When you’re looking to give something more meaningful than a sweatshirt with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer plastered on it, why not bypass the commercialized Christmas and help protect the environment at the same time?  You’ll reduce demand for manufactured goods while doing good!

I’ve compiled a list of earth-friendly gifts that won’t end up in the trash, the donation box, or worse yet — re-gifted! 

1. Sponsor a wild place through the Sierra Club to fund their endless conservation efforts of natural resources and wildlife habitats.  ($25 and up)
2. An annual pass to see “America the Beautiful” through the US Geological Survey (USGS).  It allows access to 2,000 recreation areas managed by five Federal agencies, with up to 100% of the proceeds being used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services.  ($80)
3. Zipcar gift membership. Zipcar, an innovative car sharing service aims to reduce the amount of cars and congestion on our roadways which results in less pollution.  Available in many cities and university towns across the USA, Canada and the UK.  ($60 annual fee + additional rates based on city and type of car).
4. A subscription to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  Each week during the harvesting season, your lucky recipient will receive fresh, local food directly from a farmer. ($20 and up per delivery)
5. Gift membership to a non-profit organization that helps care for those in need (people and/or animals) or that funds the arts and/or education, especially those focused on sustainability.  Many organizations offer a matching donation program to stretch your dollars.  Usually, a generous donor is willing to match, dollar for dollar, any donations an organization receives during specified dates.  It’s a good idea to check out the charity you have in mind before donating.  Check out  CharityNavigator.org, CharityWatch.org or The Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance.

photo of Rocky Mountain National Park courtesy of Bing.com

I have been amazed by the array of recycled glass objects (vases, pitchers, wall art, ornaments, home accessories, cheese plates, sculptures, lighting, even jewelry) that look like beautiful pieces of art.  Sometimes the new objects retain the character of the original glass bottles, while other times, the glass has been melted down to reveal completely new forms.

These handcrafted works of art add a touch of whimsy and a shimmer of light to any decor.

• Ideas on Legs (pictured here):  Afton, Virginia
• Melting Grounds:  Portland, Oregon
• Reborn Glass:  Cape Coral, Florida
• Wolf Art Glass:  Austin, Texas

Tumbled recycled glass can also be used out of doors in fire-pits, fountains, fish ponds, pathways and as colorful mulch!  Read my earlier post here about the many uses in the landscape.

This post is brought to you by the Electronics TakeBack Coalition.

“Did the holidays bring you new gadgets?  Here’s how to recycle your old ones.

Electronic gadgets were at the top of many holiday shopping lists again this year, with iPads and Kindles fueling a lot of the buying frenzy. The biggest sellers were e-readers, tablet computers, smart phones, HD TVs and video games consoles and accessories.

So what should you do with your old stuff – the items these shiny new gadgets replaced? Or the even older ones – the dead cell phones, PDAs, and iPods stashed in your dead gadget drawer, or the old printer or TV tucked away in the basement?  It’s pretty easy to keep a recycling resolution, with the help of the our Guide To Recycling Your Electronics. Here are the basics, with a lot more information available in the Guide.

Don’t Trash Old Electronics
The easiest (but worst) thing to do is to toss the old items in the trash. These gadgets contain toxic chemicals, which we don’t want seeping out of landfills and into groundwater, or creating toxic air emissions from incinerators. Plus they take up a lot of room in overcrowded landfills. And most contain metals that can be recovered and reused.

Donate for reuse
If your old item still works and is pretty current, it can probably be reused. Many cities have local, non-profit reuse organizations, which will refurbish electronics for use in local underserved communities. You can usually find these by contacting your local county solid waste agency.  If you don’t find one, consider the National Cristina Foundation, which matches donated computers to charities and agencies, or the World Computer Exchange, which sends requested working items to educational institutions in developing countries.

Recycle
If reuse is not an option, then please take it to an electronics recycler. Make sure your old product gets to a responsible recycler – one who will actually recycle it, and not ship it off to a developing nation, where old electronics are causing terrible health and environmental harm. The best way to do that is to work with a recycler who is part of the e-Stewards network. E-Stewards recyclers adhere to the highest standards in the industry, including a firm commitment not to export non-working or untested e-waste to developing nations. Many e-Stewards also refurbish products for reuse.

