Reusable Bags | Green Tips

Green isn't Alway "GREEN" | June 2009

You have seen them, they are everywhere. Polyester bags from plain to
customized. There are even some higher fashion brands marketing these not
so green products. Let's face it, the entire purpose behind being green is to be
earth friendly. That means it should be reusable, biodegradable, and leave a
small footprint. Take a good look at your free, $0.99, or even your stylish bag
and read on.

Polyester is not an earth friendly product. Yes, you can get recycled
polyester, but is your bag made from recycled polyester? Fun facts below.
Despite the effort to recycle polyester, it is still not biodegradable. Did you
know that polyester is made from the same substance that plastic water
bottles are made from?

Most, if not all, of the polyester bags you see are not manufactured in the
USA. Your bag was made in another country, shipped to a company in the
USA, and sold to you for well above what you pay, if you knew. Frankly all
of these bags cost between $0.30 to $1.00 each to make and have shipped to
your local retailer. The bigger the order, the less the cost. Mileage is another
important factor. Think of all the jet fuel, machines consuming energy, and
packaging just to get your bag in the hands of the retailer. Small footprint?
Think again!

That's why to be truly "Green" you are encouraged to buy products from local
manufacturers; products that are reusable, biodegradable, and leave that
small footprint. Here's some interesting facts:

1 | Many of the cheap, reusable bags that retailers favore are produced in
Chinese factories and made from nonwoven polypropylene, a form of plastic
that requires about 28 times as much energy to produce as the plastic used in
standard disposable bags and eight times as much as a paper sack, according
to Mr. Sterling, of Natural Capitalism Solutions.

2 | Wal-Mart This new bag costs 50 cents but has less recycled content than
Wal-Mart's $1 reusable bag. The company says it wanted to offer shoppers a
cheaper option.

3 | Staples The bags are made in China from nonwoven polypropylene that
contains 30% recycled material, says spokesman Mike Black.

Haven't Learned to BYOB? | May 2009

In recent news, Whole Foods stores launched their campaign against
providing bags at checkout. To encourage users to bring their own bags
(BYOB), Whole Foods will no longer give plastic bags to it's customers.
Stories like these are making waves across the nation and many feel caught
off guard, although we knew it was coming.

Besides taking along your Green Chic Bag Co. bag to the grocery store, there
are many other ways to save the environment during your shopping trip.
First off, buy local produce. Did you know that the produce available in
most stores travels over 1500 miles to get into grocery shopper's hands?
Secondly, skip the plastic bottles. Buy only items in glass containers. Not
only does creating plastic pollute the environment, but many containers
cannot be recycled. Lastly, frozen foods take much more in preparation to get
to your table. Try to eat fresh foods as much as possible.

Recycle Those Old Cell Phones | March 2009

When you are finished with your cell phone, make sure it gets disposed of
properly.

The average lifespan for a cell phone is a brief 18 months, and currently, only
1% are recycled.

On average, 130 million are retired annually in the U.S. alone. Yet almost
all cell phones contain enough lead to qualify as hazardous waste under
federal regulations. And even lead-free phones are considered hazardous
under California regulations because of the high amounts of copper, nickel,
antimony and zinc that leach into landfills.

So do something good for the environment and recycle your old phone. Here
are 4 places that accept them (and will make a contribution to charity):

cellphonesforsoldiers.com
Wirelessrecycling
Collectivegood Eco-cell

Going Green on a Budget | February 2009

With all of the concerns about today's economy, some people may assume
that actions we can take to reduce our global warming pollution will be too
expensive. Yet, some of the most significant actions can also help you save
money. Here are a few examples:

Travel Options. A couple traveling by motor coach (or bus) can cut their
carbon emissions in half compared with driving, and as much as 75 percent
compared with flying, depending on the distance traveled. It's also one of the
least expensive transportation options-some bus companies offer fares on
new motor coaches for as low as one dollar each way.

Your car/truck. If you are shopping for a car or truck-whether new or
used-choose the model with the highest fuel economy and the lowest
emissions that fits your needs and budget. The federal government maintains
a database (see the Related Resources) recording the environmental
performance of every car and truck model sold in the United States since the
mid-1980s.

