General | Page 68 | Do It Green! Minnesota

Take a Tech Dump During Salvage Saturdays in May

April 26, 2017

Get rid of that pile of denial and turn your old electronics into jobs at Tech Dump and Tech Discounts, the nonprofit social enterprise e-waste recycler and retailer. Cables, cords, computers, cell phones and working flat screen TVs are free. Otherwise, fees may apply.    WHERE:   Tech Dump Saint Paul, 698 Prior Avenue N, Saint Paul, MN 55104.    Tech Dump Golden Valley, 825 Boone Ave North #100, Golden Valley, MN 55427.   Tech Discounts, Clover Shopping…

Savory Sweet: Open House Book Launch

April 19, 2017

“Let’s dispense with the usual old notions of preserving,” Beth Dooley suggests, leading us into Mette Nielsen’s kitchen. Their approach combines the bright, bold flavors of Nordic cuisines while emphasizing the local, the practical, and the freshest ingredients to turn each season’s produce into a bounty of condiments. Please join Beth Dooley, Mette Nielsen and…

Make & Take Rain Barrel Workshop – Just $35!

April 17, 2017

What’s one of the simplest, high-impact ways to save water and help protect our local watersheds? Using a rain barrel. Thanks to Coca-Cola Refreshments of Eagan, Friends of the Mississippi River has 30 used syrup containers for participants to turn into rain barrels on Thursday, May 25th, from 6:00-7:00 PM. During the course of this workshop,…

Go birding at Riverside Park

April 17, 2017

Take a morning stroll through Riverside Park while enjoying a birding tour led by Friends of the Mississippi River staff on Saturday, May 20th, from 7:30-9:00 AM. Riverside Park is a nature study area intended to be left in a natural state providing much-needed habitat and resources. We hope to spot a variety of birds,…

TRANSITION DAY NORTHEAST

April 14, 2017

Green 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.

Purchase Sustainable Lumber and Wood Products

Minnesota’s forests are vital to the state economy and environment. The Minnesota wood products industry provides employment to rural communities and serves markets throughout the world. As global trade in forest products grows, forest certification has emerged as a mechanism for consumers to identify wood products produced from sustainably managed forests. Nearly 50 different companies in Minnesota manufacture and market certified products. Retailers and distributors sell a variety of lumber, paneling, and decking products. Numerous local paper and printing companies also offer certified products.

More info here!

Pack a No Waste Lunch

A ‘no-waste lunch’ is a meal that does not end up in the trash. Buy food in bulk and put it in reusable containers to carry to school or work. Packing your food in reusables is typically less expensive and creates less waste than buying food that comes in disposable containers.

Check out our No Waste Lunch tips!

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!

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!

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.

Practice Greener Pest Control

Preventive and non-toxic pest control strategies are not only better for the environment and your wallet, but also human health. Before the advent of toxic aerosol sprays and poisons post World War II, many people used passive and more natural means to control pests by deterring and preventing their entry.

Find a list of green pest control ideas in our article on Pest Control, the Old Fashioned Way!

Start an Organics Recycling Program

Establishing an organics recycling program is a great way to reduce the amount of trash an organization or household disposes. Organics include all food waste and non-recyclable or food-soiled paper products and can make up approximately 25 percent of what we throw away. This article offers tips on how to start your own program.

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.

Start Backyard Composting

Did you know that the average Minnesota household throws 15 pounds of compostable materials into the trash every single week? Composting is an easy and simple way to have an immediate personal impact by diverting trash from the landfill or incinerator. Backyard composting takes leaves, grass clippings, veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and tissue and turns them into valuable compost that reduces the amount of water and fertilizer required for your yard and garden, improves soil quality and supplies essential nutrients for plant growth.

Learn more!

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet