Green Gifts Fair | Do It Green! Minnesota

Do It Green! Minnesota will be hosting our 15th annual event virtually with some exciting, new ways to participate.

SHOP GREEN AND LOCAL!

Start your “window shopping” now to view our 60 eco vendors offering green gift options this holiday season.

Their discounts and specials will run the four days of the Green Gifts Fair event through our vendor directory starting at 10am on Thursday, November 19th – 7pm on Sunday, November 22nd.

The first 50 shoppers to email a photo of their purchase or receipt after 10am on Thursday, November 19th receives a FREE Chinook Book App! (send email to submit@doitgreen.org)

SPECIAL EVENTS!

Midtown Global Market contact free drop in stations November 19 -22nd:

Nature mandala installation & meditation
Community message cards with All Are Welcome Here
Free seed packet pick up from our Seed Library
Environmental Justice murals on display by Youth In Power
Xcel Energy goodie bag pick up Saturday 11/21 & Sunday 11/22
Urban bird walk with the Urban Bird Collective on Sunday, November 22 9-10am (RSVP required, 15 max)

Virtual Forest Fun Run with goodie bag giveaways on Saturday, November 21st, powered by

Children’s Storytime & Celebration Family Dance Party with Live DJ and lights by Curio Dance on Zoom on Sunday, November 22 at 7pm

Green Tips

Lead Your Community to Sustainability

People in small towns, suburban communities, and urban neighborhoods all over Minnesota and western Wisconsin are banding together to make their communities more livable and sustainable. Are you ready to make sustainable changes in your community? This article offers many tips for getting started, including learning more about sustainability plus how to create an action plan for your city.

Take Easy Steps to Save Energy at Home

The average Minnesota family spends over $4,000 on energy (includes natural gas, electricity and gasoline) and produces over 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Here are some easy ways to save energy:

Turn off lights and electronics (TVs, radios, computers) when leaving a room. This can help your family avoid producing 298 pounds of carbon dioxide over the course of the year.
Be mindful of your heat and central air. Turning your furnace thermostat down just two degrees in the winter saves $53/year and prevents 569 pounds of CO₂, and you won’t even notice the change.
Unplug electronics and appliances while not in use, like cell phone chargers, video game consoles, and microwaves. Anything with a clock, remote or LED light is using energy all the time, even if it’s turned off. Power strips are a quick fix—and you can save $14/year.

Check out our Personal Energy Checklist for more great ideas!

Host a Clothing Swap

Swapping is a great way to eliminate waste and engage in reuse. Instead of throwing away items that you no longer want, you give them to someone who does, and instead of purchasing brand new items, you can reuse items you receive from others. Swapping can also be a way to provide items to people who cannot afford to purchase them, and it is a wonderful way to meet new people and build a sense of community.

Check out Swapping Made Easy for a full list of tips to hosting your own swap!

Contact Your State Legislator

As a constituent, you are your local legislators’ highest priority. Why not share your views with them and ask them to support your position? It may seem like your letters and emails will get lost in a deep, dark political hole, but don’t despair. Whether you call, fax, email or visit in person, this article offers tips on how to effectively communicate with your elected officials and get them to listen.

Install a Solar Water Heater

Solar water heating is one of the least publicized but most cost-effective renewable energy options. According to Windy Dankoff of Conergy, solar water heaters capture six times more energy than solar electric at a third the cost.

Read our full article on Solar Water Heaters for more information.

Unplug to Avoid Phantom Load

Did you know that you have electronics in your home leaking electricity—electricity that you pay for—24 hours a day, 7 days a week? The power drain is called “phantom load,” and it is a big problem with a simple solution.

The easiest strategy is to use power strips to cut the power to your electronics. When you turn off a power strip, it stops phantom load leaks. Start with your entertainment center and home office where you can find the biggest leaks: televisions, game consoles and computers. Make sure your power strip is located in an easy-to-reach place so you can easily turn it on or off. Set up a power strip as a charger station where your family can plug in all their cell phones, PDAs and music players. Most importantly…turn it off when you’re not using it!

Take the Energy Challenge

The fastest, cheapest, easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint is through energy efficiency and conservation. Plus, you’ll save yourself money in the process! Need a little boost to get started? Join the Minnesota Energy Challenge and learn from thousands of Minnesotans who have pledged to reduce their energy use—and are finding fun, creative ways to do it. Read more about the Challenge here.

Reduce Paper Waste at the Office

Office paper is highly recyclable, but reducing or preventing paper waste is even more cost effective than recycling. Some ideas for reducing office paper waste:

Double-sided copying and printing.
Reusing paper. Keep a collection box by the copy machine for bad copies so the second side can be reused.
Make use of electronic communication.
Use smaller cover sheets or eliminate the cover sheet all together.
Reuse items from old packaging.
Reuse materials in-house, through clients, customers and consumers.
Consider buying the most environmentally-friendly paper (100% post-consumer recycled) to stock in your printers, copiers and fax machines.

Check out our full article Green Your Office for more great ideas.

Start a Recycling Program at Work

If your office doesn’t have a recycling program, consider being a catalyst for big change by starting one yourself. See our full list of tips on how to get started (including identifying a Recycling Coordinator and selecting a Recycling Company) in our article, Green Your Office.

Make an Action Plan

Wait. Scratch that. Don’t make your own list of simple things you can do today to make a positive difference for the climate—use ours! This list offers 20 easy things you can do that will help you and your family lighten your load on the environment, keep more money in your pocket, and inspire you to find even more ways to tread lightly on this earth.

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet

Do It Green! Minnesota will be hosting our 15th annual event virtually with some exciting, new ways to participate.

SHOP GREEN AND LOCAL!

SPECIAL EVENTS!

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet

Mark your calendars and tell your friends!

15th Annual Virtual Green Gifts Fair event!

Do It Green! Minnesota will be hosting our 15th annual event virtually with some exciting, new ways to participate.

SHOP GREEN AND LOCAL!

SPECIAL EVENTS!

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