Posts from — January 2010

Plastic packing peanuts can be really annoying.  They get all over the house.  And because they are not made of biodegradable materials, you are often left with the burden of finding a new home for them or worse throwing them out.  In a dream world, companies would only use biodegradable packing peanuts that are made of of corn and can be re-used, composted or simply disposed of by dissolving it in a sink or bath tub.  But until then, The Plastic Loose Fill Council is helping companies and consumers find a new life for those annoying buggers

The Plastic Loose Fill Council (PLFC) was founded in 1991 to develop, promote and implement the original use and subsequent recovery, reuse and recycling of polystyrene loose fill, commonly known as “packing peanuts.” The Council operates the Peanut Hotline, the national reuse program for plastic loose fill. The Peanut Hotline and web site let consumers find places in their neighborhood that will take your old plastic packing peanuts and reuse them. It’s amazing that there are over 1500 collections sites in the US.  We found four drop-off points within 5 minutes of our office.

As you are unwrapping all your Valentine’s Day gifts this year, please consider giving your packing peanuts to a local company to reuse. You will save them money and help keep waste out of the land fills.

Recycle your packing peanuts TODAY!

How will you show your love this Valentine’s Day?  Here’s our handpicked list of eco and budget friendly gifts that will impress. All items are available at Tread Light Gifts

Plantable Eco-Valentine Day Cards:Ten eco-friendly Valentine’s Day cards are packaged with 10 plantable wildflower seed embedded hearts that grow wildflowers when the heart is planted.  What a great card alternative for your child’s classmates!

Flip & Tumble 24-7 Bag – Berrydots: This stylish shopping bag get around the problem of remembering the bags because they are small enough to simply live in your purse or messenger bag all the time. The elastic pouch design makes it a snap to convert the bag into a small ball quickly.

TikoSoy Candle: Escape to a luxurious spa in your own house. If you are after an awe-inspiring aromatic experience, look no further than these hand-poured soy candle made with 100% natural wax and containing no paraffin.

Garden Bon-Bons: This line of garden truffles is for planting, not for eating. Handcrafted bon bon balls of clay, organic compost and seed wrapped in a lovely presentation package. They are a perfect gift for novice and expert gardener alike.

thinknow Bouquet Earrings - The thinknow jewelry line is made from 100% natural materials and water-based adhesives. All wood products are sourced from managed growth forests, and sealed with beeswax and linseed oil.

As you may know by now, we are big fans of Corey and Lynn from Celebrate Green. These women have amazing ideas on how we can “green” all our holiday celebrations. This month, Corey and Lynn share with us some simple ideas to implement today that will send you on your way to creating celebrations that are better for the planet and people. An added bonus? You’re likely to save a bunch of cash as well.

1. Plan.

• Take advantage of the new year to get a calendar and fill in the dates for every event you think you’ll celebrate this year. Include birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, weddings, graduations, family reunions, even office parties, then add every holiday you celebrate in any way big or small.
• Now make a list of items you’ll need, i.e. tableware, decor, gifts, food etc.
• Check off what you already own. Then list what you need to beg, borrow, exchange or purchase.
• Print out the list (on recycled paper of course) or put it in your phone, PDA or calendar you carry with you.
• When you’re at the thrift store or a garage sale, or see a great local sale, check the item off your list. Or, if you’re into setting up an exchange, one month before the event on your calendar, add in a date for a neighborhood get together to trade costumes, decor, plates or anything else you come up with.

2. Throw no-waste celebrations. No waste doesn’t mean no trash (unfortunately). It means that everything purchased around a celebration can be recycled, composted or reused. Planning ahead (see tip #1) helps a lot.

Here are a few ideas to make it easier still:

• Be sure to have labeled bins available.
• Ask guests to bring unwrapped gifts, then hide them (the gifts, not the guests) and have the recipient hunt for them
• Collect glass jars, decorate them if you like and have them available for guests to take home leftovers
• Resist purchasing throw away decor–plates, cups, tablecloths etc.–no matter how cute or how well they match your theme

3. Make gifts and decor from items you already own, can collect, trade with friends or re-purpose. Before throwing anything away, ask yourself whether it can be turned into a gift or decor item. Once you start looking at “trash” this way, you’ll be amazed how often the answer will be, “Yes!”