you normally would.
I wanted to say that a few days ago I made this detergent and used it, and yes indeed it DOES work well!! My dishes were cleaned to perfection and not only that, but I didn't have that obnoxious bleachy smell permeating through the house that most dishwasher detergents tend to create.
http://bumblebabymommy.blogspot.com/2009/01/save-on-dishwasher-soap.html
It only ends up costing about 8 cents a load, so you'll save money while you save the environment! Click and read the blog for more information on why this detergent is so great.
Here's how it's done:
Mix together 1 tablespoon of Borax and 1 tablespoon of Baking soda. Then put it into the soap compartment of your dishwasher and run the dishwasher as you normally would.
I wanted to say that a few days ago I made this detergent and used it, and yes indeed it DOES work well!! My dishes were cleaned to perfection and not only that, but I didn't have that obnoxious bleachy smell permeating through the house that most dishwasher detergents tend to create.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Weekly Green Tip! Pet poop clean up.
Many people with pets justify the use of regular nasty plastic grocery bags with cleaning up their pets' poop.
But have you heard of biodegradable poop bags? If you've got to throw away poop from pets, it's a great solution.
Here's another idea- while not as perfect as the idea above, it's a way to reuse something that would otherwise be thrown out anyway: Why not use another readily available bag? ...Sure, if you're trying to be more green, you're choosing items with less packaging and waste. But let's face it- some items will come in a bag and there is nothing you can do about it. Bread, chips, a lot of crackers and cookies... these all usually come in a sealed bag. You can re-use this bag for picking up after the pets instead.
For a cat's litterbox, some recommend flushing. However, if you leave near a coastal area or near rivers or other water sources, it's best not to flush it. Sea otters are being infected with a toxin that could be coming from the flushed cat poop and litter. The best solution is, again, a biodegradable plastic bag.
Before reading further, keep in mind:
Do NOT use cat or dog poop in compost that will be going on or anywhere near your vegetable garden!!!
Their poo contains toxins that you don't want coming near anything you eat. Eewwwww.
You can compost your cat's poop and litter remnants:
http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2005/09/26/kittylitter/index.html
If you are interested in composting your dog's doody for gardens without vegetables, here's an article about how you can:
http://www.plentymag.com/features/2007/12/the_green_fiend.php
But have you heard of biodegradable poop bags? If you've got to throw away poop from pets, it's a great solution.
Here's another idea- while not as perfect as the idea above, it's a way to reuse something that would otherwise be thrown out anyway: Why not use another readily available bag? ...Sure, if you're trying to be more green, you're choosing items with less packaging and waste. But let's face it- some items will come in a bag and there is nothing you can do about it. Bread, chips, a lot of crackers and cookies... these all usually come in a sealed bag. You can re-use this bag for picking up after the pets instead.
For a cat's litterbox, some recommend flushing. However, if you leave near a coastal area or near rivers or other water sources, it's best not to flush it. Sea otters are being infected with a toxin that could be coming from the flushed cat poop and litter. The best solution is, again, a biodegradable plastic bag.
Before reading further, keep in mind:
Do NOT use cat or dog poop in compost that will be going on or anywhere near your vegetable garden!!!
Their poo contains toxins that you don't want coming near anything you eat. Eewwwww.
You can compost your cat's poop and litter remnants:
http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2005/09/26/kittylitter/index.html
If you are interested in composting your dog's doody for gardens without vegetables, here's an article about how you can:
http://www.plentymag.com/features/2007/12/the_green_fiend.php
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Weekly Green Tip: Birthdays!! And Laundry --BONUS!
Since it's still early in the year, it's a great time to plan ahead for all of the birthday gifts you will be giving this year!
So this year, why not pick one green/eco-friendly item to give everyone on your birthday-gifts-list? It'll make shopping so much easier, and maybe you'll influence some friends or family to be a little more green this year!
Some great gift suggestions that everyone (well, almost everyone!) can use:
- An aluminum reusable water bottle (posted about these last week). You can get a high-end one from a company like Sigg, but if you're looking to spend a little less, Old Navy has some reusable aluminum bottles too. At full price they were $7.50, but Old Navy has great sales all the time and you could probably stock up on them if you bargain hunt!
- On a similar note, a travel coffee/tea/hot beverage mug. If you always keep a clean one in your car, the next time you stop for a coffee you won't have to use another paper cup/plastic lid! ...This is great for long road trips! You can also put iced drinks like iced teas and chais and iced coffees in them too, of course. No more plastic cups!
- How about supporting the handmade community on a site like Etsy and giving everyone a handmade item this year? Or if you're crafty... make the items yourself! Everyone loves a personalized piece of art.
- If the recipient has a yard, look into a plant store that sells local plants and flowers, and buy them a flowering plant that's native to the area. They'll have minimal care to maintain it since it's used to the conditions of the area, and the pollinators will love you for it!
- Keeping with the local theme- if you can find a local farm or orchard, look into homemade jams and jellies, sauces, and other local farmed canned goods.
- Laundry products. Everyone has to do laundry, right? So why not make it greener? Give the gift of eco-friendly laundry and send the ingredients needed to make your own detergent, along with a couple of dryer balls!
Recipe for homemade powder laundry detergent:
All you need is one tablespoon per load of wash. I open the washing machine and turn on the hot water until it's about an inch deep. Then I turn off the water, add my detergent, and mix it around with an old wooden spoon until it dissolves. It won't be foamy. Then I switch the water to cold and let the machine fill up about half way and then I add my clothes. I've heard it's best to let the water dilute some before adding the clothes as some of the chemicals can make a peroxide and you don't want to bleach your dark clothing by adding it too quickly.
And if you need dryer balls, Etsy is a great place to look for them!
Add a comment if you've got some more great eco-friendly gift ideas!!
So this year, why not pick one green/eco-friendly item to give everyone on your birthday-gifts-list? It'll make shopping so much easier, and maybe you'll influence some friends or family to be a little more green this year!
Some great gift suggestions that everyone (well, almost everyone!) can use:
- An aluminum reusable water bottle (posted about these last week). You can get a high-end one from a company like Sigg, but if you're looking to spend a little less, Old Navy has some reusable aluminum bottles too. At full price they were $7.50, but Old Navy has great sales all the time and you could probably stock up on them if you bargain hunt!
- On a similar note, a travel coffee/tea/hot beverage mug. If you always keep a clean one in your car, the next time you stop for a coffee you won't have to use another paper cup/plastic lid! ...This is great for long road trips! You can also put iced drinks like iced teas and chais and iced coffees in them too, of course. No more plastic cups!
- How about supporting the handmade community on a site like Etsy and giving everyone a handmade item this year? Or if you're crafty... make the items yourself! Everyone loves a personalized piece of art.
- If the recipient has a yard, look into a plant store that sells local plants and flowers, and buy them a flowering plant that's native to the area. They'll have minimal care to maintain it since it's used to the conditions of the area, and the pollinators will love you for it!
- Keeping with the local theme- if you can find a local farm or orchard, look into homemade jams and jellies, sauces, and other local farmed canned goods.
- Laundry products. Everyone has to do laundry, right? So why not make it greener? Give the gift of eco-friendly laundry and send the ingredients needed to make your own detergent, along with a couple of dryer balls!
Recipe for homemade powder laundry detergent:
- 1 cup shredded bar soap
Fells Naptha works well (Zote is also recommended), you can use a cheese grater and then turn the little grated curls into a powder with a food processor- but it's not necessary. Another tip is to leave the soap out for a week or so to dry out a little before you shred it. It makes the soap easier to shred and more powdery. - 1/2 cup washing soda (Arm and Hammer makes it). This is sometimes hard to find, but call and ask around, or order a bunch online.
- 1/2 cup borax (you can find this with the cleaning supplies or with the laundry supplies)
All you need is one tablespoon per load of wash. I open the washing machine and turn on the hot water until it's about an inch deep. Then I turn off the water, add my detergent, and mix it around with an old wooden spoon until it dissolves. It won't be foamy. Then I switch the water to cold and let the machine fill up about half way and then I add my clothes. I've heard it's best to let the water dilute some before adding the clothes as some of the chemicals can make a peroxide and you don't want to bleach your dark clothing by adding it too quickly.
And if you need dryer balls, Etsy is a great place to look for them!
Add a comment if you've got some more great eco-friendly gift ideas!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
BEE Green Tip! NO MORE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES!
Buy yourself a reusable bottle and fill it up from the tap at home. If the taste of your tap water is unsatisfactory, you may be able to purchase an inexpensive filter to improve the taste.
The Earth Policy Institute estimates that it takes about 1.5 MILLION barrels of oil to make the plastic water bottles Americans use each year. And 77% of those end up in a landfill.
WHAT A WASTE!
These reusable Sigg bottles have gotten great reviews online, and unlike the plastic bottles, they DON'T leach dangerous chemicals into your drink!
www.mysigg.com
This one is even black and yellow, which is a great reminder (for anyone who cares about bees, and if you're reading this blog, I hope you do!) that a cleaner environment is better for the bees!
Another great thing about having a reusable bottle is that you can take it anywhere. You can bring an empty one to the airport, and then fill it up from a drinking fountain after you pass through security. This eliminates waste from bottles on the airplane during beverage service. And in case you didn't already know, a lot of airlines are now charging for the drinks they serve- soda, tea, coffee, juice, and yes- water.
This bottle will pay for itself in no time!
Sigg offers many sizes of bottles, so if carrying around a big liter bottle seems a bit daunting, they also offer smaller bottles.
There are other companies on amazon.com and a few other sites that offer similar bottles to the Sigg bottle, so you can look around for a great bargain from different brands. Just be sure that it's made from something that won't leach chemicals into your drink!
BEE GREEN!
The Earth Policy Institute estimates that it takes about 1.5 MILLION barrels of oil to make the plastic water bottles Americans use each year. And 77% of those end up in a landfill.
WHAT A WASTE!
These reusable Sigg bottles have gotten great reviews online, and unlike the plastic bottles, they DON'T leach dangerous chemicals into your drink!
www.mysigg.com
This one is even black and yellow, which is a great reminder (for anyone who cares about bees, and if you're reading this blog, I hope you do!) that a cleaner environment is better for the bees!
Another great thing about having a reusable bottle is that you can take it anywhere. You can bring an empty one to the airport, and then fill it up from a drinking fountain after you pass through security. This eliminates waste from bottles on the airplane during beverage service. And in case you didn't already know, a lot of airlines are now charging for the drinks they serve- soda, tea, coffee, juice, and yes- water.
This bottle will pay for itself in no time!
Sigg offers many sizes of bottles, so if carrying around a big liter bottle seems a bit daunting, they also offer smaller bottles.
There are other companies on amazon.com and a few other sites that offer similar bottles to the Sigg bottle, so you can look around for a great bargain from different brands. Just be sure that it's made from something that won't leach chemicals into your drink!
BEE GREEN!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Weekly Green Tip: Gray Water!
Another great tip from my Page-A-Day green living calendar:
"Leave a bucket (with a handle) in the shower to fill up with 'gray water while you lather up, or to bail out your bath when you've finished soaking. This water is perfect for plants (except for anything you plan to eat), the lawn, or washing the car. "
So don't use the water on herbs :)
"Leave a bucket (with a handle) in the shower to fill up with 'gray water while you lather up, or to bail out your bath when you've finished soaking. This water is perfect for plants (except for anything you plan to eat), the lawn, or washing the car. "
So don't use the water on herbs :)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Bee Kind, Bee Green
A lot of scientists and researchers have been suggesting the frightening idea that the honeybee here on Earth is the equivalent of a canary in a coal mine... And that the disappearance of honeybees is a sign that something is very, very wrong with our planet: Global Warming. Climate Change. Call it whatever you like, it's not good for anyone.
Here's a great article with a lot of facts- http://blog.targethealth.com/?p=58
I've heard the phrase, "Bee keeping is Planet keeping" so I thought it would be interesting and relevant to provide some greener-living tips on the blog- hopefully as a weekly thing. You can even look at the weekly tips as a personal challenge if you are following the blog- with each weekly tip, if you aren't already doing what the tip suggests, then find a way to get started!
This week's tip from Page-A-Day Calendars (from January 2):
"If you're a carnivore, aim to cut your meat intake in half this year. Meat takes more resources to produce than other forms of protein, so it's an inefficient source of fuel."
For an example of the resources to produce a pretty common food, here's an article about the carbon footprint (energy that it takes) to create a cheeseburger. The article goes into detail about just how much energy it takes to actually raise a cow to an age where it is be old enough to be slaughtered- how much food that cow will need to eat and how much energy is needed to feed the cow- and also gives an estimate of how much methane gas that cow will produce while it is alive.
This is just one example of one kind of food and one kind of meat.
Here's a great article with a lot of facts- http://blog.targethealth.com/?p=58
I've heard the phrase, "Bee keeping is Planet keeping" so I thought it would be interesting and relevant to provide some greener-living tips on the blog- hopefully as a weekly thing. You can even look at the weekly tips as a personal challenge if you are following the blog- with each weekly tip, if you aren't already doing what the tip suggests, then find a way to get started!
This week's tip from Page-A-Day Calendars (from January 2):
"If you're a carnivore, aim to cut your meat intake in half this year. Meat takes more resources to produce than other forms of protein, so it's an inefficient source of fuel."
For an example of the resources to produce a pretty common food, here's an article about the carbon footprint (energy that it takes) to create a cheeseburger. The article goes into detail about just how much energy it takes to actually raise a cow to an age where it is be old enough to be slaughtered- how much food that cow will need to eat and how much energy is needed to feed the cow- and also gives an estimate of how much methane gas that cow will produce while it is alive.
This is just one example of one kind of food and one kind of meat.
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