Stop listening to the old wives tales: Wash your laundry in cold water.
A whopping 90% of energy used for washing clothes is heating the water (Planet Green). If you select that cold/cold option for 4 out of 5 cycles, you’ll save 72 LBs of carbon dioxide emissions this month alone! (It’s also good for your wallet – You’ll save $60-100 a year on energy bills too!)
Valentine’s Day could be the most controversial holidays – People either love celebrating who they love or deem the holiday a marketing 
scam.
Regardless of which side you’re on, here’s a phenom idea for those recently-single or coping with an ex-lover:
Continue Leave a Comment February 10, 2010
When it comes to saving paper … here’s an oldie but a goodie .
Say ‘no thanks’ to receipts from the ATM, the coffee shop, cabs, drug stores – anywhere you can! I try to let the salesperson know I don’t need one before they ask – so they can forgo printing all together.
These days most of us are paying bills online. But, what about those catalogues you still receive that you don’t even glance at? Opt-out! Send customer service an email or give them a phone call. Your mailbox will be less cluttered and you’re passing on an important conservation message.
Posted by Beth
Leave a Comment February 3, 2010
Don’t throw out your ipod or MP3 player when it stops working – You can recycle it! Apple’s Recycling Program offers a 10% discount on your next purchase when you bring your old iPod in for recycling. You can also recycle old cell phones, old computer systems and Macs!
If you’re in the market to buy new electronics, Apple also sells refurbished iPods & MACs. Try buying a ‘reincarnated’ one over a new to save some green.
Continue Leave a Comment January 28, 2010
Brrr it’s cold outside! Stay toasty and reduce emissions this winter…
Keep energy costs at a minimum. It’s easier than you may guess. Simply insulate your windows with plastic window film (for example) to keep the cold out – even hanging heavy curtains helps to stay warm this time of year.
Posted by Beth
Leave a Comment January 14, 2010
Want to limit the eco-impact from your gift-giving this year? 
Instead of the typical gift ideas, give an ‘experience’ gift. Movies, concerts, restaurants, massages or cooking classes all are thoughtful alternatives of the typical stocking stuffers.
Another bonus: You can pick something you & the recipient both enjoy to spend time together!
My friends, co-workers & family know I co-write “Green Philly Blog” and ask for green advice. While I often can assist, I occasionally don’t even know the answer… (Sorry to expose that fact.) As Beth & I have mentioned before, the green route isn’t always crystal-clear – especially with green imposters. When I was asked about eco-friendliness of toilet paper, I had to do a little research.
My old roomie & I were meant to be: As one visiting friend pointed out, we were huge fans of 1-ply toilet paper – not always found at mid-20, chick apartments. However, it turns out this mutual love of 1-ply is quite eco-friendly.
Want to know what to look for in TP purchases? Experts recommend:
Continue 2 Comments December 11, 2009
Need to cut some excess from your life?
While you may be familiar with Beth’s Paper Peeve and my co-workers apologize each time they print a doc… but no longer fear! An easy gesture such as shrinking your margins (I recommend .5″ on all sides ) on computer printouts will save your printer (and co-workers) pages.
Word 2007 even has an easy default:
You’ll be amazed at how much more info you can fit & trees you can save! (One study by Change the Margins says if you change your margins to .75″ on all sides, you can reduce paper by 4.75% – saving 1.14 trees per ton of paper. If the whole US changed their margins, we’d save 6,156,000 trees every year just by a small change.)
Continue 3 Comments September 29, 2009
Next time you’re defrosting frozen food, instead of using your countertops or microwave – use your fridge. It’ll take a bit longer, but by planning ahead and defrosting in the refrigerator you’ll
Continue Leave a Comment September 17, 2009
While recently discussing wedding ideas with my recently-named ‘future sister-in-law’, I revisited the “Greening your wedding” idea and contemplated the 
essential ‘wedding favors’. How can you give your guests an eco-friendly take-a-way?
Here are some ideas to find the perfect earthly gift:
Continue 7 Comments August 25, 2009
