Bee-Eazy Reusable Bag Buzz

Plant a Bee-Friendly Garden



  Did you know that saving a bee is as simple as planting a seed? It’s true. By planting your very own bee-friendly garden, you can keep our little friends buzzing and pollinating. Don’t worry if you don’t have a green thumb—we’ll give you simple instructions that show you how.

Download the simple instructions here 

This link courteousy of our friends at Haagen- Dazs and their helpthehoneybees.com website

 

Bags Bee Gone proudly donates 1% of revenue to the environment

Each of us makes choices on a daily basis. Our choices may be simple, they may be significant, they may keep us up at night, and they often affect others. Can you recall the feeling of making a choice, taking action, or getting involved for something so righteous and inspiring that you could barely contain yourself?

In May 2010, Bags Bee Gone decided to become a member with an amazing organization called 1% For The Planet, and our expectations for the outcomes of this one choice have got us all fired up.

Founded in 2002, 1% For the Planet promotes giving from the business community to environmental organizations that are working toward preservation and restoration of our natural environment. Corporate membership with 1% For the Planet means a company pledges to donate 1% of gross annual sales to non-profit organizations with a focus on environmental causes and a successful track record. Over 1,000 businesses world-wide have become members with 1% For The Planet over the past six years, forming a veritable coalition of companies rooted in the fertile common grounds of financial commitment to creating a healthy planet.

We are tremendously excited to join with 1% For The Planet in support of efforts by non-profit organizations to protect and promote the wellness of this one great Earth. Membership with 1% For The Planet is one aspect of Bags Bee Gone's overall commitment to doing the right thing; we work very hard everyday to create the finest processes, products, and services so our customers can enjoy what they deserve: peace of mind. There are no greater gifts we can share with our children than clean air, clean water, richness in plant and animal species worldwide, and the ethic of stewardship for our environment. These are the outcomes we seek to support through our 1% For The Planet partnerships.

 

Environmental Impact

·  Hundreds of thousands of marine and land mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Since the plastic never goes away this problem continues when they die and the plastic particles are ingested by other animals.

 

·  Globally, over 1 million and 100 thousand marine mammals and turtles die every year from entanglement or ingestion of plastic. (LAIST. 1997)

 

·  Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration studies show they often wrap around living corals quickly "suffocating" and killing them. The ocean is especially susceptible to plastic pollution because it takes longer for the sun to break apart plastic in the ocean than on land due to the oceans’ cooling capacity (Algalita Marine Research Foundation)

 

·  The North Pacific Gyre: This vast expanse of ocean debris is held in place by swirling underwater currents. It stretches from about 500 nautical miles. The collection of plastic and liter is growing at an alarming rate. As recently as 2008 it's estimated to be twice the size of the continental United States.

 

·  Worldwide animal pollinators such as the honey bee are disappearing at an alarming rate due to Colony Collapse Disorder. CCD is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or Western honey bee colony abruptly disappear. It is believed that the bee's are losing their sense of direction to return to their hive. The term Colony Collapse Disorder was first applied to a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of Western honey bee colonies in North America and Europe in late 2006. The cause or causes of the syndrome are not yet fully understood, but it is believed to be attributed to environmental influences such as pesticide use, global warming, disease or malnutrition.

Our Landfills & Recycling

·  On average we use each plastic bag for only 12 minutes before disposing of it, contributing to global warming, depleting oil supplies, and driving up costs of home heating oil and gasoline. (United Nations Environmental Programme)

·  4 billion plastic bags end up as litter each year. Tied end to end that’s enough to circle the earth 63 times.

 

·  It takes up to 1000 years or longer for a plastic bag to degrade into smaller bits of plastic which can pose toxic threats to marine life and contaminate the food web.

 

·  Cities like San Francisco waste millions of tax dollars disposing plastic bags and have begin charging up to 17 cents per bag in disposal costs.

 

·  Paper bags take up more space in landfills, and do not degrade or break down at a substantially faster rate than plastic

 

·  Recycling rates of either type of disposable bag are extremely low, with only 10 to 15% of paper bags and 1 to 3% of plastic bags being recycled, according to the Wall Street Journal. In fact, it actually costs recycling companies around $4,000 to process and recycle 130,000 plastic

bags.

 

·  Recycling single-use plastic bags is just not economical. The quality of plastic used in these bags is poor and the inks used make it a difficult and tedious process.

 

·  Many bags collected never get recycled and are shipped to Third world countries where they are cheaply incinerated under more lax environmental laws.

Global Warming and Natural Resources

·  The World consumes between 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags each year. The United States consumes 380 billion of that number. Production of these bags uses toxic chemicals that pollute during manufacturing, and requires use of non-renewable resources such as petroleum and natural gas.

·  The energy needed to manufacture and transport disposable bags eats up more resources and creates global warming emissions in addition to increasing the cost to the consumer.

·  If every family ended their use of plastic bags, it would eliminate 12 billion pounds of greenhouse gasses. The same as taking 1 million cars off the road

·  Only about 700 paper bags can be made from one 15-year-old tree. A supermarket could use that in about an hour.

·  Paper bags generate 70% more air and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags. Paper is recycled about 20% of the time, takes up more space in landfills than plastic, and does not bio-degrade due to lack of oxygen. Trees are also needed to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, and fewer trees over the past decades have meant more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. More gases, more global warming

·  Natural Fiber bags made from cotton or hemp are quite expensive and in jeopardy due to the problems with the bee population CCD. These materials are not as durable and may require frequent washing to remove odor or dirt.

·  The Bee-Eazy bag is made of durable rip-stop nylon, and is designed to replace hundreds if not thousands of bags over it's lifetime. Every bag helps to minimize disposal costs, save our animals, and reduce global warming gasses. One small change can make a big difference.

 

Ways to Green Your Diet

Big Y - Ways to Green Your Diet

With environmental and economic concerns increasing, people are making energy–saving changes a priority. Some switch to using compact fluorescent lightbulbs, while others drive a more fuel-efficient car. But did you know you have the power to go “green” every day with your eating habits?

Consider your food’s “carbon footprint.”  This is the amount of energy and resources it uses in production and transportation.

To lower your carbon footprint, start increasing the amount of locally produced food you buy. This will help reduce the amount of energy used and pollution created during shipping of food. Plus, buying locally supports farms and businesses in your community. To find out the origin of your food, take a moment to check labels and supermarket signs.

Product packaging leads to waste, so consider it when shopping. Look for products with refill packs and minimal packaging. Check for packaging made from recyclable or biodegradable materials. Question if convenience packaging is truly necessary, because individually wrapped products can significantly increase your amount of waste. Instead, buy in bulk and pack snack-size portions in reusable containers.

