Make Green Come True

Many of us drink filtered, purified, or bottled water on a daily basis.  We do this for a variety of reasons from health concerns to taste preference.  Here are a few practical ideas on how to green your water use.

1.  Choose Filtered Over Bottled – Not only will you not be throwing away or recycling plastic bottles (even recycled bottles require a lot more energy than reusable containers), but you will also be reducing the energy costs of manufacturing, delivering the bottles to your grocer, and driving the bottles back to you home.

2.  Choose the Right Filter -  Check that your water filtration system meets NSF/ANSI Standard 53 to ensure a higher quality water filtration.

3.  Change Filters Regularly – When you install your filter, take the time to read the instructions on how often to change the filter.  If you do not follow this advice, you may actually make your water more harmful by filtering.

If you are addicted to bottled water, one easy way to green your life is to make a simple switch to reusable water bottles and a filtration system. Water filters are available online (see below) or in your local hardware, department, or bed and bath store. Eco-friendly Pitcher filters are great for travel too. Some are available in small sizes that fit in your suitcase for fresh water from any hotel room. Just put some ice in the top before filling for a cold drink anytime. Also, faucet filters are widely available and easy to install. In less than 15 minutes you can attach the filter and switch between filtered or tap water. Flavored water filters are also available to encourage you to drink more H2O. Don’t haul home or throw another bottle away!

Water Filtration Pitchers

Brita Slim Pitcher
Brita Deluxe Water Pitcher
PUR 2 Stage Oval Water Pitcher with LED Indicator #CR-6000C
Brita Ultramax Dispenser

Sink Filters

PUR 3 Stage Vertical Faucet Mount with Filter
PUR 3 Stage Horizontal Faucet Mount with Filter

Flavored Water Filters

PUR 2 Stage Water Pitcher with Flavor Cartridge #CR-5000
PUR 3 Stage Horizontal Faucet Mount with Flavored Cartridge #FM-5050C

Next time you are shopping for groceries, there are several ways to be both healthy and environmentally conscious.  Here are a few ideas to consider:

1.  Buy Fresh – Fresh foods, generally found on the outside perimeter of your grocer, have been processed less and generally are more eco-conscious.  Consider the lifespan of foods.  For example, compare and apple to a box of crackers.  The apple has been grown, harvested, minimally processed (adding a sticker and being packaged for transport) and delivered.  The cereal contains several ingredients, each of which may have been processed.  Each of these ingredients had to be produced, delivered to a factory, combined, baked, bagged/boxed, and then delivered to your local store.  The less processing required for foods, the less wasted electricity and raw materials.

2.  Buy Local – Locally grown fruits and vegetables are not only fresher and better tasting, but they are better for our planet.   The less distance your produce has traveled, the less fuel has been used and the less exhaust fumes have been released into our atmosphere.  If you cannot find local produce at your grocery store, visit a farmers market in your area.

3.   Try Meatless Dishes -The production of meat harms the environment in several ways.  It takes several pounds of grain or corn to help animals gain a pound.  Farming byproducts are also a contributor to air, water, and soil pollution.  Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or a proud carnivore there are many alternatives that are nutritionally dense and delicious.

4.  Bring Your Own Bags – Plastic bags are harmful to the environment (more on that coming later), bring your own reusable bags or at the least recycle your plastic bags in the drop boxes at the entrance of most grocery stores.

5.  Combine Trips – Make one or two well-planned trips a week to the grocery store rather than returning intermittenly for a few small items.  You will save time and gasoline, and help our air quality in the process.

There has been a lot of recent press about greenwashing due to the release of  Six Sins of Greenwashing.  This may leave some newly green individuals wondering exactly what is greenwashing and how to avoid it.  You may have noticed the cards in hotels asking you if you would like to help save the earth by not having your sheets and towels washed daily.  These claim to reduce water and detergent use, helping you save the planet by simply checking a box on the card.  In an article that examines whether the motive behind these cards was to truly be eco-friendly or to simply save money, Jay Westerveld coined the term.

Greenwashing means to deceive customers into believing that a product is green or eco-friendly.  The product may have green qualities that are instead offset by harmful qualities (i.e. an organic product in a bottle that cannot be easily recycled), it may have claims that are not backed by evidence (all-natural or organic products that cannot prove their status), or the claims on the product may make no difference (i.e. products that have two lines, one more expensive line claiming to be toxin-free when both are always toxin free anyway).   Below is a list of signs of greenwashing:

1.  Vague language

2.  Claims that cannot be proven or disproven.

3.   Non-eco-friendly products that claim to be green.

If you are shopping and are surprised that a product is green, then you may have encountered a greenwashed product.  Researching the merits of a product or looking for products that are certified by a reputable agency (i.e. USDA Certified Organic), and considering all aspects of greenness of a produt (is it recycled, is it recyclable, does it have minimal packing waste, are there toxins, is it organic, etc.) will help you make an educated decision.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwash

Eco-friendly shoppers know the dangers of plastic bags and seek out environmentally-friendly products.  They are typically armed with the right information to make wise product choices, but one question is often overlooked in the transition to a green lifestyle: how to pay?  Credit cards can be green if you following these tips:

1.  No paper please – Ask that your bills be sent directly to your email.  Paperless statements are ubiquitous now throughout the credit industry.  It will not only save paper, but it will also be more convenient.

