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Greener Quilting

May 12, 2016January 12, 2015

I started quilting a few years ago, and I’ve been completely hooked ever since. It’s one of my favorite hobbies for a lot of reasons. For one thing, while it can take me months to create a quilt, it’s something that I can do at any time at home, regardless …

Environmental News Sources

May 12, 2016December 29, 2014

2015 is just around the corner, and while there’s a lot to look forward to in the new year, there are also a number of issues to keep an eye on. There is sure to be new developments on the broad, worldwide issues like climate change and species loss, but …

Massive Open Online Courses

May 13, 2016December 15, 2014

One of the questions we get asked most often here at Do It Green! Minnesota is where people can get more in-depth information on a topic. We encourage people to check out all the articles on our website, recommend books, and direct them to other organizations. One great resource that …

Green Holiday Baking

May 13, 2016December 1, 2014

For many years now, it’s been my tradition to start my holiday baking over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Each year, I bake about 40-45 dozen cookies (yes you read that correctly!) and mail them off to my family throughout the country. This is a very big undertaking for me, and …

Winter Gardening

May 13, 2016November 17, 2014

It’s 12 degrees, snowy, and icy, and I just had a great conversation with a colleague about year-round gardening! You probably think we were talking about greenhouses, but we weren’t. Our conversation actually went back and forth between two topics- windowsill herb gardens and fall planting of flower seeds. Many …

Green Tips

Green Your Laundry

Green laundry practices are good for the environment and for your wallet! Use cold water, wash only when clothes are dirty, line dry clothes year round, buy concentrated laundry detergent in refillable containers, use non-chlorine bleach, and purchase Energy Star appliances when possible.

Check out our full list of green laundry tips!

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.

Green Your Child’s Lunch

Home-packed lunches can be fun, healthy, and green, with very little time or money required. A child’s lunch, including organic fruit, requires less than five minutes on average to prepare and could cost as little as $1.00 per day-compared to over $2.25 for school lunch.

Try these suggestions to green your packed lunches, whether for children, adults, or picnics!

Check Windows and Doors for Energy Efficiency

Here are some easy tips for Home Energy Savings:

Leaky windows, doors and frames can let out the air you paid to heat or cool. Once a year, check the caulking around your windows, doors and joints to make sure everything is sealed tightly.
Install weather stripping around any leaky windows and doors.
If you use storm windows, check them each winter to be sure they provide a good seal and are not cracked.
If you have only single glaze windows, you can purchase do-it-yourself plastic storms that just tape into place.
If you use window air conditioners, take them out for the winter. If they are attached to the wall or too big to move, make sure they are well-covered with insulating material to avoid leaking a lot of your warm air.
If you have a fireplace, install a glass door that reduces hot air loss.

Purchase Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Your family can save 13,000 gallons of water per year with a low flush toilet, 2,900 gallons with a low flow shower head and 700 gallons with faucet aerators. Reducing temperature and usage of hot water will also save money and energy.

Find more great water saving tips with our Home Water Audit Checklist!

Learn from Woodbury

Is it possible for one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota to be sustainable? The City of Woodbury has committed to try. Since adopting its initial Sustainability Resolution in 2006, the City has progressed toward becoming a sustainable community through several initiatives. You can read more about them in here. Can your city follow suit?

Choose Safe Art Supplies

Arts and crafts materials can be hazardous to your health and the environment. Even though the Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act of 1988 requires stringent labeling of hazardous materials in art supplies, many materials are out of compliance. This article offers tips to help you choose safe art supplies, plus substitutes to harmful substances.

Support Strong Towns

The automobile era spurred the expansion of highways and the fragmentation of natural habitats and communities. Now, the suburban American lifestyle had led to an obesity epidemic, high levels of resource consumption, and oil dependency. Strong Towns is a nonprofit that helps cities focus on resiliency instead of growth. Find out more.

Reduce Waste When You Travel

Travelers can generate a lot of waste and pollution, even with the best intentions. But it isn’t hard to make a few changes that can help us avoid a lot of trash and otherwise green up our time away from home. It is our responsibility to take care of the places we inhabit, and to show that we respect the place we are traveling to, that others inhabit.

Check out more tips on reducing waste while traveling!

Support a Local Business

Did you know that roughly 73 cents of every dollar spent at a local business stays within the community, compared to 43 cents for non-local chain stores? When you buy from local businesses, you help that business employ community workers, support other local businesses, and contribute to the community’s overall health. Read more here about the benefits of buying locally.

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet