Happy Earth Day!

April 22, 2011 By greengirlinc Leave a Comment

Have a Happy Earth Day! I hope each of you learns one new idea on going green that you can incorporate into your life. Every day should be Earth Day and we should use Earth Day to highlight what more we can do to make our planet and our lives better. As you travel through your day, think about each decision you make and try to make a greener choice.

1. Walk or bike instead of driving.

2. Take advantage of mass transportation.

3. Remember your reusable water bottle or travel coffee mug.

4. Switch out five of your most used light bulbs for a CFL, LED or ESL bulbs.

5. Hang your reusable bags on the doorknob, then remember the bags for all your shopping trips.

6. Refuse straws in restaurants and bring your own reusable straw like the Dharma Straw

7. If you do have to drive, bundle all your errands into one trip.

8. Slow down and do not speed.

9. Put flow restrictors on all your faucets.

10.Reduce your use of plastic packaging by buying in bulk and not buying single serve items.

11. Buy second-hand when you can.

12. Reuse what you already have.

12. Always, always, always recycle!

13. Pick up plastic trash that you find.

14. Use less plastic in every aspect of your life.

15. Buy local!

16. Buy organic.

17. Support your local restaurants that also buy local.

18. Start a garden.

19. Or, go to the your local farmers market.

20. Remember, we all share this planet. It is the only one we have, and if we destroy it, we destroy ourselves.

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency, Holiday, Local, Organic, Plastic, Recycling, Reduce and Reuse Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

One Business Going Green

February 9, 2011 By greengirlinc Leave a Comment

I have a fantastic letter to share.  The letter is from a contractor that I have done business over the last few years.  We have a beautiful home, it is only 30 years old, but corners were cut when it was built.  The builder used cheap single pane windows and poor insulation.  We are slowing correcting those issues to have a more efficient and comfortable home.

C & T Siding, which carries Marvin Windows, is the company I hired to replace windows and doors.  While consulting with Carly Sutheimer, I told her about Green Girl Inc.. We talked about going green, reducing toxins in the home, and keeping materials out of landfulls.  This is the letter I recently received from her:

“I just wanted to say Thank You! You have turned me into a Green Girl and C&T Siding into an 85% Green Company! While speaking with you during your project several times I started to think of ways to make our company more “Green.” We have now teamed up with a company that is recycling all of our Vinyl Siding/Windows, Cardboard, and Tyvek (house wrap). We are still bailing all of our aluminum and steel as we always have. It was time consuming to get the project rolling, but I’m so proud to call our company 85% green. I’m hoping in the years to come we will be able to become closer to 100% green. Thank you again for opening my eyes to how important “Going Green” really is. (BTW the alternatives to house hold cleaners/lawn fertilizers were great!)”

I wrote back to Carly, and asked her if C & T was saving money with these changes.  Here is her reply:

“We are saving around $600-$1000 per week in dumpster expenses. Now instead
of having dumpsters at our job sites we have either a Vinyl/Steel/Aluminum
recycling container. We do have a dumpster still at the shop, but it’s only
getting dumped about every two weeks. Before this program we used dumpsters
at every job and our shop dumpster was being dumped every other day.

We are using a company out of Minnesota called Plastic Recovery Technologies
that recycles all of our Vinyl/Cardboard/House Wrap. We are hoping to spread
the word to other companies. Most of the homes we are remodeling have vinyl
siding/windows which adds up in a landfill very quickly. Most of our
customers are now putting on steel/fiberglass siding and we discontinued our
vinyl window line and are strictly putting in fiberglass windows.

My next project is the shop. I’m hoping we can find an alternative to the
fluorescent lighting.

Also you can use this for your readers.

Thank you again for opening my eyes to ‘Going Green.’ ”

This is so inspiring!  I knew Carly was listening to the going green message, but the steps the company took went beyond what I thought they would do.  I’m especially thrilled that C & T stopped selling vinyl, and now recycles the vinyl it removes.  Going green can take some work, but it is worth it.  Going green pays back you and the planet.  Thank-you Carly and C & T Siding!

Plastic Recovery Technologies (612) 910-9431

Toxicity of Vinyl

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency, Environment, Home Toxins, Recycling, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Green Your Toilet Paper Use

January 15, 2011 By greengirlinc 2 Comments

Image courtesy of Earth 911

The quickest and easiest way to green your toilet paper use is by switching to recycled content paper.  I know, I’ve harped on this many times, and I’ll keep doing it until everyone is using recycled toilet paper.  It is not the hardship everyone thinks it is.  There are some very cushy, recycled content papers available.

Another idea that came to me sounds really silly, but I think it could cut down on toilet paper waste.  Move your toilet paper holder closer to where you need it.  If your household is predominantly right-handed move the toilet paper holder to the right of the toilet, and vise versa if your household is predominantly left-handed.  Pay attention to how much more you take when you really have to reach for the TP.

