green
Recycle Your Greywater Into Your Landscaping
Harvesting rainwater is a great way to reuse the free water from the sky, however, unless you have a lot of rain barrels and a lot of rain, the dry season will cut your supply short- or will it? Grey water is another great source to recycle from since it is just being wasted by going down the drain.
Greywater is non-sewage waste water from your sinks, bathtub and laundry drains that is safe for your yard. The benefit to recycling or reusing this water is that it recharges aquifers and waters your plants while nature cleans the water. It is even better if the only thing going down the drain are natural cleaners, detergents and soaps. An individual may produce 15,600 gallons of greywater a year, all of which is wasted by going down the drain when it can be safely used on landscaping. Buckets have been used to collect this water from bathtubs, but can be cumbersome and labor intensive and there are easier ways.
Flotender has a great automated system that acts as a collection, storage and irrigation system all in one. Available for your rain collection devices as well, this system gathers your rainwater or greywater and pumps it out to your landscaping through a drip irrigation system. They have other systems available so you can customize the irrigation system to your needs, but they all use the same principle- collect the recycled water and distribute it to your plants. Hook it up to your rain barrels, tap it into your greywater drains and never have to water your yard again!
Organic, Shaken and Stirred – Green Cocktail Book Review
I recently received a great new organic cocktail mixer book sent to me by Paul Abercrombie, a true connoisseur who also is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast and Gourmet magazine. His new book Organic, Shaken and Stirred: Hip Highballs, Modern Martinis, and Other Totally Green Cocktails is a fresh look at mixology from a more green perspective. Not limited to the addition of organic spirits and liquors, but an exploration into local eco-friendly concoctions, new flavors, textures and organic twists on tried and true classics.
With tips on how to stock your green bar, drink history and background, and in-depth explanations, it is as much a industry insight as it is a recipe book. Not your standard bartender fare, a few treasured and exotic drinks require complex preparation for amazing results that will astonish and impress your party guests.
From organic vodka to local organic gin and more than 60 cocktails (most of them original), this book will keep you entertained with a taste for everybody. The beautiful pictures and serving suggestions only add to the mouthwatering appeal of the drink itself.
Drink credits are listed so you may find and taste the original cocktail by its creator, whether its a hip lounge in Manhattan or a trendy Canadian hotel bar. Online resources assure that you will be able to source all of the ingredients found in the book, no matter how obscure.
Check out his blog for more tips, recipes and green cocktail news at: www.organicshakenandstirred.com
› Continue reading
Reusable Shopping Bag Choices
Shopping bags have really come a long way. Baskets turned into paper grocery bags, which then gave way to disposable plastic bags, and now up next in the evolution of the shopping vessel is the stylish reusable tote bag. A lot of cities are beginning to tax disposable plastic bags in grocery stores, and rightly so in my opinion (just see my post on the Pacific plastic trash island to see why), and with pocket size replacements that can go anywhere, there really are no more excuses.
So lets get into it:
Flip and Tumble
Material: Ripstop Nylon
Size: The size of a peach folded, carries 2x the amount of a common plastic shopping bag. (12″ x 14″ x 5″)
Cost: $7-$12 depending on quantity
Why: The smallest and easiest to crunch down to fit into your purse or backpack
They have a wide palate of colors/prints, and the single long padded handle strap allows you to shoulder the bag. Also check out their produce bags.
Baggu Bag
Material: Ripstop Nylon
Size: Folds into a flat 5 “x 5″ pouch, carries 3x the amount of a common plastic shopping bag (15″ x 25″ x 6″)
Cost: $6.50-$8 depending on quantity
Why: Cheapest and highest capacity, but doesn’t fold as small
Wide range of sizes and colors, two wide loops for shoulder carrying. Also check out their high-capacity bags for less trips.
Envirosax
Material: Lightweight polyester, bamboo, linen and fine grade hemp
Size: Rolls into a 4″ x 1.5″ pouch, carries 2x the amount of a common plastic shopping bag (19.5″ x 16.5″ x 5″)
Cost: $7.50-$26 depending on quantity and material
Why: Wide range of materials as well as styles
Popular designs, graphics, colors and styles for children as well as diverse materials make Envirosax worth checking out.
Etsy Find:
Material: Recycled/Re-used T-shirt
Size: 16″ x 17 1/2″ with a 3″ gusset – roll up secured with an elastic band
Cost: $24 custom orders accepted
Why: Unique, no new materials used, great example of reuse.
Very cool look, fully lined and handcrafted. Etsy is going to have many one-off, custom and unique bags to select from.
Sustainable Wal-Mart? A Greening of Retail
Sounds like an oxymoron, especially to those who have long despised Wal-Mart and everything they stand for, but this leaf may be turning green.
Wal-Mart is soon to begin labeling the sustainability of their products and are even creating their own green index system that goes far beyond what most eco friendly retailers currently track. Not only will the items ‘carbon footprint’ be factored in, but also questions like:
“Did this T-shirt come from a cotton crop that was sprayed with pesticide? Was excessive packaging used to ship these diapers?”
This not only is a win for the eco-friendly community, its a industry game changer. Wal-Mart has had success with initiatives like this before.
“Because of Wal-Mart’s leadership in [only selling concentrated detergents], they were able to set a standard for the entire industry,” Mr. Len Sauers (vice president for global sustainability at Procter & Gamble) said. “That opened the door to allow it to progress very, very quickly”
One may also recall when Wal-Mart decided to start carrying organic produce, thereby increasing the volume of organic fruits and vegetables that were grown and lowering the costs to consumers.
To help legitimize the index, they have even brought some big-time environmental organizations onboard like the Environmental Defense Fund to help create the standards. Could this be true, a sustainable Wal-Mart in the making?
Fair Trade Sustainable Sporting Goods
How often do you think about your sporting goods and how they impact the environment? Well, you may not have really had a choice – but now you do! Fair Trade Sports brings North America the first line of sports balls (soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby and more) certified fair trade and green.
Also available in Australia through Etiko Sports and UK and Europe through Fair Deal Trading, these products are made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified all natural vegan rubber and hand stitched by Union workers who are paid a living wage. Fair wages and healthy sweatshop-free working conditions for adult workers are used for their apparel as well (hint hint Nike). › Continue reading
Save Trees and Read Green with a Kindle
So the question on every green minded book fanatic, is the Amazon Kindle green? In short, yes, if you use it enough. The estimation, provided by the journal of Environmental Science and Technology, is that you can save approximately one tree per year if you replace your daily newspaper with the e-version.
That accounts for a 700 pound reduction in paper use just from the daily newspaper, add in another one or two pounds for each book and you are looking at quite a big tree.
› Continue reading
Energy Green Cellphone Charging – Eco High/Low
Green cell phones are the topic of today’s Eco high/low. While green is a relative term here, alternate ways of charging your battery are emerging with more of an environmentally friendly spin. While this has yet to really gain traction, here are two options fairly new to the market, one an a uber chic (and most likely uber expensive) mechanical offering, the other a techno-savvy, but simple low cost design.
Ulysse Nardin Chairman Kinetic Cellphone – Eco Chic High
Created by a very well know watchmaker, the Chairman is an attempt to meld the complex mechanical movements common with old world style wristwatch artisans, with the newer high technology phones. With today’s youth choosing to go watch-less and instead depending on their cellphone clocks to provide them with the time, watchmakers are beginning to see the effects. Cellphones have become the new accessory among today’s youth, making other timepieces obsolete.
Leave it to Ulysse Nardin to capitalize this market with the introduction of a new cell phone bling unlike any other. It is ingenious in its own right, since most carry our cellphones in pockets or bags which are constantly moving while we walk, it provides the perfect charging mechanism. Since we are using kinetic energy to charge these phones, it is incredibly green, requiring no emission producing electricity. No word on cost, but with Ulysse Nardin watches priced in the thousands, and limited production numbers, I wouldn’t expect to see these at Best Buy.
Crank Cellphone Chargers – Eco Friendly Low
Technology in alternative energy generation is improving, and that good old crank style generator is becoming easier and more efficient. These devices provide reliable power generation to recharge your cell phone battery with a few minutes of winding everyday.
It is really the same concept as the kinetic device, but you are just doing all the winding at once by hand. If you have ever used one of the newer LED crank-style flashlights, you will know how relatively easy it is, and how long just a little bit of work lasts. As a bonus, most of these double as radios and/or flashlights, making them great to have around for power outages, emergencies and such. With prices ranging from $20-$80, it really is a bargain to be green.
