Little Notes

I'm not sure how many people still have business cards today, but if you find yourself with extras don't get rid of them! My mom got a set of new ones, but still had half a box of her old cards left. The back of them is completely blank, so I kept them. They're very useful for writing small notes, just like sticky notes (without the stick). I'll be sitting at the computer and want to jot something down, and they're perfect for the job. I've also used them as bookmarks, flashcards, and to-do lists. Keep them by the phone and use them to take down messages. Whatever a sticky note or index card might be good for, these are good for too!

Cleaning Cans

If you are already doing the dishes and have a pan of dishwater, use that water to rinse out empty cans. Don't use fresh, clean tap water to do so. The can is just going into the recycling so you don't need it to be super clean: just rinsed. This old trick will conserve water.

Mmmm...Burritos

Eat at Chipotle. If you are hungry and looking for a fast food restaurant skip the greasy burgers and go get a burrito at Chipotle. This isn't just a joke or a plug, I admire the company's values. They've made great efforts to supply their restaurants with sustainably grown ingredients. They call their mission "Food With Integrity", and I didn't know that it existed until I checked out their website. All of their meat is ranch raised instead of factory raised, and they use local and organic ingredients whenever possible. They evaluate their suppliers carefully to make sure that they comply with their environmental and health standards. Steve Ells, the owner, even testified before congress to try to ban the use of antibiotics in ranching. He seems to really know his stuff. Plus they have these awesome napkins (see above).

Here is a link to the ad they played during the 2012 Grammy Awards. Not only is it adorable, it was the first time that I realized the company was concerned with sustainable practices: http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/fwi/videos/videos.aspx?v=1

Here's a link to the Chipotle website discussing its Food With Integrity standards: http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/fwi/videos/videos.aspx?v=1

Waste Equals Food

I am currently reading a book (Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough) that discusses how we make products to be one time use, and we design them to wear out so that consumers will throw out their old product and buy a newer one within a set time frame.This, of course, creates a lot of waste. The book suggests that instead we create a new model in which our products actually benefit nature and can be indefinitely recycled. To help explain this, the book uses a cherry tree metaphor. A cherry tree will produce thousands of blossoms and fruits in hope that at least one pit will grow into a new tree. These blossoms will litter the ground, but nobody considers that inefficient and wasteful because the plant materials decompose and nourish the soil and organisms around it. So what if we could live our lives that way, and not produce harmful waste? We aren't anywhere close to that yet, but one thing that we can do for sure is compost. I have posted about compostable bags and containers, but I haven't posted about just plain old composting in your home. I'll bet that you produce more food waste than you think. So don't throw it out. Pick up a compost bin from your local DPW, buy a few compostable bags to put your waste in, and begin! It feels really satisfying to have a whole bag of waste that's not going away to a landfill. This waste can be reused right in your own garden! As Cradle to Cradle says, "Waste equals food" (for the environment), so don't throw out good food!

No Butts Allowed

If you smoke, don't do this. There is a nice quiet spot by my work where I like to relax on my break. However, so does at least one smoker. Littering is obviously not good for the environment, but when the trash has as many toxins in it as cigarettes do it is probably awful for the environment. In addition to being bad, it's just a mood killer as well. Some trash is easy enough to pick up, but I don't think that anyone really wants to pick up each one of these gross butts for ya. Find a trash can please.

Composting IS Exciting

I was at Boston Common this week and my brother and I thirstily stumbled upon the Clover Food Lab food truck. Before we saw their menu we saw that the side of the truck said that 100% of its waste was compostable. I thought, "Wow, that's really awesome!" We ordered a honey lemonade that hit the spot, but then I realized, "Hey! This is in a plastic cup! That's not compostable!" But upon further inspection, I discovered I was wrong. Right on the cup it said it was made of 100% plant materials so it was 100% compostable. This cup-making company even plants trees to counteract its carbon emissions, giving it a virtual carbon footprint of ZERO. Awesome! So I took the cup home and looked up both the food truck company, Clover, and the cup company, World Centric. The more I read the more I got excited.

Clover emphasizes simplicity in its products and tries its best to use fresh, local, organic ingredients. Rock on! They have permanent locations around Boston and Cambridge so check them out. Here's a link to their website: http://www.cloverfoodlab.com/, as well as a link to a blog post reviewing Clover. http://www.meghaneatslocal.com/2012/06/clover-food-lab-fast-food-experiment.html

World Centric's website is full of great stuff that got me so excited I haven't even finished looking through it yet. Their company philosophy and values are amazingly eco-friendly and just awesome. They sell all kinds of compostable products and donate 25% of their profits to great causes. So have a look around and explore. Maybe buy a compostable toothbrush, a compostable waste bag, or suggest that your work/school/camp cafeteria switch over to use some of their products. Or, having a cook out and don't wanna do the dishes? Get compostable servery instead of styrofoam and plastic! The plates and things don't have to be just for cafeterias. http://www.worldcentric.org/

Yummy

My family doesn't get take out often, but when we do we try to keep the containers. They're not always sturdy, but these thick blacks ones seem to be gaining popularity. They are good quality, so don't just throw them out. Reuse them as leftover containers! Bring your lunch to school or work in them. I do that often and they work great. They're pretty sturdy and seal pretty well. We've had some for close to a year, and they still work great!

Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody Do Your Share

Tomorrow is trash day in my town. Some people put their bins out now and leave them there until Thursday. During this time, little pieces of trash are bound to blow out. We also have the trucks with the automatic arms now, and those are not always the most accurate when they are dumping the garbage. Therefore, be on the lookout for stray trash in your yard. Nobody wants that in their garden, right? So if you see some don't get grossed out. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Save the flower beds for the flowers, and preserve the environment for the local animals.

Turn the AC Off Sooner

In the summer months, cars get hot and AC is necessary. But here is a tip for saving a little bit of gas while you're driving. Turn the AC off several minutes before you reach your destination. The car will stay cold enough during that time that you probably won't even notice. It doesn't make sense to blast the AC until the moment you turn the car off, because as soon as you turn the car off you are going to get out and not enjoy the cold air. Try it out!

Another Shower Post

 For my third shower-related post in 2 weeks, I present a mildly radical but gorgeously simple idea. This idea came from my Suave conditioner bottle. It suggests turning off the water while you shampoo and condition your hair. Obviously you need water to rinse your hair, but I know I step away from the water while I do these things. Why run away from the water? Just turn it off! You could be saving over 3,000 gallons of water and up to $150 per year.

Things to do in Private

This post is about peeing in the shower. Yes, I'm serious...peeing in the shower. An actual, legitimate study in Brazil found that flushing the toilet one less time per day will save more than 1,000 gallons of water over the course of a year. And this actual, legitimate study suggests peeing in the shower as a way to obtain this outcome. Water conservation is often overlooked, but it is very important. If you use less water, then less energy has to be consumed for processing and recycling it. And, water is not always as endlessly renewable as we think. So, if peeing in the shower is something you're okay with, go for it! Provided appropriate circumstances of course.

Just Say No

I'm sure you've heard it before, but just in case: stop using bottled water!!! If you bring a Poland Springs or Aquafina water bottle to school every day, you're using 180 water bottles per year, and 2,340 throughout your whole school career. That's a lot! Just use a reusable water bottle, and you'll probably use it for the next few years. If you don't like tap water, just install a water filter in your kitchen, and it will taste just like the bottled water. And for refilling on the go, I believe there are even water bottles with their own filters installed inside! So no worries, free, clean water will be at your finger tips wherever you go! They come in all shapes and sizes, so there will be one out there just for you. I use them all the time and I love them.  They even encourage me to drink more water throughout the day, which leads to a healthier me.

Cool fact: If you drink Gatorade during sporting events, I have good news. Gatorade makes drink powder that you can add to your reusable water bottle, so there's no more need to by Gatorade bottles all the time. It tastes just like the stuff you get in the bottles, and you can find it anywhere sports drinks are sold.
Cooler fact: Some places are beginning to ban bottled water. UVM was the first college campus to go water bottle free, and many others across the country are following suit. The Grand Canyon has banned bottled water due to a littering problem impeding on the beauty of the landmark. Our own CONCORD MASS was the first town in America to ban bottled water sales.
Cool but scary fact: one plastic water bottle will stay in a landfill for 400+ years

Check out this cool blog about bottled water: http://www.banthebottle.net/ (they talk about colleges and Concord too, and much much more)

Boxes: Highly functional

My family does a decent amount of online shopping, as I'm sure a lot of families do. And, a lot of online shopping means a lot of cardboard boxes. But wait, don't tear them up for recycling right away! You can save and reuse that box! Boxes can be used for so many different things. Save some for when you need to ship something, and avoid a trip to the UPS store to buy one. Save some for storage, you can keep wrapping paper, holiday decorations, clothes, shoes, books...virtually anything in them. Save them for Christmas or birthdays or any time you give gifts: need to put those presents in something! Save them for when you need to bring food over to your aunts cookout. Save them for when you move. Save them for your kids to make forts, castles, and TV's out of, (I know I loved to do that when I was younger). Or, cut them up but then find uses for those pieces, like crafts or protecting the floor from paint, protecting the table from your kid, or whatever!

The possibilities for a good cardboard box are endless! And hey, you paid an arm and a leg for shipping right? So you might as well make something of it!

Turn Off The Printer

Printers are important things to have around the house and at work, but I know that I don't use them all day long. I only need them for about a minute at a time! So, in my house, we turn the printer off whenever it's not in use. There's a nice and easy to use power switch right on the side of the printer, and unlike your computer there's no real shutting down or turning on process, so it's not a hassle. I'm not sure how much energy this really saves, but it's something. And if you'd really like you could unplug it too! But to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of crawling on the floor and messing with the tangle of wires that naturally inhabits an office.

Check, Double Check, Triple Check

Lately I've noticed a lot more packages being recyclable or compostable. I opened a package with a plasticy, foily wrapper around it and thought, "Well this probably isn't recyclable..." but low and behold on the back of the package was a "please recycle" logo. Another example I found was this Quinn popcorn bag. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was compostable. Who would have thought to compost a popcorn bag? I ended up having a lot of unpopped kernels, so those got composted as well. So the moral of the story is: be sure to check for these symbols, they could be anywhere! One less item in a landfill is always nice.

Check out this video about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating trash dump 2x the size of Texas: http://digitaljournal.com/article/257920

Lush Locks Without the Guilt

So I was out of shampoo one day and wanted to try something new, but didn't really have anything in mind. I came across Garnier Fructis biodegradable shampoo at my local Stop and Shop and bought it on a whim thinking: "Hey that looks environmentally friendly, I'll try it!" While my thinking was mildly ignorant, it wasn't a mistake. Biodegradable soaps, since they decompose completely, will not pollute water or soil with harsh chemicals. Plus they're nicer on your hair! I am sure there are other brands out there besides Garnier, and there are even ways to make homemade biodegradable soaps right in your kitchen if you're feeling extra ambitious. However, if you have special, finicky hair I might not recommend this. Without artificial moisturizers and such, this shampoo may not control your frizz, damage, color, or breakage as well as you'd like.

Unplugged

I am going away to a summer program for the next week, so I won't be home at all. One thing I always do when I leave for more than a day or two is unplug electronics. Even when they're not in use, the plugs still draw some power from the wall. Things that I usually unplug include alarm clocks, phone/iPod chargers, laptops and lamps. This week I also unplugged my air conditioner. In addition (if no one will be home) you could unplug appliances in the kitchen, like the toaster or the coffee maker. Anything counts! Babysteps.

Keeping It Cool

It's summer! Hot Hot Hot! I am sure that many of you are staying cool this weekend with an air conditioner. I sure know I am! But here's just a few tips for using them. 

1.  If your air conditioner has a power saver option, be sure to use it! That way it will cool to just the temperature that you want, but not a bit more! Having the air conditioner run constantly is an enormous use of energy. The power saver double functions as a money saver too.
2. If you're like me, you like your room to be extra cold during the night time for easy sleeping. However, make sure that you don't leave it on the extra cold setting all day long! Turn the temperature up during the day, and only down before you go to bed.
3. Turn it off when you're not home! There's no sense in cooling the house if there's no one around to appreciate it. Set it to off, or to a much lower setting.

To Get a Receipt, or Not to Get a Receipt

For some of us, receipts can be very useful and even necessary for keeping track of your financial records and monitoring your spending, but for some of us they are completely UNnecessary. As someone with no credit and no worries, I do not have any real concern for them. I'll get one at the store, shove it into some sort of pocket somewhere, never look at it, and then throw it away. If you're like me, tell the cashier that you don't need one! Especially if you just pay in cash. I work as a cashier, so I have started noticing how much paper I use, and that the store uses, daily...just on receipts! So if you've got your financials organized, your prices checked, and your confidence that you won't need to return anything...say no thanks!

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

I was in Starbucks and realized that despite the fact that their main product comes in highly recyclable plastic/paper cups, they do not supply recycling bins. As an avid recycler, this struck me as very odd. So, as I walked out carrying my empty cup (to recycle at home, of course) I considered talking to someone at the store about the issue. I looked online at their website for some sort of contact information, but instead I found this: http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/environment/recycling. A page all about how Starbucks has made efforts to recycle but struggled. But on this page I also learned that if you bring in a thermos or mug when you order your coffee, they'll not only fill it but also give you a $0.10 discount. How cool is that? And, if you're not rushing off to work or school and are planning to enjoy your drink in store, be sure to ask for one of their own ceramic, highly reusable mugs! I'm sure many people go into places like this every morning, so cutting down on the number of cups used could make a huge difference. In after thought, I also realized that Starbucks was not unique. Most stores that I could think of don't have recycling. Therefore, whenever possible, I'm going to make a conscious effort to bring my empty cups home with me, or at least to a location that has recycling (my school, for example). And who knows, maybe other coffee shops will fill up your thermos too! Its probably worth a try.

Reusable Shopping Bags and a Stroke of Genius

So reusable shopping bags are a great thing. It doesn't make sense to get a whole new set of bags every time you go grocery shopping, right? However, I never thought about these bags in any other context...just groceriesgroceriesgroceries. Why don't we use them for other kinds of shopping? When I go to the mall I get a plethora of bags for buying just like 3 items. Some are useful for reusing in trash cans or as gift bags, but I always seem to have an unmanageable, unusable pile of them that I hate to just throw away. Last week an ingenious idea hit me. Use the reusable shopping bags for all shopping!!! I went to Nordstrom and Barnes and Noble, and came out plastic bag free! It was a nice feeling, and something I will be sure to make a habit of. Some might argue that its not the most stylish fashion accessory, but just find whatever kind of bag you're into and use it. Mother Nature doesn't judge.