Home appliances. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the
average single-family household spends $2,000 a year for electricity and
heating fuel. Replacing one or more of your appliances that consume the
most energy-air conditioners, furnaces, water heaters, and refrigerators-with
more-efficient, Energy Star-certified models will reduce your costs over time,
and many utilities and state governments offer rebates when you purchase
such appliances. See the Related Resources for a list of financial incentives
in your state.

Food choices. You can stretch your budget and significantly reduce your
contribution to global warming by eating less meat and dairy. Meat
generally costs more per pound than other protein sources such as beans and
tofu, and livestock production is more resource-intensive: it takes three
pounds of grain (as livestock feed) to produce one pound of chicken, and 7 to
10 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. As a result, it generates
more heat-trapping emissions (including nitrous oxide from grain production
and methane released by cows and other ruminants) than plant-based foods
grown specifically for human consumption. When you do buy meat or dairy
products, choose those that have been pasture-raised, since grasses require
less fertilizer and pesticide than grains.

Simple Green Tips | January 2009

A laptop uses just a quarter of the power required by a desktop computer.

When you aren't planning on being at your desktop simply set the computer
into sleep mode to greatly reduce the amount of energy used. Save an average
of $90 a year by shutting down a home computer every night. Also, shut it
down if you don't expect to use it for the next two hours. Turn off the
monitor if the lag is going to be at least 20 minutes.

Contaminants are tracked into homes on the soles of shoes. Consider
becoming a shoe-free household. Clever designs for shoe storage near the front
door can keep entries clutter-free and indoor air cleaner at the same time.

There are plenty of hazardous waste drop offs in most major cities. Don't
trash it before looking in to it further. Many electronics stores will take used
batteries for recycling. Auto part stores will take car fluids to be recycled.
There are appliance recyclers.

Did you know.... You can place food items in your yard debris bins? Instead
of throwing your scraps in the trash, put them in your yard debris bin for
composting by your local debris center and save space in your garbage can.

Easy Green Living Tips | December 2008

Buy local organic products. Organic farmers not only use little to no
chemicals, they also take steps to reduce water and soil degradation, along
with other problems caused by traditional agriculture. Veggies from
groceries stores have usually been shipped a long way, which causes
environmental pollution. Buy your produce from a local farmer's market or
co-op. If you can't find one, start your own organic garden.

Use natural products. Household products that don't contain chemicals are
not only better for the environment; they're safer for your family as well.
You can make various cleaning products from stuff in your kitchen, like
vinegar. If you don't have the time, there are products you can buy. Just
make sure they're all natural and don't just have a few natural ingredients.

Reduce. We've all heard the spiel about reduce, reuse, recycle; however, most
of us focus on recycling and completely ignore the reducing. Try to use
products that don't end up in landfills like cloth diapers instead of
disposables or regular towels instead of paper ones. Another great idea is to
buy concentrated products because they come in smaller packages.

Reuse. Many people have gotten in the habit of sending their recyclables
away in the bins, but there's more supply than demand in the recycling
market. That's why it's also important to reuse items if you can. Before you
throw something in the recycling bin, consider whether you could reuse it for
something else.

Recycle. We should all have a recycle bin in our homes, but you can do stuff
to recycle on your own. Instead of using potting soil in your garden, set up a
compost pile and make your own rich soils. You can also use products like
shredded plastic bags to mulch your garden. If you get creative, there's lots of
recycling you can do on your own.

Conserve Energy. There are so many things you can do to save energy. The
big plus on this is that it also saves you money. Get low energy light bulbs
for your fixtures. You could also take more drastic renovation steps by
getting new energy efficient windows or installing solar panels. Even small
steps like setting the thermostat a degree higher or lower can make a big
difference. A big way to conserve energy is to get a more fuel efficient car, or
get rid of your car altogether. If you don't need a big SUV, then don't get
one. You'll be doing the environment a big favor.

Teach your children. You might not be able to change the world on your
own, but you can start a trend by teaching others to be more
environmentally friendly, starting with your kids. Make sure your children
know what steps you take to improve the environment and why.

