Everyone knows about the ENERGY STAR rating that comes with household appliances, right? Well do you know what it means? ENERGY STAR is a governmental joint program with the Environmental Protection Agency. In 1992, the EPA introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to promote energy efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In our business environs, ENERGY STAR has been a force behind more widespread use of innovations like more efficient lighting, power management systems for office equipment and low standby energy use.

As an example of the work it does, in one state, say, Pennsylvania, the ENERGY STAR qualified homes built in 2009 are equivalent to eliminating emissions from 772 vehicles, saving 4,668,300 lbs. of coal, planting 1,276 acres of trees and saving the environment of 9,155,475 lbs of carbon dioxide.

Taken from the most updated specification sheets, the number of qualified ENERGY STAR clothes washers is 478 and this includes almost all popular name brands such as; Whirlpool, Amana, Frigidaire, GE, Kenmore, Maytag and Speed Queen. It doesn’t stop there; ratings include categories of appliances like air conditioners, dehumidifiers, heat pumps, light bulbs, dishwashers, computers, etc….  The ENERGY STAR website features many tips on how to improve efficiency in your new home or with home improvements. You can take a virtual walk-through of an ENERGY STAR home and it will show you how to save energy and money in all areas. There are tips on how to select a contractor and downloads for maintaining your HVAC equipment and several other topics. Give the site a look and see how much information there is available to help you save energy and money!

Most of the processes used in bamboo-made products are not always green. Factories are using harsh chemicals to turn the bamboo into a soft enough fiber to form it. To turn the bamboo into planks, they must use toxic glues and formaldehyde. As popular as bamboo is, most production facilities exist in China and are not regulated. To boost yields the trees are fertilized and sprayed with pesticides which defeat the whole purpose. That is the not-so good stuff.

Some of the greenest bamboo doesn’t come from monoculture plantations but, rather, from award winning operations such as Madagascar Bamboo, which harvests naturally occurring plants from the edges of farms. (The farmers used to think of the bamboo as a valueless annoyance.) This provides cash for crops which is given back to the farmer locally; it decreases pressure on forests, conserves rare hardwoods and is a sustainable product. When selecting bamboo products such as natural wood flooring, make sure you are using a company that is regulated, is helping out the local farmer and that the manufacturer is committed to social and environmental responsibility.

Electric Clothes Dryers are detrimental to our environment. They leave off significant amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere every day, over a ton a year per household! If you use them, synthetic dryer sheets are also full of petrochemicals that are emitted into our air. I found this website that is solely dedicated to drying your laundry on the line. Called LineDryIt.com, this site is based in Australia where line drying is still a prevalent way of life. They have many new alternatives to the old pole-in-the-ground laundry line like my grandmother used. Some are hide away products, and not so obtrusive for those who live in a tight space or don’t like the look of a traditional clothes line.

By Dena Fritz

Energizer LED Rechargeable Flashlight

With our active lifestyle, we use flashlights for many purposes several times a week. We are always disappointed that our flashlights die out after just a few uses. It seems that just when we need them most, they fail us and leave us with frustration. On weekends, we are frequently away, to our boat on the Chesapeake or to our daughter’s cabin in the mountains. When we travel, we are always in need of a flashlight to turn the power on, or to row across a creek, or just to walk in the dark. After fruitless searches for the most economical and green way to light our path, I found this handy little tool that runs 8 hours on one charge and gives off a bright white Nichia LED light. It has two levels of luminescence and is very lightweight. The best part about it is that it plugs in the wall to be recharged and does not use costly wasteful batteries that harm our environment. We liked them so much, we bought two! We carry them with us every weekend in our luggage and upon arrival of wherever we go; we just plug them in to ensure that they are always fully charged. When we get home, we plug them back in and viola! We have charged up flashlights in case of an at-home emergency. This flashlight really fits our way of life and we wouldn’t want to be without them. Using them is responsible and cost effective.

Each year, over 3 billion dry-cell household batteries are purchased in the United States. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, consumer batteries contribute more mercury and cadmium to municipal solid waste than any other source. Long-term exposure to heavy metals can lead to serious health problems. Cadmium can cause lung, circulatory system, or reproductive system damage. Mercury can damage the brain, kidneys, or fetuses, as well as cause genetic, neurological, or psychological disorders. Cadmium, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, and zinc have each been linked to cancer, developmental disorders, and immune deficiency. So needless to say, the less we use them, the better and the better for our environment.

By Dena Fritz

Buy your products in bulk and you can help save our earth! The landfills are being loaded up with consumer packaging and we can do something to put a stop to it. Wasteful packaging, for products like toilet paper, paper towels, napkins… buy a product in bulk and it is wrapped one time compared to buying it every week and in the end, you have thrown away several wrappers. You may even pay higher prices by buying food and produce in fancy excessive packaging. They look nice but when unwrapped, the quality is not better, just prettier. Buy your meat in larger quantities and break up, place in reusable containers to freeze. That means less Styrofoam, which NEVER breaks down in a landfill.

The same goes with many products that are boxed needlessly. Deodorant now comes without fancy boxes, who needs them? They go in the trash and kill trees anyway. Look at these things when shopping and try to buy things that go package free. Many manufacturers are looking at ways to display their products without all the needless dump fillers. You can do your part by shopping smart and avoiding all the over-done packaging that are most times just marketing ploys.

By Dena Fritz

Cisco Brothers Furniture proves that sustainable living environments do not have to be dull, boring or plain! With several retailers throughout the US, finding a Cisco Brothers dealer shouldn’t be a problem. The LEED compliant (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) manufacturer of handcrafted furniture constructs their wares by using all natural materials such as wool batting, hemp, jute and certified and reclaimed hardwoods. Based in LA, Cisco Brothers wood furniture and frames are FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council*) they use water based adhesives, vegetable dyed leather, natural latex, down, feathers or soy- based foam cushion options and it is all made in the USA!  Their beautiful sofas, chairs and wood products fit all lifestyles and different needs. Cisco retails five collections plus an accessories line; Basal Living (Raw beauty with lifetime durability.), Epoch (Embracing beauty from the past.), Habita (Sophisticated city living.), Harmony (A twist on traditional furniture. It is classic, yet soft.) and P. Casero (A striking blend of high-design and comfort.) For 20 years Cisco Brothers have produced organic beauty with a commitment to the environment.

  * FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

More and more today we are looking at ways to develop alternative fuels. There is a desire to stop the price gouging of the oil industry and the control that it has over us. We want to be free of the ties that bind us to OPEC and avoid tragedies like the Gulf oil spill.

 There are many ways to do this. We can carpool, take public transportation, and develop clean sources of energy to run our vehicles (which is no small task). I read an article about a restaurant owner who actually uses his deep fryer oil to power his car! Now this is ingenuity. If we all took on the enthusiasm that the restaurant owner did with the grease from his fryers (he found a way, didn’t he?) and applied it, I believe we could make a significant difference to free us of our dependence on fossil fuels.

 Hybrid cars are becoming enormously popular, are moderate in price and are low on fuel usage and exhaust emissions. Not to mention, you get the satisfaction of doing your part to help with the effort of minimizing global warming.

I wrote a little poem to help you to remember how important it is!

Let’s Do Our Part

Drive a hybrid

Refer a friend

Lower emissions

The globe will mend

Drive a hybrid

Save on expenses

Conserve our energy

Come to our senses

Drive a hybrid

Save our land

And free us at last

By taking a stand

Tips for Throwing a Green Bridal or Baby Shower

By Dena Fritz

•  Choose a setting that is environmentally-friendly, a park, garden or an Eco-oriented day spa
• Use reusable/washable dinnerware and utensils
• Use reusable/washable linens
• Ask that all gifts come unwrapped or wrapped in reusable items, like dish towels, etc..
• Decorated with potted plants instead of cut flowers
• Save trees – use e-vite instead
• Decorate with fabric that can be reused
• Select a central location to minimize travel time
• Use local grown, organic and seasonal foods
• Local or Organic Wine, beer and natural juices
• Favors – Give flower seeds or seedlings to plant in honor of the couple’s new life
• Create ambiance with soy candles

Today, new parents are more conscious of the environment, seeking out green friendly options. Concern for their baby’s future and the devastating affects that disposable diapers have on our land fills*, oil consumption and the wasteful usage of trees to produce them; parents are feeling the pressure and the need for change.

There are cloth diaper websites popping up all over the internet for parents who are looking to wash their own diapers. The cloth diapers of today are much more user friendly and more comfortable for baby with streamlined designs, soft Velcro closures and washable liners made of 100% ultra-soft organic cotton. The diapers of today grow with baby and any dyes used are water soluble.

From birth to toilet training, a baby goes through an average of 8000 diaper changes. This sheer volume of diapers makes one thing clear: Your choice of diaper – cloth or disposable – has a tremendous impact on the welfare of your baby and the planet.

*An estimated 18 billion single-use diapers are thrown in landfills each year, taking as many as 500 years to decompose, and commonly contain raw, untreated sewage. Disposable diapers make up the third largest source of solid waste in landfills, after newspapers and food and beverage containers. It takes upwards of 82,000 tons of plastic and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp, or a quarter-million trees, to manufacture the disposable diapers that cover the bottoms of 90 percent of the babies born in the US.

Taken from the National Association of Diaper Services website.     

Well, first of all, you have to rinse out each carton, container, or can that you plan on recycling. Second of all, you have to determine whether or not your municipality recycles what you are about to get rid of. Each place differs in what they take in. When I started, I had no idea that there were guidelines, and quite frankly felt ridiculous once I found out!

Once I was enlightened, I found that it was actually quite easy to decipher. All you have to do is go to your township’s website, and look up recycling. Almost all counties have it broken down in an easy to read fashion. This way, you aren’t wasting time or energy recycling something that isn’t going to actually be re-used, and vice-versa. Do me a favor and log into your municipality’s website and take a look…you will feel much more confident when you take out your recycling bin!