Time spent planning meals can go a long way in reducing food waste. Take time once or twice a week to plan out daily menus before going grocery shopping. When creating menus, plan on different ways to use leftovers for another meal. For example, cut up baked chicken breast from one night’s dinner and mix it with pasta, feta cheese, spinach, and tomatoes for the next night’s meal.

Some food waste is unavoidable, so consider composting. Composting reduces trash volume by converting certain food waste into rich soil. This soil can be used for gardening, perking up lawns and decorating around trees. Many towns make composting bins available at a reduced cost, while other places are beginning to offer drop-off sites for food scraps. Contact your local Department of Public Works and visit your state’s Department of Environmental Protection Web site for more information.

Make two meals each week vegetarian based. Why? Americans generally eat enough meat-based protein and not enough fruits and vegetables. Increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables and legumes (dried beans) you eat will have positive effects on your health and the environment. Plus, livestock use a considerable amount of resources and produce waste that can lead to water pollution and greenhouse gases.

Choose certified organic options of your favorite foods, when possible. Chemical-based pesticides and fertilizers, as well as farming techniques often used with conventional foods, are typically chosen to increase yield and produce more attractive looking products for consumers. There is growing concern, though, of the environmental impact these compounds and practices have. Therefore, if buying organic is possible, go organic!

Promoting sustainability requires one to alter how they live in the present so future generations benefit from the same resources. “Going green” with your diet doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Simply be aware of your options and make changes where you can. Any effort made to “reduce, reuse and recycle” makes a difference. 

The Air you Breathe - 9 ways to clear the air in your home

Big Y - The Air You Breathe

There’s been a great deal of press about improving the air quality in our cities, much discussion over what we can do to reduce smog, pollution, carbon monoxide and other environmental problems in our outdoor spaces. But what about the air quality in your own space? You spend more time living in— and breathing in — your home than anywhere else. “Greening” your home is a great way to keep yourself healthier (and it’s good for the environment, too).

Go green - literally. Besides adding beauty to your living space, live houseplants have been proven to create cleaner air. Plants add much-needed oxygen and moisture to the atmosphere, while sucking chemicals
and contaminants out of the air. Have at least 15 plants around your home for the maximum benefit. An added bonus: Studies have shown that people who are surrounded by plants have lower blood pressure, are more productive and even recover from illness faster.

Stub out cigarettes. Banning smoking from your home is just about the most important thing you can do for the air there.

Keep moisture under control. Making sure your house isn’t too humid will help prevent mold from taking hold. Use exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom; use a dehumidifier in the basement or crawl space if necessary (just make sure to regularly replace its filter and empty its drip pan). Aim to keep your home’s humidity between 30 and 50 percent.

Keep it clean! Cleaning regularly will keep everyday deposits of dust, dirt and pet hair from becoming airborne and turning into pollutants.

But clean smart. Using a feather duster will just send dust and dirt scattering
into the air, where you’ll breathe them in. Instead, use a magnetic duster cloth or a damp rag, which will trap everything. The same goes for sweeping; use your vacuum instead of a broom for cleaner air.

Consider the chemicals you use. Many household cleansers and other products contain harsh chemicals that can send volatile, unhealthy fumes into the atmosphere. Whenever possible, use milder cleansers, and purchase spray-trigger bottles rather than aerosol.

Let the outside in. Open your windows to let fresh air circulate at least once in a while — it will usher out stale air and indoor pollutants as well. Keep doors between rooms open and consider
running a fan for even better circulation.

Maintain, maintain, maintain. Keep your home’s heater and air conditioner in good shape with regular checkups. Be sure to replace and/or clean their filters as recommended by their manufacturers.
If possible, get High Efficiency Particulate (HEPA) filters, which can trap tiny particles that other filters would let back into your home’s air.

Test the air. Invest in several carbon monoxide detectors and place them around your home next to the smoke detectors. They’ll sound an alarm if the deadly gas reaches dangerous levels in your home. You might also want to consider testing the air for radon, which is a gas that is found naturally in the soil. Radon has been linked to lung cancer, so if it’s detected in your home, you’ll need to seal cracks and install vents under your house.

How to Get Water Wise

Big Y   - Riding the Wave

When you think about water, your main concern is probably just trying to make sure you drink your eight glasses a day. But beyond those 64 ounces, do you know how much water you use in your home each day? Chances are it’s more than you think. In fact, the average American uses around 110 gallons of water every day! Conserving water is important for the environment — and it’s easier than you might think. Each little drop in the bucket counts toward big
changes over time. Here are some of the simplest ways to help save water in and around your home.

In Your Kitchen

Believe it or not, in most cases, using your dishwasher is usually more water-efficient than handwashing dishes — especially if you run the dishwasher only when it’s fully loaded. When you’re loading the dishwasher, scrape and wipe food scraps off dishes rather than rinsing them first to save even more water.

Instead of dumping “old” water down the drain —glasses with melted ice, water left over from cooking pasta or vegetables, etc. — use it to water houseplants once it’s reached room temperature.

Do you have to run your faucet for a few moments to get hot water? Don’t let that cold-to-lukewarm water run down the drain. Collect it in a pitcher or pot to use for cooking, washing vegetables or watering plants.

Use as little water as you can during cooking, and use the smallest pans you can. The larger the pan, the more water you’ll need to fill it. Keep your pots and pans tightly covered during cooking to ensure that water doesn’t boil away too fast.

Run the washing machine only when you have a full load — and skip the extra rinse cycle.

 If you have handwashables, wait until you have several and do them all at once. Use the clean “rinse” water from one batch as the “wash” water for the next batch rather than draining and filling the sink each time.

In Your Bathroom

Got a leaky faucet? Repair that drip and you’ll save hundreds of gallons every year.

Choose showers over baths, and limit your showers to five minutes or less. Better yet, install a new low-flow showerhead, which will significantly reduce how many gallons your shower uses every minute.

When you’re brushing your teeth or shaving, don’t let the water run. Turn it off until it’s time to rinse.

Redoing your bathroom? Update your toilet. New toilets use just 1.6 gallons per flush - that can make a difference of up to 15,000 gallons a year!

In Your Yard

Invest in a rain barrel - which is exactly what it sounds like: a container you keep outside to collect rainwater. Then use that water for your lawn and garden.

Mulch, mulch, mulch. Keeping your beds lightly covered with a bed of mulch will help the soil retain moisture, meaning your landscaping will require less watering.

Weeding your garden will not only keep it looking prettier, but will enable you to use less water by eliminating your plants’ competition.

Water your lawn less often, but when you do, water for a longer time. The deeper into the soil the water goes, the deeper your lawn’s root system will be — and the deeper the root system, the longer the lawn can go without watering. (It will also withstand dry spells better.)

Reusing or recycling odd items

Ever wonder what can or cannot be recycled?  Our Friends at Big Y Supermarkets have created a quick quide to help you determine what is acceptable for recycling of what should be tossed out. 

