Be Green This Holiday Season! #greenliving

December 9, 2013 By Anne

Everyone is busy during the holidays and there is so much to do. However take a moment to consider what you can do to make a difference on our environment. During the holidays, Americans create an extra million tons of waste each week and we boost our energy consumption by 27%. We purchase over 2.6 billion holiday cards and half of the paper Americans consume yearly is used to wrap and decorate products.

Below are some simple things we can do to help reduce our impact and protect our natural resources or our children and generations to come:

* Recycle your Christmas tree by leaving it out for curbside recycling. Please remove decorations and tinsel beforehand. Or you may be able to take it to a local mulch company to be recycled into mulch. One year, we took ours in and received a free bag of mulch in return.

* During the year, collect paper goods that you can later use for wrapping. I have tons of brown packing paper that I smooth out and stamp. It looks so pretty! You can also get creative and use the comic pages, old maps or re-use gift bags.

* Save boxes you might get in the mail or from products and use them instead of buying boxes. I love doing this! I might put a gift card in a odd shaped box. My mom uses food boxes and cereal boxes. They are great for clothes or movies.

* Recycle or re-use all he paper and boxes used for the gift you receive.

* Don’t forget all the plastic containers that come with all those toys. That can all be recycled.

* Give gifts that require little or no packaging and consider the durability of a product before buying it. Buying cheaper items often mean they will wear out faster. Personally, I asked my mom to no longer buy dollar store items for my children. I’d rather her out that money into a movie or books that my children will more out of and last longer.

* Purchase LED lights. LED lights use 90% less energy than traditional lights. I still have some traditional lights but all w lights purchased are LED.

* Eat up all those leftovers from all those holiday celebrations! More food goes into the garbage during the holiday than any other time of the year.

What do you do to be green at this time of year?

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Reducing our Carbon Footprint: It is Working?

November 1, 2013 By Anne

There are a variety of simple and not-so-simple things we can do to effectively reduce our carbon footprint. Some large projects such as dealing with wastewater require professional solutions. Making minor modifications to our daily lives is something everyone can do to make the world a better, cleaner place.

Industrial Water and Wastewater

Industries such as power generation, oil and gas, minerals and metals, food and beverage and pulp and paper create wastewater that needs efficient and cost-effective solutions. Finding the right company to provide the right solutions is critical. Case studies have shown that it is possible to deliver a sustainable and environmentally friendly Wastewater treatment plant that minimizes environmental impact by recycling and treating cooling water which ensures low water consumption and that no contaminants reach local waterways after use.

Car

Don’t drive with such a heavy foot. Accelerate slowly, drive the posted speed limit and anticipate stops and starts. Published studies have shown that up to 30% of the difference in miles per gallon can be attributed to how a car is handled while driving. Make sure your car receives recommended maintenance updates so it runs efficiently. Keep tires inflated to the recommended levels and this alone can save 400-700 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Buy a green vehicle, one that’s fuel-efficient or even electric.

Travel

Much of our carbon emissions can be reduced from our daily travels around town by giving our movements deliberate thought. Consider carpooling with the neighbors or saving up all your errands to run one day per week instead of running to the same store for things multiple times per week. Walk short distances instead of driving two blocks to get milk. If you own a bike, use pedal-power to get around town. See if you can work remotely from home a few days per week instead of commuting to the office every day.

Flights

Consider if it’s possible to combine multiple out-of-town trips and schedule meetings with more than one client when you’re away. Nonstop flights are better for emissions than ones with multiple stops. Stay at hotels that make efforts to be environmentally friendly and, while there, refuse daily towel replacements to save water. Use the same towel for the few days of your stay.

Home

As appliances need replacing get Energy Star rated ones. Compact fluorescent light bulbs save two-thirds of the energy of a regular incandescent bulb and can give you $40 plus in savings over its lifespan. Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth, and if you live alone consider flushing the toilet every other time. When the need arises consider replacing windows with Energy Star rated ones.