[via dvice]
Eco Friendly Green Driveways – A Living Permeable Driveway, Porous and Alive
Traditional Porous Green Driveway
flickr photo by ChrisB in SEA
I have always been a fan of permeable driveways (except in my younger skateboarding days). They allow for absorption of runoff, recharging aquifers, and naturally filters the water before it reaches ocean, lake and river outfalls, improving water quality. It reduces the dangers from flooding and the need for huge storm drains and channels. Additionally, it can help with the ‘heat island’ effect where the heat of the sun is stored in all of the concrete and asphalt of urban areas, thereby trapping the heat and altering the micro-climate of the area.
There are several methods out there from just using a permeable porous concrete type mix if you prefer a solid looking surface, to a brick style where water can run through the cracks, a basic gravel, or just go all the way and create a green live driveway of grass, turf or native plants. The really easy (and somewhat common) way to create a green driveway is to plant an area and provide a solid surface (such as bricks or concrete strips) for the tires only. No matter what style suits you, there is a greener driveway option out there. Professionals are out there who can help you plan and execute your eco friendly driveway, or you can just do it yourself (DIY). Lets start with the variations on what is available in the way of environmentally friendly driveways.
Porous pavement is a permeable pavement surface which contains a reservoir underneath. The reservoir holds the surface runoff, allowing it to slowly infiltrate into the subsoil. This allows the water to receive some natural filtration treatment. Porous pavement can mimic traditional asphalt or concrete but is manufactured without the fine, dense materials and incorporates hollow spaces that allow for water infiltration. This is not the greenest option, but is a great alternative to a traditional concrete or asphalt driveway. Because of many homeowner association rules and aesthetic considerations, this may be the best option for you.
A Green Driveway in Action
flickr photo by Scoobyfoo
To make it even better, you can make it a green driveway by adding grass or some type of low growing hearty foliage to help with the absorption of runoff and automobile leaks. There is a great tutorial of a DIY green driveway on frankejames.com where the homeowner actually did all the work themselves, and there are commercially available products from sources such as Invisable Structures. Most living driveways incorporate several layers, starting with a compacted sandy surface to maintain grade, followed by a sandy loam filled support structure (commonly a plastic honeycomb grid) to support the root system and maintain the solid surface to drive on.
Franke James DIY Green Driveway Project
If you own or know of companies with green driveways, please leave a comment below for our readers.
What is Greenwashing – The Spin of Environmentally Friendly Marketing
Many of you may have heard the term ‘Greenwashing’, yet, it is becoming more and more common in today’s marketplace. With the explosion of all things green, organic, natural, eco friendly, and environmentally conscious has come deceptive marketing. Greenwashing originally has been defined as ‘to market environmentally friendly behaviors or products with an underlying purpose of profit increase’, however it has morphed into a more underhanded marketing technique of promoting a product or feature as environmentally responsible when it has little to no affect at all. It can get very shakey around things such as automobiles, or products by which their very existance are damaging to the environment being marketed as ‘green’ in the relative sense of having less of an impact on the environment.
This is to be expected in a society where people tend to jump on bandwagons without taking adequate time and energy to explore what they are committing to. We become less discerning, or may not even know what the reasons why we are suddenly › Continue reading
Green Funerals and Eco Burials – A Renewal to the Earth
I had a discussion with my father awhile back about death and funeral arrangements. He surprised me with with a unique green burial unlike anything I had heard of before. I always imagined going out in a blaze of glory, similar to a Viking chieftains funeral; floated out to sea on a wooden boat and set ablaze. Not necessarily the greenest burial, but not as bad as the more traditional; embalmed in a hardwood casket and placed in a manicured lawn cemetery for all eternity. No, his was much more creative yet raw. He said “Put my body in a burlap sack and place me in the ground. Then plant the area with apple trees”. I wasn’t so sure about the apple trees, but it did raise a good point- why not just go a’la natural?
Each year, cemeteries across the US bury approximately:
- 30 million board feet (70,000 m³) of hardwoods (caskets)
- 90,272 tons of steel (caskets)
- 14,000 tons of steel (vaults)
- 2,700 tons of copper and bronze (caskets)
- 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete (vaults)
- 827,060 US gallons (3,130 m³) of embalming fluid
Cremation has been the main option for those seeking a more eco friendly burial, and those have become more efficient over the years. Of interest is the woodland burial movement, which started in the UK as a truly natural burial which also › Continue reading
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