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Green and Eco-Friendly Tips
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Posted on
Apr. 22, 2009
@ 3:22pm
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Green Tip Tuesday - Easy Ways to Reuse (updated)
Everyone has heard the the 3 Rs, but there's little doubt that sometimes applying these principles to daily life can take a some extra effort and work. Is it worthwhile and commendable? Absolutely, but in today's Green Tip Tuesday, we'll be taking a look at some easy ways to reuse that pose minimal hassle. When green meets convenience, we're really getting somewhere. Here's are some regular household items that are easy and convenient to reuse:
- Milk bags - Cut open 1 side, give them a wash and rinse while you're doing the dishes, and let them dry. You'll have a steady supply of tough and sturdy plastic bags that are useful for storing, well, anything that fits!
- Scrap paper - Everyone has it, use it for anything from doodles to making notes to printing out draft copies instead of wasting clean paper.
- Reuse envelopes and boxes for shipping - Open packages and envelopes gently and when it comes time to send rather than receive, cover the existing address with a label or stamp.
- Gift Bags - these things certainly pile up over time, and especially at this time of the year. Skip the wrapping paper this year and reuse a perfectly serviceable gift bag.
- Plastic Food Containers - Why buy tupperware when any number of regular grocery items come in perfectly reusable containers already? Margarine containers, tofu containers, pre-made salad containers, the list goes on and on.
- Paper Towels - a paper towel that has just been used to dry clean hands or the like can easily be dried and reused later for a dirty job like wiping plates before washing. Better yet, check out this thread in our green forum and learn about using shop towels instead of paper towels. They're inexpensive, super durable, and highly reusable.
- Sponges - Don't clean things with a dirty sponge, but don't toss it out either! 2 minutes in a microwave can effectively destroy 99% of bacteria and other harmful buildup in a sponge and prolong its usefulness (make sure the sponge is damp before you microwave it).
- Newspaper - wad it up and use it as a packing material instead of relying on foam peanuts or styrofoam.
- Coffee Tins and clean Egg Cartons - Think of the children! Schools, day cares, day camps, and kids anywhere can always use such items for arts and crafts. Keep some around the house for a rainy day children's activity or check if a if local school or daycare wants to take them off your hands.
- Old Clothes - Donate them to charity, or if you're a little more creative, consider some cool used-clothes craft projects including quilts, dog beds, gift wrap, and more.
- Old or Chipped Mugs - Use them as planters! They're practical and unique!
- Single Earrings - In a pinch, you can use a single earring as a scatter pin or lapel pin.
Here are some resources with additional tips easy reusing: RecyclyingNearYou.com and this article over at AssociatedContent.com. Have some of your own ideas to share? Let us know in our green forums.
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Posted on
Apr. 22, 2009
@ 3:20pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: Car Maintenance And Saving Gas (updated)
Now that the bulk of winter appears to be behind us, perhaps it's time we all get around to heading outside and taking care of some auto maintenance. Of course, you can save plenty of gas by simply driving less, but that's not necessarily going to work for everyone. For those of you that do drive, here are some general ideas about driving and maintenance to maximize fuel efficiency:
- Change your oil regularly, as dirty oil has a direct, negative impact on the efficiency of your engine.
- The same goes for your air filter. Changing it regularly not only ensures that your engine is operating efficiently, but also keeps impurities like dirt and sand from damaging the inside of your engine.
- Remove unnecessary weight from your car. We're not talking about taking a power saw to your car, but rather, just don't lug around unnecessary items in your backseat or trunk. It's estimated that every 100lbs of weight removed from your car can increase fuel efficiency by 2%. So, don't lug around a heavy toolbox, golf clubs, that old stereo you're planning on dumping, and any other items you can do without.
- Under inflated tires can increase fuel consumption. Check your tire pressure regularly to ensure that your tires are inflated to the level specified in the owner's manual.
- Staying at a constant speed helps to save fuel, so if you drive for long stretches on open road, make use of cruise control.