• Aerosol cans - As long as you make sure they’re completely empty, they can be tossed in the recycling bin with your other cans.

• Backpacks - When your teen decides it’s time for a new tote, you can donate the used one to the American Birding Association (www.americanbirding.org), which gives used backpacks to its scientists to use in the field.

• Carpeting - Nylon-fiber carpet can be recycled! Instead of dumping your old carpet in a landfill, find
out where to recycle it by visiting the Carpet America Recovery Effort’s Web site: www.carpetrecovery.org. Click on “What can I do with my old carpet?” to find out if there’s a facility near you. You can also contact your carpet’s manufacturer; several, including Milliken, and FLOR, have their own recycling programs.

• Cell Phones - Do you have a drawer full of your old cell phones? If so, you’re not alone. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, below 20 percent of cell phones are recycled every year. Buck the trend and try one of these options: Donate still-useable phones to the Wireless Foundation (www.calltoprotect.org), which will give them to survivors of domestic violence, or visit www.recyclewirelessphones.com to find other charity organizations. You can also check with the store where you purchased your phone; many will accept old phones for recycling.

• Computers - Because of the different materials used in their components, old computers should not just be tossed into a landfill. In many cases, your computer’s manufacturer will accept old computers for recycling - visit www.mygreenelectronics.com to find out. You can also donate computers to Next Step Recycling (www.nextsteprecycling.org), an organization that will repair and refurbish it for use by underfunded and ill-equipped schools, nonprofits or needy families.

• Crayons - Yes, those sad-looking broken crayons can be recycled. There’s an organization that will melt them down and re-mold them into new ones. Leave the labels on, and check in with the National Crayon Recycle Program (www.crazycrayons.com) to find out where to send them.

• Envelopes - Envelopes with clear address windows, paper or cardboard overnight mail envelopes and Jiffy Pak envelopes (the padded ones filled with soft packing material) can all be recycled with your paper. Shipping envelopes made of Tyvek can be returned to their manufacturer, DuPont, which will turn them into plastic lumber (call 866-338-9835 for more information). You’re out of luck if you have envelopes with bubble wrap or goldenrod-colored office envelopes, neither of which can be recycled.

• Formal Wear - Are old bridesmaid and prom dresses taking up valuable real estate in your closet? Donate them to www.operationfairydust.org or www.catherinescloset.org, which will give them
to girls who can’t afford them.

• iPods - Apple will take your used iPod and break it down for parts; just bring it to your closest Apple store. Bonus: You’ll get a 10 percent discount on a new iPod if you buy one the same day.

• Juice Pouches - Don’t toss these in your recycling bin, since most of them are made from a combination of metal and plastic that recycling centers can’t process. An organization called
TerraCycle (www.terracycle.net/brigades), though, will transform them into totes, purses and backpacks sold at major retailers nationwide. They’ll even donate between one and two cents per pouch you send them (depending on the brand) to the charity of your choice.

• Packing Materials - Styrofoam® peanuts can often be returned to a packaging store for reuse. Visit www.loosefillpackaging.com to find locations.
If your town doesn’t recycle those big Styrofoam® packing blocks, check www.epspackaging.org to find a drop-off location or directions to mail them to a recycling center. What about those inflated plastic shipping bags? Pop them to deflate, then mail to Ameri-Pak, Sealed Air Recycle Center, 477 South
Woods Drive, Fountain Inn, SC 29644. They’ll be turned into trash bags and car parts.

• Prescription Medication - If you have unused antivirals, antifungals or TB medicine, contact the Starfish Project (www.thebody.com), which will send them to clinics in Nigeria. They’ll send you a prepaid shipping label to make it even easier.

• Printer Cartridges - Did you know that these tiny plastic tanks could sit in a landfill for up to 450 years? They’re easily reused by manufacturers. If you have HP cartridges, send them back to HP.  Bring any brand back to Staples for a $3 discount off your next printer cartridge purchase.

• Shopping Bags - Plastic grocery bags can be recycled! If your town won’t accept them, just bring them back to your local Big Y - we will. Paper bags can be tossed in with your regular paper recycling.

• Sneakers - If they’re too played out to donate for reuse, you can send your old sneakers to Nike (don’t worry, they’ll accept any brand), which will transform them into material that will be used for sports courts for kids around the world. Visit www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe for details.

• Stereos, TVs and VCRs - Electronic equipment can be broken down and recycled, but usually you can’t just toss them in with your other items. Instead, visit www.earth911.org for a list of stores, manufacturers and drop-off locations that will accept them. When you buy a new TV from Best Buy, they’ll take away and recycle your old one.

• Umbrellas - As long as its spine is metal, just strip off the fabric and handle and drop it in with the rest of your metal recycling.

• Wine Corks - Plastic corks aren’t recyclable, but natural corks can either be composted or sent to a company that will make them into floor and wall tiles. Just send them to Wine Cork Recycling, Yemm & Hart Ltd., 425 North Chamber Drive, Fredericktown, MO 63645.

Link to Original Article:  Something Old, Something New Reusing or Recycling Odd Items

Start your own Eco Friendly Business - The Happy Gardener Direct Sales

I'm always looking for fresh new ideas and recently came across a new direct sales business focused on eco-friendly products.  The Happy Gardener allows consultants to build their business around their passions in the garden, allowing them to start their own gardening business while providing extra income for their family with unlimited earning potential.  What a green idea!

The Happy Gardener Website

Go Green Save Green

As long as you are looking information for saving the planet is everywhere.  I would like to thank Big Y Supermarkets for their April Earth day issue for some great money saving tips. 

Most people think making environmentally friendly choices means making sacrafices in comfort, convenience and money.  In reality saving the earth can be a variety of easy fixes that can help you save thousands over time.  Here are a few suggestions. 

Go Green Save Green

Green Holiday Cards & Photo Cards

In the spirit of "Going Green"  this holiday we would love to share the information for an eco-friendly card company.  www.reproduct.net   

ReProduct’s new Photo Card option allows you to send traditional photo cards in an environmentally friendly way.  They also have beautiful non-photo cards (box sets) as well, if that's more your style.  ReProduct's partners reuse 100% of each card, and the process (using the postal system) creates less strain  on the environment. On average when you recycle only a portion actually gets reused.  Ordering ReProduct's "Zero Waste" Photo Cards is exactly the same process as other personalized photo cards, only ReProduct cards come with an addressed, pre-paid return envelope. When card recipients are finished enjoying them, they simply put the card in the envelope, drop it in the mailbox, and it's sent to Shaw Industries to be turned into carpet backing. The process is entirely waste free and healthy for both people and the environment.

