Harvesting rainwater is a great way to reuse the free water from the sky, however, unless you have a lot of rain barrels and a lot of rain, the dry season will cut your supply short- or will it? Grey water is another great source to recycle from since it is just being wasted by going down the drain. Greywater …
Want To Turn A Green Leaf? Start With These 5 Things
Here are 5 steps every eco-friendly person should have under their belt, are significant starting points for those getting into it, and can have the biggest impact on reducing your individual impact on the environment. 1. Reusable Water bottle All of the plastic, paper and disposable cups you will save with 1 reusable bottle you take everywhere. Not just for …
Reusable Shopping Bag Choices
Shopping bags have really come a long way. Baskets turned into paper grocery bags, which then gave way to disposable plastic bags, and now up next in the evolution of the shopping vessel is the stylish reusable tote bag. A lot of cities are beginning to tax disposable plastic bags in grocery stores, and rightly so in my opinion (just …
Eco-Friendly Bark Shingles Home Siding
Thinking about re-siding your home? Take a look at this eco alternative. Just like a trees own weather proofing, these bark shingles insulate, protect, and are virtually maintenance free. It is made up of tulip tree bark waste from timber operations that would otherwise get burned, mulched, or left to rot. Lasting up to 75 years, renewable, sustainably harvested and …
Christmas Tree Recycling Disposal
Now that Christmas and the holidays are over, you may have a tree that you aren’t sure what to do with. Now days, its much easier to dispose of your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way. Many counties offer curbside pickup along with your green waste, and almost all offer some type of pickup or drop off location. These …
Neogreen Insulated Lunch Totes and Kozees
I usually tote my lunch to work in a re-used paper bag, but by the end of the week that bag ends up looking pretty haggard. Thankfully the guys over at Neogreene heeded my call and sent me one of their new eco-friendly insulated lunch tote along with a waterbottle cozy. Many of you may remember my article a little …
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Finds
Here are some of my recent favorite finds, reader suggestions and sustainable or eco-friendly finds. Enjoy! Grain, a local (Seattle) design consultancy and studio has developed a really cool Eco-friendly DIY shower curtain. Based on their popular Ty recyclable shower curtain, the Ty D.I.Y. Edition includes a choice of blue, green or black permanent marker for your own personalized design. …
Winterize your Home for Energy Efficiency
Eco tips for saving money this winter. What works well in the winter, can also save you money on your cooling bills in the summer too! The Little Stuff: Seal up cracks – Common spots for drafts are entryways (the back door and garage doors are notorious for draftiness) window moldings and seals. Caulking windows, sealing cracks and installing weather …
Remove Indoor Toxins with these Specializing House Plants
Winter is approaching which means we will be spending a lot more time indoors, and most likely, a toxic indoors. Indoor pollution levels generally exceed outdoor levels due to all of the toxic off-gassing of carpet, furniture, paints, plastics and more. One of the best ways to fight this is the natural way- plants! I’ve been reading a lot lately …
Verterra Sustainable Disposable Dinnerware Plates
I know it sounds like a complete oxymoron, but these picnic plates are both disposable and truly sustainable. Best when composted (as things don’t biodegrade in a landfill) to be truly sustainable cradle to cradle compliant, these sturdy plates are as much at home on your fancy dining room table as they are in the backyard. They feel as if …