If there is no e-Steward near you, then there are many takeback programs run by the manufacturers and retailers (especially Best Buy), most of which are free. See our website’s Guide to Recycling Your Electronics for information and links to all of these manufacturer takeback programs. Some of these programs have trade-in options, which will give you money back for certain items, especially cell phones and laptops. The Guide includes details on these trade-in options as well.

Happy New Year and thanks for taking the time to recycle!”

The weather outside may be frightful, but your holiday habits don’t have to be.  Looking for ways to be more kind to the earth this season?  There are plenty of easy things anyone can do to make their home more efficient and comfortable this winter.  I’ve made a list and checked it twice, and think you won’t find my tips more naughty than nice. 

1. LIGHTING:  If you’re opting to decorate the heck out of your home’s exterior, but want to save money on the energy bills, check out the wide array of LED lights (light-emitting diodes) on the market.  They use only a tiny fraction of the energy that conventional string and decorative lights use, plus they last much longer!  Save even more money by putting your lights on a timer.  This way, they can turn on just as you’re coming home to light your way up the driveway and won’t be forgotten at bedtime when you’re too tired to remember to turn them off.
2. DECORATING:  Deck your halls with re-purposed items or those made with recycled content or natural materials.  Try to limit use of wasteful disposable items.   Here’s a few ideas:  orange pomanders, holly boughs, cranberry garland and handmade salt dough ornaments.  Also, homemade holiday cards (like the one pictured here) are extra special.
3. TREES:  Real Christmas trees are actually better for the environment if you purchase one that can be replanted in the yard in the spring.  You’ll get a lifetime of enjoyment out of it instead of just a few weeks.  Keep in mind that most artificial trees are petroleum-based and won’t biodegrade at the end of their life-cycle.
4. GIFTS:  Look for items with minimal packaging, especially non-bio-degradable bubble plastic.  Shop the “Green Pages” for eco-friendly and fair-trade treasures.  Consider purchasing a sponsorship of a natural place (typically $20 or so, which sometimes include stuffed toy animals you can include as part of the gift).  The Sierra Club, for instance, offers packages to help protect awe-inspiring wild places like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon Park and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
5. GIFT WRAPPING:  Wrap in the newspaper’s funny pages, old calendar pictures, posters or other paper destined for the recycling bin.  Kid’s drawings make a cute wrapping for small gifts.  Also, by wrapping the top and bottom of boxes separately, the paper will remain intact and they can be used again next year.  Re-usable gift bags are great since they can be used year-after-year.
6. SHIPPING GIFTS:  crumpled magazine pages provide great padding to breakable packages instead of bubble wrap or foam peanuts.
7. HOLIDAY FEASTS:  Local and organic food and spirits taste better!   Remember to compost fruit and veggie scraps.  Also, washable, fabric napkins make any meal feel more special.
8. HEATING YOUR HOME:  An extra sweater will keep you warm and toasty without having to turn up the heat, so why not sport that one in the back of your closet with the big, red-nosed reindeer on front?!  If you’ll be lighting your fireplace this chilly winter, take a look at some tips I wrote on increasing its efficiency and cleaner-burning logs.  Read my previous post to save energy and money on home heating this winter.
9. RECYCLE and RE-USE all that you can, from compostable food scraps, to paper, cardboard, bottles, plastic and cans.
10. BE THANKFUL for all that is good in your life!  After all it is the season to be jolly.  Happy Holidays!

(photo by Laura Manning)

You’re sure to find one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry, toys, and home decor.  Perfect gifts for the upcoming holidays!

The 30 workshops and presentations will focus on green building and energy efficiency, renewable energy & fuels, and green living & gardening.  Participants can attend multiple workshops for only $10!

Be sure to visit the EarthWays Center, a division of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, when it’s open for public tours on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday of each month.  It is a sustainably renovated Victorian-era home filled with information about solar electricity, geothermal heating and cooling, native plant landscaping, super insulation, non-toxic and sustainable home maintenance products and other features.

Visit the Green Homes Festival website for more information.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

This year’s theme is “Everything Is Better When It’s Fair”.  Each time you purchase products that carry the Fair Trade label, such as coffee & tea, wine, chocolate, sugar, olive oil, bananas, flowers, and crafts & gifts, you are doing something that makes a difference.  To learn more or to look for events planned in your area, visit Green America or the Fair Trade Resource Network.

• Resource Revival, an Oregon-based small business, crafts old bicycle parts into picture frames, clocks (pictured here), CD racks, tea light holders, bowls, bottle openers, and key chains.
• Bike Furniture Design, out of Marquette, Michigan, creates distinctive tables, chairs, accessories, bar stools, and other seating from bicycle rims, frames, handlebars, and even the innertubes.
• The Bicycle Inter Community Action and Salvage (BICAS), of Phoenix, Arizona, collects parts and provide bicycles for people who cannot afford to buy a bike.  Currently, they’re also collecting bicycle clothing and accessories in addition to almost all bike parts.
• Re-Cycled Accessories, a British Columbia, Canada family-owned company, will dazzle you with its jewelry and belt buckles made from used (SRAM or Shimano) chains, spokes, cogs, shifter cables and wheel bearings.
• Recycled Bike Art, out of Freeport, Maine, creates stained glass clocks, framed art & awards, mosaic coasters, jewelry and belt buckles.

The concept of a waterless car wash may sound a bit dubious, but there are actually products on the market designed to clean cars without a water-spewing hose. ‘The EPA states that cleaning a vehicle using soap and a water hose, can waste up to 116 gallons of water per car wash. Even an automatic car wash uses about 40 gallons per car wash and requires a vast amount of energy (which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions)’.

I tried some of these products this weekend and was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the non-toxic waterless car wash from Freedom work well, but it was easy to use and it even smelled great! The Super Polymer Formula One cleans, polishes and protects an automobile’s painted, glass, chrome, fiberglass, and plastic surfaces. The bottled car wash is water-based and therefore can be used on wet or dry surfaces and be used anywhere (ideal for apartment/condo dwellers or those located in drought-stricken areas).

I simply sprayed on the product, wiped it with a micro-fiber towel, then lightly buffed it off with another clean micro-fiber towel, which left my car remarkably clean and shiny. I also tried the Eco Tire Protectant which left my tires looking brand new. This product can be used on interior rubber, vinyl and leather surfaces as well. I was a little concerned when I finished and looked down at my dirty fingernails, but upon one good wash in the sink, all of the residue was easily removed. The company offers a 2 Wax + Polymer Original Formula which contains natural waxes to protect a car’s surface, but I didn’t have a chance to try that one yet.  Every bottle of product allows for 5-10 car washings and is recyclable upon emptying.

While I had been given these products by the manufacturer so that I could personally use them and post my experience with them, I have not received any compensation to provide a good review.  I simply have been genuinely pleased with the Freedom waterless car wash products and highly recommend them to any car owner.

Soap contains surfacants, or surface active agents, which are derived from petroleum or animal fats (tallow, lard) or vegetable oils.  Commercial soaps contain artificial scents and dyes and other potentially harmful substances.  Antibacterial soaps typically contain triclosan which has been found to mutate bacteria which have become resistant to antibiotics.

Natural soaps with ingredients such as olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, tea-tree oil, or shea butter, are gentler and more moisturizing than commercial soaps.  Castile soap is a pure, mild soap made from vegetable oils.  If you like a little freshening fragrance, look for soaps that contain essential oils instead of perfumes or fragrances.  Glycerin is another beneficial ingredient to look for, as it acts as a natural skin softener.

RealHandmadeSoap.com has put together an extensive list of natural soapmakers.  Or, if you’re feeling creative, you can even make your own soap!  There are plenty of websites out there that explain the short list of natural ingredients and show the step-by-step process.

Source:  sci-toys

Of course ‘eco-friendly travel’ seems like an oxymoron, but traveling is a fact of life, and we can’t always walk or ride our bicycles to our destinations. So, why not try to minimize the impact our travels have on the planet? Take a peek at my ideas for greener travels here and also consider this regarding auto/travel clubs:

The Traveling Mamas website says it best, ‘Better World Club offers everything that AAA does, without any of your membership fees going to the highway lobby (as with AAA). The Better World Club offers discounts on hybrid rental cars, discounts on eco-travel, and helps fight global warming by offering its members free carbon offsets (when purchasing airline tickets through BWT).’

‘Better World Club donates 1% of its revenue to environmental cleanup, and even offers roadside assistance for bicycles! Triple-A, on the other hand, uses some if its revenue to lobby against mass transit, bike paths, and the Clean Air Act. Now, this makes sense from a business standpoint – the more people in cars, the more people using AAA, right? But since Better World Club offers the same good stuff as AAA, without your money going towards things that actually increase your carbon footprint, BWC is the eco-friendly alternative.’