Uses for salt By Green Living Tips | Published 11/2/2008

Using salt around the home Salt in the wrong place can be devasting to the
environment - such as dryland salinity; or contamination of water supplies.
But it's also an incredibly useful substance - in fact, our bodies depend on
external sources of salt for survival.

According to the Salt Institute, it has more than 14,000 known uses and
Americans each use more than 16 tons of salt during over their lifetimes.
Only a small percentage of that is ingested (but we still eat too much of it).
The single major use of salt is on roads for deicing purposes - again, deicing
with so much salt has its issues.

However, salt can be also be used in many different ways around the home as
a more environmentally friendly alternative to harsher synthetic chemicals.
Being so plentiful, it's also very cheap - so you can save a wad of money in
the process.

Here's just a few uses for salt:

Salt as a polish
By mixing salt and vinegar into a thick paste, it can be applied to brass silver
and copper as a polish. Use a soft cloth to apply and buff, then rinse
thoroughly in water and dry well.

Cleanups
This is one I learned as a kid working in a supermarket - for oil and egg
spills, cover the area with salt - it's a lot easier to pick up.

Salt drain cleaner
Equal quantities of salt and hot water poured down a drain can help get rid
of nasty smells and dissolve grease, plus help slow future buildup. This
probably shouldn't be used in blackwater systems too often as it may upset
the good bacteria that are crucial to breaking down solids.

Frost free windows and windscreens
Wipe down the inside of windows in your home and car with a sponge
dipped in a saline solution, then dry. This will help prevent ice forming
during freezing weather. Also, by rubbing a small cloth bag of moistend salt
on your your car's windshield, this will help prevent ice from forming.

Scouring pots and pans
Pour rock salt onto greasy cookware before scouring to help cut through the
grease Removing tea and coffee stains To remove tea and coffee stains on
cups and decanters, sprinkle salt onto a sponge and use a circular motion
when rubbing over the stains.

Sterilizing sponges
Kitchen sponges are the perfect breeding ground for all sorts of nasty
bacteria. By soaking a sponge in a heavily saline solution, it will help kill
these bacterial.

Pest deterrent
Where ants frequent, pour a line of salt to prevent them from crossing. Earth
friendly weed killer A mix of 1 part salt to 3 parts boiling water can be
poured directly onto weeds to kill them.

Mouthwash and gargle
I use this quite frequently - dissolve around a quarter teaspoon of salt into
the equivalent of half a mouthful of warm water. Swish it around your
mouth and gargle.

I've also found this really helpful in dealing with toothaches. Smelly cutting
boards A smelly cutting board simply means bacteria are present - and this is
not only a whiffy problem, but a health issue. Bacteria are killed by salt, so
by rubbing salt into your cutting board, let it sit for a little while and then
rinse, your board will smell fresh and be bacteria-free!

Fire extinguisher
Keep a box of salt close at hand as an emergency fire extinguisher for grease
fires. While it shouldn't replace a proper fire extinguisher, it makes for a
good backup.

Iron cleaner
Over time, irons pick up bits of junk that cause them to stick when you iron
your clothes. To remove the gunk buildup, sprinkle salt onto a sheet of paper
and then run the iron over it. Ensure you use a shot of steam to clean the jets
after doing this and also wipe down the plate with a damp cloth once it
cools.

Preventing creasote buildup
If you use a wood burning stove or heater, soot and creosote can build up in
the flue, reducing performance and also increasing the risk of a flue fire. A
handful of salt thrown on the flames occasionally will help loosen the soot.

Here's a particularly interesting tip I came across a few times - by adding a
pinch of salt to milk, it will keep for a lot longer without noticeably altering
the taste!

This only just scratches the surface of the various uses for salt - there's so
many, you could go through many pounds of it a year. One thing to bear in
mind though - while plentiful and cheap; too much salt winding up in our
waterways or even in your yard can damage the environment; so as with all
things, use it in moderation.

Michael Bloch Green Living Tips.com Green Living Tips is an online
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