Sign Up to Stop Getting the Yellow Pages Delivered

Image: G5 Search Marketing

http://ctgreenscene.typepad.com/

Kate Harrison

Okay, so I usually blog about green weddings, but sometimes I find a non-wedding related item that I can't resist sharing.  I came across a link today for an organization called Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org that allows you to sign up to stop receiving paper copies of the yellow pages and/or the white pages. If you usually rely on the internet to find businesses, this is a quick and easy way to decrease paper waste.  Sign up today!

Home Healing with Honey

Apitherapy, the treatment of various conditions using honey bee products, has been around a long time.  Honey is one of the oldest medicines, wtih proof of its healing power dating back more than 5000 years.  Even Hippocrates found that honey cleans sores and ulcers of the lips, heals carbuncles and running sores.  It has been a staple ingredient of folk medicines through the ages, and is  now gaining credibility with current medical and scientific communities.  Raw honey and honey related products have proven to be antibacterial, antiviral, healing and soothing, and to have numerous other beneficial properties. 

• Bee Stings - Dab a bit of honey immediately on a bee sting to ease pain and neutralize poisons
• Blisters - combine 1 tsp honey with aloe vera gel and 10 drops lavender oil.  Dab on blister, cover with bandage and repeat 2-3 times a day.
• Burns- immediately spread a thin layer over the burn to relieve stinging, blisters, infection and speed healing.
• Sunburn - combine 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 cup aloe vera gel.  Pain on sunburned skin with damp sponge or pastry brush.
• Wounds -  Appy directly to open wound
• Acne - Combine 2 tsp with contents of 3 vitamin E capsules and 10 drops tea tree oil.  Apply to pimples several times per day.
• Arthritis - Mix equal parts honey with unpasturized apple cider.  Mix 1 tbsp into a glass and drink before bed.
• Asthma - combine 1 large tbsp, 1 large finely minced clove of garlic and swallow at once at the first sign of attack.
• Athletes Foot - combine 2 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp veg oil, 1 finely minced clove of garlic, and 20 drops of tea tree oil.  Apply generously to affected area at night.  Wear socks overnight - repeat until condition is gone.
• Constipation - eat one very ripe banana and 1 Tbsp raw honey before bed - repeat in the morning
• Coughs- peel, core, and finely chop 6 apples.  Add 2 cups of raw honey and cook over low heat until mixture is syrupy consistency.  Take as needed.
• Hangover - puree 2 cups watermelon and add to 1/2 cup honey.  Drink at once. 

Over 100 ways to Go Green - Have you done your one thing today?

Saving energy.  It's a big deal for our world, our country our state and home.  Whats the one thing you can do to help save energy?  Here are over 100 ways to save - can you think of more?  Post a comment for everyone