- Driving with your windows open at highway speeds can increase drag and reduce your gas mileage. If you have a roof rack not in use, it can have a similar effect.
Of course, there are the usual money and gas saving tips like car pooling, combining errands, and shopping with a friend or neighbour when you can, but auto maintenance is good for the life of your car, your wallet, and for the environment, so stay on top of it! For even more ideas on saving gas, you can check out the Canadian Auto Association's page on the subject and even more tips at care2.com.
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Posted on
Apr. 22, 2009
@ 2:16pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: Stay Cool and Stay Green (Updated)
Hot weather will be here soon, and when it heats up it can be hard to stay green when you are hot, sweating, and pretty much audibly sizzling from the temperature outside. Solutions like taking an extra shower or blasting the air conditioner, are great but not exactly the most environmentally conscious ways of staying cool. Here are some greener ideas:
- If you're a homeowner, be sure that your house is properly insulated. This will keep more cool air inside for longer, cutting down on your air conditioner use -- and your energy bill!
- Use a sun shade in your car. Your car will still warm up, but the shade will help keep the temperature from climbing too high (and keep your seats from overheating)
- A cool cloth or cooling pack around your neck works wonders when temperatures rise.
- Save your outdoor activities for early-morning or evening, when it's cooler
- Install a programmable thermostat. You can set your air conditioner to only your home only when it is necessary (such as just in time for when you get home from work). For Ontario Residents, the Peaksaver Program may net you a free programmable thermostat and $25 credit with your power provider to boot.
- Where possible, keep the blinds down or the curtains drawn when you are using air conditioning during hot weather.
- If you do have a basement, it's almost certainly cooler than the rest of your house, so take advantage!
- Drink plenty of water -- and make sure you're drinking it out of a reusable bottle!
- During warmer weather, run ceiling fans in a counter-clockwise direction (creating a downward breeze) to maximize the cooling effect.
- If you're going to be outside in the sun, a parasol, visor or floppy hat makes a big difference for staying cool.
For some other innovative ideas on staying cool, check out 5 more ideas at LighterFootstep.com.
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Posted on
Aug. 5, 2008
@ 1:06pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: More Green Cleaning
A few months ago we posted a green tip about green cleaners, including baking soda, vinegar and salt. The green cleaning doesn't end there, though -- there are many other low-cost, earth-friendly cleaners for household use. Here are a few:
- Toothpaste -- not the gel kind, but the paste -- is a great mild abrasive that polishes chrome, silver, enamel and even gets food stains out of clothes. It's always on-hand, and much gentler than the average supermarket cleaner.
- Lemon Juice is an natural acidic cleaner. It's best used for copper-bottomed pots or fixtures, countertop stains, and it's a great bleach alternative -- place on white linens or clothing and let them dry in the sun to bleach away stains.
- Cornstarch absorbs grease, and, when it's mixed with warm water it makes a nice countertop cleaner.
- Good old Olive Oil, when mixed with with lemon juice (two parts oil to one part lemon juice) makes a completely non-toxic (and, may we say, tasty) furniture polish.
- This tip might not be the most cost-conscious, but if you've got some loose tea on hand that you don't feel like drinking, it makes an excellent carpet deodorizer: just sprinkle on, let sit, and vacuum up.
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Posted on
Jul. 29, 2008
@ 3:58pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: Revisting Green Laundry
We've already covered some green laundry tips in a previous Green Tip entry, but we've put together some further ways to get your clothes and linens clean while keeping things environmentally friendly.
- Instead of using store bought stain removers on clothing or other items, treat stains promptly (this is key) with some common items around the home like baking soda and Ivory Soap. Check out this Care2.com article to learn about simple and effective ways to remove stains without resorting to harsh and expensive stain removers.
- Use a clothes line while the weather is warm. In the winter, you can set up a drying rack in a spare room if you have one. Hang drying clothes will also increase the lifespan of clothing.
- Cut back on the number of towels you use. Appearances to the contrary, you probably don't need a giant towel to dry yourself after you shower. Shake or brush off some water while still in the shower and then use a smaller towel (say, hand towel sized) to dry yourself off. You might be surprised!
- If you do have to use a clothes dryer, be prompt! Get clothes in quickly, and remove it as soon as the dryer cycle rather than letting it sit in the dryer. This will result in less wrinkles and result in the need for less ironing - saving you time, effort, and some electricity.
This is particularly true for items like dress shirts.
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Posted on
Jul. 10, 2008
@ 1:52pm
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Green Tip Tuesday - What To Do With Old and Broken Electronics?
If you've found your way to RedFlagDeals.com, there's a good chance you're a savvy shopper for consumer electronics and computers or you're well on your way to being one. That being said, what do you do with all of those electronics that have outlived their usefulness or are simply broken and beyond repair? Piling them up in the basement or garage isn't an appealing option (though I suspect it may be a popular one!), and neither is tossing them to the curb to be carted off to garbage dumps. Inspired by some recent discussions in our Green Forum, today's Green Tip Tuesday will focus on options and resources you have at your disposal to, well, dispose of electronics.
If the equipment in question is still functional, one of the simplest and most elegant solutions is to find it a new home. You don't have to go far to check with friends and family, or offer it up on the Freebies Forum. Items that you don't want to expend effort selling or shipping can disappear from your midst pretty quickly if you offer it up for free to whoever can pick it up first. Another good option is one of the numerous not-for-profit organizations that will refurbish, reuse, recycle, or as a last resort, safely dispose of your no longer needed computers and electronics. Some of these organizations target businesses and others offer services for individuals as well. The list of options is, happily, quite extensive. We've compiled a list of organizations that offer this type of service.
Canada Wide Programs:
- Electronic Recycling Association - The Electronic Recycling Association is a non-for profit organization working with the public and private sector helping companies and the public deal with unwanted electronic items. The ERA is a non profit organization that actually donates computers at no charge to local schools, charities, non profit groups, libraries, elderly homes, and other community based organizations.
- Industry Canada's Computers for Schools Program - This program manages and refurbishes surplus IT equipment from government and business sectors. These computers are distributed across Canada to schools, libraries and registered not-for-profit learning organizations.
- Future Shop - Future Shop locations have a green box where you can drop off used batteries, cell phones, CD players, MP3 players, CDs, portable DVD players, and ink cartridges for disposal. A company known as Greentec handles the disposal and reclamation.
- Staples - Staples locations offer an ink cartridge (HP, Dell and Lexmark brand) recycling program in store. Extra incentives like a $10 off coupon toward future toner or ink purchases are also offered from time to time.
- Office Depot - Office Depot has an ongoing program for ink cartridge (HP, Dell, Lexmark, Xerox brand etc.) recycling as well. For each cartridge you bring in, you will receive a $3 off your next purchase coupon.
Provincial Programs:
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
Nova Scotia
If you're still having problems finding a environmentally conscious way to dispose of electronics, try contacting your municipal waste disposal service.
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Posted on
May. 6, 2008
@ 3:40pm
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652
Green Tip Tuesday: Green Skincare
A few months ago we wrote about using green products for household cleaning. Today, we want to take it one step further and talk about green cleaning....for your face. There are many fruits, vegetables, and other natural products that make healthy, earth-friendly, and economical body scrubs, face-washes, and masks. Here are a few of the best concoctions we found:
- To start, the Anti-Wrinkle Honey Mask. Now, we're used to seeing anti-wrinkle creams and masks go for $50 per tiny container, but this homemade mask consists of honey, a little carrot juice, and baking soda. It's natural... and very cheap! The same website says that one apple, mashed, will make an excellent tightening mask. Maybe an apple a day keeps the wrinkles away?
- For sunburned or otherwise inflamed skin, yogourt is said to make an excellent soother. Simply spread it on, let it sink in for roughly 15 minutes, and then rinse it away.
- Care2.com and other beauty websites also provide simple directions for a homemade Sugar Scrub. We've seen jars of factory-produced Sugar Scrub sell for $45 or more, so the thought of making our own with $1 worth of sugar and a little oil is very appealing.
- Last but not least is the Honey Facial. If you've already washed your body with sugar, why not treat your face with honey? There are directions on creating an effective facial mask from honey, oatmeal and buttermilk here, and we've also seen recommendations to use straight honey as a nightly face wash.
Although these products are all-natural, you'll want to use caution and common sense. Don't apply anything to your skin that you're allergic too, and don't use spoiled products, either. If you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your face!
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Posted on
Apr. 15, 2008
@ 3:48pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: Composting
Today, as a continuation of the gardening theme from last week, we'll be tackling the subject of composting! Just so no one is left wondering, compost is the end result of different organisms (such as bacteria and worms) breaking down organic materials. It's a cheap, highly effective, natural fertilizer and mulch, which is fantastic for gardens big and small. The only cost associated with composting is a composting bin (which you can do without, if you want to), and only as much time and effort as you want to put into it. As for the benefits, you will reduce the amount of waste you produce, and have natural and free fertilizer for your garden and plants.
So, how does one go about composting? It's quite easy.
- Select a place in your yard to have a compost pile. Just about anywhere will work, but if you are going to have a loose pile with no bin, pick somewhere shaded and offers some protection from rain.
- You'll need matter to get going. When referring to compost, there is generally "green" and "brown" matter. Most compost friendly kitchen waste (most items excluding meats, bones, dairy products etc.) falls under the green category, as do things like grass clippings. Brown items include things like leaves, woody material, shredded paper/newspaper and cardboard egg cartons. Make sure you have some green and brown matter to start and layer them (starting and finishing with a brown layer).
- As you add kitchen and yard waste to your compost pile, there may be periodic maintenance, but it's a simple process - add some water if it is too dry, add some brown materials if it is too wet, turn the material from time to time, and you should be well on your way.
- That's about it! Give it time, and add green and brown material sensibly. Try not to leave green items on top as covering them in brown materials will speed up decomposition and reduce the chance of odours.
- In anywhere from a few months to a year or two, you will have compost ready for your garden. This all depends on how much effort you want to expend. Keeping your compost pile balanced in terms of green/brown material, keeping it moist, and turning/mixing the matter regularly (like once every couple of weeks) will speed things up.
You can find more information on composting at CompostGuide.com (including a broad list of materials that are good and bad for composting) and this Environment Canada page (which contains an informative PDF document that you can print out).
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Posted on
Apr. 8, 2008
@ 11:43am
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Green Tip Tuesday: Greener Gardening For Spring
The snow has melted and it's time to get busy in the yard. This year, why not try to be as green as possible in your garden-growing? With help from TreeHugger and others, we've compiled a list of easy, money-saving green gardening tips.
- Are slugs destroying your flowers and other plants? Use beer in shallow bowls or sprinkle crushed egg shells or oat bran on the ground to get of the slugs before resorting to more costly and harmful chemicals.
- If you've got aphids, ladybugs are considered one of the best -- and most green solutions out there. You can even buy them in bulk to release in your garden! And of course, ladybugs are very earth-friendly. If you don't want to buy ladybugs for your garden, try attracting them by planting "fennel, dill, cilantro, caraway, tansy, wild carrot & yarrow... and scented geraniums."
- Watering your lawn or plants at night or in the early morning means less water evaporates, which is good for your plants -- and your water bill.
- Try to pull your weeds, rather than spraying with weed-killer. Hey, as an added bonus, all that bending will be a great work-out!
- Last but not least, compost, compost, compost. It's free, it's waste-reducing, and it's great for the earth. In next week's Green Tip Tuesday, we'll be talking more in-depth about the particulars of composting, so be sure to tune in.
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Posted on
Mar. 11, 2008
@ 2:24pm
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Green Cleaners: Household Cleaning Without Cleaning Out Your Pocketbook
For years, many have stuck to the "spray it with toxic chemicals and dry it with paper towels" school of cleaning, mostly because people figured, if we weren't spraying it with cleaning agents, how could it get clean? It's lamentable enough that people reach for cleaners that contain environementally harmful compounds such as phosphates, but rampant paper towel usage as well? Ouch! Fortunately we, with some help from the internet, have found some potential remedies. As it turns out, there are many earth-friendly cleaning products that are safe, effective, and very importantly, cheap. Here are some green approaches to getting your household cleaning done:
- Baking Soda: it's about a buck a box and it's used for deodorizing everything from your fridge to your gym socks. It can also be used to clean porcelain fixtures, and a mix of baking soda, white vinegar, and boiling water will clear your sink drains in no time.
- We mentioned white vinegar up there, and there's a good reason for it: it's non-toxic, cheap, and it cleans almost everything! One RFD Staffer uses it in his dishwasher instead of Jet Dry -- the same result, for a fraction of the price! Mixed with water, it cleans everything from mirrors and windows to linoleum and wood floors.
- Next on the Green Cleaning Superstar List? Tea Tree Oil. It's not as common as baking soda and vinegar, but it's an all-natural plant-derived oil that kills mold and mildew and disinfects.
- Last but certainly not least is Salt. Now, we have always loved salt. On our French Fries. But actually, salt comes in handy around the house! It's a natural abrasive that works wonderfully well in conjunction with vinegar or lemon juice to polish copper, pewter and brass. It will also remove red wine and grease stains.
- One last green cleaning product? Rags! Old clothes and old sheets and towels make really great rags. And since you're reusing them rather them throwing them away, they're free!
The best part about all these Green Cleaning products? You can find them anywhere (we bet you've got at least three of them at home already) and they're much cheaper than traditional products. Happy Cleaning!
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Posted on
Mar. 4, 2008
@ 4:15pm
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Green Activities For March Break
March Break is here, and with it, a whole new vista of green activities! By now, most of the snow has started to melt and you're itching to get back outside again. Here are some green activities you can share with kids over March Break:
- Canada Trails is a comprehensive online directory of bicycling, hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing trails in Canada. It's well-organized and provides a fair bit of information about each possible use (whether bike, foot, ski or otherwise) for the trail.
- If you're in the GTA, High Park has some neat drop-in programs for little ones over March Break. All the info you need is right here. And even if you're not into a drop-in program, High Park has some other great green activities -- a zoo, a pond, and lots of room to roam. And if you're not in the GTA? Check out a park near you.
- Outdoor Adventure Canada is another website that full of information about the great outdoors in Canada.
- Last but not least, IKEA has some free, green-themed kids activities planned for March Break: they're going to be planting trees, decorating a plant pot, and making garden tags.
And, listen, while you're out and about on March Break? Why not bring a plastic bag or two with you to pick up the litter you come across. You can think of it as a little Thank You to the Earth!
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Posted on
Feb. 26, 2008
@ 4:05pm
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Green Birthdays For Kids
Sure, you're green, but are your birthday parties green? We have some neat tips here for green-friendly parties for kids: you might find that your green birthday parties are more fun (and a whole lot cheaper!) than your old parties used to be.
- Every child's birthday party has a craft or activity, and the internet is FULL of green-friendly crafts just waiting to be plucked from your recycling bin. To start we have the adorable plastic bag snowman, perfect for a winter party, and the Blue's Clues Bank, made out of clean, used drink mix containers, and last but not least, the super-sweet bunch of daffodils made out of drinking straws, paper towel rolls, and other odds and ends.
- Now, this tip might not be super-popular, but hear us out: your kid probably has enough plastic stuff. What if you had a themed birthday party and instead of asking for (plastic) gifts you asked for canned goods for the local food pantry, or, better yet, children's books for a local shelter. That way, you're not accumulating more plastic junk, and the less fortunate benefit, too. This idea is probably best used for kids who are too young to "get" the idea of birthday presents, or old enough to know it's a nice idea.
