What to do with Your Old Christmas Cards--Reuse Before You Recycle

Christmas is over, and it’s time to put everything away. The decorations can be returned to their home in the attic for another eleven months; gifts can be put to good use; the cookies...well, those are long gone…but what about the stack of Christmas cards? What to do with them?

In the past, I kept some and recycled the rest. But I’m not big on instantly recycling everything—recycling should really be used as a last resort. Although I’ve thought about sending an e-card rather than a printed card every year, I’m not ready for that. Obviously, my friends aren’t ready to stop sending printed cards either. So what to do with all of these lovely cards…

Solution 1: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is an organization that helps abused, abandoned, and neglected children. They take the fronts of greeting cards and turn them into new cards, which are sold in bundles of ten for $10. The profit is used to support programs and services.  Here are some quick facts if you're interested in sending your cards to them:

1. They cannot accept Hallmark, Disney, or American Greeting cards.
2. They do take all types of cards (birthday, Christmas, Easter, etc.).
3. Right now are in need of more birthday and thank you cards.
4. They only take cards without personal writing on the back of the front of the cards. 

Click here to learn more.

Solution 2: You can cut your Christmas cards into gift tags. Obviously this works better for cards with a smallish image on the front. You can either punch a hole in the tag and tie it to a gift bag or you can write in an open white space on the front. The rest of the card (such as the inside) can be used as notepad/scratch paper. (I used my wedding RSVP cards as notepad paper.  It was fun to reread the responses as I used them.)

A cute card sent to me.

A gift tag for next year.

Before

Before

After

Other Ideas:

Solution 3: You can create a collage of cards placemat.  Simply arrange the photos and laminate or cover with contact paper. I plan to try this with photo cards we received—maybe using the same family through the years in one placemat. [I have a feeling my children will enjoy these holiday placemats as they love looking at photos.]

Solution 4: You can also use your own leftover photo Christmas cards to make placemats—one of each year per placemat.

Solution 5: As I’m writing this, I came up with another use for photo cards. I remember as a kid sorting through a shoebox of photos my mom kept of her friends’ kids. It was fun to try to find the same child through the years and see how he or she changed. I might do the same with my photo cards. I can gather ones from families through the years and allow my children to sort through them—match the families, put the pictures in sequential order, etc.

Solution 6:  You can also make little boxes or ornaments from cards. (Personally, I’m trying to cut down on bulk, so this isn't an option for me, but it might be a good option if you give small gifts that need little boxes). If you google Christmas card origami boxes, you should find directions for these.

Any other ideas you can think of?

Giving (or Getting) a Gift That Gives Back

Are you a parent that struggles every year with what to get your children’s teachers as an end of the year (or holiday) gift?

As a former teacher, the parents were very generous around the holidays and at the end of the year with presents of appreciation. I would actually have to make multiple trips out to my car to bring them home. Although I was very happy for such generosity, I also felt a little guilty. I often would get things I didn’t need or use and give them away. Lotions and candles are great, but you can only moisturize your hands so many times a day.

Then I got an idea. I knew parents wouldn’t stop altogether with sending a gift, so I that if they wanted to give a gift, a donation to a charity would be wonderful. I even gave suggestions of charities I liked.

On that last day of school, I still received some presents, but many of the families followed my suggestion and donated instead. Some even had their child choose a charity they thought I’d like (I’m into nature, so I received one for the Audubon Society, which was great!).

So parents, if you want to give your children’s teachers a gift they can really appreciate, consider donating. Not only does the money go to a worthy cause (instead of scenting the house with the waxy smell of sugar cookies or lavender), but it teaches your child a lesson in giving. You can also get your child involved by having them think about what charity the teacher would like (or give to a charity your child or family personally supports).

Most charities have ways to easily donate online--simply google the name of the charity. Just think—no more having to shop around for a last minute gift!

And teachers, I hope you’ll think about offering this idea to your parents. All I did was send out a note to the parents in my newsletter. I would recommend doing it about 3 weeks to a month in advance, as one year my parents had already pooled money together for something else.

Below is a list of types of charities I have suggested to my students’ parents or donated to myself. Happy giving!

• American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000
  
• Autism Speaks: http://www.autismspeaks.org/
  
• Ronald McDonald House (offers families a place to stay while their child is being treated for a serious illness or injury in a hospital far away from their home): http://rmhc.org/
  
• TAILS Humane Society: http://www.tailshumanesociety.org/
  
• Critter Corral (a guinea pig rescue): http://crittercorral.org/
  
• Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation: http://ocfoundation.org/
  
• American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp
  
• March of Dimes: http://www.marchofdimes.com/

Make-Up Round Up

Ladies…do you own enough old make-up to fill a landfill? I never want to throw away my old eye shadows, lipsticks, and powders in the off change they 1) come back in style 2) magically become flattering 3) don’t make me break out in hives.

Recently, during a spring cleaning phase, I decided to organize my toiletry pantry. I pulled together all the old make-up I had stored away for years and years. I had enough to beautify a small country. Unfortunately, there was a reason each project had ended up filed away. It was useless.

After slapping my own wrists for being so wasteful, I decided it was time to pitch it. Ideally, it would be reused, as, after reducing, it is the most important of the 4R’s. Luckily, I was able to give away a small portion to people I knew, but I still had a truckload of products that were too old for human application.

What to do? After searching online for how to recycle toiletries, I discovered that the company Origins will take used make-up containers (eye shadow containers, lipstick tubes, compacts, etc.). Since Origins preferred the containers to be clean, I began emptying out my eye shadows and powder trays. I must say, the lipsticks were a nightmare to clean out. After using almost an entire roll of paper towels on one lipstick, I felt it would be more ecological to just give the tube to them with the lipstick still inside.

Origins was thrilled with all my empty containers. They actually gave me a huge tub of lotion, they were so excited. It felt great to clean out my pantry and not dump everything into the garbage where hundreds of years from now they will still be discovered intact.

Although I was happy with the outcome of the situation, I did learn a good lesson: don’t buy navy eye shadow in the first place.

Here are two good links on recycling make-up and toiletries:
Origins Recycling Program: http://www.origins.com/about/index.tmpl?page=recfaq
Ideas for how to recycle toiletries: http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/search/?cx=partner-pub-8628783556283904%3A3g3qh3-7knu&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=tolietries&siteurl=www.recyclethis.co.uk%2Fabout#913
(Of special note is how one person reused the ball from deodorants to make earrings.)

Baby Green Jeans

Once my daughter was born, I found the thrill of the resale shop. Who knew reusing could be so much fun? My favorite place to go is Once Upon a Child.

When I first went, I was only interested in buying clothing. I was pleasantly surprised to find all the various name brands there for less than the retail stores. However, what was also important to me was that these gently worn—or never worn—clothes weren’t ending up in a dumpster. Baby clothes get worn for only a couple months before they’re outgrown, which can be quite a waste. I know there are items in my child’s closet that never even got worn due to being out of season or got lost in the shuffle. It’s good to know someone else can get use out of them.

Next, I discovered that Once Upon a Child had a super toy selection. Most of the toys are plastic, which I was able to easily clean up. I found the coolest toys there—most were ones I hadn’t even seen at the regular stores. Again, thinking of buying new items that use all those resources and energy…and how the old ones would sit for hundreds of years in a landfill just turned my stomach. Why would I do that if I could get the same ones at a resale shop? And for less money? No contest for me.

My last discovery was that they also sold large toys (scooters, walkers, etc.) and baby furniture. Besides the fact they cost less than new items and help the environment, THEY’RE ALREADY ASSEMBLED. Enough said.

So, if you have a little one or know someone that does, consider buying from a resale shop. Save the green by being green!

Environmental Planner: My Second Mission

If you read my last entry, you'll know that I have decided to put in my two cents on how businesses can "green up" their act. My last mission was hotels. Now I'm on to restaurants.


Recently, I was eating at one of my favorite fast food chain restaurants--Chipotle (I can't resist their chips and guacamole). It made me think about how many people must frequent these places every day.


Now, Chipotle is great because their meat is hormone-free. However, they, along with all fast food chains, could use some work on the amount of waste they generate. I think the biggest way to reduce waste would be for them to ask, from the moment they say hello, or in the case of Chipotle, the moment they pull the tortilla out of the tortilla press, "Is this for here or to go?" A "For Here," should require a totally different process of set up.


First, the burrito, burger, sub, etc. would not need to be wrapped up. Instead, it could be put on a reusable plate. Second, any sides of guacamole or salsa could also be put in a little reusable cup instead of one of those plastic cups that's marked that it's recyclable but there's nowhere to recycle it in the store. Same with fries: put it in a reusable dish.


