Green Goal for 2010?

So what is your Green Goal this year? What are you doing differently to be more Eco-Friendly? Do share! I have a gift for everyone who submits their goal and one special winner will receive an eco-friendly tote and fun goodies. Who will that be? Hmmm....

Did you know: By turning the water faucet off while you brush your teeth you are saving up to 4 gallons of water per minute? OR Installing a water efficient shower head can reduce water consumption by 25-60% and save energy?

7.5 pounds of trash per day?

Here's a simple fact: In Texas, each person generates 7.5 pounds of trash per day and 42% is paper! YIKES!! That's alarming and makes me reevaluate. We are doing our best to recycle, but are we also reducing how much we generate? Hmmm....

While browsing the internet, I love to find new and cool Green tips, I found some cool info on www.smart2begreen.com recently. Hope you find some helpful tips and inspiration. Do tell others what you are doing to live a greener life. Share this blog. You just might inspire them to set a New Year's resolution to recycle and live greener. That's how I started January 2008, recycling paper and plastic. Now, I recycle everything I can and enjoy sharing with others.

Oikos Yogurt Review and Giveaway

For Free Greek Yogurt, visit http://gatheringmyroses.blogspot.com

The offer ends Dec. 14 so don't delay! Yummmm! : )

Cold Weather and Bubble Wrap

Cool ways to reuse bubble wrap.

*You can use extra bubble wrap to protect your patio and delicate garden plants from frost.
*Expecting an overnight freeze? Put a layer of bubble wrap over your car's windshield, the ice will be covering the bubble wrap and not the glass, then you will spend less time scraping and defrosting!
*Greenhouse walls can be lined with bubble wrap to help keep the cold of winter out.
*How about lining your windows with your extra bubble wrap? A helpful barrier against the cold seeping in.

Remember, Reduce, Reuse then Recycle.

Green Summer

With Summer vacation and children out of school, you will appreciate www.LocalKidzStuff.com for local happenings. Not interested in playing referee all Summer long? I searched "Green Summer Activities" and "Green Summer Fun". See what you can find.

Food, Inc.
There is an amazing movie coming out this summer called “Food, Inc.” If you value your health, and want to make better decisions for yourself and your family, check out the trailer. I didn't find a location near me playing it yet. But hope to before Summer is over.

Be a Green American!
I find this extremely impressive! It has always griped me to find American flags made in China! Woohoo! not only are these 100% American made, but they are made of recycled water/soda bottles. Check them out today!! Independence day is just a month a way. www.letsgogreen.biz P.S. they have eco-friendly trash bags too!

GoRecycle411
GoRecycle411 is a Facebook application that allows you to enter how many cans, bottles, newspapers, or office paper you’ve recycled and the application tells you how much energy you saved and keeps a tally. It then translates your energy into how many barrels of oil, trees, gallons of water, pounds of carbon dioxide, kilowatts of electricity, and cubic yards of garbage you save. It also keeps track of how much everyone using the application is saving. Interesting! : )

Plastic Resin Types

Happy Thanksgiving 2008!! Friendship Lane Recyclers We will be learning more about plastics. They seem to be misunderstood and many are still uninformed. Hold onto this newsletter. It is lengthy, but should prove a handy reference. I will continue it in December. ************************************ Plastic is the most widely used material in the United States, and it crops up in everything from toys to clothes to food containers. But not all plastics are created equal, particularly in regards to food storage: Some plastics can transmit chemicals into your food, while others are perfectly safe. Before you know which type of plastic container to buy the next time you hit the store, you first need to know how to tell them apart. Plastics are typically classified by a number from #1 to #7, each number representing a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle. Here's a quick breakdown of plastic resin types: #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) Product examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles, cough-syrup bottles #2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/ Product examples: Milk jugs, toys, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles #3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC) Product examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes #4 low density polyethylene (LDPE) Product examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags #5 polypropylene (PP) Product examples: Syrup bottles, yogurt cups/tubs, diapers #6 polystyrene (PS) Product examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers #7 other (misc.; usually polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources) Product examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers, medical storage containers Now that you know what each of the numbers represents, here are the kinds you should look for at the store: Safer Plastics #2HDPE, #4LDPE and #5PP These three types of plastic are the healthiest. They transmit no known chemicals into your food and they're generally recyclable; #2 is very commonly accepted by municipal recycling programs, but you may have a more difficult time finding someone to recycle your #4 and #5 containers. #1 PET #1 bottles and containers are fine for single use and are widely accepted by municipal recyclers. You won't find many reusable containers made from #1, but they do exist. It's also best to avoid reusing #1 plastic bottles; water and soda bottles in particular are hard to clean, and are porous. They absorb flavors and bacteria that you can't get rid of. PLA PLA (polylactide) plastics are made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane and anything else with a high starch content. The starch is converted into polylactide acid (PLA). Although you can't recycle these plant-based plastics, you can compost them in a municipal composter or in your backyard compost heap. Most decompose in about twelve days unlike conventional plastic, which can take up to 100 years. Plastics to Avoid #3 PVC #3 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is often used frequently in cling wraps for meat. However, PVC contains softeners called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor. Vinyl chloride, the primary building block of PVC, is a known human carcinogen that also poses a threat to workers during manufacture. #6 PS Extruded polystyrene (#6 PS; commonly known as Styrofoam) is used in take-out containers and cups, and non-extruded PS is used in clear disposable takeout containers, disposable plastic cutlery and cups. Both forms of PS can leach styrene into food; styrene is considered a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It may also disrupt hormones or affect reproduction. #7 PC #7 Polycarbonate (PC) is found in baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, water-cooler bottles and the epoxy linings of tin food cans. PC is composed of a hormone-disrupting chemical called bisphenol A, which has been linked to a wide variety of problems such as cancer and obesity. Safe Use Tips -Avoid storing fatty foods, such as meat and cheese, in plastic containers or plastic wrap. -Hand-wash reusable containers gently with a nonabrasive soap; dishwashers and harsh detergents can scratch plastic, making hospitable homes for bacteria. Microwaves -A "microwave-safe" or "microwavable" label on a plastic container only means that it shouldn't melt, crack or fall apart when used in the microwave. The label is no guarantee that containers don't leach chemicals into foods when heated. Watch for more info in December. Let your Green Roots show! Share with others. : ) You can recycle south of Magnolia on Friendship Lane, behind the Judge and Precint 5 office building.

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Regina : ) 4SaferHomes aka SuccessfulMommas.com