No Packing Peanuts

 

It's getting close to the gift giving time of year, and I am sure many of you will be shipping boxes across the country or maybe even the world. When you ship these boxes, don't use styrofoam packing peanuts! As always, styrofoam is non-biodegradable and badbadbad. Try other options such as old paper. I've even shipped things with old socks and cloths as padding. Egg cartons probably work too...there's all sorts of options! Anything goes. Happy Shipping!

We're All Family

My family doesn't always eat at exactly the same time. I might come downstairs in the morning and want to make some toast but then find that my mom already had some toast! She used a plate to collect her crumbs, but the plate is never really dirty. I like to take her plate and reuse it for my breakfast. That way we don't need to wash so many dishes. Tonight we had apple crisp for dessert, and my mom finished before my dad was ready to eat. He was only going to put more apple crisp in the bowl, so reusing made so much sense! It's not gross I promise (depending on what food you're eating).

Dried herbs

 

Want to make your own dried herbs? Take some leaves from your live plant, place them on a paper towel, and microwave them for a short period of time (1 minute-ish). Then crunch them up a bit, find an old spice jar to reuse, and voila! You just eliminated some packaging and some shipping emissions! But still got your basil. Life's great!

If you're plant is dying, it would be a good time to try this! That way you do not lose or waste any bit of flavor!

Bulk Benefits

 

Are there some items that you buy constantly at the grocery store? Do you find yourself throwing out a lot of packaging? You should consider buying in bulk! Buying in bulk uses less packaging because the item comes in one big bag/box, not a lot of small bags/boxes. Items like grains, nuts and berries are popular bulk items. If you eat oatmeal every morning - stop buying individual packets of oatmeal! Buy your oatmeal in bulk, and then you can divide it and store it however you want to after that. No matter how you do it or what you buy, less packaging is the way to go.

Bulk is also cheaper, so you will save money in the long run.

More Than a Birdhouse

 

Birds are losing their habitats as humans continue to chop down trees and construct new buildings. Think about all of the birds that you see in cities...where do they live? Luckily birds seem to be able to adapt enough to continue to live in cities and suburban areas. However, I am sure they would appreciate some help! One artist started a project where he makes birdhouses out of trash and turns them into functional art. He hold workshops to get kids from the communities involved. (see this link for more info: http://www.treehugger.com/culture/artists-takes-trash-new-heights-habitat-urban-birds.html) I love this project because it does 3 things at once: reuses trash, gives birds a place to live, and inspires kids to take care of the environment. 

Think about making your own birdhouse! Use an old milk carton, some scrap wood...anything you can imagine! The artist even used things like skateboards and speakers. This could be a fun project for yourself, or for an entire classroom. Try it out! Bring the idea up to an art teacher... get people involved!

If you are thinking about Christmas, here is an idea: If you are buying a present for someone who likes arts and crafts, maybe you were thinking about buying them an art kit? Like a bird house kit? Don't! Give them a nice kit of trash, test their art skills, and see what they can make out of it. Sounds fun and challenging!

Take Care

Use a laundry bag for washing delicate items. The bag will help prevent stretching or pilling, which will help your clothes last longer. If your clothes last longer, you won't have to shop as much and will have less of an impact on the cotton world! (or silk, or spandex....)

Most ladies probably already put their delicates in one of these bags, but if you don't you should! It will prevent hooks and things from destroying other clothing or getting attached to something and stretching out. 

Take care of your things, and you'll take care of the world.

Rewear jeans

Personal hygiene is a virtue, but we don't always have to be perfect. Usually, our clothes don't get too dirty in just a day. Things like jeans can be worn a few days. Sweatshirts and other layers probably could be reworn for a few days as well since your body doesn't come in direct contact with them. Use your judgement, but oftentimes we wash our clothes too much! If you find yourself constantly doing laundry, try to put some clothes back in your closet for another wear! See if you can cut down on how often you run the machine.

Delectable, Responsible, Selective

When you are buying seafood, be careful that it is sustainable, fish-friendly seafood. One way to do this is to keep an eye out for Blue Ocean Institute ratings and Marine Stewardship Council Certifications. These markings inform you on how sustainable or harmful a certain fishing company may be to a particular kind of fish. A green rating tells that the fishing practices are sustainable and the fish populations of the ocean are relatively unharmed. Rankings below that signify some or serious harm to the fish populations and their surrounding habitat. I am not sure what companies display these ratings, other than Whole Foods Market. The rankings are clearly displayed right in front of the seafood so that there is no confusion about it. Last spring, WFM banned the sale of all red ranked seafood in their stores. 

 

 

 

 

Keep an eye out for this ranking, and let me know if you see it anywhere else! Fish tastes better when you know it is responsible!

Illuminating Screens

 

So we have all heard that we should shut off the lights when we leave a room...but what about when we are still in the room? If you're using something like a computer or iPad that makes its own light, turn off the lights! You don't need a light bulb to see the screen, right? Sometimes it can be hard on the eyes or you might need to see a book off to the side, but do it when you can! If you don't want the lights totally off, try dimming the lights instead.

Roses Are Red

 

What the heck are those things? No, those don't belong in a lab. Those are water containers that florists put on the end of singular flowers. The water keeps the flowers fresh until you can put them in a vase. I recently received two and wasn't sure what to do with them.I am sure you can use them for some weird science or food coloring experiment, but that's not the most obvious answer. If you ever cut your own flowers from a garden and want to bring them into work or give them as a gift, you can reuse the containers for their original purpose!