Next, the utensils. We toss so many utensils. And I'll bet sometimes you take a spoon or a knife and never even use it. (Who hasn't?) For eating in the restaurant, metal utensils should be available. (And for To Go'ers, there are those biodegradable utensils made from potatoes.)


Last, so many napkins and condiments get wasted at restaurants. Since most people won't want to get up mid-meal, they "stock up" for the family on supplies before sitting down, taking enough napkins for an army and enough ketchup and salt packets to cover twenty hot dogs and thirty bags of popcorn respectively. Once they've finished their meal, having used four napkins, only two ketchup packets and three salts, they usually toss the rest (what else could you do--take them home in your purse?). Restaurants can solve this problem by having everything on the tables: a napkin dispenser, salt and pepper shakers, and condiments. Now I'm not one for those nasty ketchup bottles; they're the best environmentally but probably not the most sanitary. So I'll let restaurants keep the little packets. Just think, though, how many wouldn't be wasted if they were in a little basket on the table? You use one. It turns out you need a second one--there it is, right there. Same with the salt and napkins.


So, as you can see, there's lots of room for improvement out there. I wonder which fast food chain will be the first to think of this.

Environmental Planner--My First Mission

Now that I am no longer teaching, I thought it was time to take on a new career. I have no training or schooling, and my title is self-appointed, but I am now, unofficially, an environmental planner! My job is to inform the public (or anyone reading my blog) of ways public places can reduce their amount of wastefulness. My first assignment…hotels.

Hotels are great. They allow me to have everything I need within a ten foot radius. I can watch tv in bed and possibly reach for a cold beverage from the mini fridge a couple feet away. I recently spent the weekend at the plush four-star Hyatt in Los Angeles, making me ponder hotels environmental awareness.

I have been impressed with many hotels recent plunge into waste reduction. Within the last five years or so, hotel beds have begun sporting signs stating that, unless a note is left on the bed, the linens will not be changed. Yay! Why it took over two hundred years for American hotels to realize that bed sheets don’t need to be changed daily, I don’t know, but better late than never. Hotels are realizing that the same is true with bath towels—guests can actually reuse them!
As I was staying at a hotel this last time, I figured out some of my own hotel improvements. Here are a few.

• Install more towel racks/bars. I think the reason hotel patrons don’t reuse towels in their rooms is because there’s nowhere to hang them. If a towel is still wet or I can’t figure out which one is mine sitting on the bathroom counter, I’m less likely to want to use it again. Add a couple pegs to the wall and voilà!—people will be more willing to reuse their towel.
• Have dispensers in the bathtub for liquid body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. [Side note: and conditioner should be standard in hotel rooms now—who doesn’t use it?] Instead of wasting half a bar of soap each hotel visit, hotels should have liquid body wash. The best way to store it would if they attached it to the tub wall where it can be refilled by the hotel staff. Same goes for the shampoo and conditioner. I’m guessing that left behind partially-used bottles of shampoo are tossed by the staff. Even if you’re one to take your half-used miniature bottles home with you not to be wasteful, are you really in need of another one--don’t you already have a closetful?
• Have liquid hand soap by the sink. I grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, before liquid hand soap was a staple in American households, but now, the thought of sharing a slimy waterlogged bar makes me want to gag. And, again, either you leave your stay with leftover soap that you toss, or you run out a day early and open a fresh bar.
• Hotels should continue to use glass drinking cups and ceramic mugs versus the disposable variety. Switching to the kind you can pitch was a step in the wrong direction for hotels.
• Create a sign for the hotel room door reading No Cleaning Needed Today. I don’t clean my house daily—why do I need my hotel room to be? This new sign would let the hotel staff know that you won’t need their services at all that day. When you put the Privacy sign on the door to avoid the room being cleaned (which is what I do), I’m guessing they need to keep checking when they can clean your room.

Until hotels listen to me, I am taking actions into my own hands:

• bringing my own hand soap for the sink
• bringing my own body wash (or bar soap in a plastic container), shampoo, and conditioner for the shower
• finding a spot to hang my towel, even if it’s outside on the balcony chair
• using the same lousy paper cup during my stay
• putting the privacy sign up my whole hotel visit so none of my linens are changed or unneeded chemicals sprayed in the bathroom

What do you do?

Join me next week, as I take on restaurants...

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?

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?

A Green Wedding

I know, I'm late on blogging, but I have a good reason...I got married this past Saturday! As we did our wedding planning, I looked into ways to make our wedding green. They sell invitations on recycled paper, as well as ones that contain seeds which you plant afterward. I was game, until I noticed the cost. Instead, I had to find my own ways of being green.

Although Save the Date cards, invitations, and ceremony programs with bows look great, I figured ones without could easily be thrown in the recyling bin after the event. We ended up purchasing the Save the Date cards and invitations at Office Max on plain paper with a simple design on the top. The ceremony programs were also on plain paper that I had professionally printed, but could definitely be recycled afterward. We also tried to cut down on how many copies we had printed, assuming couples would share one program.

Originally, I pictured beautiful centerpieces at our reception tables. However, I didn't want to buy a bunch of things I'd never use again and would go to waste, such as artificial flowers or twenty pillar candles. We decided to have a simple piece of cardstock with a memory of the two of us written on it at each table. These also doubled as the table name.

Last, my husband and I didn't want to give out wedding favors at the place settings that not everyone would enjoy and would end up wasted. Instead, I created a candy table. After dinner was served, a tablecloth was lifted to reveal five large glass bowls of various candies. Guests were encouraged to fill a bag with their favorite treats, including M & Ms, frosted cookies, and Laffy Taffy.

We had a blast at our wedding. And I feel good that we made an effort not to be wasteful.

The Paper Problem

The school year is coming to an end. As a teacher, I watch a lot of supplies get tossed without so much as a blink from my students. One of my biggest pet peeves: those spiral-bound notebooks. I wonder what the probability is that a student will actually end the school year on the very last page in their spiral...What does happen is that students end up with a bunch of half-used spiral notebooks by the end of the year: one for math, reading, maybe social studies. So on the last day of school, the notebooks get pitched, along with about 100 sheets of unused paper.

Okay, first: waste prevention. If possible, don't use spiral notebooks. Instead, buy loose-leaf paper and use a clipboard or a binder. Not only will you have exactly the right amount of pages, but you're not wasting that piece of spirally metal. In college, using a clipboard in lectures was handy. When I got back to the dorm, I just put the notes I took in each class in the appropriate binder.

For old half-used spirals you have laying around...What I've done is actually take the time to snip away the metal spiral. I used metal cutters and removed the spiral piece. Then I used the paper in my clipboard. This avoids tearing out all the pages and having the paper bits everywhere.

Do you have a great end of the school year green tip?

Have Garbage, Will Travel (with it)

Recycling can sound so easy. But what keeps people from doing it? I think it's convenience--or lack of it. Just the other day I was eating a sample at Jamba Juice that came in a tiny plastic cup. When I finished, I asked if they recycled--they didn't. Here's where I think people feel they have no choice but to toss that piece of plastic in the garbage: when there's no recycling bin in site. There is another option--take it with you. The container I had was just a tiny one intended for condiments and only had a soft pretzel in it. I easily set it on the floor of my car and drove off with it. Sounds silly? Sure, but I've done it many times. Once I'm at home, I drop my recyclable trash in my recycling bin--easy as that.

Is it always possible to recycle everything? No. If I've eaten something especially messy, I might not want to have it in my car and do end up tossing it in a garbage, but most times, it's definitely doable.

This is not only true for food containers, but papers as well: shopping lists, MapQuests, etc. So next time you're out and about and see no recycling bin in site, think about whether you can take it with you.

Hamburger, Hold Everything I Won't Eat

Happy Earth day. As a teacher, I've been asked what I plan to do with my class. Although we won't ignore it, I don't consider earth day a one day a year phenomenon. That's like saying today is math day. We'll learn math today and not worry about it the rest of the year. Instead, I hope that my class has been learning how to cut down on the waste we produce and sometimes reuse it or recycle it. Here's my tip this week...


Think about a meal you often order when eating out. Imagine what your plate looks like at the end of the meal--what's still left on the plate, week after week: the tomato on your cheeseburger? the lettuce from your buffalo chicken sandwich? the tartar sauce from your fish sticks? For the most part, we know what we'll like and won't like from a restaurant, especially if you order the same dish repeatedly. How about requesting the items you know you won't eat be left off the plate?


If you're trying a new dish or restaurant, you can also ask what comes with the dish or as a garnish. Although it might take the cook an extra millisecond to read the order, really, having them hold the side of sour cream is also saving them money.

Animal Rescues

How many of you watched Oprah on puppy mills this last Friday? Very sad and eye opening. As you may have gathered, I have a pet guinea pig. Did you know that in addition to shelters and rescues for dogs and cats, there are guinea pig and bunny rescues?

About five years ago I heard about Critter Corral, a local rescue for guinea pigs. This non-profit organization takes in guinea pigs people don't or can't keep and ones that have been abandoned. Believe it or not, some people think domestic animals can just be left loose in the wild. I adopted two guinea pigs from Critter Corral: Melba Toast and B.B. Joe. Melba came from owners that got rid of her because they had too many. B.B.'s family moved and didn't want to take him with them.

It is surprising how many guinea pigs don't have homes and end up in shelters. What makes me sad is that pet stores continue to buy small animals, such as guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, etc., from breeders. Unfortunately, not all of them sell and then end up at shelters (or worse). This is especially true for guinea pigs (and probably other small mammals) that are all one color (especially albinos) and ones that are older and bigger.

What can we do to make a difference? Adopt animals from shelters/rescues instead of pet stores. If pet stores aren't selling many animals, maybe they'll stop carrying them. You can also help by having your pet spade or neutered. If you're interested in seeing or having a puppy, kitten, or baby guinea pig, you'll find plenty of those at the shelter as well. Many organizations also allow you to sponsor a pet. At the Critter Corral, by giving a donation, you are sent a picture of a guinea pig you sponsor. This would be great for children who aren't ready to have a pet of their own.

A terrific animal website to peruse is petfinder.com. It allows you to search for an adoptable pet by location, animal, size of animal, etc.

DeJunktify Your Home

So I just had a dentist appointment yesterday (and no cavities--yay!). As a child, at the end of your dentist appt. you get to pull something fun (but junky) from the treasure chest. As an adult, you get a bag of goodies: a toothbrush, maybe a tiny tube of toothpaste, and a thing of floss. As you leave the dentist's office (or any dr.'s office), there is also usually a little basket of free samples. How many times did you take some of the samples? How many times did you really use those samples vs. letting them rot on a shelf full of other mini toiletries? Right now I'm going to count what I can find on my shelf within one minute--be right back...

...I'm back. So, what I found were 10 toothbrushes (I might have purchased 2 or so but the rest were free) .

So this time I took a stand: as the dental hygienist began to hand me my bag of free stuff, I flipped through it and took the only thing I really saw as valuable--the floss (they have the absolute best and is pretty much the only reason I agree to have my teeth cleaned twice a year). Since I own an electric toothbrush, do I really need a regular toothbrush EVERY time I visit the dentist? That goes for free samples at "checkout time" as well. I already like the toothpaste I use--I don't need some new funky flavor to try.

By refusing free stuff, not only am I helping reduce the waste that's produced in the world, but I'm also clearing the clutter in my house. Anyone need an extra toothbrush?

At the Airport

On Tuesday I was unable to write as I was at the airport--and what a topic to think about environmentally...
First stop: bag check-in: When you receive your printed ticket, you receive an envelope to "store" it in. How long do you actually need to store it? Until you get on the plane. Then you toss it. My question is whether they need to give the ticket in that envelope. Think of how many they must go through in a day or even an hour! On my return flight home, I will ask not to have one.
Next stop: getting through security: With the new no-liquids-law, people are having to dump their half drunken bottles of water and brand new bottles of shampoo. Okay, it's their fault for not knowing they can't make it through security with these things, but have you seen what you're supposed to do with your containers? Throw them in the trash, liquid and all. To my knowledge, there is not an area to empty liquids and there is not a trash sorter bin for recyclable, which almost 100% of those liquid-containing containers are.
Last stop (for now): on the airplane: cups, cups, and more cups. Yes, I'm back to my lecture on plastic cups. On the airplane, you are offered a drink (about 1 sip) of pop in a cup with ice. Afterward (aka an hour after you've finished your beverage and are sitting there holding it waiting for the flight attendant to come around with a trash bag), your cup gets tossed away with a random assortment of other recyclables as well as banana peels, half eaten sandwiches, and possibly a barf bag or two. Do you think they spend the time to sort through the trash? I will ask on my flight home because, again, there are hundreds of flights a day 365 days a year. That's a lot of those little cups being flown across the world to be dumped in a landfill hundreds of miles away. What I like to do is buy my own beverage from a newspaper store at the airport (yes, it's about $4) and then I have the power both to recycle it once I reach my destination, as well as to take sips from it whenever I'm thirsty and stow it away under my seat when I'm not.
Happy flying!

