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What’s in your Fridge? Getting started with Organics Recycling

May 12, 2016May 9, 2016

I was at an earth day event last week and most people were familiar with the concept of organics recycling (or composting), but didn’t know where to start. I have often thought that a good way to introduce the idea of organics recycling to my neighbors would be to show …

African American Environmental Leaders

May 12, 2016February 1, 2016

February is Black History Month, and while it’s important that we remember and honor the contributions of African American year-round, this month is certainly an appropriate time to think about the African Americans who have had a substantial role in environmental history There have been many African Americans who played …

Become a Citizen Scientist this Winter

May 12, 2016January 13, 2016

As the weather is finally starting to feel like winter, many Minnesotans are looking forward to some outdoor winter fun, while others are curling up indoors and staying warm. Regardless of whether you want to stay inside or venture out into the cold, consider joining a citizen science project and …

Swap with Do It Green! MN

May 12, 2016December 21, 2015

Recently, I was pulling together some data on the 2015 Do It Green! clothing and seed swaps, and I was amazed to see how much success we had this year! Combined, our two swaps had almost 200 people attend, and they brought over 900lbs of clothing! About half of that …

Much to be thankful for this year

May 12, 2016November 23, 2015

This past weekend, Do It Green! Minnesota hosted our 10 Annual Green Gifts Fair. The Green Gifts Fair is a holiday shopping event that features local, sustainable businesses and include many educational booths on lowering your environmental impacts around the holidays. Despite this emphasis on green living and sustainability, for …

Green Tips

Learn from St. Paul

Wondering what our state’s capitol city is doing about climate change? The city is committed to making St. Paul “The Most Livable City in America” and a leader in sustainable urban living. To accomplish this, the city concentrates on energy efficiency and conservation, clean energy supply, alternative fuels, transportation options, recycling and waste reduction, and other areas. Find out more here.

Start a Neighborhood Eco-Parent Group

We all want to do the best for our children, especially when it comes to protecting their health and the environment in which they live. Sometimes, knowing the most effective ways to do this can be confusing and challenging, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. Consider starting an eco-parent group in your neighborhood to learn alongside other parents. This article offers some tips.

Host an Art Night

Looking for a new way to connect with your neighbors, get free life advice, and spark your creative juices? Consider hosting an art night at your house, complete with paints, modeling clay, colored pencils and art smocks. Get messy, be creative, and let the conversation flow. For inspiration and resources, check out this article.

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!

Buy Reusable for Parties, Picnics & Holidays

Purchase durable, long lasting reusable items for serving and eating food such as silverware, glasses, bowls, mugs, plates, and cloth napkins. When you choose reusable over disposable, even if it costs more up front, it will save money and be less wasteful. Think about the amount of trash you can keep out of the landfill or the incinerator by choosing to reuse!

Check out our article on How to Plan a Low Waste Event for more ideas!

Install a Programmable Thermostat

A programable thermostat can save $100 per year. Set it 2 degrees higher in summer and 2 degrees lower in winter for an additional money and energy savings.

Check out the Home Energy Checklist for more great ideas!

Think Twice About Bottled Water

If you live in an area with clean drinking water, fill a reusable bottle with tap water and bring it with you wherever you go to avoid buying bottled water. The U.S. sends 2 million tons of plastic water bottles to landfills each year—and producing those bottles requires oil and emits carbon dioxide. Some restaurants in the Twin Cities feel so strongly against bottled water that they refuse to sell it. Learn more.

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!

Buy Green Office Supplies

“Green” doesn’t necessarily mean “good” when it comes to so-called green office supplies. To help your office green up, consider durability, natural resource and energy use, recycled content and recyclability, toxicity, biodegradability and packaging before you purchase supplies. You can also set up a reuse system for the supplies you already have. For more tips on green office products, check out this article.

Host a Climate Café

Climate cafés are a relatively new offshoot of the café discussion movement, which takes its inspiration from philosophical discussion groups. These discussion cafés offer a venue for respectful public conversation on the challenging subjects facing us daily. You can host a discussion anywhere and get the climate conversation going. Interested? Check out this article.

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet