Green Goes Simple: Conservation at Home

Reusing and Recycling 101

By Dana Goeglein for Green Goes Simple

You want to be green, but it’s hard to know the difference between reusing and recycling. Fortunately, it’s not that complicated. Recycling and reusing have the same goal: to keep items out of overflowing landfills. The two tactics just go about it in very different ways.

Recycling involves reprocessing an old item — such as a can, glass or newspaper — and turning it into something new. Recycled paper products may be reprocessed into toilet paper and old tires may become a compound used to resurface roads.

Reusing, on the other hand, means avoiding the reprocessing plant altogether. Old items like containers, bags and appliances can be used again in their current condition for a similar — or completely different — purpose. Takeout containers can be turned into food storage (think: free plastic containers!), and plastic bags can be transformed into waterproof liners for planters or drawers.

“Reusing extends the lifetime of a product, from the time it is purchased to the time it goes to a landfill [or recycling plant],” explains Janine Kubert, director of operations at iReuse, a company that helps businesses and individuals become better reusers.

When you extend the lifetime of a product, you not only reduce the need to buy something new (which takes energy to produce), but you also save on the energy it would take to recycle that product. “Reusing allows us to get the most out of our virgin products and raw materials, and aside from reducing consumption entirely, it is our best resource for waste reduction,” says Kubert.

Whether you’re an avid recycler or new to waste reduction, here are some simple ways to reuse and recycle every day:

Reuse

• Reuse bags, boxes and containers. For example, turn old shoe boxes into storage containers, packaging for gifts or a treasure chest (have kids cut out pictures from magazines and glue them to the outside of the box for a customized container).

• Rather than buying a new product, borrow, rent or share items you use infrequently or for a short period of time.

• When babies and kids outgrow toys, books, cribs, high chairs and strollers, sell or donate the items rather than throw them away.

• Invest in quality, durable products. You may spend more initially, but they’ll last longer, which saves you money over time.

Recycle

• Become a full-circle recycler. Buy products that can be recycled; sort and discard them according to your community’s standards; and finally, purchase products made from post-recycled materials.

• For more information about recyclable materials, check out the EPA’s website: Epa.gov/waste/conserve/rrr/recycle.htm.

Going Above and Beyond
While waste reduction starts at home, communities nationwide are forming around the premise that less is more. Freecycle (Freecycle.org) — started in Tucson, Ariz., before spreading throughout the U.S. — helps people be the best possible reusers. Through the Freecycle network, members are able to donate — or pick up — used products, such as appliances, furniture, toys and bikes.

In need of a reduce, reuse and recycle tutorial? Companies like iReuse (iReuse.com) give personalized consultations to help you reduce waste, donate reusable products and save money.

If you’re not sure about your community’s procedures or standards for reusing and recycling, check your town’s government Web site or ask a neighbor. Through community boards, donation banks and home and school recycling programs, it’s getting even easier to do more to waste less.

Dana Goeglein received a bachelor’s in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a master’s in food studies from New York University. She is a writer, yoga instructor and whole foods educator in New York City, where she strives to help others create harmonious, connected lives.

Green Goes Simple: Conservation at Home

Kid-friendly Conservation Lessons

By Rachel Bertsche for Green Goes Simple

School’s out, the weather’s warm, and kids are ready to get out and get dirty. Take advantage of the summer months and teach your children a lesson in eco-education. Call it “Camp Conservation”!

With this comprehensive syllabus, kids of all ages can learn to be a little bit greener, every single day. The best part? They’ll have so much fun getting back to nature that they won’t even notice that class is in session. Who said summer school isn’t a blast?

LESSON ONE: REDUCE WASTE

• Get Sluggish: Composting is a great way to reduce household waste. Well, worms are nature’s composters — they break down organic scraps and turn them into fertilizer.

Assembling a worm bin is an easy alternative to the traditional backyard compost pile, plus it takes up less space. Setup is easy with these simple instructions from the University of Illinois’ Urban Programs Resource Network.