All About Cups

How do you like your coffee? Personally, my drink of choice is a café mocha, decaf, soy, no whip. Think of all the times you have gone to a Starbucks, Panera, Caribou Coffee, etc.: how often have them given you your hot java in a disposable cup? Out of those times, how many did you intend to have your coffee right there?

After thinking about all the cups that get tossed in the landfill daily, I began to become more proactive. When I go to a coffee house and know I plan to drink it there, I will request my beverage in a reusable mug. They do actually have mugs! Of course, they will have more work of washing the mugs, and washing takes water, but recycling takes tons of water and other resources. Better yet, I believe they will often fill your own take-and-go container. No hassle for them.

To take it a step further, I now also request a plastic (versus paper) cup for my cold drink when I go to chains like Panera and Noodles & Company. Again, if you take a look around any of these places, people are sipping away on their drinks, only to toss the paper cup in a trash can where it will sit for who knows how long. Not all places have plastic cups, as I have learned. But, regardless, I will sit, working away on my novel, while drinking a cold glass of water in a large ceramic mug.

Invasion of the Gremlin Grocery Bags

Which do you think there are more of on this planet: people or plastic grocery bags? The way the baggers at my grocery store use them, I'd think the bags outweigh the people two to one.

Does anyone else absolutely hate the amount of bags used for groceries? By the time I get home and start unpacking, the bags have managed to multiply like gremlins. I know stores have a spot to return your used bags, but who ever really does it? I'm lucky if I remember to bring my shopping list with me.

So I've found a solution. Most stores are now offering reusuable heavier duty plastic bags. In my opinion, the Whole Foods ones are the best. They're made from 80% post-consumer waste and are fairly large--I believe I bought them for a dollar a piece. I keep these bags in my car since I usually go grocery shopping last minute. I throw them in my shopping cart or the underneath section and then just ask the bagger to use them instead of the gremlin ones. (It probably is good for meats to be put in old school bags, though, since sometimes the packages leak.)

Recently, I began to take my anti-gremlin bag lifestyle a step further. I found that I also hated getting plastic bags when I went to Kohls and Walmart and, well, anywhere--even my mom will give me stuff in a plastic bag when I visit her (a ploy to lower her own stash of gremlins). Now I bring my Whole Foods bags in with me to any shopping store. I'm sure the cashiers snicker as I walk away after asking for my new pair of expensive jeans to be thrown into a bag where potatoes and brown rice just were, but I can feel good about myself. And soon, hopefully, I'm not the only one.

Do Not Disturb--I'm Green

Happy Green Tuesday! My news of my greenness comes from my weekend trip to Champaign, IL. As many of you may have noticed, hotels are beginning to green-up--displaying signs in the room that unless the sheets are stripped from the bed or the towels left in a pile on the floor, they will not be replaced. At home we don't change the sheets daily or use a new towel every time we shower--do we need to do this when we stay at hotels?

Unfortunately, the hotel where I stayed didn't display these signs in the rooms. So I asked, "Do you replace the sheets and towels daily?" The man behind the counter PROUDLY said they do. I asked "What if you don't want them changed daily?" He looked at me funny. He finally suggested I put a sign on the things I don't want changed.

As I shared this with other conference attendants, it was suggested to just put the "Do Not Disturb" sign up. Genius! Not only would the towels and sheets not be unnecessarily cleaned, but the bathroom wouldn't be cleaned either. Again, at home I don't scrub down my bathroom daily. And...with the "Do Not Disturb" sign on, I wouldn't have to straighten up my hotel room--I could be a slob and no one would know!

A Green Dream

Welcome to my personal attempt to green the world. After reading The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers & Thomas M. Kostigen, I realized that I could make changes in what I do to help "save the planet." Since then, I have been finding ways I can do that cut down on the amount of trash I create.

Look for my blog on helping the environment every Tuesday.