Good Housekeeping goes green

April's issue of Good Housekeeping is full of green tips in honor of the upcoming 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22nd. I gleaned some to share with you.

• Looking for a new diaper bag? Rebirthing an a nearly new one saves 90% of the CO2 of making a new one.
• As the warm weather approaches, plan to set your AC to 78 degrees instead of 73. Doing so can shave up to 40% off your electric bill.
• Don't toss your coffee grounds into the trash. If you don't compost, at least spread the grounds around your outdoor azaleas, rhododendrons and other acid-loving plants.
• Buying case after case of bottled water, but not feeling too badly about it because you recycle the bottles? An average bottled-water-drinking family of four would save over $1,200 simply by replacing bottles with filtered water from the fridge or sink.
• Opting to skip the sales at the mall and hit a consignment shop instead? Good for you. Buying a pre-worn sweater instead of a new one saves the energy (that goes into making it) equivalent of nearly 70 loads of laundry.
• Recycle everything you can. I know I sound like a broken record here, but the United States is the king of the hill when it comes to trash. It is estimated that every single person in the U.S. produces 1,643 pounds of trash each year. It's time to dethrone the king.
• Taking a reusable bag into CVS = credits on your CVS card ($1 for every 4 visits when you don't take one of their plastic bags). If you shop CVS a lot, this could add up! Check with other stores to see if they have similar programs.
• Every page has two sides...why are some of yours blank? Set up your printer to print on both sides of the paper.
• Quit tossing those take-up cups into the trash! Keep a travel mug with you and when you get the urge to stop for a cup of java, ask them to fill it up.
• Lifelong habits are lifelong habits...if they're good ones. Teach your children to turn off the water when they're brushing their teeth. Each time they brush the eco-way, they'll save up to five gallons of water.
• Don't throw out that old vinyl shower curtain! Toss it in your trunk in preparation for all the spring planting that will be underway soon. Put all your plant purchases on the vinyl and protect your car from dirt stains. This is a perfect solution for keeping sand out of your trunk as well after a family trip to the beach.

Okay, enough tips for today. However, I do want to mention that the Good Housekeeping Seal, which has been around forever, it seems, is now even better. Look for the GH Green Seal on products that not only meet their marketing claims for efficacy, but also have made environmental improvements in ingredients and product safety and packaging reduction, as well as in manufacturing processes.

Good Housekeeping Green. How cool is that?

Keeping it green,

Hana

Apathy...or is it?

I don't get it. What, exactly, is so difficult about recycling? Does it really take that much more effort to deposit a plastic bottle or aluminum can in the recycling bin rather than the trash can? Is bundling up your newspapers and taking them to a paper recycling receptacle all that difficult?

There are approximately 44 million newspapers dumped in the landfills every week in the United States. It takes 500,000 trees to produce that many papers and we thoughtlessly toss them out. Why? I must admit, I'm completely baffled by all of this.

Perhaps it's not indifference, but rather ignorance that perpetuates this vicious cycle. Until I wrote an article about battery disposal, I always tossed my dead batteries in the trash. I wasn't being lazy or self-centered, I just didn't know any better. That's the biggest perk of my having this blog...I learn so much. It's my goal to pass some of this info on to you and, hopefully, teach you something new that will change your habits. Then you can tell someone else about it and they can start doing their part for the environment as well. Little things lead to bigger things. A handful of people can become a crowd. As my minister said in his sermon today, it just takes a little bit on the part of everyone.

So, maybe rather than getting frustrated with people's supposed apathy, I should just plod on...learning, sharing, doing. Those are my thoughts for today.

Keeping it green,

Hana