09.28.09
Posted in Energy Consumption, Green Ideas at 11:24 pm by Administrator
Nearly 2 years ago, my daughters came home with the idea to go green without perhaps, any comprehension as to what that meant with the exception of the brochures that were handed out to them in school that day. This was a day that changed our home from non conscious consumers to proactive thinkers and planners.
So many times, without a passing thought, lights were left on, showers took forever and dare I say it, “Gore” was a four letter word. Al Gore that is and unfortunately, I haven’t seen his documentary yet. Today, I want to share some basic changes we made in our home and lifestyle that truly made a change for us.
1. Getting off the bottle. We made the switch from plastic water bottles to reusable, H20 on the Go stainless steel water bottles from the makers of the multipure water filter.
2. Moved from grocery plastic bags for dog waste pickup to biodegradable dog poop bags from Biobag. Hint, these also make great holiday gifts for neighbors who walk their pets also.
3. Transitioned from basic light bulbs to LED lights (still a bit expensive) and CFL lighting. The CFL’s in particular have improved in terms of selection than what was previously offered.
4. Found out that hemp shower curtains make a refreshing change from vinyl. Who knew? Up until the last couple of years, the only thing I knew about hemp I learned in Cheech and Chong movies.
5. We got creative with paper for the printer and learned how to do two sided printing just by changing preferences.
6. We plan our trips more efficiently. Rather than take 2 cars to drive over to grandma’s house, we work together to leave together.
7. Biodegradable garbage bags both for the kitchen and bathroom. Biobag provides both.
8. Turn off fans and lights in rooms when we leave. This was tough to teach the little ones but they get it.
Just some ideas and a reflection backwards. We are one drop of water, but think about the puddle as more and more people make the change.
till next time….
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09.18.09
Posted in Green Ideas, Recycling at 5:55 pm by Administrator
An overt secret to be sure that I am sure most people are aware of, shipping costs are expensive, especially for items that weigh more than 1 lb. The cost of shipping can range from as little as 10% of the cost of goods to upwards of 35% depending on the variables of weight, distance, and “package size”. So, to get us ready for the Fall, lets start to think like a groupie, specifically, someone who can look at their circle of friends and say, lets buy in bulk and save!
Let’s use an example of our Biobag Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags. If you buy individually, you are paying $4.99/box of 50. If you buy by the case, you get a discount and only pay $56.99, or $4.74 / box of 50. Have you ever contacted the online merchant as asked what the price breaks were for products to be bought in bulk?
I use this example intentionally as with this product, wholesalers and retailers get price breaks based on shipping weight rather than total units. If you and your group of dog walkers got together, you could take 33% off the price of this item by hitting the weight minimums with your group of friends. This works with most “commodity” consumables. Does it work on other products?
Hemp Shower curtains are not sold by weight, they are sold by unit, but as with anything, there are certainly savings that can be passed on by ordering more than one. These Hemp Shower curtains are made in the United States and are not imported ready for sale (the hemp is imported obviously). Why the savings? Simply it allows the manufacturers to be able to forecast inventories better and plan their resources more efficiently.
Another item great for group buying are home water filter systems such as the Multipure Water Filter. These have a fairly stringent price point set by the manufacturer and with good reason, they are the best carbon block water filter on the market. It is a United States based company with United States based manufacturing. These are items that are often sold via Multi-level marketing and the profit margins are very good in general. But let’s say you live in a Brooklyn NY condo and are part of the condo association. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to buy 10 of these units at a discount that all members could enjoy? Who knows what the discount could be.
The advice is, contact your online retailer and give them a chance to work for your group business. You may be surprised what you find out.
Till next time
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09.14.09
Posted in Green Ideas, Plastic Water Bottles, Recycling, Uncategorized at 8:26 pm by Administrator
This past week I ventured to the land of 10,000 Lakes to meet with some potential new vendors and take in all the beauty that the State of Minnesota has to offer. We journeyed north to a town called Glenwood on Lake Minnewaska to enjoy some golf with friends and “roughed it” a bit on some cabins on the lake. This by the way, turned into a continuence of my travels with my “h2o on the go” water bottle which is distributed by the makers of the multipure water filter. The bottle definately got some abuse this trip and has several dents to show for its effort. Our group of 18 shared 3 cabins on Lake Minnewaska and golfed to 2 days. I am consistently inspired to see the growth of recycling across this great country and in the small town of Glenwood, they were right up to speed on separation of materials for recycling. They even had a hemp shower curtain in the outdoor bathroom rather than vinyl. Awesome and hats off to the folks at Hunts Lodge.
Back to the topic. Our smaller group of travellers had the chance to participate in the opening of the new University of Minnesota football stadium in Minneapolis. By participate, I mean we were able to secure a parking pass one block from the stadium and watch the game outside of the fence. Great game, Gophers won over Air Force. As we were walking around there were multiple tailgate parties going on and Coca Cola had a special booth. Their promo was if you bring your recycling to them, you get a beer or soda (pop in MN) “coozie”. Sorry, not sure of the spelling here so will stay with phonics. The coozie by the way, made from recycled materials. The booth was staffed by U of M students. Great Idea Gophers. Nice Job Coca Cola
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09.07.09
Posted in Plastic Water Bottles, Recycling at 10:13 pm by Administrator
Its Labor day and I am happy to say, I spent it with friends and family at Fort Lauderdale’s Birch State Park. It was hot today and with a canopy of native trees along the intracoastal waterway, I learned Bocce Ball and taught a 10 year old how to climb a palm tree. Yes, I taught a 10 year old how to climb a palm tree. One would think that most boy’s this age wouldn’t need that type of instruction but in Fort Lauderdale, one must me taught. Growing up in Melbourne Florida so many years ago, that was not the case.
As I reflect on the day, it was about being out doors with the heat and humidity. There was no television, there was no air conditioning. There was laughter, there was story telling and there was children complaining of the heat. Which makes me as the quesiton, are we raising a generation of children that can sustain?
I was talking to a mom at the picnic today about our green business. She has an in-home child care business and we were swapping info about what works and what well, needs some help. She is a big fan of our multipure water filters because, each of her 6 children gets a cup that they can refill from their refrigerator. Also, and one of the few, was excited about last week’s blog on travelling with my H20 on the go bottle on a trip. As we looked around the picnic, it would have been a challenge for the kids drinking water out of plastic bottles.
I hope everyone had an opportunity to enjoy Labor Day this year. It was a great weekend for us in Florida. Snorkling in Boca Raton Red Reef Park, picnicing with friends. No matter what you think about the environment, getting out doors with your children is an awesome way to enjoy nature.
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09.04.09
Posted in Plastic Water Bottles, Recycling at 2:59 pm by Administrator
I traveled to Phoenix this week and decided to make the trip with my Multipure Water Filter H2O on the go Stainless Steel bottle. My plan of course, was to eliminate plastic bottles and Styrofoam cups from my trip by using the same products I use at home.
First off of course was to get through airport security. Normally, I would have filled my bottle at home but with security measures at the airport, I needed to bring the bottle through empty. While the bottle did get some extra scrutiny, it was relatively painless. Off to the Delta Crown room. Note, it has a new name now, but I have called it the crown room for so long, well, aging will do that to a person.
I am not a Delta Crown room member however, one of the benefits of my American Express Platinum card is access to these types of lounges. If you are a frequent traveler, it is definitely a great perk.
It was here before my flight that I filled up my bottle for the flight, drawing some stares from my fellow travelers as I could imagine them thinking, “what a great idea”, or the alternative, “what is that kook doing”.
Uneventful flight to Phoenix and while I am writing this, let me tell you, Delta has done an outstanding job on their recycling program. They have eliminated all plastic bottled water from Coach Class, and in First Class, the bottles are gather separately for recycling.
My next big challenge came at dinner the first night. I typically ask for a “to go” cup for my ice team when I leave the restaurant, this time, I gave them my bottle to refill. Unsure at first, they did fill me up so I had a takeout beverage to take back to my hotel.
For four days, I carried my h20 on the go water bottle with me through meetings, lunches and dinners. It is lightweight and double wall insulated so it keeps water cold, and my hot tea, well, hot.
Returning wearily home, my travel bottle still with me, I had proven something to myself that I didn’t think was possible. I had given up beverages in plastic bottles. True, it took additional effort and the hotel provides bottled water in the room (which I did oblige since their tap water was disgusting), but I believe plastic beverages can be eliminated. Your thoughts?
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