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Use your spending power to create a cleaner, greener world.
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One In A Million
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Recycle old holiday lights and replace them with LEDs.
If you ended the holiday season with a lot of broken light strands, you may be getting ready to throw them in the trash.
Not so fast!
Turns out, you can recycle incandescent holiday lights here for free. When you do, you'll also earn a discount coupon worth 15% off the price of any new, energy-saving LED lights you buy. Act now, since the recycling program and discount coupon are only available through February 2010.
How should you package the lights?
Please DO NOT:
- Include any packaging material or anything other than the lights themselves.
- Send the lights in outer packaging such as retail boxes.
- Include any apparatus used to wind up or store the lights.
- Use a box that's larger than you need to accommodate the lights.
- Package your lights in plastic bags or any other interior packaging.
Please DO:
- Use cardboard boxes or other recyclable packaging.
- Coordinate with your friends, neighbors, co-works, social groups, church groups, or other organizations when possible to collect lights and send in one bulk shipment (this reduces shipping costs for everyone and reduces environmental impact of shipping.)
- Compact your light sets into the smallest space possible.
BTW, it's easy to recycle CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), too. Here's how.
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How "Organic" Is Organic Dry Cleaning? "Organic" dry cleaners are popping up all over the country. Are they legit, or another greenwashing scam? Here's the low-down:
What Makes A Dry Cleaner Green?
It's not PERC.
Scientifically speaking, any chemical is considered to be organic if it contains carbon. So even cleaners that use a solvent like perchloroethylene (PERC), which has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen, can claim to be "organic," whether they contain toxic chemicals or not. An ad for "green" dry cleaners doesn't necessarily mean much, either, since there is no standard definition for what makes cleaning green.
Hydrocarbon solvents are in the same boat. Hydrocarbon solvents are petroleum-based, says Sierra Club, and contribute to greenhouse gases by emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Solvents to avoid are: DF2000, PureDry, EcoSolve, Shell Solution 140 HT and Stoddard.
And that GreenEarth method you may have seen around? It does not necessarily translate into 'green-for-the-earth.' GreenEarth cleaners replace PERC with a silicone-based solvent called methyl siloxane or D5, which is similar to the base ingredients used in deodorants and shaving creams. The solvent itself is currently considered safe for the environment because it degrades to sand, water, and carbon dioxide, says the Union of Concerned Scientists, but it has caused cancer in lab animals in EPA studies. In addition, it is manufactured using chlorine, which can generate harmful dioxin emissions.
The good news?
Safe, non-toxic alternatives do exist. And they are just as effective as traditional dry cleaning, minus the negative environmental impacts.
- Wet-cleaning replaces PERC with carefully controlled amounts of water and special non-toxic biodegradable detergents. Computer-operated equipment helps ensure that your delicate fabrics are cleaned without the risks to human health or the environment. You can find more details here.
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) cleaning relies on high pressure to convert carbon dioxide gas into liquid that acts as a carrier for biodegradable soaps. When the washing is complete, the pressure is released, turning the CO2 back into a gas to be used again and again. One drawback: the requisite machinery is expensive, so this method costs more than PERC-based dry cleaning.
If you want to locate the nearest reliably green cleaner, check out this national directory recently published by Occidental College.
The U.S. EPA also offers a nationwide list of CO2 and wet cleaners that was compiled in 2003.
Keep in mind that not all "dry clean only" garments need to be professionally dry-cleaned. Green living expert and Care2.com editor Annie Bond provides safe, eco-friendly instructions on hand-washing silk, wool and rayon clothing, here. My daughter regularly washes her wool sweaters on the cold, delicate cycle in the washing machine, then line dries them. Cheap, effective.
The most obvious solution of all? Transition your wardrobe to wash-and-wear clothing that requires no dry cleaning. You'll save money on cleaning bills and breathe easier knowing you're reducing your exposure to questionable chemicals.
BONUS: You can recycle your clothes, too. Start here.
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She shifted $1,000 of her budget to eco-friendly goods...and chickens!
 If you're looking for ways to live a greener life, take some pointers from Fran Martin.
Fran is the newest member of the One in a Million campaign, a feat she achieved by switching more than $1,000 of her household budget to products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit. The campaign doesn't ask people to spend MORE money. Instead, it encourages consumers to throw their marketplace clout behind non-toxic, eco-friendly alternatives that often end up saving people more money in the long run.
Who is Fran?
Fran, who is married, 67, and the mother of grown children, has lived in Butler, PA for the past 43 years. Her husband trains and breeds Labrador retrievers; "We have two," she says. Fran is retired, but works part-time conducting food demonstrations where "I really push the organic products whether it is my demo day or not."
"At home I am an avid cook - everything from scratch," says the One in a Million devotee. "After the Women for a Healthy Environment conference last year, and after reading Omnivore's Dilemma, I extended my organic garden and got two hens so I could have organic eggs. I erected a hoop house in October to have a winter garden which proved to be quite successful. The only red meat we eat is venison, and I can and freeze everything possible."
"I also made homemade mouthwash and fabric softner," she said.
Why?
When I asked Fran why she made the shifts, here's what she said:
* What inspired you to join the One in a Million campaign? I attended the Women's Health and the Environment Conference in Pittsburg and heard you describe the difference we can make based on how we spend our money, I thought, "I can do that."
* What change was unexpectedly easy to make? Keeping track of my purchases!
* What proved to be most challenging? Finding the best prices (ed. Note: This is true for many people, but a little bargain shopping can make organic food and recycled products very affordable).
* What's your next step? Continue to purchase present organic products and add new ones as I find them.
Great job, Fran! Thanks for sharing your success with us.
And for all of you who are inspired to make your own spending shifts, get started here. | |
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I wonder if you could do me a small favor. We're trying to reach many more people with our "live green" information. I would really appreciate it if you would take a minute right now to invite your friends and colleagues to subscribe to Purse Alerts. It won't even take a minute. Just click on the Forward button right below my signature.
Happy New Year!
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse
email: diane@biggreenpurse.com
web: http://www.biggreenpurse.com
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