No $ for Remodeling Kitchen; Reorganize Instead

A friend really wants to remodel his kitchen, however he doesn’t have the budget at the moment. Instead he is considering moving things around to spice it up a bit without a capital outlay. Over a mint tea we discussed ways to reorganize the kitchen, and make it more energy efficient at the same time.

On his countertop we noticed his toaster. He told me he uses it a lot since it is fast and convenient. I told him it also uses less energy than a conventional oven. I suggested moving it to an area on his counter top with more room. Allowing air to circulate around the appliance will enable it to operate more (energy) efficiently.

With the layout of his kitchen, I wondered if there was a different location for the refrigerator. His was next to his oven, which may seem practical when cooking, but wasn’t optimal for energy efficiency. Keeping the refrigerator at an efficient temperature (around 38 degrees Fahrenheit) takes energy. Thus, keeping the fridge away from heating vents and the oven, and out of direct sunlight is optimal.

While we were at it, we also double-checked to make sure the refrigerator and freezer doors closed properly and the door seals were tight to avoid air leakage. Keeping the doors securely closed and the temperature of the both the refrigerator and freezer (3 degrees Fahrenheit) at energy efficient levels will allow him to not waste electricity. This is important since nearly 15% of a typical household’s energy use comes from refrigerators.

We discussed other energy saving tips including running his dishwasher on the economy setting. This stops the heated dry cycle and would allow him to reduce electricity usage. Also avoiding the "rinse/hold" cycle for most washes is recommended to avoid using 3 to 7 gallons of hot water.

Moving things around will not only save my friend some energy, but money as well.

Tread Lighter with friends in the kitchen,

-Phyllis, Green Expert

That Old Mattress

The average life span of a mattress is 10 years. 

Buying a new mattress is as easy as picking up the phone, but getting rid of the old one. That isn’t so easy. 

Mattresses take up large parts of our already crowded landfills. The Ohio Mattress Recovering and Recycling organization reports that since mattresses are 400% less compactable than normal garbage, they take up a great deal of space. How much space? By recycling mattresses, Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling reports that we can save 28 cubic feet of landfill space. 

In addition, most mattresses are made with toxic chemicals that can leach into groundwater from the landfill. To avoid flame retardants and other poisons seeping into our drinking water, consider renewing and recycling that mattress instead. 

How? 

If they are in good condition, pass it on to someone who needs it. Share the news with friends and relatives that you have a good condition mattress available. You can also post a photo and description of the mattress you want to give away on Craigslist.org or Freecycle.org. 

Unfortunately, it is challenging for many charitable organizations to take a used mattress or box spring donations because by law mattresses must be sanitized and wrapped in order to be resold. It still might be worth a call to your local Goodwill, shelters, community organizations, Salvation Army and other agencies to see their criteria for mattress donations. 

Ones that have seen better days should be recycled. Companies like the Ohio Mattress Recovering and Recycling deconstructs the mattresses and then donates the byproducts to charitable organizations or recycles them. For example, the wood is used as a biomass fuel product to make recycled furniture, shredded for landscape use, and grinded to be donated to local zoos to be used for animal bedding. The steel is sent to a metals recycler, and the cotton goes to a textile recycler. 

Responsibly recycling or renewing an old mattress is worth the effort. 

Tread Lighter recycling or reusing your mattress, 

-Phyllis, Green Expert

 

City Folks Repurposing Their Organic Waste

We visited with some friends in the city last week and had some good laughs on their terrace. While standing around chatting outside, we got a ‘tour’ of their urban garden. They were growing herbs and tomatoes outside on the terrace and it was extra special amongst the concrete around them. They took the urban gardening one step further to become urban composters.

While pruning and picking they realized there was a fair amount of wasted leaves, stems, etc. so our friends started a compost pile right there on their tiny terrace. Once they started on the terrace, they realized the ease and benefits and started composting kitchen scraps and other compostable matter from around their apartment as well.

They were a bit concerned about the small animals and critters that might want to get their hands on all of this delicacy known as garbage.  So they decided to store their food waste compost in a sealed plastic container (take out food container) in their refrigerator. They combine the food waste and the terrace garden waste once a week and bring it to a community compost collection center near their apartment.

New Yorkers try the Lower East Side Ecology Center. For the rest of us, look for a community compost center near you by checking with www.Earth911.com.

Not sure of what to compost? Think green and brown. For example, kitchen greens such as fruit and vegi scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells, rice and pasta as well as clippings from plants. Kitchen browns include dryer lint (finally a use for this), hair, paper napkins or towels, stale bread, and coffee filters.  Garden greens such as flowers, plant trimmings work as well.

Keep all animal by products such as meat, dairy products, fish or bones, sauces, pet waste, diseased plants, oils or fats, coals and ashes out of the compost.

 Tread lighter Urban Composters,

-Phyllis, Green Expert

 

It is back to school time

Make the back to school time a teaching moment. 

Grab those piles of products you didn’t use last Spring and then see what is missing from the school supply list. To fill the gaps, use this checklist for your back to school needs.

