Be a Locavore

Green Tip of the Week

Be a Locavore! Buy locally grown food as much as possible.
· Farmer’s market season is here! Find a Farmer’s market near you at www.localharvest.com.
· Support the local economy by consuming local food (check labels!).
· Eat a seasonal selection of food that celebrates local harvest, week by week.
· Walk, bicycle or take public transportation to your nearby farmers market to further reduce your carbon "foodprint".


Did you know?

• Fresh, seasonal, locally grown food tastes better!
• Buying locally nearly eliminates the use of fossil fuels in transporting the food from the field to your plate, reducing your foodprint.
• Local food from small-scale farmers will contain less herbicides, pesticides and antibiotics than their mass-produced counterparts.
• By purchasing food from a Farmer’s market, you get the opportunity to meet the people who directly grow your food. This connection helps awaken us to the importance of community, variety, humane treatment of farm animals, and social and environmental responsibility in regards to our food economy.

Use less personal care products

Green Tip of the Week

Use less personal care and beauty products

· Designate one day per week to use significantly less product.

Examples include:
§ Taking shorter, less frequent showers
§ Using a smaller amount of soap, shampoo and conditioner
§ Use a pumice stone instead of soap
§ For women: designate one make-up free day per week
§ For men: designate one shave-free day per week


· Purchase natural, safe, environmentally-friendly cosmetics and personal care products. Avoid harmful chemicals such as:
    § Parabens
    § “Fragrance”
    § Colorants and synthetic dyes
    § Phthalates § Petrol chemicals

· Check out what’s safe for your body and the environment at www.ewg.org.

Did you know?
· Chemicals found in personal care products have been linked with many forms of cancer, birth defects, and can disrupt the timing of puberty in children and increase the potential for health problems later in life.
· The Environmental Working Group publishes a safe Cosmetics Guide. View EWG’s quick reference guide, and the smart shopper’s tips.
· Companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish, and our government doesn't require companies to test products for safety before they're sold.
· By cutting down on the number of chemicals contacting your skin every day, you will reduce any potential health risks associated with your products.
· Every day, hundreds of different chemicals get flushed down the drain and into the groundwater when we shower, shave, brush our teeth, etc. These chemicals are then introduced into the ecosystem and can have a detrimental affect to the wildlife, starting with microorganisms. Read more here.

Reuse containers

Green Tip of the Week

Reuse containers whenever possible.

• We can’t throw things “out” - we can only move them around.
• Before throwing anything into the garbage, consider its possible alternative uses.
• Here are some examples of simple ways to reduce:
• Use plastic containers for household and garden plants.
• Use bread and produce bags for leftovers and to pack lunch.
• Use twisty ties for securing garden plants to stakes.
• Especially reuse those items that cannot be recycled in your area.
• Fill up used containers at bulk-stations found in grocery stores, pet stores, etc.
• Check out AltUse.com to learn alternative uses for almost anything.

 

Did you know?

· You can save money by reusing things you would otherwise throw away.

· Almost 1/3 of the waste generated the U.S. is packaging.

· Only about one-tenth of all solid garbage in the United States gets recycled.

· 10 ways to reuse plastic soda bottles

· Even recycling takes up energy and resources. By re-using something as much as we can means that goods are only recycled when they can be used no longer.

 

Pack a green lunch

Green Tip

Pack a healthy, waste-free lunch from home instead of eating out.

Do include:
· Sandwiches in reusable containers
· Whole fruits without packaging
· Drinks in containers that can be reused, such as a thermos, or recycled, such as a can
· Snacks purchased in bulk and brought in reusable containers
· Reusable lunchboxes


Don't include:
· Individually wrapped snacks
· Plastic baggies that are not reusable
· Disposable forks and spoons
· Straws
· Brown bag

Did you know?
· Preparing your own meals rather than eating out is healthier for your body. It allows you control and awareness over what you eat. Preparing your own meal with care promotes a more balanced diet, and eliminates hidden dangerous ingredients and calories.
· You will save a significant amount of money and produce less waste – these two go hand-in-hand.
· Every year, Americans make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the state of Texas.
· If you have kids, their lunches make an impact, too. See this website for information and statistics, and learn how to pack a healthy green lunch for your kids! Check out a lunch waste experiment performed by a California high school.
· We recommend www.reusablebags.com for products to help you pack a waste-free lunch.

Go paperless

Green Tip  
Go paperless!

• Sign up for electronic banking and billing
• Get rid of your junk mail
• Separate your paper waste and recycle it
• Read news and magazines online
• Use online work collaboration
• For Printing:
• Use both sides of the page
• Set minimal printer margins
• Single-space documents
• Use “shrink to fit” print option

Did you know?

· Paper waste makes for about 35 percent of the total material filling up landfills. The average American uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products per year. (12)

· U.S. paper producers consume 1 billion trees each year. Only 5% of virgin forests remain in the United States. (13)

· The United States houses 5% of the world’s population, yet consumes 35% of the world’s paper. (14)

· Recycled paper requires 43.69% less energy to produce than virgin wood paper, a savings of 4,920 kilowatt hours of electricity, and reducing greenhouse gases by 2087 pounds per year. (13)

· Strategic implementation of paper recycling in offices

 

donate old goods

Green Tip of the Week
Donate your old household goods and clothes to local charities
Some examples of donation centers include:
· Purple Heart (they will pick up your donations)
· GoodWill
· Salvation Army
· Find a local goods donation center near you

Did you know?

• The U.S. government offers tax incentives for citizens who donate household goods to charities such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries
• You can significantly reduce your contribution to landfills by donating your old furniture, appliances, clothing, carpeting, etc.

Reduce your meat intake

Green Tip of the Week
Reduce your meat intake

· Omitting meat just once a week reduces your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
· Start by omitting meat from one or two meals per week, maybe working up to one per day. Find some simple recipes for healthy, protein-packed meat-free meals here (recipes at bottom).
· Try to eat less beef, pork, and lamb, as these have a higher carbon footprint per pound than their meat counterparts (chicken, fish, etc).
· Click here for Tips for Responsible Carnivores.

Did you know?

• Animals are fed antibiotics such as arsenic to prevent disease spread in overcrowded factory farms. These antibiotics are absorbed into the animal meat as well as excreted from their bodies, posing a threat to our health and the health of delicate ecosystems.
  Livestock is a major player in climate change, accounting for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.(9)
• More than 2.9 million acres of rainforest were destroyed in the 2004-2005 crop season in order to grow crops used to feed factory farm animals. (2006 Greenpeace report "Eating Up the Amazon”) (10)
• Overfishing is becoming a serious problem for our oceans. The rate at which the Earth’s human population consumes fish is not sustainable; if we continue at this rate, there will not be seafood on our plates. Listen to an interesting NPR interview here.
• The world's cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the needs of 8.7 billion people — more than the entire human population on Earth.(11)