Supernatural Botanicals

 Dispose of electronics properly.  Green tips to keep in mind:

• Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
• Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.
• Recycle your cell phone.

A perfect green utopia!  A green city of the future…whose ready to move?  I know I’d certainly sign mortgage papers in this car-free, waste-free, carbon-free land of green perfection.  Check out this clip for a look at a perfect green city. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4zh0p2veZk

Green’s mantra is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  Did you know that by reducing plastic bag consumption by just two bags per week, you’ll throw away at least 100 fewer bags per year.  If tied together, handle to handle, these plastic bags would make a rope long enough to wrap around the earth more than 126 times. 

You can purchase canvas bags for about $1.00 a piece.  They are stylish, green, and so much better for the environment than plastic bags.  It’s one simple way to becoming more eco-responsible. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT_TVd41vyQ&feature=player_embedded

“If everyone in the country elected to buy one package of 100 percent recycled napkins instead of the non-recycled variety, that act alone would save one million trees.”

    -Jennifer Powers, spokeswoman for the Natural Resources Defense Council

Did you know that three-fourths of the bottles from bottled water do not get recycled?  That’s 75%!   Scientists roughly estimate that it takes 450-1000 years for a water bottle to decompose.  If you are going to drink bottled water, please be mindful of the environment and recycle the bottle….and then encourage someone else to do the same.  Plus, you’ll save money on trash bags.  It’s one small step you can take to being more responsible to the environment.  It’s everyone’s job!

Going Green goes far beyond recycling.  Lyocell is a fabric most know better by its brand name Tencel. It has a soft finish, packs light and is made from cellulose (vegetable matter), or wood pulp, typically a mix of hardwood trees like oak and birch. This makes it a natural fabric, and it is noted for its durability and strength, in addition to its eco-friendly manufacturing techniques.

Lyocell is made by chipping wood, breaking down the wood fibers with the non-toxic chemical amine oxide, and then placing the material in a spinneret. The spinneret produces long fibers, which are then dried and woven into cloth.  …What’s not to love about that?  Be cognizant of what you are buying.  Buy Green!

San Francisco, long known for it’s eco-consciousness, passed a mandatory composting law this week that is believed to be the strictest ordinance in the nation.   Residents will be required to have three color coded trash bins, including one for recycling, one for trash, and one for compost (table scraps, banana peels, coffee grounds, etc.)

Why all the fuss?  Because food scraps sent to landfills decompose fast and turn into methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas.  Under San Fran’s new law, collected scraps will be turned into compost that helps farms and vineyards flourish.  The city hopes to eliminate waste at landfills by 2020.

San Francisco, a proven leader in eco-issues, is also working on other green initiatives such as banning plastic bags at supermarkets.

The city says they aren’t looking to punish violators harshly, but they do want to eliminate food scraps in their garbage.  Imposing their mandatory composting law is a tool to bring cognizance to our fragile eco-system.

Kudos to San Francisco for being front-runners in the Green movement!

   Where do I recycle compact fluorescent bulbs?  Home Depot!  Good to know.  Since I’ve never had one of my compact fluorescent bulbs burn out before, I was unsure how to recycle it when it finally happened.  A simple search on Earth 911  gave me all the answers I wanted on where to recycle things such as paint, engine oil, batteries, cell phones, and, alas, compact fluorescent light bulbs, etc.  This is a great reference for proper recycling.  Just plug in what you want to recycle and your zip code, and get all the information you’ll need to do the right thing. 

Today is Earth Day.  Be an Earth Day hero and do something good for the Earth.  Whether it be recycling, reducing the amount of trash you create, limiting your driving, changing your light bulbs out for compact fluorescent bulbs, conserving energy by unplugging items such as cell phone chargers and blow dryers, etc., just do something and get yourself started in the right direction.  It’s not that hard…it’s about making good choices.  So make some good choices today and do the right thing.  Be an Earth Day hero!  I am!   Want to know more ways in which you can go green?  Start here.