Healthy and Green Living » Reduce, Recycle & Reuse

Google Maps Has Walking Directions? Who Knew?

Dave Chameides — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:01:29 +0000

Today’s post is not only a shorty, but, in the interests of full disclosure, entirely stolen from an article I read on Terrapass. Ok, stolen may not be the right word because this info is out there, but Terrapass is where I read about it, and is a cool site to check out in [...]

Make a Reusable Shopping Bag from an Old T-Shirt

Megan, selected from Green Options — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:09:33 +0000

I’m always on the lookout for creative uses for t-shirts. We have a bunch collecting dust in our closets and they are readily available at resale shops.Martha Stewart has a fabulous idea for making a reusable shopping tote out of t-shirts. What a fun way to reuse all those souvenir and college tees. This [...]

Homes Haunted by Power Vampires

Annie B. Bond — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:01:22 +0000

Your home is most likely haunted by power vampires. Most of us have 10 to 30 power vampires, or power leeches�electrical devices that continuously draw power from your power outlets, even when not supplying any useful service. As a simple rule, the more gadgets in your home, the more power vampires. How many of these sneaky, insidious vampires haunt your home?

TapIt: Finding Drinking Water On The Go, Made Easy

Dave Chameides — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:02:22 +0000

OK, you’ve read all the info and recognize how bad bottled water truly is for the environment. You’ve done your research and found a reusable bottle that you want to use (or better yet are reusing something you already had). And now you are ready to once and for all kick your plastic water bottle [...]

Charitable Recycling: Eyeglasses, Printer Cartridges and Mobile Phones

Melissa Breyer — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:01:23 +0000

Who doesn't keep old eyeglasses as a backup when they get a new pair&#151and end up with an overflowing drawer of dated glasses we wouldn't be caught dead in now. If you find yourself in a drawer-cleaning frenzy, you might turn to our favorite recycling guide for advice on what to do with that pile of old glasses. We also stumbled across what to do with printer cartridges (also in a drawer) and mobile phones (yes, they usually have a drawer too). Read here for tips on how to recycle eyeglasses, printer cartridges and mobile phones&#151those junk drawer items it just doesn't feel right to throw away&#151and learn how to contribute to charity at the same time.

Paper or Plastic?

Megan, selected from Yoga+ Magazine — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:13:16 +0000

Which is greener, plastic or paper grocery bags? ANSWER: Neither. A cloth bag is best; used just 11 times, it already has a lower impact.� Paper from trees is a renewable resource, but burdens landfills; 2,000 paper bags weigh 280 pounds. The same number of plastic bags weighs a mere 30 pounds, but polyethylene, made from [...]

How I Wash My Car

Dave Chameides — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:55 +0000

I rarely wash my car, much to the chagrin of my neighbors (and my wife, who is sitting next to me and told me to type that), but when I do, I have a pretty specific way of going about it. Step 1: Start late in the day after the sun has gone down. When [...]

The Road To Copenhagen: Now Is The Time To Speak Up About Climate Change

Dave Chameides — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:00:29 +0000

There are basically two reasons why I won’t discuss global climate change when I talk to folks about the environment. The first has to do with the enormity of the problem. I’m the first to admit that we have a hurculean task ahead of us if we are to avert radical climate change in the [...]

8 Ways to Make Your Clothing Last

Megan, selected from Planet Green — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:02:40 +0000

If you are practical, eco-savvy and smart, then you’ll find ways to make your clothing last. Here are eight tips to help you along: 1. Dry your clothes on low. Not only will this save energy, but it also extends the life of your clothing. 2. Sew up holes ASAP. A little hole isn’t such a big [...]

15 Ways to Reduce Food Packaging

Terri Hall-Jackson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:21:14 +0000

It is now a common sight to see shoppers carrying their own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. That is fantastic, and such an easy eco-friendly action for most of us to take. Still, there’s a ton of material we continue to schlep home when shopping — the cellophane, unrecyclable bags, plastic, and cardboard [...]