1. End your single-use bag habit by using reusable bags.  www.bee-eazybags.com
2. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.  Dentists recommend that you brush for two minutes at least twice a day. Faucets spit out at least 2 gallons of water a minute. So each person who runs the faucet while brushing twice a day wastes about 8 gallons of water.
3. A shower uses less water than a bath, and if you take a shorter shower you'll be saving even more
4. Switch your shower head. A traditional shower head uses about 6 gallons of water a minute. New ultra-low volume shower heads cut it to 2.5 gallons. By spending $10 to $20 for a new shower head, you'll save 35 gallons per day per person.
5. Go Navy. If you already have a new shower head, take a Navy shower. There are two ways to take a shower: Run the water the whole time, or do what sailors do — turn it off while soaping up. The average person showers for 10 minutes. A Navy shower could save 7 minutes of water flow. Even with an ultra-low volume shower head, that's 17.5 gallons of water saved each day, or almost 6,400 gallons a year.
6. Upgrade your toilet. Old toilets use 5 to 7 gallons of water per flush. New ones use 1.6 gallons. Figuring that each person flushes five times a day, that's a savings of 27 gallons per day, per person.
7. Buy a new dishwasher. Old dishwashers use about 16 to 20 gallons of water per cycle. New ones use 11 gallons. Even using the low figure of 16 gallons, that's a savings of 5 gallons per run. With one run a day, that's a savings of 35 gallons a week, and 1,820 gallons a year.
8. Only run the dishwasher when its full so you won't waste water and energy
9. Buy a new washing machine. Old washing machines use 50 gallons per cycle. New ones cut it almost in half, to 27 gallons. (And are those clothes really dirty? We're in the habit of washing everything after one use — not good for clothes, or the planet.)
10. Use a clothesline and let the sun dry your clothes rather than wasting energy
11. Spend a little, save a lot. It costs a few dollars to buy a sink aerator, but it is the easiest and single most effective way to conserve water in the home. Some aerators cut the flow to as little as a half-gallon a minute. Compare that to a conservative estimate of 2 gallons per minute per sink, and the saving is 1.5 gallons every minute the faucet runs.
12. Wait till 8'oclock!  Electric companies suggest waiting until later to start large applicances like dishwashers and clothes dryers.  It saves energy. 
13. Grow your own food.  Even if you've only got a little space, you can grow tomatoes or green beans.
14. Compost your kitchen vegetable leftovers (no meats) and use them as fertilizer, too.
15. Preserve. If you do have more than you need, learn the old art of preserving foods.
16. Buy in bulk; portion your own. This saves you cost, and cuts down on packing materials and waste. Use washable containers to portion out small amounts for daily use. Buy big bags of frozen vegetables and take out what you need. Invest in a package resealing machine. You can reseal bags of chips or frozen foods or bulk products easily and save freshness as well as money.
17. Give up bottled water.  Refill a clean, reusable bottle instead. (Same goes for coffee cups. Bring a mug to work and get a good feeling from both the caffeine and your conscience.)
18. Redo the kitchen smartly. New kitchen cabinetry, floors and utensils are being made out of sustainable products like cork and bamboo, or recycled old wood or scrap wood. Concrete counters are chic and take the polymers out of play; recycled stone chips also are being used for durable counter tops.
19. Replace your energy-draining appliances with modern ones that save water and power. A bottom-freezer refrigerator, for instance, is not only cheaper to operate (a refrigerator is a major power eater for houses) but provides more interior room in a better configuration than a side-by-side. Convection ovens produce a perfect baked chicken, and do it with 25 percent less energy and faster, and they cool down quickly as well. Put in a hood fan and vent to avoid heating up the kitchen and making your AC work harder.
20. Don't leave the refrigerator door open too long
21. Think small. Crock-Pots, toaster ovens, the microwave, small broilers, small grills and counter-top ovens use far less energy than the conventional stove or oven. The new ones have larger capacities, are energy efficient, and are multi-functional, so you're not wasting counter space, either. New cookbooks focused on these appliances are modern and produce foods we eat today — not your mom's. Check them out.
22. Go unplugged. Use granny's tools, too: Pull out a hand-beater or old-fashioned potato masher instead of plugging in an electric tool. Learn to use a carving knife. A hand-grater works even better than the food processor for most foods.
23. Think big. If you have to heat up the oven, do it for more than one dinner and freeze meal-sized portions. Saves energy and frees up your time, too. Get your neighbors involved, and trade meals so you're not bored silly with baked chicken.  Dream Dinners has a fantastic book for cooking in bulk.
24. Eat locally. Buying locally grown or produced foods, whether organic or not, is a boost to local farmers and it saves on gallons of transport fuel. You're eating fresher foods, usually, and farmers don't have to use preservatives to give them a "shelf life." If they're supported, local farmers will grow more for the area, and many will use heirloom production techniques if there's a demand — so ask for them.
25. Eat seasonally. That's the second part of that equation: eat the foods grown locally, in season, and they'll be fresher.
26. Go Vegetarian.  According to charityguide.org, "by replacing just one meat-based meal with a vegetarian dish, you can save 2,500 gallons of water required to produce a single pound of meat." Not to mention the land that's cleared to graze cattle, the methane that's emitted, the livestock waste that's washed into our waterways, etc.
27. Are you done watching TV?  Don't forget to turn it off. Have your family establish one day each week as Energy Savers Day. Turn off TVs, computers, video games and any other electronic gadgets. Use the time to read or play games.
28. Have a family picnic to avoid using the stove or microwave.
29. Are you done with your computer?  Turn it off.  And don't forget the monitor.
30. If you're leaving a room make sure you turn off all the lights.
31. Insulate your attic to keep your house warm in winter and cool in summer
32. Ride your Bike or walk instead of taking the car for short trips
33. Group car trips and errands together to save time, money and energy
34. Don't forget to reduce, reuse and recycle
35. Try Cloth Diapers.  The 30-year debate over the environmental impact of diapers continues to rage. It can take up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to break down in a landfill, but cloth diapering puts four times the burden on water supplies, not to mention the energy consumed when diapers are washed and dried. Still, most experts now give a slight edge to cloth, especially if parents are willing to line-dry them.
36. Cut up to cut down. Skip pre-packaged items for school lunches and cut up your own cheese, meats and veggies to cut down on wasteful packaging. Put food in reusable containers instead of plastic baggies — and pack in a cloth bag or lunch box.
37. Learn to love hand-me-downs. Donate clothes and toys to charities, swap with friends, hold a yard sale, shop at consignment stores, or join an online organization such as freecycle.org, which matches people who have stuff to give away with people who need those items.
38. Use it 'til it's used up. The start of every school year doesn't have to mean a brand new box of crayons, pack of pencils or bottle of glue. Encourage your children to use last year's items as long as possible.
39. Breast-feed. Medical research shows that breast-feeding produces healthier babies and stimulates a closer bond between mom and child. It also saves money and is vastly easier on the earth. (Plus, you always have exactly the right amount, it's always ready and at the right temperature.)
40. Drop out of the drop-off line. If possible, send children to school on the bus. If that's not an option, organize a carpool with other families. This saves gas, cuts down on auto emissions, saves time and is more fun!
41. Get the kids excited. ... Have them research ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. Many organizations feature Kids Pages on their Web sites. Some to check out: www.epa.gov; www.eia.doe.gov/kids/; www.planetpals.com. (Bonus: This is a great way to come up with a winning project for the science fair!)
42. Children may resist your rules, but they love to turn the tables and police each other (and parents). Have each child create a family plan to put their research ideas into practice. Make one kid Ruler of Recycling, another the Queen of Compost, still another the Emperor of Energy. Have them track the ways in which their plan is saving the earth.
43. Support Green Hotels  http://www.allstays.com/green-hotels/green-hotels.htm
44. Be a conservation-savvy guest even if the hotel doesn't have an eco-program. Use lights, water and towels only when you need to. Turn off the air conditioning if you leave your room for the day. Tell housekeeping not to change the sheets every day to conserve water.
45. Go eco. Use Internet travel booking engines that can steer you to eco-vacations, such as www.eco.orbitz.com (launching on Earth Day) that provides information on eco-friendly hotels that use solar power or wind power, natural soaps and energy-efficient lighting.
46. Fish clean. Don't leave fishing line and hooks in the water. Sea birds and turtles die from swallowing fish hooks, and getting flippers and wings tangled in fishing line. Dispose of fishing line at a marina. The same goes for oil, gas and trash.
47. Consider a volunteer vacation such as clearing trails in national parks, or join a tour with groups such as the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org). Visit volunteer.cheaptickets.com, a booking engine that joined with United Way, to search for volunteer opportunities at travel destinations.
48. Never go over fishing limits.
49. Put B&B bucks to a good cause. BedandBreakfast.com is a comprehensive resource for planning B&B eco-escapes and green getaways. Click on the links to Eco-Friendly B&Bs and Green Getaways/Eco Escapes in the lower left corner. Heavenly View Farm Inn in Mount Sterling, Ky., for example, gives 10 percent of the cost of your stay to the development of agri-tourism in Kentucky (rates, $100-225).
50. Use public transportation when possible, such as trains and buses instead of driving. And, of course, taking off on foot or a bike is the best thing you can do for the planet and for your own health.
51. Invest in a solar appliance charger for any portable electronic appliance you just can't live without.  www.solio.com
52. Don't toss your computer. A 1999 New Jersey Institute of Technology study reports that consumer electronics make up about 1 percent of landfill volume, but up to 70 percent of landfills' toxic content. Donate your old computer to an organization that will reuse or recycle it. Consult the National Recycling Coalition (www.nrc-recycle.org).
53. Send an eVite! Forgo paper and send invites via e-mail (www.evite.com). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generated about 83 million tons of paper products in the municipal solid waste stream in 2003, nearly a three-fold increase from 1960.
54. Take a walk. It's good for you. Plus, not driving your car two days per week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an about of 1,590 pounds a year, according to the EPA.
55. Unplug all unnecessary appliances — televisions, DVD players, stereos, microwaves. They can still consume energy even when they're off, says the EPA.
56. Recycle Everyday things.  Turn that plastic ice cream tub into a flower pot (poke drainage holes in the bottom, fill it with dirt and plant some seeds). Transform the enormous cardboard box the refrigerator came in into a fort. Wash that old tire and hang it in the tree for a swing.  Reuse those babyfood jars for gifts.
57. Bag the extra packaging. Do you really need a plastic bag to carry that new mascara to your car? Are your expensive new undergarments any less exciting if not wrapped in layers of wasteful tissue paper? Can you buy the family-sized bottle of shampoo instead of the smaller one? Ask yourself these types of questions while you're at the store, and you'll cut down on what you toss out at home.
58. Get hip to hemp. Ecostyle guru Danny Seo, author of the Simply Green series, swears by Converse's slip-on hemp sneakers. What makes hemp earth-friendly? "It can be grown without pesticides, herbicides or insecticides and it's 1w times stronger than cotton," Seo writes. "It also resists bacterial growth (e.g. odor) and lasts a long time." Converse's Chuck Taylor All Star Slip Hemp comes in black, barley or olive and costs $62 a pair at Zappos.com.
59. Go for Bamboo clothes. Its 100 percent biodegradable, super-soft and antibacterial - no drycleaning needed
60. If you must dry clean... Find a green cleaner near you at www.greenearthcleaning.com.
61. A lipstick tube you plant? Sephora opened recently at CityPlace, and the beauty emporium — which also has locations in The Gardens Mall and Town Center at Boca Raton — stocks several planet-friendly products. Just one exclusive: Cargo's PlantLove Botanical Lipstick ($20), which comes in a 100-percent biodegradable tube and an outer carton that sprouts wildflowers when planted.
62. Go green with your jeans. Insects adore cotton, which makes it one of the most likely crops to be soaked in pesticides. More jeansmakers than ever, though, are producing blue jeans that are green. Levi's affordably priced Eco line is made with organic denim (see levis.com for stores), while sales of Del Forte Denim's Juniper jeans help support the Sustainable Cotton Project (see delforte.com).Primordiale Cell Defense, a skin-care treatment that helps reverse pollutant-caused damage, and the company planted one tree for each of the first 10,000 products sold.
63. Take a step in the right direction. Simple makes shoes from sustainable materials such as recycled car tires, crepe rubber, jute and organic cotton. Proceeds from sales of the company's new Toepeeka flip-flop will benefit StopGlobalWarming.org. Find 'em at simpleshoes.com.
64. Cut chlorine. Use distilled white vinegar in place of chlorine-based cleaners. (Distilled white vinegar contains about 5 percent acetic acid, which makes it a great stain remover
65. Turn your pool "green." Another chlorine source, obviously, is your swimming pool. Rain Forest Blue is an EPA-registered product that kills algae and bacteria without using chlorine or bromine. And ecoONE Pool Conditioner is a combination of nontoxic food-grade additives, such as enzymes and mineral softeners, that helps stabilize pH and alkalinity by reducing overall chemical use. See www.pacificsandsinc.com.
66. Buff up shower tiles by applying baking soda with a damp sponge, or wipe with vinegar first and follow with baking soda or salt as a scouring powder. Add a squirt of lemon for good measure.
67. Breathe easier. Instead of an aerosol air freshener, douse cotton balls with oils, such as lavender, citrus and rosemary, and tuck them around the house. Another idea: Put a few drops of oil on a damp cloth and place it near the air conditioner intake vent.
68. Rethink renovation. Use reclaimed flooring, vintage light fixtures and products from recyclers. Hit yard sales, thrift stores, consignment shops and salvage companies. Find floor planks (that were once something else) at restorationtimber.com and trestlewood.com. The Green Building Resource Guide lists materials that are nontoxic, have recycled content are resource efficient or are otherwise Earth friendly. Order at www.greenguide.com.
69. Paint before you pitch. A simple coat of paint can make thrift store and yard sale finds work with any style — and keep them from filling up landfills
70. Junk the mail. We each receive about 70 pounds of junk mail each year. Visit www.greendimes.com to learn how you can be removed — permanently — from junk mail lists for about $4 a month. Once you sign up, Green Dimes will even plant a tree on your behalf.
71. Reuse with pride.  Yogurt containers, large and small, make for great nail, screw or thumbtack organizers in a tool kit.  Baby Jars are great containers for nails and organizers for the garage.  Even plastic bags can be resused most of the time with a simple washing. 
72. Don't supersize the house. Do you really need 4,200 air-conditioned square feet for you and your cocker spaniel? Visit www.resourcesforlife.com for information on the Small House Society, which tells us less is more.
73. Use fabric or upholstery remnants as gift wrap
74. Throw a green party. Check out Climate Clean (www.climateclean.com) to offset the party's carbon emissions. You can think of creative ways to ban plastic and paper tableware, and even plant the table centerpieces after the party.
75. Get creative with cans. "Rinsed out and label removed, glass food jars make a great tea light holder and can be placed all around inside and outside to create a nice ambiance," says Buhler. "It saves money and recycles
76. It's curtains for rods. Old pipes make great curtain rods
77. Has the light bulb gone off yet? Switch old incandescent bulbs for high-efficiency bulbs.  Over 158 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and 5,700 pounds of airborne mercury emissions would be eliminated.
78. Hose with care. Use a hose with an on/off nozzle, required under our current water restrictions. One unattended hose can pour out 600 gallons of water an hour. Twenty unattended hoses can spew out enough water in an hour to fill a small swimming pool.
79. Don't fertilize your grass until the rainy season begins. A fertilized lawn grows more vigorously, which requires more water. When you do fertilize, use a slow-release, water insoluble fertilizer that isn't washed away in rain or irrigation.
80. Get rid of — or shrink — your lawn. The typical lawn requires 3,000 gallons of water per month.
81. Mulch it. Mulch that's two-to-three inches thick greatly reduces plants' water requirements.
82. Plant native plants. After they're established, many require no supplemental irrigation. Replacing one water-hogging plant with a drought-tolerant one can save 550 gallons of water a year.
83. Don't assume that wilting plants always need water. Many plants undergo natural "incipient wilting" in the middle of a hot, sunny day (much like us), but perk up in the late afternoon (also like us.)
84. If it ever rains again ... Install a rain switch on your sprinkler system, which shuts off the system after a certain amount of rain.
85. Make a clean sweep. It takes about 80 gallons to clean a patio with a hose. Instead, use a broom and get some exercise at the same time.
86. Redirect rain water from gutters into a rain barrel, typically a 55 gallon plastic container which looks like a garbage can with a spigot for a hose. Even simpler, redirect gutters to spill water away from paved areas to where its needed, on flower beds, trees and shrubs.
87. Dig a rain "sink" or swale area. Use earth berms to redirect rainwater runoff from driveways and patios to this low area where it can collect and seep into the ground instead of being sent to storm water drains in the street
88. Encourage soaking. The rain that falls onto your yard should soak into your yard, not run off into the street. Use bricks, pavers, gravel or grass for patios and driveways, which allow rainwater to seep into the ground.
89. Avoid fertilizers that contain weed killer or insecticide. Instead, diagnose the problem and apply a targeted product, or simply pull weeds by hand.
90. Learn to tolerate some chewed leaves. Spraying for every bug means you kill the beneficial natural controls as well, such as ladybugs.
91. Ditch the heavy-duty killing sprays in favor of insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils and products containing Bt, a bacterium that deflects chewing insects.
92. For a green lawn, try applying iron sulfate or chelated iron before using a full-spectrum fertilizer. Iron may be all that is required to green-up your grass.
93. Get free fertilizer by leaving grass clippings on the lawn. Each bag of grass clippings, throws away quarter pound of organic nitrogen, a necessary nutrient for healthy plants.
94. Try using half your usual amount of fertilizer. Many plants will respond fine and you'll be reducing the amount that runs off into streams and the ocean.
95. Compost it. Improve your soil with compost by making your own compost bin. Construct a 3-foot bin out of untreated wood or concrete blocks. Add layers of grass, leaves, shredded branches, wood chips and vegetative kitchen waste (no meat.) Keep pile moist. After 3 to 4 weeks, mix pile thoroughly and every week afterward. Compost will be ready to use when plants are decomposed, in two to 12 months.
96. Create shade. Plant trees that will grow to less than 30 feet tall to cool outdoor patios and driveways. Rooms with shaded windows require less air-conditioning.
97. Use cruise control. Average savings in fuel costs, 7 percent, with up to 14 percent return.
98. Check tire pressure. Proper inflation can save 3 percent in fuel costs, plus the tires last longer and are safer. Low pressure causes heat buildup that can cause a tire to disintegrate.
99. No American idles. Don't let your car idle. That means avoiding drive-thrus at McDonald's or Washington Mutual, even turning off the ignition at what you know is a long traffic light, and especially if you stay in the car while Harry goes into Home Depot to buy a gallon of paint. Ten seconds of idling uses more gas than stopping and restarting the engine.
100. No warm-ups necessary. It might have worked in pre-1980s cars, but today's cars are designed to be started and driven immediately, so that they reach optimum operating temperature as quickly as possible. The warm-up can actually harm your car's engine and transmission.
101. Keep your engine tuned. Fouled spark plugs, failed oxygen sensors or bad catalytic converters can affect mileage by 4 percent.
102. Check and replace filters regularly. A clogged air filter can affect mileage by 10 percent. A clean air filter also keeps out impurities that can damage internal engine parts. Dirty or clogged fuel filters also can have a negative effect.
103. Use the proper grade of oil. If you put 10W-30 weight oil in an engine designed for 5W-30, mileage will be reduced 1 to 2 percent.
104. Extra weight equals more gas. If you're not playing golf that day, take the clubs out of the trunk. Or that heavy toolbox.
105. Drive slower. At 55 miles per hour you'll get 21 percent better mileage than at 70 mph. On a 100-mile trip, the difference is 24 minutes.
106. Drive moderately, not aggressively. Jackrabbit starts and hard braking can sap mileage by 37 percent.

Self Test for Single-Use Bag Habit

1. Have you ever wiped the house clean of any hint of single-use bags, only to shortly after find piles in the cabinets, closets or drawers?
2. Do you believe there are only two choices Paper or Plastic?
3. Have you justified all of your single-use bag needs?  For animal waste, garbage bags - try compostable bags or newspaper instead. 
4. Do you own reusable bags, but seem to always forget them at the house or car when you need to use them?
5. Are you concerned that your life might become difficult or you will be inconvenienced if you stop using plastic bags?
6. Have you ever blamed the bagger or store for using too many?
7. Have you ever lost circulation in your hands from carrying too many single-use bags at once?
8. Have you ever accepted a bag even if you could easily carry your purchase or did not need one?
9. Do you double or triple bag your purchases?
10. Do you feel plastic bag remorse when throwing away a single-use bag?

If you have answered YES to any of the questions, you may have a single-use bag habit.  Visit www.Bee-EazyBags.com for the solution.

Natural Household Cleansers

ABC News 11.17.08 

Even the most environmentally-friendly home falls short if it's cleaned with many of the most commonly used household products on the market today.  That's because many products contain chemicals that can be downright toxic for users, and harmful to the environment when they eventually make their way out through drains into the ground or waterways.  So ridding your home of these potential pollutants or at least minimizing their use is key, green experts say.

Link: Alternatives to Common Household Cleaners

Waste Free Lunches

From brown-paper lunch bags to plastic wraps and baggies to the unnecessary packaging of single-serving foods, our addiction to fast and "convenient" lunch products adds billions of tons of trash to landfills each year, not to mention the enormous waste of money and natural resources required to produce and dispose of packaging. (EPA and U.S. Census data)

Adopting a waste-free lunch lifestyle is a simple way to reduce consumption - literally on a daily basis. Making lunches more sustainable cuts down on thousands of use-and-toss items, while saving money in the long run.

Using lunch-related "reusables" fits right into our overall lifestyle philosophy of "reduce, reuse and save." Smart, reusable lunch options like fabric lunch bags, reusable sandwich wraps and snack bags, and reusable bottles and utensils reduce the amount of paper and plastic lunch waste that goes into our landfills. They also save you money, by avoiding the rip-off of single-serving foods and minimizing or eliminating money spent on throwaway bags, wraps and containers.

Our Top Facts: Why Are "Use-and-Toss" Brown-Bag Lunches So Wasteful?

• Close to 2.7 billion juice boxes end up in landfills every year. (Container Recycling Institute)
• Each child who brings a brown-bag lunch to school every day will generate 67 pounds of waste by the end of the school year - that's 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for an average-sized school! (EPA)
• According to the 2004 U.S. Census data, there are 36.4 million elementary school-age children and 16.8 million high school-age children. If every child adopted a waste-free lunch (including finishing all of their food), we could divert more than 3.5 billion pounds of trash from our landfills each year.
• Each year the U.S. consumes over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps. (EPA)
• Lunchtime trash is second only to office paper as the leading source of school waste. (Green Teacher Magazine, Fall 2004)
• A disposable lunch costs $4.02 per day, versus $2.65 for a waste-free lunch. That translates to a savings of about $246.60 per child per year. wastefreelunches.org

Tips for Packing Waste-Free Lunches

Do pack:

• Reusable fabric lunch bags or lunch containers
• Sandwiches in reusable wraps, bags or containers
• Drinks and soups in reusable containers, such as a thermos, or recyclable containers, such as cans or glass bottles
• Snacks purchased in bulk and packed in reusable containers or bags
• Whole fruits without packaging
• Cloth napkins
• Stainless steel or bamboo reusable utensils

Don't pack:

• Paper lunch bags
• Plastic baggies that are not reusable
• Individually- wrapped snacks, meals or desserts
• Juice boxes
• Disposable forks and spoons
• Disposable straws
• Paper napkins

Other tips:

While single-serving options are great for boosting food companies' profits, many are just a plain waste of your money. Think bulk, not single-serving. You'll save money by buying in bulk, natural resources by opting out of wasteful and excessive packaging, and divert trash from our landfills:

• Instead of buying individually-wrapped granola bars, chips, cookies or cheeses, buy in bulk and pack in reusable bags and containers.
• Do the same for yogurt, pudding and applesauce - pack in reusable jars or bottles, rather than buying single-serve portions.
• Purchase (or make your own) large quantities of beverages and soups, then pack in reusable bottles and thermoses.
• Cut sandwiches into quarters to fit inside of any container.