“Once the bin is set up, kids will have great fun collecting and saving materials to feed their new pets, and they’ll love watching the transformation of garbage into worm castings and rich compost,” says Crissy Trask, founder of GreenMatters.com and author of It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-friendly Living.

LESSON TWO: CONSERVE ENERGY

• Bye-bye Dryer: According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Americans dedicate about 5.8 percent of residential electricity use to the clothes dryer. If we all used a clothesline year-round, the savings would be enough to close several power plants!

Summer is the perfect time to switch to line-drying. “Take a family pledge not to use the clothes dryer,” suggests Trask. “Instead, let the kids help you find the perfect spot in your yard for a summer clothesline, and hang one line low enough that they can hang their own clothes.”

• Re-cycle: Americans consume about 140 billion gallons of gas annually, according to the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment at MIT. If you cut down on driving by just 10 miles a week, your family will save about 340 pounds of CO2 emissions annually.

So try leaving the car in the garage and breaking out the 10-speeds. “As a family, discuss some nearby destinations that you’re willing to bike to as a group,” says Trask. Try riding to an outdoor picnic or to do some errands. Trask suggests using Google Maps to find safe and direct bike routes.

LESSON THREE: SAVE WATER

• Tear out Some Lawn: “Most homes have more water-needy grass than is necessary,” says Trask. “It’s reasonable to have a small area of grass for pets and small children to enjoy. The idea is to limit grass — which is a water-needy species compared to most plants — and also practice water conservation when maintaining the grass you have.”

Removing patches of unnecessary grass is easy with a sod cutter. Let the kids roll the sod, which is a simple and fun job. Trask suggests leaving the sod rolls where they sit and placing a “Free sod” ad online, with an estimate of how many square feet you have. “In most cases, the sod will be gone within a day,” she says.

• Nursery School: Of course, now that you have less grass, you’ll want to put something in its place to keep your lawn looking great. Take a family trip to a local nursery that specializes in native plants. Because native plants are well-adapted to the conditions in your region, they’ll need less water.

“Using the plant information cards, let kids pick out the plants that are suited for the exposure and rain they will receive,” suggests Trask. Bonus: This is an easy lesson in your local environmental conditions, and it will create a lawn that will reinforce the beauty of your natural landscape.

Rachel Bertsche is a Web producer, blogger and journalist who lives in Chicago. She’s written for O, The Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Every Day With Rachael Ray, Outside and Fitness. Her first book, MWF Seeking BFF, will be out next year.

Green Goes Simple: Family Footprints

Spring Fling: Helping Kids Go Green This Season

By Amy Levin-Epstein for Green Goes Simple

Did you become greener after becoming a parent? Then you joined a conscientious club of moms and dads who increased their eco-efforts as their family grew.

“To me, there are two aspects to being green: The first is about how you and your family affect the environment, and the second is about how you let the environment affect your family,” says Dr. Jenn Berman, mother of 4-year-old twin girls, and author of the eco-friendly book SuperBaby: 12 Ways to Give Your Child a Head Start in the First 3 Years. Plus, “compassion for the earth inspires compassion for other people and animals,” she says. Try these six tips from Berman and other eco-experts to help your kids live greener lives this spring.

Make Composting a Family Affair
For Mary Talalay, an eco-friendly writer and mother of one in Maryland, composting is a huge part of her family’s green efforts. “We started a simple compost pile by fencing off a small section of our yard — away from the dogs’ prying noses — and now we literally never throw kitchen scraps anywhere but the compost pile,” says Talalay. “I weighed one of our daily tubs of scraps, and it was about a pound of carrot peels, orange peels and the like. That’s 365 pounds of waste that makes worms happy and stays out of the landfill!”

Go Meatless on Mondays
Switching the whole family over to vegetarianism might be too big of an undertaking for your family plan, but just one meat-free day a week can have a positive effect on your family — and the earth. “Research has shown that animal agriculture is the single largest source of methane, which is a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide,” says Berman.

Lead by Example
If you forget to recycle those empty plastic bottles or turn off the lights when you leave the house, your kids will too. “How we act is so important,” says Bruce Harley, author of Cut Your Energy Bills Now: 150 Smart Ways to Save Money and Make Your Home More Comfortable and Green. “The lesson of bringing cloth grocery bags to the store is lost if it takes a 6,000-pound SUV to bring two of us to the store in the first place.”

Rack up Environmental Goodwill at Goodwill
Secondhand stores save gently worn clothes from ending up in landfills, which makes them a great — and wallet-friendly — way to green your family’s wardrobe. “We bring clothes to Goodwill and we also shop there,” says Talalay. “Sometimes I feel like I am renting clothes because we buy things there, my daughter wears them until they’re too small, and back to Goodwill they go if they’re still in good condition.”

Make Showering a Water-saving Game
Kids like to compete, so the most fun way to make bath time green is by making it a game. “Shower timers in the bathroom are an easy and fun way for kids to get used to using less water and taking shorter showers,” says Caroline Howell, founder of Green Beanie.  “No one wants to be a ‘water waster,’ as we call it at my house.”

Watch Your Garden Grow — Together
Have a picky eater? Green gardening is a great way to make sure your family is eating more wholesome veggies, says Talalay. Kids who help dig in the dirt will be excited to see — and eat! — the fruits of their labor. And you’ll rest easy knowing that the food you grew flourished naturally.

Photo Credit: Andy Cawood

Amy Levin-Epstein is a freelance writer who’s been published in magazines like Glamour, Self and Prevention, on websites like AOL, Babble and Details.com and in newspapers like the New York Post and the Boston Globe. You can read more of her writing at AmyLevinEpstein.com.

Green Goes Simple: Conservation at Home

Be a Green Guest

By Marisa Belger for Green Goes Simple

Summer is all about weekend escapes — to the beach, to the lake, to the mountains and beyond. And while getaway accommodations can take many different forms, they often involve the hospitality of friends or family.

If you’ve ever been on the hosting end, you know that opening your home to guests is a great act of warmth and generosity. This year, try acknowledging the gift of a cozy bed and wonderful company with an eco-savvy hostess present that shows how much you appreciate being welcomed into someone’s home. Hey, think of all the money you’re saving in hotel costs!

Emily Anderson, author of Eco Chic Home, recommends giving gifts that are thoughtful — without being showy. “When I give a hostess gift, I want it to be a nice gesture of appreciation, but not something over-the-top,” she says. “I’m also sure to think of something that my hosts will put to good use.”

While a bottle of (organic) wine or a pretty (soy-based) candle are classic options, Anderson also likes exercising a bit of creativity in her gift-giving. The results are meaningful and earth-friendly:

A Home for Lonely Cups
“I’m always collecting orphan pieces of china at the thrift store,” says Anderson. “Creamers, sugar jars and, of course, teacups, which all make excellent hostess gifts.” To complete the gift, Anderson fills the piece with a small satchel of her favorite organic fair-trade tea and ties a ribbon around to hold it all together.

The Artist Within
“I happen to think that everyone could use a little more art in their lives,” says Anderson. She suggests pairing nontoxic watercolor paints with a small pad of recycled paper. Tie a ribbon around the package and you’ve got an instantly creative hostess gift.

Practical and Pretty
To assist your hosts in living green, Anderson suggests giving the practical gift of dishcloths. “You can never have enough dishcloths,” says Anderson. Make it a pretty present by rolling up three new cotton towels — bonus points if they’re organic — and tying them together with a ribbon.

Grow a Green Thumb
“Just because someone doesn’t have a green thumb doesn’t mean they can’t learn to become a gardener,” says Anderson. She suggests giving your hosts a small bucket filled with a few seed packets and a pair of gardening gloves.

Marisa Belger’s work has appeared in Travel + Leisure Family, Natural Health, Prevention and TODAYShow.com, where she wrote a column about eco-friendly living. She was an editor at Lime.com and collaborated with author Josh Dorfman on his bestselling books, The Lazy Environmentalist and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget.