Green Resolutions of 2015

We're halfway through the first month of the new year and hoping it's off to a great start for everyone.  If you've set a resolution, we hope you are still working towards it...if you didn't, you can still aim to improve quality of life one way or another.  We're hoping to engage in more eco-friendly living and hope that's on your bucket list too.

Going green doesn't have to be a complete lifestyle change, of course, it certainly can be.  Trying to do one or two small things on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis can help your community, and ultimately the world.

In our household, we're trying our best to be on top of recycling any material we possibly can.  We've even purchased a larger bin to help contain some of the recycled items as we found we ended up throwing more things in the trash once our bins were topped off.  Of course this makes us cringe every time we do it, but was felt to be of necessity, as storage is at a premium in our garage.  We've got a memo on our family bulletin board that shows all the items our trash service will pick up, and it helps encourage our kids to be self sufficient and aid in the recycling process.  We're not 100% perfect recyclers, but we're doing our best!

Sarahhearts.com created these adorable DIY recycling bins/
We use a 32 gallon trashcan on wheels and end up filling it up each week.  Figure out what your household recycling needs are and find a bin that suites just over that capacity to ensure a hearty recycling effort!

For items that aren't approved to be recycled through our trash service, we try to collect and take to the appropriate recycling facility in our area.  Little things like styrofoam egg cartons can be brought back to our grocery store, where they feature bins outside of the store.  Same goes for plastic bags.  We alternate between plastic bags and our own fabric ones as we tend to reuse the plastic ones as trash bags for small trash cans throughout our house, or as catch-all bags for our cars.

Publix Recycling Bins

Another effort we're looking to make is decreasing plastic water bottles.  We're comparing a filter system for our kitchen sink vs a filtered pitcher.  We've used the pitcher in the past, and are leaning towards the sink faucet attachment this time around.  If you live in an area where your quality of water is not so great, consider investing in one of these to help remove impurities and contaminants. 

Brita features a multitude of water filtering products ranging from $20-$40

The last thing we've begun paying more attention to, to live a greener lifestyle, are purchasing items made from recycled goods.  More and more items of all types are being created using some or all recycled materials.  Paper goods, office supplies, apparel, and even sports equipment has found a way to embark on sustainable manufacturing and it's quite impressive to see.  Below are some items we've recently come across that happen to be great examples (that we would have never guessed) of consumer goods made from recycled materials.

New Era makes hats from 74% recycled cotton
photo courtsey of Miamistreetwear.com

Beats headphones are made from 31% recycled goods
photo courtsey of limitemagazine.com

Reynolds aluminum foil is made from 100% recycled aluminum
photo courtsey of examiner.com

No matter what attempt you make, large or small, being green is possible.  Start with one idea and go from there-let us know how being green is working out for you!

Convenient Green Products

Convenience.  That's what it's about these days.  Pre-packed, pre-cooked, ready to go products make our lives easier, but don't always have the greenest concepts in mind.  Here are a few products that can make lives easier, save us a few bucks, and are eco friendly.

The Modlet, for example, plugs into your outlet and automatically shuts off the power based on your scheduled needs.  It can tell when appliances are and are not is use saving you tons of energy, and then sends the power consumption use to your computer, which can result in saving a few bucks on your next electric bill.

http://themodlet.com/

With e-reader products out on the market, new technologies are being created to produce ways to keep these electronics charged.  One of the most recent inventions-the Solar Kindle Lighted Cover.  It uses solar energy to keep the charge of the lit screen so you can continue to read for hours.

http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Lighted-Cover-Kindle-Controller/dp/B006E95V8M

Other new technologies include the EcoNavi appliances by Panasonic.  These appliances use "intelligent sensors" to optimize the appliances' performances. The EcoNavi air conditioner, for example, monitors where everyone is located and adjusts its performance to optimize cooling the room.

http://panasonic.asia/ecoideas/ecoproducts/econavi_air_conditioner.html

And then there are a few products out there that aren't so technical, but are equally convenient.  Eco Bamboo Pet Wipes are great for when Fido doesn't quite need a bath, but his paws need to be cleaned before he comes back inside.  Or the idea of giving your cat a bath, is simply out of the question.  These all natural wipes help eliminate dirt and odors with a simple swipe.

http://www.petco.com/product/115772/Petkin-Bamboo-Eco-Pet-Wipes.aspx

Looking for other products that can reduce your carbon footprint and make life a little easier?  Try EnergyStar CFL light bulbs.  Chloroflorescent lights use up to 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.  An obvious no brainer why you should switch!  And simple reusable grocery bags create less plastic waste, but are also bigger than standard grocery bags, and usually easier to carry.  Less time wasted lugging groceries in the house = more time for you to do other things.

Let us know what green products make your life easier!