The last paragraph leads me to my next tip: try to use less.  I know, that is sometimes difficult.  Obviously, there are times when you just need more TP.  That can’t be helped, unless you install a bidet or bidet seat.  But, when you need less, try to take less.

Image courtesy of Lenilucho

Speaking of bidets, there is a reason why they are so popular around the world.  They work.  Americans have not embraced the bidet, but maybe they should.  Yes, it is true, bidets increase water usage, but making paper is a water heavy process.  The amount of TP saved by using a bidet may be a greener trade-off when you consider the energy and water used to make TP, even recycled TP.

According to Toilet Paper History, the average tree yields about 810 rolls of toilet paper.  The average person used about 100 rolls a year.  Only 25 to 30 percent of the worlds population uses toilet paper.  Most of the world uses water.  According to Simple Ecology, Americans use 17 more pounds of TP per person per year than Western Europe and Japanese individuals.

I wrote a satirical paper on toilet paper and old growth forests last spring. It was a humorous way to address a serious matter.  I hope you’ll read it.

Finally, here are some recycled TP options.  Please consider rethinking your toilet paper of choice.

Green Forest

365

April Soft

Earth Friendly

Fiesta and Fiesta Green

Natural Value

Seventh Generation

Trader Joe’s

CVS Earth Essentials

Cascades

Sustainable Earth

Marcal Small Steps

Bum Boosa

Green Peace has a fantastic pocket paper guide.  Please take a look and download it.

Filed Under: Environment, Recycling, Reduce and Reuse Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Recycling CFLs

September 21, 2010 By greengirlinc Leave a Comment

Don’t forget to properly recycle those compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, when they burn out.  CFLs  contain mercury.  Check with your local recyclers to see if they accept CFLs.  Another resource for information is Earth 911.  At the website, punch in your zip code, and the site will tell you where you can recycle locally, or where you can send your item if you have no local options.

Filed Under: Energy Efficiency, Environment, Recycling Tagged With: , ,

Reuse or Recycle Plastic Bags

August 1, 2010 By greengirlinc Leave a Comment

I realize we sometimes forget those reusable bags.  I know you are all trying your best, but sometimes a plastic bag is your only choice.  When that does happen, it is not the end of the world.  Find a way to reuse the bag as many times as you can for things like dirty laundry and shoes while traveling, or wet stuff from swimming.  Once you’ve squeezed out every ounce of re-use, then remember to recycle.  Most grocery stores now offer free recycling of plastic bags.  Again, a reusable bags is always the best answer, but there are things you can do to reduce the impact of an occasional plastic bag.

Here are some resources for reusable bags:

Reuseit

Eco Bags

Terra Trendz

Etsy

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Reuse Resealables

July 24, 2010 By greengirlinc Leave a Comment

Most of the organic sugar I buy comes in very heavy-duty bags that re-seal.  These bags are perfect for reuse.  I wash them out and reuse them for food storage, but they could also be reused to store non-food items.

1. Bag for homemade wet-naps

2. Pencil bag

3. Cheese pouch

4. Camera dry pouch

5. Game piece storage

6. Cable storage bag

7. Any-food-you-can-think-of storage

8. Dirty diaper bag

9. Finger paint/paint storage

10. Wet paint brush keeper

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Addicted to Plastic

June 21, 2010 By greengirlinc Leave a Comment

Here is another movie worth watching if you’re interested in a greener lifestyle.  This movie is the perfect accompaniment to my research paper on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  Hopefully, by watching this movie you will rethink your daily use of plastic, and start looking for ways to reduce  plastic in your life, particularly disposable plastic.  If you haven’t read my research paper, you may want to take a look at it as well.  Remember, knowledge is power, and sharing what you read and learn spreads the message of sustainability.

“Addicted to Plastic” website.

Free Online Download of “Addicted to Plastic”

“A World Away from Plastic” paper.

Here are resources for reducing plastic and recycling plastic.

Reuseit

TerraCycle

Earth 911

Posh Pouches

Etsy

Filed Under: Environment, Plastic Tagged With: , , , , ,

Greening the Summer Festival Experience

June 12, 2010 By greengirlinc 3 Comments

Summer is full of summer festivals.  I know our family looks forward to them, especially after a long, cold winter.  How can we make our summer festival experience a more sustainable affair?  I have a short list of some simple things we can all do.

1) Bring those reusable bags.  They are great for the special arts and crafts that vendors sell at these events.  What’s great about those special finds is they are typically produced by local artists and artisans.  I like my ACME Bags from Reuseit, but I also like a backpack style bag that frees up my hands, and saves my one shoulder from all the carrying.  I found that Chico makes a great day pack out of recycled fiber.  I bought mine at a local store called Mother Nature’s Food, but you can also find the day packs at ChicoBag.