- Another green idea, perfect for a little girl's party, is to make a trip to the local Goodwill or consignment shop and buy old prom dresses, frilly skirts, and other odds and ends for a Dress Up/Costume Box. You might even let each girl take home a costume piece as their party favor!
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Posted on
Feb. 19, 2008
@ 4:01pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: Green Laundry
No, we're not talking about grass stains, we're talking about ways to save money and help the environment when doing your laundry! There are a few ideas to cover here, but the most explicit tip is to do laundry loads with cold water. According to the U.S Department of Energy, "about 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water". Roll that figure around in your lint trap for a while! As it turns out, the practice of washing clothes and linens in warm or hot water is increasingly unnecessary as the technology in washers and in detergents has come a long way and continues to advance. The only time you should really need warm or hot water is for particularly tough stains. For those situations, you can use spot remover or presoak the affected item/area to get a head start. Cold water washing not only uses less energy, but it also has the wonderful bonus of maintaining fabric integrity and colour longer. Save on your energy and your clothing bill.
Looking for more weighs to green your laundry load? Keep these ideas in mind:
- Wash and dry full loads to maximize energy efficiency.
- Use cold water specific detergents and environmentally friendly detergents where possible.
- Be sensible and conservative with your dryer usage - don't over dry, use a moisture sensor if you have one, or better yet, hang dry when you can.
- Keep the the lint trap and dryer vent clean for efficiency and safety purposes.
To learn more, check out the U.S Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy page covering laundry.
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Posted on
Feb. 12, 2008
@ 2:11pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: Keep Green When You Travel
Many of us have made efforts to be more green at home, but what about being green when you travel? Surprisingly, it's really easy to do!
- Stay close to home. The single greatest environmental impact in travel is flying. Why not visit a city near you, or, better yet, become tourists in your own city?
- If you're renting a car, rent something small and fuel efficient (maybe even a hybrid!) rather a hulking behemoth. The Earth will thank you -- and so will your wallet.
- If you're staying in a hotel, participate in their water/laundry reduction programs: hang up your bath towels so they aren't replaced with fresh ones, and let the maid service know you don't require new sheets every night. The more people that do this, the more water and energy we save!
- Visit cities with excellent public transit.
- Use small toiletry containers that you refill from your home supply. So much more earth-friendly than buying and discarding travel-sized shampoo with each trip you take.
- Bring a refillable water bottle and a refillable coffee mug with you. Just think of all the paper and styrofoam you'll save!
- Prepare your home for reduced energy use while you're away: turn down the thermostat, unplug unused appliances, cancel your newspaper service, and make sure there aren't any leaky faucets dripping.
Lots more ideas over here. Happy Travels!
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Posted on
Feb. 5, 2008
@ 2:24pm
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Green Tip Tuesday: Have A Green Valentine’s Day
The classic Valentine's colour is, of course, red. But what about having a green Valentine's Day instead? After all, the Earth needs a little of your love, too. Here are some ways to go about making your Valentine's Day green:
- Rather than give cut flowers, buy a small tree or flowering plant that can be planted at a later date. That way, your gifts lasts longer, and the Earth benefits, too.
- If your Valentine expects the gift of jewelry, shop estate sales and vintage jewelry shops, rather than buying a newly-created silver or gold bauble.
- Whenever possible, send e-cards rather than throw-away paper cards. Or, better yet, buy a plantable card embedded with seeds, which your Valentine can bury and watch bloom.
- Buy organic chocolate made from cocoa beans farmed in earth-friendly ways rather than mass-produced chocolate whose beans were cultivated with unfriendly farming practices.
- Rather then head out for dinner, why not have dinner at home? And while you're at it, use local fruits, vegetables, and other products. The closer to home your food is grown, the lower its environmental impact is. Try to eat things that haven't been shipped across the country by tractor trailer!
For even more ideas on how to green up your Valentine's Day, check out this National Geographic Green Guide on the subject. Did you have a Green Valentine's Day last year? We'd love to hear your all your very greenest suggestions.
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