06.11.08
Posted in home & garden, recycling, habitat at 1:50 pm by greengirl
I was just floating around Gmail and came across this awesome tile site via their weblinks. They’ve got eco-friendly tile, including cork, pebble mosaics and recycled glass. The cork is recycled from the stopper industry’s byproduct (think: the end of wine corks). Modwalls.com also supports some great causes.
Cork is a particularly good substance to use in construction. According to the Rainforest Alliance, “cork oak forests are one of the most sustainable natural systems, and supports one of the highest levels of biodiversity among European forests.” Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. It’s harvested every 10 years or so, and harvesting it doesn’t hurt the tree.
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06.03.08
Posted in recycling at 7:28 am by greengirl
As I was just about to throw my empty prescription bottle in the recycling bin, and being very grateful that my city takes no. 5 plastics, I wondered what options there are for cities that don’t accept anything but a no. 1 or 2 plastic. I did some checking, and there aren’t tons of options, but there are a few. Apparently, many pharmacies won’t take them because after too many reuses, the child-proof ability of the caps begins to break down. (Don’t they know that kids are the only ones who can get those things open?)
Some veterinary clinics and animal shelters reuse the bottles for giving out doses of medication to furry patients, so check with your local vet clinics. Or, you could send them to Jacob Willard in West Virginia for his 4H project. If you have a plastic lumber manufacturer near you, they’ll take most types of plastics. Everyone has thought of using them to keep screws, craft supplies, etc (after thoroughly washing, of course), but one of the coolest reuse ideas I found is to keep plants watered by punching a hole in the bottom, burying it in the dirt and watering.
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05.30.08
Posted in education, recycling, pollution at 8:10 am by greengirl
The blog associated with the method line of products recently posted about an incredible art installation in Sao Paolo. Sao Paolo is home to the Tiete River, one of the most polluted waterways in the world. The artist, Eduardo Srur, has created an installation of 40′ long (huge!) plastic PET bottles along the embankments of the Tiete River to raise awareness of pollution and the need for recycling. They’re lit from within and look darn cool in the nighttime shots. I recommend checking out his ‘Art’ link - he’s got some amazing, larger-than-life stuff.
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02.21.08
Posted in home & garden, recycling, organic, shopping at 9:38 am by greengirl
Admit it. When you think of someone who is ecologically friendly, who buys organic whenever they can, you think of someone who owns a lot of futons and beanbag chairs, don’t you? Well, I am pleasantly surprised to find that there are some really fantastic furniture alternatives.
Quite a while back, I was watching a program where the redecorated someone’s house with eco-friendly furniture, and they highlighted Bean Products. Sure, they’ve got bean bag chairs - filled with 100% recycled polystyrene beads inside cotton or hemp washable covers. But, they’ve also got some of the coolest chairs and couches I’ve seen. The frames are made from American-grown hardwoods certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and assembled with non-toxic natural-based glues. They also contain natural latex foam rubber, organic cotton batting and sheeting, and hemp covers. Stylish and eco-friendly…now if someone would just buy a couple chairs for me…
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02.03.08
Posted in education, recycling at 10:11 pm by greengirl
The library is one of the best and oldest recycling centers. According to Savannah Now, many children’s books (including one of my favorites: Where the Wild Things Are) are read so often that they fall apart and must be replaced. If you have young children, I heartily encourage you to take them to the library. Not only will you be starting them on the wonderful road of being lifelong library patrons, you’re also recycling. Just think - how many children’s books might you purchase for your children that would never be read after they learn to walk and hold silverware? How many middle school children want to read Pat the Bunny? And, while you and your child are visiting the library, check out a book for yourself. What’s the point in owning a novel, for instance, that you might only read once. And, if you do purchase books, share them! BookCrossing is one great site for recycling books and seeing where they travel.
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01.24.08
Posted in home & garden, recycling, shopping at 9:33 am by greengirl
I heard about this skateboard and snowboard maker that uses environmentally-friendly products: Arbor. I know nearly nothing about snowboards, but their skateboards look really, really cool. They’ve got some retro designs and some East Asian-inspired designs. They use bamboo for some of their boards, and a combination of sustainably harvested maple and koa (the wood used by Hawaiians for the first surfboards) for others. And they must be good, because one of their boards was designed by Kelly Slater. In addition to using sustainably sourced wood for their skateboards, they work green too by donating a portion of their profits to conservation organizations, printing on recycled paper with soy-based ink, purchasing wind power credits and working in an office built largely with recycled materials. It’s nice to see an alternative to the old school skater mentality that the world was going to end so who cared anyway. And to see it done with such cool boards.
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01.08.08
Posted in recycling, shopping at 3:33 pm by greengirl
As someone who has not had a lot of ‘fun money’ for a long time, I know that it can be easy to think that if you just had product A, things would be easier. Or, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to buy a cup of coffee or a new shirt without worrying about your budget? Advertisers didn’t spend years perfecting their craft for nothing - they’re good at knowing how to convince someone with or without much discretionary income that their product is what you should spend money on.
But, if what we’re all looking for is simplicity, happiness, less debt, etc, it may pay to redefine those goals. Yes, it would be nice to be able to afford to buy a paperback once in a while or not have to think twice before going out for dinner twice in one week. But, what is that thoughtlessness costing? The New American Dream advocates asking yourself three questions before making a purchase: do I really need it?, can I borrow it or buy it used? can I wait to buy it until I can pay for it without credit?
Think of it, not as depriving yourself, but as choosing between priorities. More stuff or more freedom from debt. And, as someone who just moved, more freedom from stuff you have to pack in boxes. It helps you to place value on what you do have and complete that often neglected part of the recycling trio: reduce.
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12.31.07
Posted in ecotravel, recycling at 10:44 am by greengirl
If you watch even a little television, you’ve probably seen those silly cartoon videos for esurance.com. I don’t know how good their insurance is since I insure my car through another company. But, one of their recent commercials attracted my attention more than usual. Apparently, they’re making big efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
According to the environmental page on their website, their claims vehicles are hybrids, and they do most of their communication with customers online to reduce paper use. They store all their records using document imaging, which I think is pretty cool, since what’s the point in having a computer if everything gets printed? According to the page on what they do, their reduction in paper in 2006 saved 649 trees. And what they can’t eliminate thru paper reduction and hybrid vehicles, they offset in partnership with Carbonfund.org.
Because of moving to a new state, I may have to switch insurance carriers. If that happens and I switch to esurance, I’ll make sure to keep everyone updating on the quality of their customer service and product. I checked an automobile insurance review site, and while esurance definitely had its share of bad reviews, most of the other companies had similarly low or lower ratings. Bad news travels faster than good, I guess. Regardless, if you’re considering switching, do your research and see what others have experienced with the agent in your area.
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08.31.07
Posted in energy, home & garden, education, recycling at 12:28 pm by greengirl
While listening to NPR this morning, I heard a story on Pitzer College near Claremont, California. Pitzer is just putting the finishing touches on Gold LEED certified residence halls. They’ve got student-maintained organic gardens, low-flow showerheads, water-conserving toilets, solar panels, recycled building materials and more. And, they anticipate that this project will save the college money in the long-term. If a residence hall can do it, what an easy job a house would be. Sounds much better than the high-rise cement block housing I had in college.
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07.24.07
Posted in recycling at 3:47 pm by greengirl
Last November, I posted about recycling your cell phone. I’ve since found a couple other recycling programs for cell phones.
One is Wireless Recycling, which collects cell phones for reuse or recycling. They refurbish them and distribute them to people in need. They also allow you to sign up to collect phones to benefit an existing charity or your own non-profit group.
The other is Charitable Recycling, which does the same sort of charity collection as Wireless Recycling and also collects ink cartridges. In their FAQs, they state that phones donated to them are refurbished and given to battered women’s and children’s shelters, people awaiting organ transplant, and developing countries where land-line service is cost prohibitive.
Both companies break the phone down and recycle the parts in accordance with EPA regulations, if the phone is too old to be refurbished. Wireless Recycling has a searchable database of drop-off locations.
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