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Fireworks, Food, Fun, and a Green Lifestyle Today is the Fourth of July!  While some may be enjoying time with friends and family indoors, others are planning to spend some time outside: grilling, watching fireworks, and/ or enjoying local celebrations. Even though it is a holiday, it doesn't mean it is okay to take a day off from a green lifestyle.  Remember these following tips during the day's festivities:   1. "Pack out and pack in" supplies : Grilling or having a cookout for Independence Day?  Remember the "pack in and pack out" strategy for all outdoor meals.  Anything taken outside for meals- utensils, Tupperware containers, plates and/ or plastic cups, etc. - need to packed up and taken back inside after the meal.  Remember that forgotten supplies, such as napkins, can accidentally be left behind and damage animal habitats or pollute waterways.  Try to remember everything brought outside so it can be packed up and removed from outdoors at the e...

Eco-Friendly Holiday Ideas Valentine's Day is typically a time to spend times with a spouse or significant other, exchange gifts, and profess declarations of love.  This year, share affection with the planet and try to organize some plans that promote green living ideals. Valentine's Day Date Ideas: 1) Take a hike or walk: If the weather is nice, it might be the perfect day to take a stroll through a state park or mountain trail and appreciate all of the natural beauty. 2) Visit a museum or art gallery: Take a bus or Metro over to the nearest museum to spend an afternoon looking at works of art.  Besides for saving gas, the visit will be a truly memorable experience. 3) Find the nearest planetarium: Gaze at stars and the moon by taking a trip to the nearest planetarium on Valentine's Eve.  A romantic and very eco-friendly activity. Valentine's Day Gift Ideas: 1) Think local: A traditional gift of a flower or plant can be even more "green" when bought from a lo...

Preparing for The Holidays In An Eco-Friendly Way Have you done all of your holiday shopping? If so, it's time to think about gift wrapping and preparing for those packages to be delivered.  This year, consider this fact:  In the US, the annual trash from gift wrap and shopping bags totals over 4 million tons. To put that into perspective, a full-size elephant averages around three tons. Here are some green tips to keep in mind before you give your friends and family their gifts: 1. Use environmentally friendly wrapping paper Choose wrapping paper made using fibers such as hemp, or paper using recycled content. 2. Avoid buying glossy foil or metallic wrapping paper  You can do a beautifully wrapping job for your gifts without having to use metallic wrapping paper. This kind of 'paper' is difficult to recycle and it has no value for use as mulch since there are heavy metals used in the foil paper. Foil gift wrap is also harder to reuse, since it wrinkles and creases easily...

The Damaging Effects of Waste Last year, our blog presented some facts and figures about waste.  When you discard garbage or recycling improperly, such as littering outside or simply tossing a plastic bottle into a trash can, do you consider what happens to the remains of that product? Waste that is not discarded properly will eventually seep into the environment.  This is the time of year for holiday parties and family gatherings. When cleaning up, it might seem easier to just discard all the trash and not sort out the recyclables or potentially harmful garbage.  However, when committing to a green lifestyle, it is important to take every opportunity you can to promote sustainability. Recycling whenever possible, not just when convenient, and prompting others to do the same can protect natural resources. Consider these figures: Did you know that many items that CAN be recycled make the the top 10 list of items most likely to be thrown in the regular trash or even just di...

A Global Day of Giving Can Encompass an Eco-Friendly Spin Are you planning on participating in #GivingTuesday today?  In its fourth year, this global day of giving celebrates a time of year to give back.  Instead of buying presents and gifts for the holidays like on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, participants instead donate to a cause or charity organization. If you are planning to participate in #GivingTuesday and live a green life, try donating to some green organizations!  Here are just a few: 1) National Geographic Society : Created in 1888, the National Geographic Society "is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, and the promotion of environmental and historical conservation," according to the official website .  There are many ways to get involved, whether by donating or signing up for the online newsletter. 2) Wildlife Conservation Society : Stylized a...

Be Mindful This Thursday Thanksgiving is only a few days away! On Thursday, whether you are dining on a big meal or spending time with your friends and family- you can practice some eco-friendly habits.  Below are a few tips that make it possible to both enjoy Thanksgiving and maintain your green lifestyle: 1)  Don't waste food After your Thanksgiving meal, you might realized there was more food prepared or bought than necessary.  Don't waste it!  If you can't fit all of the leftovers in your fridge, ask guests to take it home.  Food waste is a a serious type of waste that can impact the environment if not disposed of correctly.  It can also save money and time to re-purpose food into leftovers. 2)  Don't waste water For cleaning purposes, water gets wasted after big, holiday meals.  Washing dishes and cleaning up requires a lot of water, but remember to turn off an idle tap and load the dishwasher in a way that does not require many mul...