Posted By: emmaspirit on

Sunday, June 24th, 2007, 2:39 pm

Living consciously starts with getting educated about how to live. Fortunately with the internet, getting educated on a specific subject matter is just a click away. This weekend I decided that I needed to get better educated about what I can safely recycle so I could maximize my purchases of products that are sustainable and limit my waste.

Recycling rules vary by city and so it can be a bit confusing as to what you can and cannot recycle. It is however important to know your recycling rules because if you put the wrong items in the recycling bins, it slows down the recycling process and can even contaminate the items that are recyclable. I live in NYC and here is a list of what our city is currently recycling:

What to Recycle:
metal:
- cans (pet food, soup, empty aerosols, paint cans)
- aluminum foil/trays
- wire hangers
- pots and pans
paper:
- white, colored and glossy paper
- mail and envelopes
- wrapping paper (not ribbon or tape)
- smooth cardboard (toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, boxes)
- paper bags
- cardboard egg cartons
- newspapers, catalogs, comic books and magazines
- phone books
- paperback books
glass:
- bottles
- jars
plastic:
- bottles
- jars
beverage cartons:
- milk and juice cartons
- drink and juice boxes
What NOT to Recycle:
plastic:
- deli or yogurt containers
- toys
- cups
- bags
- wrap
- Styrofoam anything
paper:
- soft soiled paper (used toilet tissue, napkins, paper towels)
- waxed or plastic coated paper
- hardcover books
glass:
- mirrors
- lightbulbs
- glassware and ceramics
- batteries and cell phones: none (check out http://www.rbrc.org/call2recycle)

I plan to keep this list handy so I also am conscious when I'm buying products as to whether they come in recyclable packaging.

Other recycling tips:
1. empty and rinse all containers before placing them in the recycling bins. Yes, this means using water but water is a renewable resource! 
2. throw out the lids and caps, they are not recyclable
3. remove your name from mailing lists to receive less junkmail (To remove your name from lists for credit card offers, call this toll-free number: 1-888-5-OPTOUT, and Direct Marketing Association offers links for getting off mailing lists at https://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailing.)

Please share your own recycling tips and let us know what your community is doing to recycle as we all try to Go Green.

Tags: health, green, recycling

Posted By: emmaspirit on

Sunday, June 17th, 2007, 3:45 pm

What is Green?

Last week a member of our Go Green group emailed me to ask what Go Green meant. This question reminded me of how I started this Go Green group in order to help women everywhere learn how to start going Green. I had thought that Green had been a bit too exclusive...a club where you needed to know the handshake before you could join. I hoped that this Green group would start to change that pattern and bring anyone who wanted to join under the Green tent. But then I never actually defined what going Green meant so I'm sure I left a few people outside scratching their heads.

Since Green is personal, I thought I'd share what Green means to me and then invite you to do the same.

- Green is taking conscious care of your self, your family, your home and your planet

- Green is about good choices, made everyday in lots of small ways

- Green is a consumer lifestyle based on eco-friendly products, natural health and wellbeing

- Green is multigenerational and appeals to a broad demographic of kids, moms, baby boomers...

- Green is transforming business, marketing and consumer purchasing habits

- Green is about choosing goods and services that use economic and environmentally sustainable business practices

- Green is like-minded, conscious people sharing tips and advice on how to live in an eco-friendly world

- Green is acknowledging the mistakes of our past and being a part of shaping our future

Tags: green, healthy, natural, ecofriendly, sustainable

Posted By: emmaspirit on

Friday, June 15th, 2007, 3:44 pm

Today I had the day off so I did the chores and errands that never seem to get done on the weekends. This included finally cleaning out DH's closet and packing up a few bags of clothes to take to the Salvation Army. I had been planning to do this for months but just never got around to it. After sorting through about 30 pairs of DH's casual cotton twill pants in light beige, beige and dark beige, I had three bags of nice pants that no longer fit.

I practically skipped the 10 blocks to the neighborhood Salvation Army - so excited to be passing on these virtually new pants. And yes, pleased that DH will now have more room in his closet so he can more easily find his clothes that do fit.

When I arrived at the Salvation Army front door, I was greeted warmly by a nice gentleman who showed me where to put my bags. As he started to fill out the receipt, I explained their contents and what good condition the pants were in. And then I noticed that he was quite similar in size to my husband. I suggested that he take a look at the pants. He was hesitant but I encouraged him. My husband is about 6 foot 6 and has rather short legs. All of his pants need to be shortened so the end result is a rather odd size.

Well sure enough, this nice gentleman at the Salvation Army held up one pair of pants, and they looked like a perfect fit. I further encouraged him to go try on a pair. Again, he was hesitant but I was quite persistent. I couldn't believe my luck in finding someone who could actually use these great pants!

He tried them on and yes, they fit like a glove. So I ripped up the receipt and handed him the other 2 bags.

He looked like I had just given him a million dollars. And I felt like maybe I had. So it seems that my delay in getting to the Salvation Army had a purpose. When we can share what we no longer need with those who are in need, it is good for the planet and very good for the soul.

Tags: recycling, army, green, salvation, donations

Posted By: emmaspirit on

Saturday, June 9th, 2007, 1:27 pm

Guest Blogger: my husband, Dr. Blue Eyes

Today, the word Green, the idea of Green, seems everywhere, in the media, on the Internet, in political debate. We're being bombarded with Green, everywhere. But I know for too many of us, this emerging concept can confuse, even overwhelm. What can I, a hardworking homemaker, a mother, a father, a businessperson working hard in stressful careers, do to change global problems that seem so beyond the control of any one of us?

Yes it's important, and necessary, to think on the big scale, in terms of global warming, or ecological deterioration, and big concepts like these, but I manage Green, on a day to day level, in my personal life, by making it just that, very personal. Perhaps I can't change the great processes at work in the environment, but I can make simple, lasting, and very meaningful changes in my own diet, my home, my office environment, that not only help the environment, but make my own personal life healthier, happier, better.

For example, perhaps I can't resolve the problems of the polar bear, but each day, I can choose what to eat. We make food choices every day, in fact, every few hours, and the food that we choose has enormous impact on our personal health, the health of our spouses and importantly, of our children. That's a personal choice, but one that has a far reaching effect on our agriculture, and in our environment.

I have eaten organically for some 25 years, beginning in the 1980's when organic produce, dairy, eggs and meat were hard to come by. Independent farmers with a vision about healthy agricultural practices kept the idea alive, until today, even Wal-Mart now carries organic produce in many of its stores. Choosing organic is a simple choice to make - a very personal one at that, but a choice with strong implications.

Organic farms, at least ideally, use more natural fertilizers, no synthetics, no synthetic pesticides. Studies going back 50 years show that proper organic practices not only reduce the flow of toxic chemicals into the greater environment, but help preserve the soil, keep it fertile and stable, to support nutrition, nutrient loaded foods. When we eat organically, we're eating food that lacks the load of toxic pesticide residual that no one needs, and that provides optimal nutritional benefits. Though for years, many scientists denied any benefit from eating clean, newer studies confirm for example that laboratory animals raised on organically grown food are healthier and live longer than those raised on a conventionally grown diet. Translated into our personal lives, organic may offer benefits long term, for our health, the health of our spouses and the well being of our children. At the same time, we're supporting farmers who farm "Green," who use soil conserving methods, who add fewer toxic chemicals into our already chemical laden environment. In choosing organic, we help ourselves, our families, our land, and our environment- not a minor achievement.

So I believe the cleaner the food the better. Maybe you can't always buy organic, but the more you do, the healthier it is for you and our world.

Tags: farming, organic, food, nontoxic, green