Ryan North Co-owner of Twin Cities Green As the owners of Twin Cities Green, my wife Tina and I have noticed a wonderful and growing trend of sustainability when it comes to gift giving and gift getting! From sourcing to presentation and everything in between, whether you’ve been green for …
Eureka Recycling Compostable (sometimes called biodegradable) cups, plates, and utensils are emerging on the market as an alternative to disposable plastic items. Most are made from corn, sugarcane, or other plant material. You see them at events; restaurants, coffee shops and co-ops are offering compostable to-go containers; and you can …
Harvey Meyer Community Barter Network Bartering? I thought that was something people did in the old days. You know, like, “I’ll trade you this sack of potatoes if you help me put up a fence.” Or something like that. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover bartering – primarily, exchanging …
Jessie Houlihan Do It Green! Minnesota Let’s face it: we live in a consumer society. Regardless of how self-sufficient we are, there are still things we purchase on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis. From our meals and morning coffee to the clothes we wear, our choices as consumers …
Rachel Maloney Green is much more than a shade of healthy grass these days. The buzzword describes everything from hotels to gasoline. Like the widespread use of the word “organic” prior to USDA regulation, products labeled or referred to as “green” may not represent an item that is truly safe …
Erika Rood Do It Green! Minnesota Annie Leonard’s movie, “The Story of Stuff”, points out that Americans consume 30% of the world’s resources and produce 30% of the world’s waste; however, the US has only 5% of the world’s population. We consume more than any other nation, and we work …
Wanda Urbanska Simple Living TV Walk into a typical American home today, and what do you see? A family room entertainment center overflowing with DVDs, videogames, toys, books, magazines, catalogs and recreational equipment; a kitchen teaming with such paraphernalia as a cappuccino maker, margarita blender, cookbooks, grill. Check out the …
Co-op America and the Social Investment Forum Foundation Reprinted with permission Everyone can be a community investor. It’s easy. For example, did you know that your checking account could help low income families buy affordable homes? Did you know that your IRA could help create jobs in impoverished communities? Community …
Lark Weller Institute for Social, Economic, and Ecological Sustainability Gandhi believed that “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Sadly, everywhere we turn we see consumer products that have been tested on helpless animals. As many people struggle …
Wendy Jedlicka Jedlicka Design, Ltd. Every few minutes, advertising reminds us we live in a market economy. Our buying choices have a direct impact on how industry shapes our world, and in the end, decides our collective fate. “Hold on, I’m just buying a soda, not running an oil tanker …
Tara Wesely DIG Contributor In our consumer-driven culture, we vote with our dollars. Do you want to know that your purchase doesn’t perpetuate sweatshop labor? Do you wish you could buy a vehicle that better utilized available technology? Every purchase we make sends a message to Corporate America. Lets send …
ReuseIt.com Printed with permission from author Well over a billion single-use plastic bags are given out for free each day in the world. But as the old adage says, nothing comes for free. Here are some facts to illustrate the actual costs paid by our environment and society for the …
Ellen Gavin Birch Clothing Fair made clothing is produced under fair labor conditions. Whether made in the USA or overseas, fair made clothes are sewn and produced by workers who earn a fair wage in their local contexts and who work under safe, humane conditions. Some examples of unfair or …
LoAnn Hilde The Green Mercantile, Duluth We are entering an age where concern for health and the environment is driving consumers to affect change with their financial decisions. Green retailers and businesses are specially suited to serve the “Cultural Creative” consumer, a market comprising 50 million individuals, or 26% of …
Ami Voeltz Do It Green! Minnesota Did you know that each person in Minnesota generates about SIX POUNDS of garbage a day? Of that six pounds, one-third comes from packaging. While packaging is necessary for health and safety, it is sometimes excessive. Buying disposable, single-use products also contributes to this …
Jessie Houlihan Do It Green! Minnesota Making clothing, like any other product, has an impact on the environment. In order to reduce the negative impact, buy reused clothing from thrift stores or good quality, long-lasting new products that are made from recycled content or unconventional fibers. Organic cotton or alternative …
