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What Are Your Green Goals for 2009?

December 24, 2008 in Holiday by Jennifer | No comments

With New Year’s almost here, it’s likely you’re starting to think about your goals. Do you have some green household goals that you’d like to work on in the upcoming year? If you’re looking for ideas, here are some good ones:

Go green in 2009 by…

Ditching toxic household cleaners and chemical based home air fresheners.

Improving the air quality in your home.

Green your kitchen java for the entire year! Coffee is a great place to start if you’re looking to go green your lifestyle.

Drinking tap water, or at the very least buying a water filter over bottled water.

Starting a compost routine.

Only buying sustainable home furniture and decor.

Giving your baby a fresh green start in life.

Pledging to reduce, reuse, and recycle more at home.

Planting some trees around your house or in your neighborhood.

Taking shorter showers.

Conserving electricity around the house.

Do you have another green home goal? One I didn’t mention? Leave a comment about your green goals for 2009.

Oh, by the way, my green goals are as follows:

1) Recycle all the toilet paper tubes – this was actually my goal last year. I’m great at recycling everything but the tubes still sometimes end up in the bathroom trash vs. the recycling. I’ve improved since last year, but this is an ongoing goal.

2) Cook more. This last year was nuts (seriously) I bought more packaged foods than maybe ever in my entire life. That’s not great eco cooking. It’s much better to buy less packaging, and cook closer to the earth meals.

Going Green? How to Cover the Basics….

November 17, 2008 in Green Your Home by Jennifer | No comments

Get motivated. Look to eco blogs like this, green living books, or even your TV for green shows to get inspired. When you surround yourself with green, it makes going green a snap.

Own your actions. Yeah, some folks don’t believe in global warming. Whatever, that’s your choice. However, some use theories like this to avoid green, as in why bother, we’re not the ones making the problem. Even if you don’t believe in global warming, your actions are important for other reasons. Clean beaches and forests, green spaces for kids to play, and your health. Believe what you like, but green actions are for us all.

Invest in green companies and products.

Naturally clean your space – cleaning products are one area that anyone can green up in no time flat. Why buy toxic chemicals when you don’t have to?

Green all of your special events, vacations, and holidays, along with your everyday world.

Get a child involved. Kids are going to be around longer than we adult are. Think about the green ethics and values you’re passing on to them. Have you even talked to a child lately about going green? You should.

Reduce your consumption of consumer goods. Think before you buy, each and every time.

Eat organic, vegetarian, or natural. Grow your own food if you can. Do something with your food that helps to lower your footprint.

Eco up your energy use. It’s hard to know how much energy you use without running some easy energy audits. Anyone can do this, and it’ll green your home plus save you money.

Never assume that one action won’t make a difference. That cloth napking you use at each meal, that one can you recycle, the one organic product you purchase – these steps all matter.

What Can & Can’t be Recycled

July 25, 2008 in Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | 3 comments

Yesterday we looked at Getting back to Basics – Recycling in Your Community – where to learn about recycling in your community and neighborhood.

Today let’s take a look at what can and can’t (in most cases) be recycled…

recycling truck

What you can, in most cases, recycle:

Paper

Glass

Plastic – you’re limited in what plastics you can easily recycle. You honestly should not be buying plastic drink jugs and milk jugs (paper or glass is better). Overall, the best plastic tip is to buy as little as possible.

Misc garbage – clothing, old paint, computers, and batteries are just some of the misc trash you can recycle. It depends on your area, but if you contact Earth 911 you can find a place to recycle these sort of items.

Metal – tin cans, soda cans, and foil items can usually be recycled.

Things that are difficult to recycle: (difficult, as in some areas offer recycling for said items, and some may not. Also people who are creative can recycle many items.)

Aerosol cans made from combined materials.

Some juice boxes.

Squeeze plastic bottles – like ketchup. Glass is a better option.

In some areas light bulbs, broken glass and pottery, foam, plastic silverware, plastic bags, carbon paper, and more can’t be recycled. Try to limit buying what can’t be recycled in your community.