Wedding

Use invitations made from recycled materials. Instead of having large flower centerpieces consider simple, understated arrangements or even re-use flowers from your ceremony at the reception. Serve food that is local, organic and seasonal which guarantees lowered carbon emissions because of the shorter distances traveled to reach your guests’ plates.

Life

Only buy what you’ll eat and finish produce before it goes bad. The less that goes into landfills the less methane gas is produced. Buy local goods, which will reduce the negative impacts of shipping. Call businesses and get removed from their junk mail lists. Recycle those old electronics instead of throwing them in a landfill. Eat more vegetables and less meat. Vegetarians save 3,000 pounds of carbon monoxide or more each year compared to meat eaters.

So there are many ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint in daily life. As to whether it’s working, perhaps only time will tell. All we can know for sure is that every little helps and by making a few changes in your daily routine you can help reduce our global carbon footprint today.
Photo credit: kevin dooley / Foter.com / CC BY

Anne

How Green Are You?

June 18, 2013 By Anne

This Is a partnered post.

I do my best to be eco-friendly. It can be hard sometimes. Like this weekend I had some kids over and I wanted to supply water bottles. We never buy bottled water. Now I could have bought some pitchers and cups but the case of bottled water was only $3.99. So now I have about 2 dozen bottles of water left over, but we do recycle them. We normally just use our own reusable water bottle on a daily basis. You can read all about jars and bottles at eBottles.com. I always look for a bottle that is BPA free.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a controversial chemical that can be found in the lining of food cans, certain water bottles and more. Some researchers have linked the hormone-mimicking chemical to a host of issues including behavioral and developmental effects in kids. Thermos plays it safe, and has made a commitment to only manufacture products that are BPA-free.

We recycle everything! We are the only house on the street with 4 recycling bins out front. But does that mean we are doing good? A woman at my daughter’s school said she hardly ever has stuff to recycle because she buys smarter. She doesn’t buy items that have excessive materials. This is what I want to do better at. But again, it’s hard for my family. We buy boxed cereal and foods, laundry detergent in bottles, soda in cans and jars of spaghetti sauce.

Composting. We use to compost at our old house. I would love to get a real compost bin that we can just turn. I had one made out of a Rubbermaid tote and my husband had to use a shovel and turn it every week. I noticed when we composted that we had so much less garbage. It was great!

Buying smarter. I also try and buy eco-friendly products such as cleaning products, paper products even skin care. Looking For An Eco-Conscious Skincare? Citrus Clear Is It. I love trying new all natural skin care products. I’ve even made my own cleaning supplies but really, I’m a little lazy and just buy them. As for paper products if I do buy them I look for eco-friendly versions. We never buy napkins anymore. I’ve made my own and we just use and wash. I also bought extra wash cloths for the kitchen to reduce our paper towel usage.

What can you do to improve your greenness?

Anne

Tips for Conserving Water (giveaway)

April 20, 2013 By Anne

I am working with the International Carwash Association to share these tips for conserving water. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

April is Earth Month and April 22 is Earth Day. Over the last several years, my family has been making simple changes so we can live a more eco-friendly life. I feel good about teaching my children and love when they turn off the water while brushing their teeth. But that’s not the only way you can conserve water. Here are some more tips! 1. Washing Your Car– I’m not a big car washer, well I was when the car was new. But it is important to keep maintain your vehicles. However, did you know that washing your car at home with a garden hose can use more than 60 gallons of water in as little as five minutes. Not to mention all those chemicals and detergents are going down storm sewers and that ends up polluting our rivers and streams. You can go get a professional car wash and be green all at the same time! Car washes actually use less water than you would at home. WaterSavers professional car washes, for example, use an average of no more than 40 gallons of fresh water per vehicle – less than the average home washing machine, which uses 41 gallons per load, according to the EPA. Professional car washes also responsibly dispose of — and in many cases recycle and re-use — the water runoff. 2. Washing Your Clothes – This seems to be a no brainer for me, I guess my mom just taught me well on this subject. Only wash your clothes when you have a full load. Unfortunately once a week I do not do this. I never seem to have enough whites to make a full load. Make this habit for both your clothes washer and dishwasher, and you can save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month, according to Wateruseitwisely.com. Wash your clothes in cold water. My mom always did this and passed this onto me. Approximately 86 percent of the energy used by washing machines is for heating the water. Washing with cold water eliminates 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year from just one household, according to the Sierra Club. 3. Water in the Bathroom – While brushing your teeth, turn off the water. My children have this one down pack.Bathrooms are water hogs, accounting for about 75 percent of a home’s water usage. In the shower, switch to a low-flow showerhead, which National Geographic says saves 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower. I rarely take a bath. Did you know that the average tub takes about 70 gallons to fill, so showers are much more efficient. WaterSavers is a consumer awareness campaign from the International Carwash Association (ICA). WaterSavers is committed to promoting the importance of using eco-friendly car washes that use less fresh water and return clean water back into the environment. WaterSavers gave me this cool gift pack and they have one to give to one Mommy Has to Work reader as well!

