November Tip: Composting!

Yep, it's a notion at GOING GREEN! we haven't really touched on much. But composting your organic waste can be just as important as recycling other products. We go through so much food in ONE DAY. It is quite bizarre how much food we, as Americans, use. So why not make good use of what's left? We feel this topic is even more crucial with all the excess food our holiday dinners consist of, and a simple step with some benefits to try out as we enter this chaotic season.

Below is a link to an article that shares how San Fransisco has made Food Recycling a law and how the community has embraced it with open arms. A very encouraging read.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113969321

*So how about all of us who don't live in San Fransisco? (Well, kind-of bummed since it's such a beautiful city!). Here are some tips, also from the article, that can shed some light on this mysterious "Composting Tip". Much simpler then it may seem!*

Bin: Keep food waste in a bin with a ventilated lid in your kitchen; then mix it with yard waste and soil in a compost bin outside. After several months, the broken-down concoction can be returned to the garden or the ground.

Foods: First-time composters should stick to innocuous items such as coffee grounds, tea bags, vegetable and fruit scraps and corn husks. Greasy foods, dairy products, meat scraps and bones will make the pile stink and could attract critters.

Non-foods: Incorporate yard waste into the pile; grass clippings, leaves, shrub waste and wood chips work well. A mixture of wet and dry items will help the pile break down faster.

Maintenance: To thrive and decompose, a compost pile requires oxygen and a good carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Periodically mixing up the compost with a shovel, adding shredded cardboard to the pile and making sure the bin gets adequate ventilation can help in these two areas.

Temperature: Compost decomposes best when it's between 90 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Retain heat by keeping your pile in the sun. Purchase a black compost bin or buy an insulation jacket for your bin.

Some communities, maybe yours, have systems like San Francisco's. Visit http://www.findacomposter.com/ to find service providers in your area.

Enjoy and have a Happy "green" Thanksgiving! We're very thankful for YOU!

October Tip: Wide Open Spaces

As Ken Burns reminded us with his latest documentary (watch it here until October 9th!), America is unique. We invented the idea that we should set aside large tracts of beautiful wilderness, entrust this land into the public trust for, as the gate at Yellowstone National Park says, "The Benefit and Enjoyment of the People." It's something we take for granted now, but the efforts of our forefathers to set aside millions of acres of land for the enjoyment of the people and the protection of the natural resources and wildlife in the park can't be honored enough. And part of going green is contributing to the preservation of our wild spaces. It's time to get involved in protecting the undeveloped places in your area.

There are two pain-free ways you can help:

• Visit the parks. Pay the entrance fees. Buy the season passes for state and city parks. These funds keep the parks running, give the park managers budget flexibility to make improvements to the parks. And the investment is a small one that will revive and enrich your life.

• Donate your time and energy to the parks. Groups like the Sierra Club, the Yosemite Fund (which fights to preserve what could be America's most majestic park) and others work to protect the green places. Consider Sponsoring a Wild Place with the Sierra Club. Or visit your local or state park and volunteer some time for a trail clean-up or some other preservation activity.

As you take the steps to lend greater support to the wild places in your area, allow the words of John Muir to encourage your effort: "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike."

September Tip - 3 Random Items to Recycle

Well HELLO and welcome to September! September ... where the fall air teases us, the seasonal drinks are showing up on coffee shop menus, and the thoughts of camping fills the air! Yes fall is slowly approaching. This is your favorite (not to boast) blogger's, favorite time of the year! It is also a season of change. The color, the weather, switching from shorts to pants. Well, why not make another change in your fall list. Let's continue in our endeavor to recycle MORE.

We have 3, yes 3 simple items you CAN recycle. Let's pin the category of "Oh, I totally forgot about those", scenario.

1. Did you know: Your card board rolls from your toilet paper can be recycled? But of course! They are cardboard! So instead of tossing the roll into your bathroom trash. Put them aside and toss them into your recycling bin.

2. Did you know: Your cereal boxes, breakfast bar boxes, and pretty much ANY thing that comes in a nice packaged box, can, but of course be recycled. The dye from the color on the boxes does not matter. Instead of seeing your lovely Cheerios come to an end, and sadly tossing them into your trash. Simply break the box down, and toss them in your recycling bin.

3. Did you know: Your empty egg cartons can be recycled. This may not be new information to most of you. But it is one of those items we toss in the trash often with out remembering, "Oh yeah, I should recycle this?!".

3 simple items helping you get the ball rolling on recycling more, we think that's manageable. Once you start recycling, you'll never want to go back. It really is simple to start recycling!
Here are some links to guide you to the closest recycling center:
http://earth911.com/
http://www.nrc-recycle.org/
http://myecoville.com/us/ga/home (For our Georgia readers!)

Have a refreshingly GREEN month!

"Why so sad VHS tapes?"

We are sure many of you, may be faced with the same dilemma: What am I going to do with my VHS tapes?!!!! We are in the same boat. We actually have one storage container filled to the rim with sad VHS tapes, that will probably never be watched again. But we are not going to throw them away! So they just sit there, starring at us.

Well, we have a few new and probably older tips they may help you separate yourself from your beloved tapes once and for all.

These ideas are simple, easy, fun, and of course recyclable!