PAPER  - If the list includes anything with paper products, be sure to restock with chlorine free products made from100% post-consumer recycled paper. This includes index cards made from recycled paper. 

PENCILS - Papermate’s EarthWrite pencils are made from recycled cedar wood.

CRAYONS - Soy crayons are made from natural soy vs. paraffin wax (petroleum).

RULER – Here is a ruler made from recycled plastic.

SCISSORS – the handles of these scissors are made from recycled plastic (see the pattern).

PENS – These biodegradable pens are available in 4 colors. 

BINDERS - Try binders made from recycled computer circuit boards and recycled rubber, or binders made from 45 to 100% post-consumer waste plastic, as well as recycled cardboard.

BACKPACK - If the old backpack just cant be repaired, or renewed (think patches, fabric markers, etc) try Terracycle’s backpack from recycled materials, or a tote bag or backpack made of organic cotton.

LUNCH/SNACK BAGS/CONTAINERS – This year commit to using reusable containers and sandwich bags (i.e. Wrap-N-Mat).  Or you can take a laptop or bento box lunch. 

RUBBERBANDS – If you don’t have a pile stored up in a drawer or in a colorful ball, there are biodegradable rubber bands available. 

Take it all a step further and consider busing, carpooling and walkpooling/bikepooling to school. Remember, children learn by example so teach them sustainable lifestyles for life by starting with their back to school planning.

Tread Lighter Getting Ready for School,

-Phyllis, Green Expert

Edible Walls

I am looking out the window at a new building next to me with a lovely green roof. That is a big dream of mine but a big undertaking at the moment. Instead, one of my goals for the year is something a bit more manageable called an edible living wall.

Similar to green roofs, and green walls, edible walls provide insulation and reduce heating and electricity costs.

The difference though is that green edible walls are just that – edible! How incredible would it be to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs on the wall? For those in tighter living quarters, this is an excellent way to grow some of your own produce. Doing so can lower food costs and increase nutritional value while cutting fuel consumption and carbon emissions from delivery trucks. Plus, the interior plants clean the air in the room they are in.

2011 Solar Decathlon contestants from the University of Maryland have created a solar powered, energy efficient, cost effective home that has many environmentally friendly aspects. One of which is an edible green wall.

Edible walls can be hung in backyards, parking lots and other spots. Even Mario Batali, the famous restaurateur has a pizzeria in LA with an edible wall. His 120 square foot wall grows lettuce, peppermint, celery, parsley, sage, and more plants. 

There are pre-fabricated or customizable wall mounted systems. For the do-it-yourselfers out there, start by building a frame with ledges and then add the planters. These window box units need a trickle irrigation system and then some small plants without deep roots and that its! There is room for a lot of creativity here as well.

I am off to start planning my edible wall and will share photos when its finished. Let me know if you have one any other tips!

Tread Lighter with an edible wall,

-Phyllis, Green Expert

Check out Trash Island

Unfortunately we have come accustomed to seeing garbage along the highways, in the forest and sometimes in our yards.  It isn’t pretty, but not half as bad as seeing a landfill.

Even worse though, is something you may have heard about. The largest landfill on the planet is actually an island of garbage in the Pacific. Known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it is simply garbage floating for hundreds of miles across the North Pacific Ocean.

Much of the plastic that we use ends up on this “trash island” which is estimated to be the size of Texas. Unfortunately, it isn’t really one big island but lots of tiny islands near each other, spread over miles making it nearly impossible to clean up.

Experts are exploring it but the truth is we know how we can lessen the damage. Using items over and over and using items that are biodegradable (i.e. no plastic) will help. Plastic does not biodegrade meaning it is on the planet FOREVER. It does however get smaller and is often ingested by other animals and fish. Read between the lines – it is possible that plastic garbage ends up in our food chain.

This marine litter comes mostly (80 percent) from plastic bags, bottles and various other consumer products we use on land.  It will only continue to get bigger if we keep up our plastic, throw-away consumption patterns going.

What can we do? Information is king. The more people that become aware of this garbage dump in the sea, the more they will reconsider their actions. Understanding the benefits of biodegradable options, as well as recycling and reusing practices, will have an impact.

Lets work together to minimize this garbage pile we helped create.

Tread Lighter with less plastic,

- Phyllis, Green Expert

 

Aluminum Foil

One of our kitchen drawer is jam packed, full of glass, metal and some plastic containers that we can use to store foods. We went cold turkey and got rid of our plastic baggies, wraps and other disposable items. We use the lids of pots or plates to top items that need to be covered. However, sometimes it seems that aluminum foil is the only choice.

Unfortunaly, producing virgin aluminum is a highly intensive process. Plus, mining bauxite to create aluminum is also extremely taxing on the environment. The good news is that the aluminum industry is constantly researching ways to use energy more effectively both in the production and transportation of aluminum. We too can do our part by looking for ways to use it wisely.

For example, try wrapping or covering food with things other than aluminum foil such as plates and lids or other durable goods. When aluminum foil is clean, roll it up and reuse it later. If it is a little bit dirty, it can be wiped off or cleaned gently with soap and water to make it reusable. Many curbside recycling programs allow folks to recycle aluminum foil with soda cans. To find out where you can recycle aluminum foil in your area, go to Earth 911. Another suggestion is to buy recycled aluminum foil because only 5 percent of the energy used to make virgin aluminum foil is used to make recycled aluminum.

There are a variety of ways aluminum foil can be reused outside the kitchen including sharpening scissors and reducing static cling. For more details and other clever ideas, see this Yahoo green article.

A few simple changes around the home using less aluminum foil can have a positive environmental impact.

Tread Lighter reducing, reusing and recycling aluminum foil,

- Phyllis, Green Expert 

Make Your Garage More Energy Efficient

We read about energy consumption in our homes all the time, but what about our garage? How can we make our garage more energy efficient?

A good place to start is by changing the light bulb on the garage door from an incandescent to a CFL.

Since a standard garage door opener uses around 750 watts when active, and between 1-4W in standby mode, a solar powered battery charger that can be configured to open garage doors is a great energy neutral solution. 

If you have a garage attached to your house, it is important to invest in a good garage door and install it properly to keep the heat of the summer, and freeze of the winter from sneaking into your home via the garage.

A well-insulated, draft-free garage door can also make it easier and more energy efficient to warm up the car in those cold winter months. Owens Corning Garage makes a door insulation kit and show some clear steps on how to get it done here.

If you are in the market for a garage door, consider one that uses reclaimed wood such as EcoBuilt. That company uses recycled unused Douglas Fir wood. A more affordable option is a garage door made of sustainable recycled wood composite like Amarr. Reclaimed wood garage doors can be found from this firm.

If replacing the door seems a bit much at the moment, try insulating kits that will help regulate the temperature in your garage. Weather stripping is also another option.

Taking on some of these measures can create a change of 10 to 20 degrees in the garage. This will enable you to use less energy to regulate the temperature in your home. This reduction in energy consumption has a positive impact on the environment, and your wallet.

Tread Lighter in the garage,

-Phyllis, Green Expert

What Are The Environmental Consequences of That Outfit You Have On?

The EPA created the Energy Star rating 18 years ago to show which products were more energy efficient. Now a new standard for eco ratings is in the works. The Eco-Index, which is debuting next month to industry folks, will allow apparel brands and retailers to display a tag on their merchandise that provides an eco- value.  This software tool is in the hands of 100 popular brands and retailers. It will allow them to calculate the environmental impact of their products from start to finish. Eventually, it will be launched to the public so that consumers like us can compare how green garments really are.

Getting companies like Adidas, Brooks, Columbia, Levi Strauss, Nike, Patagonia, REI, Timberland, and others to question and take action on a variety of environmental and labor practices, is progress in and of itself. With this index, companies are now considering the raw materials they use (opting for organic cotton and opting out of toxic chemicals and petroleum based products), labor standards, recycling possibilities, shipping and even disposal of the product. These companies are making their suppliers and their buyers reconsider the way we have done things in the past, and that is good for the environment.

The steps in which many of these products are manufactured is also being investigated. For example, some products use cotton grown on one continent, then they ship the cotton elsewhere to have the actual fabric created. Then the fabric is shipped to another spot on the globe for cutting and many times even further for sewing. As the Wall Street Journal states, “some of our clothes have circled the globe twice by the time they arrive in stores.”

This Eco Index is a great first step in looking at the way manufacturing, shipping and selling apparel has environmental consequences. It will be an education for all of us.

For more on the topic, see the article and interactive graphics in the Wall Street Journal here. 

Tread Lighter with less environmental consequences,

-Phyllis, Green Expert

Are the bugs bugging you?

We spray cedar oil around our home once a month to keep the mosquitoes at bay, but when we are out and about hiking, at friend’s homes, at camp, etc… it seems like they are in full force. 

Generally we use botanically based bug repellents vs. the ones containing the active ingredient chemical pesticide DEET. Since this toxic pesticide will eventually make its way into our soil and ground water, we choose natural repellents instead.

There are many out there including Buzz-Away Extreme. This one we like because it is sweat and water proof with a decent aroma. It comes in spray, cream and towel (not so eco though) form.

We also use Skeeter which is biodegradable so right off the bat that sounds good. We have been using it for a year or so and it works. Make sure you give it a bit of a shake before applying.

You can also make your own mosquito repellent at home. Combine a few drops of essential oils that suit you such as lavender, lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon, lemongrass, clove or rosemary with some rubbing alcohol or water in a small spray bottle and, voile!

For a quicker fix, rub citrus peels over your skin, as they are known mosquito deterrents. Onions are as well, but I don’t think they smell as nice rubbed over the skin. I know garlic is a natural deterrent as well. Remember we sprayed the garlic oil around our home? Others have sprayed their skin with a mixture of a cup of apple cider vinegar and a half a cup of water to ward off mosquitoes.

Some of the natural repellants may need a few more applications than normal sprays, but they do the trick.

Tread Lighter with less mosquitoes and safer soil and groundwater

- Phyllis, Green Expert