holidays | Do It Green! Minnesota

No Waste Gift Ideas

February 26, 2016October 10, 2012

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 …

Gifts That Keep On Giving

February 26, 2016October 10, 2012

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 …

No Waste Holidays

April 13, 2016October 10, 2012

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 …

Affordable Green Gift Ideas

April 13, 2016October 10, 2012

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 …

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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 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.

Go Green with Cloth Diapers

An average child will go through 8-10 diapers a day until the age of 30 months. That’s about 8,000 diapers, and a cost of about $2,500! A good set of 20 cloth diapers will cost an average of $350 and can be used for future children or even resold. Cloth diapers save you money and keep a significant amount of trash out of the landfill or incinerator.

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.

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.

A meat-eater’s view of Mindful Eating

No Waste Gift Ideas

Gifts That Keep On Giving

No Waste Holidays

Affordable Green Gift Ideas

A meat-eater’s view of Mindful Eating

Our Sponsors