- There are few new companies that will be happy to take your VHS and either convert it to a DVD, recycle the tape/plastic/etc., or use the actual tape for another resource. This is the best way of knowing your tapes will be recycled! Here's their links:
http://www.greendisk.com/gdsite/Default.aspx
http://www.actrecycling.org/donations/tapes.asp

- Remember the Library?! Yep, your local free, book, book on tape, VHS, and DVD source that unfortunately many of us don't use as often. They gladly take donated tapes to use and check-out to people...for FREE.

- Have a good educational film, documentary, and/or historical film (i.e. JFK, Schindler's List, The Story of Anne Frank, Saving Private Ryan, The Last of the Mohicans (I watched that film a ton in 11th grade!) etc.? Many pubic High Schools are more then happy to take a look at your films for donation. History teachers love this stuff!

- Don't forget your local Salvation Army, Goodwill, or any other thrift store. They are always there for your donation.

* Remember not everyone has a DVD player, some folks can't afford it and go to the public library and/or thrift stores for a good deal. So help them out with your awesome collection of let's say maybe Rocky.*

Remember, less is more! Giving back will also help your sad but unwanted cluttered area of VHS tapes go to a good home. It's a simple step!

Have a great, simple, GREEN month!

JULY TIP: Green Up Your Trash!

So, you've taken the step to eliminate plastic shopping bags (YAY you!) and have a new found love for reusable bags. Now it's time to take an important next step in reducing your plastic bag usage: your trash can liners.

Reducing the number of plastic bags we use within the average American household is between 300 to 700 plastic bags a year. And these bags are essentially new plastic pouring into our waste management system.

Why not make the switch to bags made of plastic already in the waste cycle? Most recycled trash bags are also bio-degradable and will decompose in a landfill within 2 years. For comparison, a trash bag can often take decades to break down if it's not constructed with bio-degradable materials.

It's a simple switch that will pay big dividends in the landfill.

Here are some brands to look out for:
http://www.perfgogreen.com/products.html - You can currently find these in any CVS Store, Walgreens, amazon.com, drugstore.com, Sprouts Farmer's Market (see site for other locations) This brand also carries mini-doggie bags too!

http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/search/search_results.jsp?oss=1&removeAllFacets=true&addFacet=SRCH:Earth%20Essentials - A big "shout out" to CVS for creating a new line called Earth Essentials. Many new, earth-friendly, recycled material, products. Including TRASH BAGS!, as well as plates, paper towels, etc..

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Recycled-Garbage-Bags - You find this brand in some Targets, Whole foods, etc.. See site for other locations.

-Please search your local grocery stores, pharmacy's, etc. for these products or others that are similar that they may carry.

*Most importantly, please think before you actually throw-away. Ask yourself..."Can this be recycled?" The answer is probably yes! Recycling your trash is always the first priority.
BUT if it needs to be thrown away, have a good recycled, bio-degradable bag to make-up for the waste!*

We hope this tip helps you stay a little more GREEN SIMPLY!

JUNE TIP: A Myth Buster - Recycled Toilet Paper

There seems to be a silly notion going around that recycled toilet paper is made from well...recycled toilet paper. This is VERY far from the truth. It is, in fact, just reused paper of a non-toilet origin.

Tissue paper is big business: The global tissue industry is worth over $30 billion dollars annually, and has grown by nearly 4% per year in the past decade. Since about 270,000 trees are flushed down the drain or end up as garbage all over the world, we can take the simple step of using recycled tissue paper and do our part to cut down on the environmental impact.

There are many varieties of recycled paper our there and you can try different brands to discover which you like most. You can review the different brands and their recycled content here.

This is a small change that can make a huge difference in your environmental footprint. Take the extra step, make a small change and it will be a painless transition.

MAY TIP: Building Your Own Herb Garden

Spring is here and this is the prime time to plant, sow, or seed. It's also a timely occasion to plant your very own herb garden! There are many reasons why having an herb garden is Eco-friendly, but it is also an economically sound endeavor as well. Having your own herb garden saves you from having to buy random fresh herbs for that one dish (an expensive add-on to any grocery trip), and then have them go bad just before you need them again. Not having a green thumb is no excuse for not having a simple, beautiful herb garden. We can guarantee that it will be easy, fun, and satisfying.

Below is the play-by-play on how to start one:

1. Make a list of what herbs you use the most and pick one vegetable or fruit to go along with it.
2. Go to your balcony, backyard, or porch and scope out the best spots for your pots. Nothing super-shady and super-sunny either. You'll need a spot that gets at least 5 hours of sunlight a day.
3. Go to a Home Depot, Lowe's, or any garden supply store and head over to the garden area. They usually have huge sections devoted to herbs, especially in the spring. Load up on what you'll actually use. Make sure to read the planting directions for each herb so you get the proper planters or pots.
4. Head to the pot section, and depending on your living arrangements, buy the pots or planters that best fit your growing space and the herbs you've chosen.
5. Get some organic soil, available in most garden departments. Ask an employee to help you decide what best soil fits your growing space.
6. Go home and start planting. Be sure to follow the spacing instructions or you could be in for an unwieldy herb forest.
7.Make sure to regularly water your herbs. You'll be amazed how much these little plants will yield. You can package them up for neighbors and friends when they visit and you'll be surprised how much more flavor they add to the simplest dishes.

We hope you enjoy this simple tip! Have a great green May month!