I just had to share this video. Please take the 7 minutes and 17 seconds to watch - it is an inspiration to see what someone can do from waste. A HUGE THANK YOU! to Brittney for sharing her link on videos about recycled bags.
What better way to celebrate Dear Old Dad than let him know his kid will live in a healthier world for years to come? Well, there isn’t a better way!
Check out some gift ideas for Pops this Father’s day…It is June 15 in case you need reminding…
Okay, maybe your Dad isn’t into chores when it comes to celebrating his fatherhood. Why not celebrate his favorite pasttime by giving him…
Fresh off our experience at the 2008 Green Earth Expo, Kate and I are bursting with ideas for simple and functional green products. After some extensive research, we tried to pick things that are affordable and easy to add in to your lifestyle in the near future. Read on for our top ten green products to buy now.
| 1. Stainless Steel or Aluminum Water Bottle - Cut down your waste and avoid sending more plastic bottles to our landfills (those suckers take hundreds and hundreds of years to decompose). Try out a reusable bottle and make sure to buy a skinny scrub brush so you can thoroughly clean it. Many grocery stores are selling their own bottles, or you could try one of these: Sigg Silver Traveler Water Bottle or Klean Kanteen Water Bottle. Bring it to work, bring it to school, or anytime you leave the house. |  |
| .. | |
| 2. Green Cleaning Products - It’s spring time and you’re probably doing lots of cleaning. Why not clean with some products you can feel good about (those which are environmentally safe, made from natural cleaning agents, free of toxic chemicals/phosphorus/bleach, and hypo-allergenic)? Kate and I tried Clorox Green Works products and we love them so far ($2.99-$3.39). Choose from All-Purpose Cleaner, Glass & Surface Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Dilutable Cleaner, and Bathroom Cleaner. We also like Seventh Generation products, though I don’t recommend the Automatic Dishwasher Gel. It’s just too gentle and it fails to get your dishes really clean. |
|
| .. | |
| 3. Reusable Shopping Bags - If you haven’t done it already, its really time to get some reusable shopping bags to cut down on our plastic waste. You can read Kate’s post on canvas tote bags where she talks about some fabulous, fashionable bag options. Or try out Baggu — they come in 19 different colors at $8 for one, $22 for three, or $38 for six. |
|
| .. | |
| 4. Natural Skincare - Not only do we have to protect our impact on the environment, we’ve got to protect our own bodies and reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins we absorb. Skincare is so important and its a topic we think a lot about here in sunny Florida. Try these or look for natural products free of parabens, perfumes, colorants, alcohols, and preservatives: Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen SPF 15 Burt’s Bees Radiance Lip Shimmer (LOVE this stuff!) L’Occitane Shea & Organic Cotton Cleansing Milk |
|
| .. | |
| 5. Energy Efficient Light Bulbs - We know you’ve heard about these before, but have you switched out ALL of your light bulbs yet? Compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) help you save on your electric bill, they use about a quarter of the energy that traditional bulbs do, and they can last for years! Visit Energy Star’s website and click on their “Choose a Light Guide” to help make a list of which bulbs you need for your home. |
|
| .. | |
| 6. Rain Barrel - Get a rain barrel made from recycled plastic and catch some clean, healthy water during the rainy months. Your garden will love you for it, and you’ll cut down your water usage. Clean Air Gardening has a 50 gallon barrel designed to blend into your landscape. They have a cheaper 60 gallon barrel too, but it’s bright blue. If you’re clueless, read this Rain Barrel Guide for help. |  |
| .. | |
| 7. Energy Saving Power Strip - Pick up one of these power strips that will automatically switch off power to your devices when you’re not using them. Energy-efficient power strips are a great option for those of us that just can’t take the time to unplug and re-plug everything day in and day out. We read great reviews of the USB Ecostrip, but it’s currently sold out in the US. Smart Strip is another good brand. |
|
| .. | |
| 8. TerraPass - If you can’t afford a hybrid or flex-fuel vehicle just yet, opt for the TerraPass to offset your carbon emissions. You can also offset your flights, wedding, home, or office. Read our post here for more info. TerraPass’ profits fund clean energy and efficiency projects like wind farms. |
|
| .. | |
| 9. Low Flow Showerhead - Switch to a low flow showerhead to cut down your water usage by half. The Roadrunner has ShowerStart™ technology that shuts off flow to a trickle once the water heats up. When you’re ready to get in, just switch on the valve to enjoy your shower. You can also get regular showerheads at Home Depot with easy switches on the head to turn water flow on and off while you’re soaping up. |  |
| .. | |
10. Organic and Local Food - We know it’s not practical or affordable for most of us to buy ONLY organic food, but every little bit helps. Organics are not only much healthier for you, but organic practices are healthier for the environment and animals too. They reduce the amount of toxins, pesticides, and pollutants that seep into the ground and air supply. Restaurants and grocery stores are carrying more organic foods as each day passes, so try them out when you can. A few easy options:
Also, purchase local produce whenever you can. Check out our post on farmer’s markets and local co-ops here. |
 |
With over 500 exhibitors, there is no way Laurel and I could ever share all the great stuff from each booth. So, we decided we would each pick some of our faves (it was a close call) to share some interesting companies, products, and services we learned about at Green Expo 2008.
My boyfriend and I are suckers for relaxing with the scent of incense in the air, so imagine my happiness when I picked up free samples of Lama Chodpa Incense. Lama Chodpa Incense is handmade incense from the Nub Gon Monestary in Tibet. Monks of this society make the incense from carefully ground herbs and let it dry in the sun. Each ingredient is blessed and one is blessed first for a 9 day ceremony and then for a full year by a meditation master. Not only is this incense free of chemicals and pesticides, it smells great!
Next, we went to visit the gents from Wildlife Solutions, a wildlife removal company that practices humane ways. With their outback theme from down under, these guys gave us a cute magnet with a baby raccoon on it, fake plastic snakes to scare our friends, and introduced us to a real snake—to scare us. The most important thing they shared, however, was their service. This company offers humane removal of animals such as raccoons, snakes, rats, bats, and squirrels. They remove the animal, clean up after it, find out how it got in, and then perform any repairs to prevent you from having any more unwanted roommates and preventing the animal from getting hurt.
100Fires.com caused Laurel and I to kick ourselves the minute we walked in the door. One thing we do best is shop, and we forgot our wallets, which we realized the minute we walked to a booth dedicated to books. This bookstore is dedicated to providing literature on sustainable living. While we encourage you to partake in your local library system, in the event you can’t find a book you are looking to borrow, 100Fires can find books that are hard to find. Important genres to search, the kids section. Educate early and save the future Earth.
Continuing on the subject of shopping…we also stopped by Ten Thousand Villages booth. Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade store that sells products made by artisans in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These stores allow the artisans to practice a trade that provides a decent wage and a chance at a higher quality of life. They featured the best gift ideas for anyone on your list. From sculptures to jewelry to trivets, they have it and it is made beautifully!
Laurel provided links earlier to seeing if the Green Expo is coming to your area, if it is, we highly recommend you go—but be sure to set aside the whole afternoon!
The Green Earth Expo was really impressive. We took home a ton of information and made out with some freebies too. Some of the highlights for me:
Is there a green expo coming to your area? Many cities have already hosted eco-friendly expos this year, but I found a few that are coming up.
West Coast Green - San Jose Convention Center, CA on September 25-27, 2008
Connecticut Green Expo - Southern Connecticut State University on September 14, 2008
Tree Hugger’s Ball - Baker Canyon in California on June 21, 2008
GreenBuild 2008 - Boston, MA on November 19-21, 2008
Not only is Orlando home to “The Happiest Place on Earth,” but the city just hosted the Green Earth Expo by the Global Green Alliance on May 15-18, 2008. Laurel and I have our tickets to visit over 500 exhibitors that support sustainable living. The four-day trade show dedicated today’s floor to reach businesses in the community exclusively. Friday’s festivities will feature ECO Kids Day that will have green-friendly activities for the small leaves.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are open to the public for a small admission price. Members of the Global Green Alliance received a discount on admission by $3 — saving the green sounds good to me! Sign up here to become a member. The Global Green Alliance will donate 25% of exhibit sale revenue for Florida companies to American Forests. American Forests will then plant one tree for each dollar donated in an area damaged by natural disasters throughout the state. 250,000 trees are expected to be planted.
See who was there and look for updates on the event right here at Green Thinking Blog.
Update: May 18, 2008
We filmed a couple short clips of the booths as we walked around the Green Earth Expo. Check out our video to see what the expo looked like in person.
I bought a new cell phone today, and it made me think about what I’ll do with my old phone. Luckily, my phone provider sends a mail-in recycling envelope with any new phone, so I’m all set there. But, what do we do with all our junk electronic equipment?
The first thing you should do is figure out if it’s worth giving it away or selling at a discount to someone else on Freecycle, Ebay, or Craigslist. The National Cristina Foundation accepts computer equipment as donations for local non-profit organizations and schools. If you’re giving away a computer, don’t forget to reformat your hard drive or destroy it before giving it to someone you don’t know. If you’ve got an old cell phone, try Cell for Cash and see if you can get some money for it. If they won’t buy it, you can at least get a free shipping label to mail it in for recycling.
If your junk equipment is not worth donating or selling and you just need to get rid of it, I found some great tips to help you out. We have to avoid throwing electronics in the trash because they can contain toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, and flame retardants which, if crushed or burned, can become toxic to our environment. In many states it is actually against the law to throw electronic equipment in the trash. So take care and look into these options:
These are only a few ideas, and I’m sure there are tons out there. Hit us up with a comment if you have an electronic recycling idea or experience to share.
Photo credit: Erkin Sahin
The topic of reusable bags was briefly touched upon in a previous entry. I had made a careless depiction that plastic grocery bags could be used for picking up your dogs’ poop, as many communities require you clean up after your dog, as a secondary usage from toting your groceries.
As an amateur earth-good-doer, I failed to think fully through about what would happen to that bag of poo after you tossed it in the trash. A reader was kind enough to share that if we don’t pay attention to where we toss the poo, Fido’s deed could be preserved for eternities to come.
Leashwecando.com is a website and online catalog dedicated to your pet’s health and our environment. Their current feature is on biodegradable doggie doodoo bags. Biobags are the first dog waste bag that are 100% biodegradable and compostable. The bags, made from agricultural products, will decompose in any environment in no more than 8 months! In a compost environment that bag-o-dirty will decompose in as little as 10-45 days! Whoop Whoop!
Check out Leashwecando.com for more pet-friendly and environmentally conscious products.
Time Magazine announced their 15 favorite green websites. It was a fun read for me because I hadn’t heard of a number of their choices but was really impressed by all of them. Check out the list and enjoy some fresh green reading!
Thanks to Time Magazine for this web exclusive. It was fun to read about all the best in green writing online.
If your area doesn’t have a local grocer, don’t fret. A lot of mainstream grocery stores are offering organic products on their shelves. Organic Earth Day supplied a flyer at my grocery store to provide coupons and steps for going organic. Their website has some great ideas for recipes and highlights companies that create organic food items.
Some grocery stores that are making the movement:
Publix recently took their Greenwise Market products and created a whole store! Their first location is in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and they have four more locations planned.
On a recent (and rare) trip to Wal-Mart, they are now selling organic products too! Like Laurel & I’s faves: Amy’s organic foods and Stonyfield Yogurt amongst others.
For those of you on the other side of the country, Safeway’s website has a whole organic section to browse before you order online or go to the store.
And, do not forget to continuously check Laurel on Health Food for the most recent information on what organic foods can do for you. This is an excellent resource to encourage healthy things to go into your body, things you never knew could happen if you just ate the right things.