2) Remember those reusable water bottles.  Again, many bottles are available from Reuseit.  One that is great for lugging all day is the Platypus which collapses when it’s empty.  Carrying your bottles when you’re done is another reason for your reusable bags.  I have also found many bottles at local stores.  I  bought a beautiful handcrafted wood mug at a Renaissance Festival years ago.  I take that along for my water and my mead.

3) Take along a reusable straw and silverware.  So often when we are at temporary outdoor events everything is disposable.  To reduce your festival footprint take your own utensils in your reusable bag.  You can dig through some old camping equipment for it or hit Reuseit again for their varied travel silverware.  They have a bamboo set with chopsticks in a carrying pouch.  They also have a new type of spork made of plastic or titanium.  My daughter’s favorite item is her glass reusable straw by Dharma, but if you’re nervous about a glass straw there is a stainless steel one at Reuseit as well.

4) How about a reusable towel like People Towels or the Skoy?  You could bring some old cloth napkins from home too. That way you won’t need to use paper towels or napkins.

5) Finally, make sure you recycle, if you do wind up using a disposable water bottle or aluminum can.  If the festival doesn’t have recycling then take your recycling with you.

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Tipping Point Near

May 24, 2010 By greengirlinc 2 Comments

Are we near an environmental tipping point?  From the classes I’ve taken, and from the articles and books I’ve read, the answer is yes.  The tipping point is not just about climate change; it’s about species extinction, resource depletion and too many toxins in the environment effecting water, air and soil.  The thing that so many people miss when this is discussed is that we as a species are at risk as well.  It is not just about the frogs or the giant mountain gorillas disappearing; it’s about humans disappearing.  We live in a closed loop system.  What we put into the atmosphere doesn’t dissipate into space.  It’s in our Earth system until the system can break it down.  Things like plastic are in the system, essentially, forever.  We have to see the big picture and the long-term.  We need to stop focusing on the millisecond, and focus on the millennium.  Here are some  articles about the tipping point.

Tipping Point

Science Daily

OK, so that’s the bad news.  There is good news.  We can change the direction we’re going.  We can all make small changes that can help.  We can also make big changes that can help.  Many of these steps can save us money too.

1) Switch to reusable bags instead of plastic or paper

2) Switch to reusable bottles for water.  Maybe that means a filter pitcher for your kitchen or a filter attachment for your faucet.

3) Switch to fluorescent or LED light bulbs.  Especially in the summer, stop heating your home with your lighting.

4) Switch to cloth napkins and rags instead of paper products that you throw away.

5) If you HAVE to have paper napkins or paper towels then at least use recycled paper.

6) Oh, yeah, stopping using virgin fiber old-growth trees to wipe your derriere!

7) Ditch the gas guzzler.  If you need a larger vehicle, then save it for when you really need the space or towing strength.  Stop running little errands with one person in the car with a vehicle that gets pathetic MPGs.

8 ) Eat locally.  Grow your own food, join a CSA (community supported agriculture) and shop you local farmers market.  A very large amount of energy goes into shipping food.

9) Eat as much organic food as you can afford.  Please refer back to my blog on Pesticides and ADHD.  I have a list of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 when it comes to pesticides and organics.

10) Think about EVERY purchase.  Do you need that thing?  Can you find that thing in a renewable or recycled material?  Can you find that thing used?

11) Set your thermostat to a higher temp in the summer and a lower temp in the winter.

12) Replace old, inefficient windows and doors.

13) Seal up cracks around your home.

14) Use window treatments to keep your house more comfortable in any season.

15) Plant trees strategically.

16) Recycle, let me repeat, recycle.

17) Invest in renewable energy.

18) Reuse; before you toss something, ask yourself if you could somehow reuse that item.

19) Compost; indoor or outdoor, traditional or worm.

20) Walk, bike, carpool, and combine car trips when you can.

There, 20 things you can do.  You don’t have to do all of them to make a difference.  There are many more, and I bet you can think of some pretty quickly.  We just have to stop thinking like we have unlimited resources and unlimited places to throw stuff.  We live on one planet, and have finite space.  We have finite water resources.  There is a finite amount of fossil fuels left.

Here is a list of resources to find some of the items to help you live more sustainably.  You’re children and grandchildren will thank you.

Reuseit

www.composters.com

Earth Easy

Earth 911

TerraCycle

Arbor Day Foundation

Green Chip Stocks

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Hair Mats

May 11, 2010 By greengirlinc 2 Comments

Do you want to help fight the Gulf oil spill? Here is a way for you to do just that.  An organization  called Matter of Trust collects human hair, animal hair, fur, wool and feathers.  They also collect nylons.   Matter of Trust creates hair mats that absorb oil.  These mats are reusable over and over again.  You can collect this yourself or tell your salon, barber or pet groomer  about this organization.  By recycling hair two things happen; hair doesn’t enter landfulls, and hair helps fight oil spills.  In Eau Claire, Paws N Claws is sending pet hair and fur that they collect from grooming pets to Matter of Trust.  Please pass this information along.

Matter of Trust

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