Thursday, July 24, 2008

Becoming an Unsubscriber


How many catalogs do you receive a week? I would guess that I get about 4 or 5. That's 4 or 5 more than I would like to! This past week, the catalogs I received were between 31 and 146 pages--the three I'm looking at right now totaled 275 glossy pages that normally would end up being flipped through while watching a sitcom with no intention of buying anything and then be tossed in the recycling bin. No more!


Today I took action. I called all three catalog companies--waiting on hold for one for 20 min. (Luckily, my phone could be put on speaker, allowing me to hang dry my clothes outside while listening to muzak. ) I told each company I no longer wanted to receive their catalog (or emails) and asked to be taken off their mailing list. J Crew still kept my account open, but removed me from their catalog list. I think that means I still can get discounts or free online shipping around the holidays.


I was curious how much paper comes from one tree. Browsing the Internet, it sounds like it takes around .6 of a tree for 10 reams of paper--that would mean one tree gives us around 8,300 sheets of paper. But think of how many people receive catalogs in the mail. I'm sure a good percentage of those catalogs aren't even read and are tossed right in the recycling bin, or (gasp) the garbage can.


I am happy to report that some catalogs, such as the above mentioned J Crew, are printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper. That's definitely a step up, but not good enough for me. I will continue my quest at reducing the amount of catalogs I receive. As of today, I have taken care of three. Who else is willing to become an unsubscriber?

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A Few of My Favorite Things

It's Green Tuesday. Since I haven't written in a while, I thought I'd make up for it with a list of great environmentally-conscious products. Here are my top 10 products for helping the environment:


  • Crate & Barrel cloth napkins--come in a set of 12 Crayola colors: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/ SKU 214582 .
  • World Market recycled plastic grocery bags--huge and sturdy.
  • Rice Dream rice milk--a yummy alternative to cow's milk.
  • DVR--no more need for mountains of VHS tapes.
  • Method brand cleaners--both for the body and to clean with--they're biodegradable: http://www.methodhome.com/.
  • Seventh Generation--Found at Target and, of course, World Market, they sell cleaning and personal products. I use their dishwasher powder and laundry detergent, but they also carry household cleaners and, get this, eco-friendlier disposable diapers: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/.
  • Toyota Prius--I love my car--I am ecstatic that I get 43 miles per gallon.
  • Sappos Natural Shampoo Bar--I containerless shampoo in a bar! I got mine at a little shop in Benzonia, Michigan called Bee Dazzled.
  • Recycled materials made from foods--I have paper made from bananas (http://www.ecopaper.com/ they also have lemon, mango, and coffee papers) and biodegradable eating utensils made from potatoes (here's one source: http://greenearthofficesupply.stores.yahoo.net/pocuasboxof2.html)
  • A Fresh Squeeze--this online newsletter comes twice a week by email (free to sign up) and gives tips and info about the environment, especially pertaining to Chicago (and Seattle): http://afreshsqueeze.com/

So, that's just the tip of the iceberg of what's out there. What is your favorite green product?