Eco & Green

I just found the greatest post on making gift tags from paper grocery bags and had to share! Here is a slideshow to help you do it and my post about reusing paper bags on OnlineOrganizing.com. Enjoy!

Sometimes I think my family thinks I’m a little nutty. They might be onto something, but that’s ok with me. Everyday I take small steps to be more in the “green”. You can too, and here’s a few tips to get you started:

• Less packaging. Whenever possible, buy products with less packaging. This could be meat, poultry and fish with no styrofoam or plastic tray.
• Turn down the thermostat. As the weather gets colder, help your furnace, your wallet and the environment by turning the temperature down and putting on a warm sweater. Better yet, cuddle up to your sweetie.
• Take a day or two off. Group your errands together 2-3 days per week instead of everyday.
• Recycle. Paper, plastic, glass, computers, ink cartridges and cell phones. Need some ideas where to take it all? Go to earth911.org.
• Buy less stuff. Stop and think before you buy. Do you really need it? How long will it last?

So go ahead, get green!

It really is easier than you think. Start with a few things, and change as you go. If you’re just starting out, here are some eco-tips to get your office more “in the green”.

1. Choose green office supplies: Choosing “green” products only takes different choices in the store and online. Most office supply stores carry “green” supplies. It’s pretty easy to find printer paper, filing supplies and binders in ranges of 10-100% recycled content.
2. Sort the mail immediately: As soon as the mail comes in the door, take 30-60 seconds to sort and file it. Junk mail goes right into the recycling bin (or the fireplace basket) and doesn’t pile up. Recycling your junk mail will cut down on the overall trash that is quickly accumulating in landfills (and hopefully makes it into new products!).
3. Get off the junk mail lists: Make your life easier and just get off the direct marketing lists. Keep in mind this does not include companies you have or will do business with in the future. Be sure to use the “opt-out” option with these companies. Here’s a form to help you out: Mail Preference Form
4. Scratch paper: Do you print reports that use a lot of unnecessary paper? use the leftovers for scratch paper. Put it by the phone or wherever you need something to write on. No need to buy separate paper - it’s already at your fingertips!
5. Print smart: Use “draft mode” and double sided printing for less important documents. You’ll use have the paper, your ink cartridges will last longer and you’ll spend less of the greenbacks (bonus!). Also, be sure to recycle your ink cartridges.

For more information:

“Green” office products: http://www.thegreenoffice.com

Learn more about recycling: www.earth911.org

I opened my email today and found russell+hazel has new fall colors! They come in the mini binder and 1-1/2″ ring binders. With colors like “key lime” and “nectar”, they sound as good as they look. And, you just gotta love that they are made from 100% post-consumer materials. They are great for the home office, handbag, briefcase or binder storage. Being organized never looked better!

Come on, you know you want to - break the rules. Just because a bread basket was designed for bread, doesn’t mean you have to use it for that. Make your home office more interesting and personal with items from around the house or found objects from a flea market (like the milk crate above).

Here’s a few things you can use in your home office for something other than it’s intended use: [click to continue…]

So have you been using your own bags for grocery shopping? You certainly can, and it saves all those bags from going to the landfill. If you must use the store’s bags, they can be reused in many different ways. Here’s a few tips to using your own bags and reusing the store’s bags:

• Use your own high quality bags: Canvas, plastic, totes or even your local fave store’s logo bag will do the trick. Using these bags prevents that oh-so-horrible feeling of the milk poking its way thru your heavy load, and dumping it all over the ground at the MOST inopportune time.

• Re-use your “free” bags from the store: How about taking that handled paper bag and reusing it? Many of them are great quality, and can be reused many times. Then, when it’s looking a little haggard, toss them in the recycling bin.

• Forget your bags? No problem! I recently went to my favorite Wild Oats store and was kicking myself for not bringing my bags. The cashier had a great tip (and yes, I’m stealing it): use the bags people bring in to be recycled. It was a light-bulb moment, and hey - it’s useful! Just grab a handful of the bags people bring in and set at the front of the store to be recycled. (Of course, do this at your own risk.)

• Keep bags ready to go in the car. Take the groceries in, unload them, take the bags directly back to your car. Then, they are ready to rock and roll when you get to the store (planned trip or otherwise).
• Give those bags new life :
  • Re-use plastic bags: replacing your trash bags in small garbage pails (I do this, and I haven’t bought those little bags in 4 years), use them to protect things during home improvement, for storing wet swimsuits, for dirty clothes or shoes when travelling, anything else you can think of!
  • Re-use paper bags: let the kids paint on them, use them to wall-paper your bathroom (ok, I haven’t done this, but I saw it done!), cut them up and use them inside out as wrapping paper, use them to protect delicate plants during unfavorable weather, and the list goes on!

Did you know that you can save paper and ink by using the double-sided print, black and white (or gray-scale, black cartridge only) and draft modes on your printer?  Important documents are really the only thing that needs to be printed in normal (or color).  Most printers (if not all) have a double-sided mode.  This may mean you need to feed the document back into the printer to get both sides printed, but it’s really simple!  Also, set your color setting to “gray-scale” or “black and white” with the black cartridge only.  Did you know that some printers will use your color cartridge even if you say black and white?  So check it out.  Also, printing in “draft” mode is best for everyday less important printing.

The added bonus is printing on two sides saves half the paper produced by your printer, not to mention the clutter accumulating in your home or office.  Also, it makes that much less paper that you need to recycle and BUY!  I’ve been doing the double-sided and black cartridge only for a year, and it’s amazing how much of a difference it makes!  Also, print preview your document to make sure you’re not printing an ad or a few letters, which can catch you off guard.

One more thing - be sure you are recycling your print cartridges.  Most manufacturers now have a recycling program.  They send you an envelope, you drop your used cartridges in, when it gets full you mail it in to the - FREE.  Keep the envelope right by your printer so you don’t forget.  Also, many office supply stores will take used cartridges and give you a discount or other credit. 

Here’s a few resources:   HP, Canon, Earth911

Here’s a great article and some resources from Ideal Bite on this very subject!

There’s just something about beautiful office products that makes me giddy. I mean, what’s not to love about pulling out a fabulous binder that looks as great as it works? So, this week when I got an email from russellandhazel.com, stating that their products start from 100% recycled materials - well, what can I say? The added bonus is until APRIL 1st, they are giving a free Field Book with your purchase on the website! Come on: eco-conscious products + free = bliss!! That is, of course if you are looking for a new binder, notebook, file folders, file tote, pen, storage boxes…….

(picture courtesy, www.russellandhazel.com)

Ok, so I’m not a professed eco-fanatic, but I have been working toward a more eco-conscious life and consumer habits.  There are so many great options out there to do our part and conserve less energy (getting our furnace fixed two months ago was definitely a move in the right direction!  But that’s another story……)  So, as I am moving toward producing less carbon in the environment, I thought I would share some links for all to enjoy.

Domino Magazine’s Green List:  Great products, less carbon

Eco-Relocation:  Organizing LA’s blog post on relocation

Natural Home Magazine:  Check out the Jan/Feb 2007 issue’s eco-friendly storage options

California Closets:  They have added Roseburg Forest Products’ SkyBlend particleboard (free of urea formaldehyde, a known carcinogen).

Ideal Bite’s blog:   Fun and quirky blog and newsletter on going green

If you’d like to add to this list, simply post it here!