by holly on October 23, 2012
by holly on October 16, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Switch to a manual can opener.
“The electric can opener sitting on your kitchen counter only uses a little bit of energy (about .18 kWh per month for the average 175-watt brand), but electric can openers require more resources to manufacture, are more expensive to ship, and take up more space in the landfill. If everyone in the United States started using a manual can opener, it would save up to 648 million kWh of power.”
Wow. It really is the little things!
I loved this article I found on Pinterest on how to clean your whole house without the use of nasty chemicals. Do you use green cleaning products? I’ve found that many of the work just as well, if not better, than “regular” products.
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
by holly on October 9, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Switch to powdered laundry detergent.
“Liquid laundry detergent is almost 80% water, a valuable non-renewable resource. If 20,000 Americans switched to powdered laundry detergent, it would save 55,000 gallons of water per year. You can have even more of an impact by switching to powdered dishwasher detergent too.”
Is your microwave dirty? My favorite “green” Pinterest pin from this week will tell you how to clean it effortlessly without any harsh chemicals!
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
by holly on October 2, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Seal drafts around your windows and doors.
You can keep your home warm and cozy — and cut your heating costs — by prefeting heat escaping through your windows and doors.
To find leaks, light a candle and hold it in front of a window and door seams. The flame will flicker in drafty spots.
Weather-stripping can help seal the drafts. Self-stick foam weather-stripping is the easiest to work with and should be installed on dry surfaces when the temperatures are above 20 degrees. Simply measure the perimeter of the windows and door and add 10 percent to the total allow for waste and the follow the instructions on the package.
My favorite “green” Pinterest pin this week is using used dryer sheets for cleaning! Visit the link for more details on how to use them and what they work best on.
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
by holly on September 25, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Buy some new crayons.
Crayons are often made of paraffin wax, a product made from non-renewable petroleum sources. Some paraffin-based crayons might contain asbestos, a health and environmental hazard that helps strengthen the paraffin and bond the coloring agents. Instead, choose crayons made from soybean oil. Soy is a renewable resource that is completely biodegradable; it’s also non-toxic, so you won’t have to worry if the crayons end up in your child’s mouth. Soy crayons are available almost everywhere crayons are sold.
I saw this clever idea on reusing pop can tabs and thought it was genius! Pretty self-explanatory — start saving your tabs!
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
by holly on September 18, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Opt for a fountain drink instead of a bottle or can of soda.
Some restaurants will give you the choice between a fountain drink or a can or bottle of your favorite soda; choose the fountain drink.
In the United States, more than 100 billion aluminum cans and 22 billion plastic bottles are manufactured every year; only 51 percent of aluminum cans and 7 percent of plastic bottles are recycled. Soda from the fountain produces very little waste (especially if the restaurant serves your drink in a glass instead of a disposable cup), making it a more eco-friendly way to enjoy your favorite beverage.
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
by holly on September 11, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Switch to non-aerosol cans.
You can find products ranging from household cleaners to hairspray in aerosol cans. A lot of aerosols use carbon dioxide, propane, and butane — greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming — to propel the product out of the can. Used aerosol cans are often considered hazardous waste because of the toxic propellants.
Non-aerosol cans are a more environmentally friendly alternative and readily available on store shelves. In most cases, you won’t even have to switch products; just choose the non-aerosol versions of your favorite brands.
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
My favorite “green” pin this week is an interesting one. Check out all these chandeliers made from recycled materials. Some of them are really out there but cool to look at!
by holly on September 4, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Use the electric hand dryer in the public restroom.
Public restrooms often have paper towel dispensers and electric dryers; opt for the electric dryer if you have the choice. Electric dryers are twice as efficient as paper towels.
The electricity that powers that powers the hand dryers generates greenhouse gas but the environmental impact is still smaller compared to the energy used to manufacture paper towels. Plus, paper towels are often made from virgin wood fibers, not recycled materials, and bleached with chlorine, which can pollute soil and groundwater.
My favorite “green” pin this week is how to clean the burners of your stove with ammonia — no scrubbing involved!
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
by holly on August 28, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Sharpen Your Number 2 Pencils.
In most cases, refillable products are the most environmentally friendly choice. When it comes to pencils, though, the old-fashioned wooden ones are best. Most number 2 pencils are made from reclaimed wood while refillable pencils are made of nonrenewable plastic, when they break, the plastic casings have to be thrown in the garbage. Wooden pencils are virtually waste-free because they can be sharpened over and over until they disappear.
My favorite “green” Pinterest pin this week is a bit of a leap. I had been hanging onto these last few days of summer until I went on Pinterest. All the fall recipes and decor have me ready to retire the summer wear and put on a sweater. Then I leapt ahead all the way to Christmas when I discovered this fun idea to repurpose burnt out Christmas bulbs!
How cute are these?!
You can follow me on Pinterest and see all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
by holly on August 7, 2012
Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Switch to Recycled Toilet Paper.
Recycled toilet paper uses less energy and fewer natural resources to produce; it’s also comparable in price to non-recycled brands. Look for brands that are unbleached to help keep harmful chemicals from being released into the wastewater during the manufacturing process.
If every household in the United States replaced one four-pack of toilet paper with a recycled brad, it would save 988,000 trees and 356 million gallons of water. It would also prevent more than 60,600 pounds of chlorine pollution.
See all of the other tips in our Go Green series.
I thought it fitting that this week’s Pinterest “Green” pin of the week is how to clean your stove burners without scrubbing.