Prize Pack Details · Tote Bag · Folding Umbrella · 22 oz. Guzzy Water Bottle (filtering water bottle) · Jelly Stick Non-Slip Grip for Car Dash · 16 oz. ThermalView Insulated Travel Tumbler Check out WaterSavers on Facebook and Twitter for more tips! a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am working with the International Carwash Association to share these tips for conserving water. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Anne

Terracycle/Earth Day

April 19, 2013 By Anne

GoGo squeeZ^® Rewards Brigade^® Participants for Earth Month

GoGo squeeZ and TerraCycle^® Expand Popular Recycling Program to Meet Demand

TRENTON, N.J., March 7, 2013 – GoGo squeeZ, the popular healthy snack brand, has been working with TerraCycle to solve the issue of snack pouch waste through a recycling collection program called The GoGo squeeZ Brigade. For each pouch collected and sent in to TerraCycle, the collector earns points toward charity gifts or donations. More than 220,000 pouches have been collected since the Brigade launched two years ago, and more than half of the pouches were collected within the past six months. Due to the success of The GoGo squeeZ Brigade, additional spots are being opened for Earth Month, which will allow thousands of additional people to participate. GoGo squeeZ has exciting opportunities coming up for its collectors during Earth Month 2013. In order to reward Brigade participants for recycling their products, GoGo squeeZ is:

Adding an extra 1,000 open slots in the GoGo squeeZ Brigade for new participants to join in April. They have been filling up quickly, but there are still a few hundred locations available for new participants to join.
Running a GoGo squeeZ collection contest from March 25 through April 30 where the top five collectors win bonus points for their Brigade account, upcycled TerraCycle products, and a case of GoGo squeeZ.
Opening an online store at gogosqueez.com where consumers can buy GoGo squeeZ products directly. Shoppers who spend more than $50 will receive a free upcycled pencil case as part of the partnership with TerraCycle.

Visit www.terracycle.com to join The GoGo SqueeZ Brigade or to find out more information about the contest. Visit www.gogosqueez.com to shop the online store or learn more about GoGo squeeZ. About Materne’s GoGo squeeZ GoGo squeeze, all-natural squeezable applesauce is simple, yummy fun, and it delights like a game of tag or a run through the sprinkler in the backyard. We believe in real fun foods that are easy, smart and fit into moms’ busy lives, giving them the freedom to say “yes” more often when their kids want a treat. GoGo squeeZ was originally founded in France where it is known as Pom’Potes and was launched in the U.S. in June 2008. Since the brand’s U.S. expansion in 1998, Materne has sold more than 1.9 billion pouches to families around the world. Materne North America is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please visit: www.gogosqueez.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. About TerraCycle TerraCycle, Inc. is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle works with more than 40 major brands in the U.S. and around the world to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new, innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s Brigade programs, which are free fundraisers that pay for every piece of waste collected and returned. For information on how to join a TerraCycle Brigade and on purchasing TerraCycle products please visit www.terracycle.com. This is not a sponsored post.