Did you know that packaging makes up about 30% of our waste by weight and 50% by volume? While you can recycle a lot of different types of packaging, it is really much more environmentally friendly to avoid it when possible. Many environmentally conscious Americans are looking for smart ways to cut back on waste […]
The last weekend of May is our first official opportunity to sniff the spring weather and gear up for a summer playing in the sunshine. Memorial Day is the opening of the outdoor entertainment season. Picnics, cook-outs, and camping all involve packing up part of our kitchen and transporting it to somewhere without kitchen appliances. […]
Have you put your human washing efficiency to the timed test? I hope you and your family or roommates have finally come to an agreement on whether to machine or hand wash. What if you don’t really want to wash at all? Like after 50 mouths have been fed. For such occasions as dinner parties, […]
How might the world change if everyone were to consume 14% less meat? That’s the idea behind Meatless Mondays. Not only is going meatless one day a week helpful in reducing your risk of chronic preventable diseases, it also helps you to reduce your global footprint. The meat industry uses up a vast amount of […]
Can you wash and rinse a dirty plate in 4.4 seconds using 9.5 ounces of water? Like many in Generations X and Y, I grew up in a home without a dishwasher. What was once seen as an economic slight (the affluent homes I babysat in all had dishwashers) became a source of pride once […]
Memorial Day weekend is an annual turning point towards summer. While it’s still officially spring, Memorial Day is a marker and a sure sign that summer is on its way. In preparation for summer, this is a great time to consider one of our most precious resources on this planet – water. Depending on where […]
Metal knives on planes but paper forks in our own kitchens? I’m starting to stock up on snacks in anticipation of mealtime on my flight in a couple days. It lasts 5 hours and I’ll be lucky if I get as many pretzels. When rising jet fuel prices forced airlines to cut costs, passenger amenities […]
Lobsters and martinis ordered to impress but left untouched. Bourbon-drenched brunches, cross-country flights, and lavish luncheon spreads, all to land a client. Such are the excesses of the glamorous 1960s world of advertising in “Mad Men”. From our modern perspective of emailed office memos and online ads replacing direct mail, the reams of paper tossed […]
Spring may have already begun to “sprung” in your area, and now is the time to think about starting your very own eco garden for the season. Think of this wonderful quote by Robin Williams: “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” Diving into the outdoors is just the way to get that party […]
Our new neighborhood’s informal recycler piled a load of flattened cardboard boxes and crumpled newspaper on his wheelbarrow and hobbled off. He relieved us of our packaging after an exhausting series of moves between small towns and the big city. It was such a relief to discard those boxes that had held everything while we […]