Anna Axell Do It Green! Minnesota The origins of furoshiki (pronounced ‘fu-ro-shi-ki’) date back to the Nara period, 710-794 CE in Japan. Furoshiki was originally used to wrap clothes at the Todai temple in Nara, Japan. Furoshiki is now an essential tool in daily life in Japan and is often …
Leah Bartizal Industry Minne-Zine, Hip Hop performer, ArtScraps The holidays often find us overeating, stressfully planning and consuming lots of goods. We all fall into it at some level. Gifts have almost lost the meaning of giving when technology and demand have increased to the point at which gifts are …
Soo Chang Colonial Cleaners at 37th and Lyndale in Minneapolis If we ask anybody to characterize the 21st Century, they might say that it is the age of technology, but also the age of pollution resulting from all of this technological progress. The present day pollution is actually mostly caused …
Jessie Houlihan Do It Green! Minnesota A marriage ceremony and reception are among the most memorable celebrations in a person’s life. Traditionally, weddings evoke memories of lavish flowers, extravagant gowns, sparkling diamond engagement rings, elaborate meals, wedding favors, and guests from around the world. What most people don’t envision is …
Eli Anthony Hemp Revolution Hemp for Victory Many hemp activists claim that if hemp was allowed to grow and enter the market freely in the U.S. and elsewhere, it could cure just about everything that is ailing our planet. Despite hemp fiber’s superior strength and versatility, the potential of hemp …
Hennepin County Environmental Services Control Your Exposure Want to learn how to lose 39 pounds of unwanted mail? The best way to keep your name off a mailing list is to control your exposure. In order to keep your name off a list for the long term, think about how …
Angie Timmons Hennepin County Environmental Services How many lunch bags, sandwich bags, juice boxes and dessert packages did you throw away this year? All that packaging adds up. In fact, 30 percent of our trash is made up of packaging. A simple way to cut back on that waste is …
reduce.org Is unwanted mail a problem in the United States? Let’s do the math. Shipped: 5.2 million tons Recycled: 0.98 million tons (19%) Garbage: 4.2 million tons With 31 pounds of paper and plastic going into the garbage for every woman, man and child in America, that adds up to …
Jeannie Piekos Bag-E-Wash You do not have to feel guilty about using a dishwasher. Many studies have proven that dishwashers are much more cost-effective and energy-efficient than washing dishes by hand.* Maximize your dishwasher’s environmental effectiveness with these helpful tips: Run your dishwasher when it is completely full. Do not …
Eureka Recycling Doesn’t the symbol on the bottom of my plastic mean it’s recyclable? Not necessarily! The little number enclosed in “chasing arrows” is actually a code stamped on by the plastics industry to indicate a base-resin number, not a recycling symbol. Resin codes range from #1 to #7, but there …
John Barobs Blue Sky Guide As the green movement flourishes, so does the green retail sector. Stop by to visit some of the new green businesses throughout the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota to find some new, hip and green goods, carbon saving devices for your home, new modes of …
reduce.org From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons add up to an additional 1 million tons a week to the nation’s garbage piles. And it’s not just trash. The average American spends $800 …
Anoka County & MPCA Giving a gift from the heart doesn’t have to pack a wallup to your wallet or the planet. Instead of asking, “How much should I spend?” Think about asking, “Does it make a minimal impact on the planet?” A gift of time spent together out-of-doors, membership …
Tim Kapsner Senior Research Scientist, Aveda At Aveda, we are often questioned about organics. “Why aren’t our products labeled organic? What does it take to label a product organic? What does organic mean to us?” The issue of organics is complex and has been a growing topic of discussion in …
Sara Grochowski Do It Green! Minnesota Before the commercial revolution of the 19th century, the problem in the U.S. economy was often that of production. The transition away from agrarianism toward industrialization meant that the problem became that of consumption. According to some analysts, consumer spending represents two-thirds of the …
Did you know that most TVs and computer monitors contain two to eight pounds of toxic lead? Many electronics contain other toxic metals like mercury and cadmium, too. If any of these contaminants get into our rivers, streams, or lakes, they can harm our health and damage the environment. Most …
Jessica Houlihan Do it Green! Minnesota Do you ever open your closet to find a few items you wear and a few dozen that you don’t? Or do you, in the process of cleaning out the garage, find chemicals or lawn care products you just don’t use anymore? Regardless of …
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Modified and reprinted with author’s permission Save time and paper. Although much junk mail, including catalogs, windowed envelopes and advertisements, can be recycled, it is a worthwhile effort to reduce this waste stream at its source. Nearly 32 pounds of paper and plastic go into the …
Anoka County Shop Used First Guide Most of us have either donated to or purchased items from a thrift store at one time or another, but we may not all realize just how extensive the opportunities are for purchasing used items and for making donations. For example, consider the following …
Jahanara Wendy Tremayne Swap-O-Rama-Rama “There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness.” -Gandhi Swap-O-Rama-Rama is an egalitarian project, a giant clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself (DIY) workshops in which communities explore reuse through the reconstruction of used clothing. Swap-O-Rama-Rama’s are making their way …
Ten Things You SHOULD BUY to Stop Waste & Save Money 1. Reusable Shopping Bags: paper bags are made of virgin paper and plastic bags are not degradable2. Faucet Aerator: reduces the water flow by half 3. Rechargeable Batteries: batteries release heavy metals into the soil 4. Compact Fluorescent Light …
Wedge co-op newsletter Reprinted with permission From around the world, we hear heart-wrenching stories about mistreated and abused workers who earn meager wages. Or worse, we hear about millions of children sold into servitude or forced to work in unsafe conditions for pittance wages to contribute to their family’s survival. …
Sara Grochowski Do It Green! Minnesota Every choice consumers make, regardless of scale, impacts the environment. However, the buying process can be overwhelming, and it is best to start with the basics. Some important tips to remember are: • Avoid excess packaging• Buy products in recyclable containers• Buy reusable and …
Dallas Rising Animal Rights Coalition Given the inherent cruelties involved in animal testing, consumers are growing more conscious of their purchases. Unfortunately, cruelty free labeling is not always clear. Currently, there are no specific laws that regulate the labeling of products with regard to animal testing, so conscientious shoppers need …
Reprinted from the American Vegan Society and The Green Guide Wool Reprinted from American Vegan Society The primary damage done to the earth by sheep is in their destructive grazing. It is commonly thought that sheep graze on land that is unfit for cultivation. But studies in many areas of …
Jessica Houlihan Do It Green! Magazine When natural foods and green products were first created, a select niche market of consumers bought them. Due to increased public awareness and the resulting rise of demand for these products, more companies are choosing to create organic foods or adapt some of their …
Kathie Armstrong Kathie’sFinds.com My business is based on the belief that we must value what is already here and the energy that was used to create it. I visits thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales to find things that are in need of a new life. By cleaning, fixing, …
Kate Rime & Ami Voeltz Blue Sky Guide and Do It Green! Minnesota Knowing what products or services are truly environmentally preferable isn’t always easy. In today’s retail sector, we encounter “green” everywhere! As a Minnesotan, you can feel confident that there are two great resources available to you to …
Steve Bodzin www.newvillage.net, reprinted by permission At the end of the 18th century, cooperatives began when people started creating organizations through which they could buy products as a group, without giving extra money to a commercial middleperson. For 200 years, cooperatives have been proving that democratically controlled businesses can meet …
Reprinted from “Why Buy Recycled” Published by Anoka County Recycling is more complex than just collecting materials to keep them out of the waste stream. Recyclables must be made into new products and then to “close the recycling loop” they must be purchased and recycled again. You support recycling by …
Ami Voeltz Do It Green! Minnesota Use this guide when planning any event from an office meeting to a large public event. To download this list online, visit doitgreen.org. Reducing Waste: Purge mailing lists to eliminate invalid addresses or duplicate mailings. Paper: Use backsides of paper for drafts, use paper …
