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Other Resources to Get Your Hands On

April 13, 2016October 10, 2012

Ami Voeltz The Twin Cities Green Guide The Twin Cities Green Guide covers many issues dealing with “green” living, sustainability and healthy communities. We feel we have covered all the important topics that are connected with these issues. In some cases, we only had enough space to introduce the issue. …

Gardening Mini Manual

April 13, 2016October 10, 2012

Robert Mugaas University of Minnesota Extension Educator, Horticulture Home flower and vegetable gardening can be a fascinating and rewarding activity involving the whole family. There is hardly anything more rewarding than walking out to your gardens and harvesting fresh vegetables for your stir fry and cutting a few stems of …

Green Tips

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!

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 Recycling Program at Work

If your office doesn’t have a recycling program, consider being a catalyst for big change by starting one yourself. See our full list of tips on how to get started (including identifying a Recycling Coordinator and selecting a Recycling Company) in our article, Green Your Office.

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.

Plant a Rain Garden

Many people do not realize that rain carries pollutants from our houses, yards, streets, sidewalks and parking lots to the nearest storm drain, leading directly to local lakes, streams and rivers. Rain gardens are designed to have a center depression to help rainwater seep into the soil. This infiltration helps recharge groundwater and reduces polluted runoff.

Check out our article on rain gardens to 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!

Reduce Paper Waste at the Office

Office paper is highly recyclable, but reducing or preventing paper waste is even more cost effective than recycling. Some ideas for reducing office paper waste:

Double-sided copying and printing.
Reusing paper. Keep a collection box by the copy machine for bad copies so the second side can be reused.
Make use of electronic communication.
Use smaller cover sheets or eliminate the cover sheet all together.
Reuse items from old packaging.
Reuse materials in-house, through clients, customers and consumers.
Consider buying the most environmentally-friendly paper (100% post-consumer recycled) to stock in your printers, copiers and fax machines.

Check out our full article Green Your Office for more great ideas.

Learn from Shoreview

Shoreview Green Community is a group of citizens from the north metro community of Shoreview who are working with the Sierra Club North Star Chapter to make Shoreview a model community for its environmental practices. The group focuses on clean water, efficient resource use, and transportation issues. Learn more about how your community can model Shoreview’s environmental efforts here.

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!

Learn from Winona

Environmental change is coming fast to the historic Mississippi River town of Winona. Learn about collaboration at its best in this article. It describes how Winona’s major public institutions—the city, county, Winona State University, and Winona Public Schools—are joining forces to become an ISO 14001 community.

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet

Other Resources to Get Your Hands On

Gardening Mini Manual

How Our Food Choices Effect the Planet

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