Archive for Green Tips
December 5, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged green Christmas, green holidat gifts, making green gifts, wrapping paper
With only a short time until Christmas, everyone will be rushing out to buy wrapping paper for their gifts. It is estimated that during the holiday season there is an increase of 25% in garbage from paper and boxes that are thrown away. Using re-used materials to wrap just three gifts will save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. If every family used two feet less ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved would wrap around the planet. Something to think about when we are making our bows and buying our wrapping paper this year. Many papers have dangerous dyes and inks and I am sure that glitter is not good either. According to Eco-chick.com most paper will have tape on it also which is not good for the recycling process. If you do use wrapping paper or you receive wrapped gifts, try to save the paper to re-use. Some people are buying “green” gifts that the stores are promoting which is a step in the right direction. Many good ideas include solar powered products. But, even more important than the gift may be how we wrap it. There are many ways to be creative. If you have children, let them help. They always come up with ideas. You can make the wrapping part of the gift. Get a basket to fill with items, a decorated box or use a resuable tote bag. Children love to draw. Let them decorate the box. You can use fabric to wrap presents in or to make cloth bags. It will be fun to use your imagination to come up with ideas instead of using the standard store bought papers. Your gift recipients will be impressed with the thought you put into their gift. Be proud to be part of the green movement and let your friends know why you are wrapping the gifts the way you do. This is a good opportunity to spread the word. You can find beautiful ‘green’ shopping bags in all the stores. These are perfect to put your gift in. If you knit, you can make a bag. Instead of spending the money on paper you will throw away, why not let the bag be an extra gift. The comics from your newspaper are a great way to wrap kids presents; saves you money also. You can make a pecan pie or bake cookies. These do not have to be wrapped. There are many things you can give without wrapping them. As you celebrate this holiday season, have fun experimenting with different ideas. We get caught up in doing things in the same traditional ways and sometimes a change can be a welcoming surprise. There is no better time than now to become imaginative. Enjoy!
November 21, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged deposits on bottles, recycling rewards
I was watching Fox News and they were discussing recycling rewards. This was a subject that I was interested in. I always thought that was a good idea. We live in a society where people need to be rewarded. People will do things for money. An example is bringing back a soda bottle for a nickel. People would pick up bottles they found just to get the money. It works. Years ago, peole had to put a deposit on milk bottles, to be sure that they were returned. Recycling rewards makes so much sense. If companies give you something for your recycling effort then you will be more inclined to recycle. It even works with shopping carts. I went to a store the other day where it cost 25 cents to get a shopping cart. I put my quarter in the slot and got my cart. I brought back my cart to get my quarter instead of leaving it in the parking lot where it would dent another car. It seems that having money is important. Even if it is only a small amount, it makes us do the right thing.
November 9, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged contaminated toys, eco art, green gifts, green holiday, green-friendly gifts, lead poisoning, recalled toys, safe christmas gifts
With the Holiday season approaching, parents are worried about what toys to buy for their children. Each year we hear stories of products being recalled. Products from China have been on the news for possible lead contamination. It is really frightening for any parent. There are some very safe, green-friendly products out there. If you do a google search for green holiday gifts you will be surprised at what you find. Some that have been recommended are: oompa.com. It is a Wisconsin based company. Earthentree.com is based in Washington. You might also like hazelnutkids.com. If you are looking for an adult gift, try ecoartware.com. With a little research and some imagination, you should have a great “green” holiday. Check out the products in the green boutique on netsaveonline. Happy Holidays!
November 4, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged environmental knowledge, false claims, green compliance, green washers, green washing, promoting green products, read labels, regualtions, research
“Green washing” is a term for false or misleading claims about a product. A growing number of companies are incorrectly promoting products as environmentally friendly. The green industry is becoming very lucrative. Because these companies know that people are becoming interested in the green movement, they are trying to make money off of them. It is great to offer products to this niche market, but they should not take advantage of you. People should be aware that green washing exsists and be wary of vague green claims with no substantial data to back them up. People’s environmental knowledge is still in the learning stages as the green movement grows. You can become confused with all the new products available. At the present time there are no penalties for “green washers’. Eventually the good products will last and the ones that are frauds will disapear, but in the meantime, be careful. “Go on the green with caution”. Read the labels. If you see a chemical in it, don’t buy it. Look beyond the beautiful green packaging to see what you are really buying. As a consumer, it is to your advantage to educate yourself so you will not be fooled by “green washing”.
October 22, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged energy efficient, foil as a conductor, green renovations, programmable thermostat, save on gas, saving money tips, tax credit
Keep your tires inflated properly. You will save on gas.
If you do a green renovation on your home this year, you may receive a $1,500.00 tax credit. Check energytaxincentives.org for more info.
A programmable thermostat can save you $100 to $150 per year on your electric bill.
When you iron, put a piece of foil under the pad. Ironing will more energy-efficient. Foil acts as a conductor.
Use both sides of computer paper before discarding.
October 22, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged "go green movement", Food labels, fossil fuels, renewwable materials, solar energy, sun chips
Be sure to read the food labels on the products you buy. You will be surprised to know that how you eat affects the Earth. Did you know that solar energy is used to make Sun Chips at their Modesto, California plant? This reduces the reliance on fossil fuels. 33% of their package is made from renewable materials. They have a goal of creating a fully compostable bag by 2010. Why not support companies that are in the “Go green” movement.
October 21, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged green cleaning, vinegar
Steep peppermint tea and squeeze lemon in it. Combine one cup of tea and one cup of vinegar and put in bucket. Vinegar disinfects, peppermint tea has disinfecting elements and lemon freshens the room. Another tip is to combine 1/4 cup vinegar with one tablespoon baking soda and one gallon water. Fill spray bottle to make a kid friendly solution. Vinegar is a great cleaner.
October 20, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged improve air quality, improve your health, paraffin candles, reduce carcinogens, reduce fossil fuel, soy candles
When decorating your home, buy soy candles. They burn cleaner and last longer. Paraffin candles are made from petroleum. You can reduce fossil fuel resources while improving your air quality and your health. You will reduce your exposure to carcinogens by choosing soy candles.
October 20, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged simplify, take-five
With our busy schedules, there is not enough time to pay attention to our surroundings. We have little time to sit down and enjoy things, so we don’t know how we will find time to fit in eco-friendly projects. If you just “take-five’ and slow down and try to simplify one step at a time, you will have a pleasant surprise at how good you will feel. DON’T THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. The US has a culture where it is acceptable to have more and grow bigger. We are defined by a status-symbol. The time has come to realize that this is not acceptable and we need to simplify our lives for our sake and for the sake of our planet.
October 20, 2009 · Filed under Green Tips · Tagged recycling, save money, teach children
Help children learn about going green by getting a jar for them to save money in. Every time they do something that saves money, put the extra money in the jar. They will be excited when they see how much they saved. You can let them buy something that they want with the savings. Turning off the lights, turning down the heat and wearing an extra blanket or warmer pajamas, turning off the water while brushing their teeth or taking shorter showers are a few suggestions. Have them be creative in thinking up ideas to save money. Go slow because trying to Go Green all at once may turn them off. Do one thing at a time. Once they see the savings, they will become excited. Clean the house with the kids and create crafts with the junk you find. Create a box and label it “treasures” for the stuff to be put in. It is amazing what things you can make with trash that you would ordinarily discard. For ideas check out our recycled products at netsaveonline.com. It is a good way to introduce recycling to your children.
