Tag Archives: recycling

A Simple Tip for Easier Recycling at Home

  By Donna DeForbes | November 10, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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This is a guest post by Jeremy Collins Living green no matter where you are in the world means an environmentally conscious lifestyle that moves towards preserving nature and the ecosystems around us. Not only do you reduce waste and conserve natural resources, but you also improve your own life quality with less clutter and a more sustainable lifestyle. You don’t have to be ready to fully commit to a green lifestyle. Just by starting small —for example, recycling aluminum—you are making a difference in the environment. About Aluminum Aluminum doesn’t break down easily, taking up to 200 years for this metal to start decomposing. So it is important that it doesn’t end up in landfills where it will just lie there for a long time. The proper way to recycle aluminum is to bring it to an aluminum recycling facility specially designed to give this material a new life. … Continue reading →

DIY Upcycling Projects: 2 of 12 - OLD TIRES

  By Donna DeForbes | November 2, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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One of the cool things about the green movement is that it has inspired people’s creativity for repurposing items. The term “upcycling,” which was first used in 1994, is now a widely understood concept that refers to the process of transforming waste or unwanted products into something new, usually of a higher quality. This post highlights five DIY Upcycling projects using old tires. Be amazed and inspired! DIY Tire Ottoman from That Was a What?!   DIY Garden Planters from Lushome   DIY Tire Sandbox from I Heart Nap Time   DIY Tire SeeSaw from My Fix It Up Life   DIY Tire Pet Bed from Fab Art DIY  

Guilt-Free Green Tip #441: Participate in a Halloween Costume Swap

  By Donna DeForbes | October 9, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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Welcome to a regular blog feature called Guilt-Free Green Tips. These will be easy action steps you can take to be a little greener, and each mini post will feature one tip. Choose the ones that appeal to you, and learn what eco benefits a single, simple step can make. Halloween costumes extend at least as far back as medieval times when people dressed up during Samhain as the fairies, ghosts and witches they feared as a way to ward off evil spirits. They went “mumming,” performing antics in exchange for food and drink. Our modern-day costumes have become much more diverse in their range of characters, often portraying whoever is popular in current media, and because of that, Halloween costumes have become a cheap, single-use industry. It’s becoming rare to see homemade outfits sewn by hand or pieced together from items around the house. This year, look for a … Continue reading →

DIY Upcycling Projects: 1 of 12

  By Donna DeForbes | October 6, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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One of the cool things about the green movement is that it has inspired people’s creativity for repurposing items. The term “upcycling,” which was first used in 1994, is now a widely understood concept that refers to the process of transforming waste or unwanted products into something new, usually of a higher quality. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’ve done a 12-month series on Eco-Friendly Crafts and Unique, Gently Green Holidays. This post begins a series highlighting DIY Upcycling projects gathered from the Internet to amaze and inspire. Suitcase Lounge Chair from Crafty Magazine   Old Leather Coat into Leather Handbag by Luz Patterns   Spool Bookcase by Pink Stitches   Do you have any DIY Upcycling projects to share?  

Eco-Friendly Birthday Parties: Alternative Party Supplies

  By Donna DeForbes | August 18, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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Tips for Eco-Friendly Birthday Parties | Eco-Mothering.com

I recently read that August is the most popular birthday month (and today happens to be mine!), which means there are thousands or even millions of birthday parties taking place this month. I love birthdays, and I love a good party. However, all the disposable waste that parties can create is a darn shame, especially when much of it can be avoided. When it comes to children’s birthdays, most people are in the habit of following the majority, which means paper plates, cups and décor in a popular licensed character theme and prettily wrapped presents of the latest plastic doll or truck. Nearly all of this stuff, including the cheap plastic party favors, gets tossed within a few hours. However, if you knew the effect all this paper and plastic waste had on trees, animals, our health and the planet, you might consider eco-friendly alternatives. (Which would likely save you … Continue reading →

Review: Bottles & Wood Upcycled Jewelry

  By Donna DeForbes | June 9, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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Bottles&Wood Upcycled Jewelry | Eco-Mothering.com

I’m a big fan of upcycling and creative reuse… and I also love pendant necklaces. So I jumped at the chance to review Bottle & Wood’s repurposed jewelry for The Green Mama. (Manda has a really awesome site and book, both of which you should check out!) Bottles & Wood is a California company that rescues used wine, liquor and water bottles from local hotels and restaurants and crafts them into gorgeous bangles, earrings and necklaces — like this Bombay Sapphire pendant necklace. Read my full review on The Green Mama — and receive 15% off your jewelry purchase!  

Breastpump Recycling Made Easy by Medela

  By Donna DeForbes | February 19, 2015 - 5:00 am | ,
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Medela Recycles Breastpumps | Eco-Mothering.com

Here’s proof that one person can make a difference! Last summer a mom from California started a petition on change.org asking Medela to uphold their motto of “Breastfeeding for Earth” and implement a breastpump recycling program. Over 2,000 people signed the petition, and Medela responded by launching a breastpump recycling program in January. The Medela Recycles program intends to keep 12,000 breast pumps out of landfills by making it easy for moms to be eco-conscious in disposing of their breastpumps. Also, in exchange for the breastpumps received through Medela Recycles, the company will donate hospital-grade Medela Symphony® Preemie+™ breastpumps and supplies to Ronald McDonald House Charities® for families with babies in NICU. Actress and mother of two, Jenna von Oy, kicked off the campaign last month by donating two hospital grade pumps to her hometown Ronald McDonald House Charities.® This is what Jenna had to say about the Medela Recycles program: “I … Continue reading →

Greener Coffee: Eco-Friendly Single Serve Cups from Equal Exchange

  By Donna DeForbes | October 28, 2014 - 5:00 am |
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Eco-friendly single serve coffee cups | Eco-Mothering.com

Single serve coffee cups have taken America by storm. When I first saw them several years ago, I thought: “Well, this is a wasteful fad that won’t last.” I was wrong. 25% of Americans now use them in their home or office. Then I swore we’d never be one of those families who bought a single-serve coffee machine; we were happy with our French press. I was wrong again — sort of. We didn’t buy the machine, but my husband received one as a gift. And, I admit, we both got kind of addicted. I’m not an every day coffee drinker, but I like my weekend mug of joe. And I couldn’t help feeling guilty about tossing all those plastic cups afterwards. So I was thrilled to learn that Equal Exchange, that model of fair trade partnerships, has introduced environmentally friendly single serve coffee cups. (Scroll down for a discount … Continue reading →