Want to learn more? Here are a few handy links

• The EPA's site can help you create waste-free lunches and organize a waste-free lunch day at your school. Promotes the general concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle with your lunches. http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/education/lunch.htm
  
• Waste-Free Lunches is another good site, with success stories from schools and how to start a waste-free lunch program at your school. The following success stories were submitted by teachers, administrators, parents, and various environmental organizations. http://www.wastefreelunches.org/success.html
  
• Get more kid-friendly facts about how to reduce, reuse and recycle, at lunchtime and otherwise, at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences website. http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/recycle.htm

4 Ways to Green your Kids' Lunchboxes

MSN/Thedailygreen.com  09.03.08

If lunch sacks made from organic cotton or recycled plastic soda bottles are more your children's bag, reusablebags.com offers a cool selection too — some even come with nontoxic reusable freezer packs.

Link: 4 ways to green your kids' lunch boxes

The Hidden Cost of Cheap Reusable Bags

From California to New York and everywhere in between, people are carrying reusable bags. Not surprisingly, big-corporate America has jumped on the bandwagon, offering cheap or free reusable shopping bags as a badge of being green.

Unfortunately, these cheap reusable shopping bags are often more of a marketing ploy than a great choice for the environment. The real heavy lifting required from retailers to put a dent in consumption - like charging for plastic bags and retraining checkout staff to ask for reusable bags - takes far more work than offering a cheap bag made of plastic. Digging a little deeper reveals that many reusable bags are nothing more than another example of green-washing.

Three key questions can prevent you from mindlessly consuming a cheap or free reusable bag:

- Are you going to use it?
- Will it last?
- Do you trust the company producing it?

5 Keys to Reusable Bags

Who's making the bag and where?

Perhaps the most important question to ask a retailer when considering whether to add a free or cheap reusable bag to your collection is: How are the bags being produced so inexpensively? Fair Trade and Fair Labor practices ensure that employees get a healthy work environment and living wages, and that the goods are produced in a manner that protects natural resources. Such practices usually mean a higher bottom line, which makes inexpensive reusable bags suspect at best and a harmful contradiction at worst if people or natural resources are being exploited to produce them.

Will the bag last?

Even if a cheap or free reusable bag is made according to Fair Labor practices, chances are, the materials and/or the construction of the bag are of poor quality. Cheaper construction may include using toxic or unsafe materials. Or, the bags simply may not last. A cheap reusable bag will break after a few uses - bags that are more flimsy than sturdy will start to give way as you load them up with gallons of milk, cantaloupes and other weekly essentials. Soon, they end up in the garbage can or the recycling bin, minimizing the number of uses and, paradoxically, increasing bag consumption.

A high quality reusable bag eliminates hundreds of cheap reusable bags, and thousands of paper and plastic bags, over its lifetime.

Remember all of those free t-shirts?

When something is free, we tend to take it, whether or not we need it. Then it sits in the back of a closet or cabinet, taking up space and contributing to more wasteful consumption. Cheap reusable bags run the risk of becoming glorified one-timer bags. Soon, you could have a cabinet or closet full of cheap reusable bags that aren't being used, which ends up rivaling your former plastic and paper bag collection - and adds more trash to landfills.

Does Trader Joe know you're cheating on him with Whole Foods?

Many cheap reusable bags have a design or logo, usually the company's name. It's there for a reason - in addition to providing you with a feel-good reminder of where the bag came from, the company also hopes you'll spread the word by donning their bag all around town. Are you comfortable being a walking advertisement for the company that gave you the bag?

Perhaps more importantly, would you walk into one store with another store's logo-emblazoned reusable bag? Many people feel uncomfortable using a Wal-Mart bag at Whole Foods, for example, and end up collecting bags according to store, which defeats the spirit of reusability.

Quality, not quantity.

Instead of more bags, our advice is to own a handful of attractive, practical, high-quality bags that you really like, and will really use. Durable bags from a trusted source will minimize waste and minimize headaches. Instead of choosing from a heaping pile of cheap or free reusable bags, you'll have your tried and true favorites and be on your way to reducing consumption. Simple and efficient.

What Plastics are Safe?

Non-Toxic Life.com

The news about plastics has been pretty alarming lately, causing some of us to go dashing for the water bottles, even our Tupperware to see what kind of plastic they are—and find out if we’ve been unwittingly poisoning our children and ourselves with chemicals leaching into the water from them.

If you’ve been concerned, here is a handy chart that identifies the good, bad, and OK plastics and where they are found.

Find out here: http://www.nontoxiclife.com.au/pdf/SAFE%20USE%20OF%20PLASTICS%20QUICK%20GUIDE.pdf

50 Reasons to stop using plastic bags

MSN.com, 07.17.08

Shouldn't we all, with the price of oil - yes, they're made with oil - and environmental worries, be moving to reusable shopping bags and bins? Plastic shopping bags are a blight, and they never - for all practical purposes - go away.

Link: 50 reasons to stop using plastic shopping bags

MSN.com, 07.17.08

Shouldn't we all, with the price of oil - yes, they're made with oil - and environmental worries, be moving to reusable shopping bags and bins? Plastic shopping bags are a blight, and they never - for all practical purposes - go away.

Link: 50 reasons to stop using plastic shopping bags

'Recycled' British plastic found dumped in India

Plastics & Rubber Weekly  09.10.08

Plastic packaging and bottles that consumers believe are going to local recycling plants are ending up buried in India, according to a UK news investigation.

[Reporter] Mark Jordan travelled to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and discovered wells of British-branded rubbish, estimated to be around 30 feet deep...Concerned locals told the investigation that there were at least ten such waste wells and that the pits also contained American waste.

Our Take: It’s an inconvenient truth that many items entering the recycling stream don’t get recycled. We’re seeing increasing evidence of recyclables getting burned or buried in landfills -- or shipped overseas. Recycling has its place in reducing waste -- but it’s no silver bullet (e.g., it doesn’t change consumption). 

Link: 'Recycled' British plastic found dumped in India

Plastics & Rubber Weekly  09.10.08

Plastic packaging and bottles that consumers believe are going to local recycling plants are ending up buried in India, according to a UK news investigation.

[Reporter] Mark Jordan travelled to the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and discovered wells of British-branded rubbish, estimated to be around 30 feet deep...Concerned locals told the investigation that there were at least ten such waste wells and that the pits also contained American waste.

Our Take: It’s an inconvenient truth that many items entering the recycling stream don’t get recycled. We’re seeing increasing evidence of recyclables getting burned or buried in landfills -- or shipped overseas. Recycling has its place in reducing waste -- but it’s no silver bullet (e.g., it doesn’t change consumption). 

Link: 'Recycled' British plastic found dumped in India