Last Tuesday I had an opportunity to participate in an online briefing with Josh Dorfman, aka McGreeny The Lazy Environmentalist and several prominent bloggers. The briefing was sponsored by Green Works and we participated online (via Twitter) and by phone. If you missed the “tweets” and you’d like to read through the complete briefing, simply search for #greenworks on Twitter.
Going Green On A Budget was perfectly timed for the end of April (which is Earth Month). Personally, I began researching natural, organic, eco-friendly alternatives to products when I learned I was pregnant with my son. In particular, I remember how strongly my body reacted to the smell of cleaning chemicals in my first trimester, which made me question the safety of those products. My body was telling me that those products were harmful…something I had not experienced before. So I went online and I did some research. And I did some more research. I learned a lot about how conventional products have the potential to cause harm to my family and the environment. Eventually, I started making small changes which has brought me to this point in my life, three years later, where I can say that I live a “green” lifestyle.
Josh Dorfman is an environmental author, media personality, and entrepreneur, focusing on green innovations that improve our lives. He is witty, knowledgeable, and resourceful. There were many things that I took away from the briefing. For instance, I never knew that:
Recycling 1 ton of paper saves
17 trees,
2 barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles)
4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months) Source: Trash to Cash
Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months. Source: Environmental Defense Fund
About 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable, yet our recycling rate is just 28%. Source: Environmental Protection Agency
Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours. Source: Eco-Cycle
There are a ton of barriers people face when thinking about living an eco-friendly lifestyle. I, for one, was concered about the cost. I had been to “all-natural” markets which were “all to expensive.” And what about the inconvenience? I didn’t want to spend more time or more resources to live a “green” lifestyle. And I felt so overwhelmed at that time that I had no idea where to begin. I felt like I needed to all of the things that I read about right at that moment but knew I couldn’t.
During the briefing, Josh Dorfman shared with us some tips on getting started. For example, switching to natural cleaning products (like Green Works), using a reusable water bottle, and elinating junk mail, are 3 simple steps with a powerful impact. We know that manufacturers of conventional cleaning products don’t always list every ingredient. And why would they? We, the consumer, would never purchase those products if we really knew what they contained. Au contraire, Green Works natural cleaning products are made of plant-based, biodegradable ingredients like corn, coconut, and lemon. I have been using Green Works since the line launched. I like that they’re affordable and easily found in conventional markets and stores.
I just recently started using reusable water bottle in the last 6 months or so. This was one of the hardest changes for me to make. I like the convenience of carrying around my plastic, BPA-filled water bottle and tossing it when I’m through. However, more than 38 billion disposable plastic bottles deposited in the landfill each year in the US. Using a water filtration system (i.e. Brita, PUR) is so easy to do and very affordable. We use a pitcher and place it in the fridge. I don’t like tap water but once it’s filtered, I can’t taste the difference. I like PUR’s filtration system because I have the option of adding flavors to the water. Using a pitcher and a reusable water bottle saves money and eliminates waste.
One of the things I have not yet done is eliminate junk mail. If you can believe it, the average home receives over 100 lbs of junk mail per year. Mailstopper is a paid service that manages your removal from junk mail lists (I will continue to do research to find out if a free service is available).
I never really thought much about the clothing that I wear. However, there are manufacturing processes and materials that are damaging to both our families and the environment. It’s always wise to turn to eco-friendly materials. Some of the companies offering organic cotton, recycled polyester and natural wood include H&M, Payless, Target, and American Apparel.
I live in a house full of gadgets. Just the other day my husband and I were cleaning and found some archaic cell phones. Please don’t throw any electronics you’re through with in the trash because they will end up in landfills. Gazelle, MyBoneYard, and Greenphone will help you recycle or refurbish electronics to keep them out of landfills.
Speaking of recycling, do you? Six months ago, we started separating glass, plastic, aluminum, etc. and placing all of them in the recycle bin. I have to admit, that the challenge for us is finding a place to store them until “trash day” arrives. Check out RecycleBank, a program that allows you to earn rewards for recycling. What’s nice about this service is that you can dump everything into one bin. Rewards earned can be redeemed at more than 300 participating partners such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, CVS, and Amazon.com.
Now that summer is quickly approaching, I worry about how expensive our electricity bill is going to be. We have an Energy Star-rated digital thermostat which I use during the winter and I will be using it again in the summer. Programming is easy and helps save on heating and cooling expenses. If you purchase an Energy-Star rated model, it will come pre-programmed (it can’t get much easier than that!).
Now that I have an active toddler, I don’t have a lot of time to read. In fact, I’ve canceled most of my magazine subscriptions because they’re just going to waste. If you enjoy reading magazines, you may want to consider receiving them digitally. Zinio allows you to subscribe to over 500 titles. You can download the Zinio Reader to read magazines on your computer or access your subscription online from any computer. Check out The Read Green Initiative for a free, one-year subscription.
Another area I struggle with is water usage. I tend to be one of those people who take long showers and practically “wash” the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I am thinking about installing a low-flow showerhead/faucet in my bathrooms/kitchen.
Here are a few more suggestions Josh gave us:
Give away or “gift” items that you no longer need or want (Freecycle.org, Zwaggle.com)
Choose BPA-free plastics
Recycle dead batteries and keep them out of landfills (Call2Recycle, Best Buy, Office Depot, Radio Shack, Sears, and Staples).
Help soldiers communicate with loved ones by sending your old cell phone to Cell Phones For Soldiers. The funds are then used to buy calling cards which are given to soldiers overseas.
And here are a few of mine:
Check out Skin Deep for information on safe cosmetics
Shop for organic produce at your local farmer’s market
Print coupons for organic/natural foods
Buy gently used baby and children’s items, clothes, toys, and gear at Children’s Orchard stores nationwide.
Some of the best tips during the briefing were those shared on Twitter. There were website recommendations, interesting facts, tips, and more. I highly encourage you to take some time to go back and review the briefing, Twitter style. And don’t forget to print off a coupon for Green Works cleaners here.
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Great recap of the call. I am going to link it up to my post since you got in deeper. Here was my brief post:
http://momtrends.blogspot.com/2009/04/recycling-toys-for-kids.html