2.  Pay your bill without paper – When you are paying your paperless statement, keep your end of the transaction green as well by using electronic drafts from your checking account.  You will save paper by not using a check and envelope, and you’ll save fuel and air pollution by not requiring your mail carrier to deliver the payment.

3.  Reward the Earth - Several options are available on reward cards.  Many are now offering credits to charities and conservation funds.  Search to see if your favorite green cause offers a credit card with rewards.

Tags: green recycling environment relocatingmoving Save the Earth Save the Planet

Moving can be time consuming and a lot of work.  With the combination of lots of boxes and packing materials and the actual transport of your furniture and other items, it can also be not so environmentally friendly.  Here are a few tips to help make your next move as green as possible:

1.  Clear Out Before You Move Out – Every item that you can donate or recycle before you move is one less you will have to use packing materials to contain and fuel to move.

2.  Use Recycled Packing Materials – Never buy new boxes.  There are several places to find materials for packing.  As your friends and family to save newspapers to use to protect breakable items.  Use clothes, towels, and blankets to protect other fragile items.  You can obtain free boxes from a variety of sources.  Check with a local grocery or department store, they often have tons of leftover boxes each night after they stock shelves.  These can be collapsed and brought home for your move.  You might also want to check Craigslist or FreeCycle for free packing materials or check with a friend or neighbor who has recently moved.  At worst case, reused boxes and packing material can be rented from many movers.

3.  Recycle Your Leftover Packing Materials -After you have moved, collapse boxes and save packing materials to pass on to someone else you know.  If you don’t know anyone who needs packing materials, you can list your items on  Craigslist or FreeCycle as well.  Recycle anything that is beyond reuse.

4.  Clean the Green Way – After you have arrived at your destination, be sure to use earth-friendly cleaning products:

Easy and Inexpensive Organic Cleaner
Clean to be Green
Product Review: Little Green Earth-Friendly Machine

After you have made yourself at home, you can begin to think about other green options such as reducing junk mail and installing programmable thermostats.  Have a great move!

Tags: green recycling environment relocatingmoving Save the Earth Save the Planet

Happy 4th of July!   If you are like many people, today will be marked with a fun cookout and time spent with family and friends.  Here are few ideas on how to be green while you celebrate:

1.  Flip the switch.  If you are entertaining outside, make sure the lights are off inside and that the thermostat is set a few degrees lower than normal to conserve air conditioning energy.

2.  Don’t create extra waste.  Use reusable glass or plastic utensils, plates, and cups.  If you do need to use disposable items, be sure to recycle.

3.  Grill with gas.   If you have the option to choose whether to grill with propane or charcoal, choose propane.  It emits 100 times less carbon monoxide and fewer VOCs (volitile organic compounds) into the atmosphere.

1.  Try paperless billing – you can sign up for free online accounts to pay most of your bills.  Many will even be able to schedule automatic online deductions.  You will save paper, save time, and never be late for another bill.

2.  Read your news online – nearly every city has an online edition of the local newspaper.   For world news, try cnn.com, nytimes.com, msnbc.com, abcnews.com. foxnews.com, etc. or one of the news aggregation sites such as news.google.com.  You will save time, save money on subscription fees, and have access to more information about news topics that interest you.

3.  Look for ways in your daily routine that you use paper needlessly.  Do you order lunch at a fast food restaurant?  Ask that they skip bagging the food.  Do you use paper cups at work?  Think ahead and bring a washable cup from home.

Next time you wash clothes and towels, keep in mind these tips to be environmentally friendly and conserve water.
1.  When you wash, only run full loads.  Overall, you will save time, water, and detergent.  This applies to washing dishes too!

2.   If you are in the market for a new washer, consider one of the front-loading models.  They are energy efficient, allow you to wash larger loads, and use roughly 40% less water and roughly 60% less energy depending on the model.

3.  Avoid longer cycles like permanent press, or whites unless necessary.  These will take longer and use several extra gallons of water.

Did you know that you can save the Earth next time you go to the movies?  This weekend if you are planning to attend any event that requires tickets, check online first to see if they can be printed from home.  Many theaters, amusement parks, etc.  offer the chance to print from your home computer.   Not only will you save time standing in line, but you will also be able to help our planet.  Plain printer paper at home is easier to recycle than the glossy paper used for tickets, and it will not have special scanning/magnetic areas to have to remove when recycling.  It also is less environmentally expensive to produce home printer/copy paper than the glossier kind available at your destination.  Some websites even offer discounted tickets if you print at home.