Green Trash Bags and Green Aluminum Foil

In I went to the grocery store (Ralph’s) tonight, and out I came with some surprising finds!

Our household (2 adults) goes through a box of trash bags once or twice a year. Luckily we recycle everything we can, and compost our food waste. Tonight I made a rare detour from my usual grocery store (Trader Joe’s) to the Ralph’s next store.

When looking for our next 6 month’s supply of trash bags I saw a ton of options ranging from the indestructible force flex option to the generic store option. And then Hefty Renew Tall Kitchen Bags caught my eye. The trash bags are made from 65% recycled plastic (44% post-consumer; 21% pre-consumer material) packaged in 100% paperboard. While I’d prefer to see an option with a higher % of recycled material, I felt relieved that I even saw an option (hopefully many more will be carried in the future).

Right next to the trash bags was aluminum foil, which I have been out of for several months. I have eliminated using it to line my pans when baking, but have found times where I wish I had the option to cover my goodies once I store them in the fridge, or send some home with friends. The one and only option I found was Reynolds Wrap foil made from 100% recycled aluminum foil, 100% recycled paperboard, and water based printing inks. I was impressed that they dedicated an entire side of the packaging to demonstrate their commitment to the environment….. “you don’t have to sacrifice quality for the well-being of our environment.” Which leads me to the question, “Why aren’t ALL of the Reynolds Wrap products made from 100% aluminum if quality has not been sacrificed?” I’ll keep you posted on how well these stack up to the non-green options.

These name brands were the ONLY recycled options in their respective product categories. I look forward to the day when the shelves are stocked exclusively with environmentally responsible products! I’m happy about progress, but scratch my head when Hefty sells 9 out of 10 product variations made from virgin materials.

Oh, and feel free to apply some friendly pressure on your local, regional and/or national grocery stores to carry more green options! Money talks, and taking the time to make more informed choices will help us all have more green choices!

Many of us hear that it simply is not possible to eat meat and
keep in line with sustainability. However, a new study out of Germany has found quite the contrary. Great read!

Check it out here.

Live Green & Work Green by Telecommuting

Looking for ways to be more green? Why not combine your ‘Live’ and ‘Work’ by telecommuting from home! This article offers some great tips everyone can apply to help save energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and simplify your life.

Read the article here:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/green-telecommute.html

Looking to mix a little offbeat humor with learning how to go green? Check out http://theguidegirls.com for online “instructisodes” that teach people how to lead more ecofriendly lifestyles.

Winnie and Maxine, as the alter egos like to be called, will give you the play-by-play on composting your garbage, saving bathroom water, and using a clothesline to save energy — in a unique way that only these girls can pull off.

Enjoy!

If anyone has purchased tickets for or attended a music festival lately (Coachella, Bonnaroo, Outsidelands Music Festivals), you have the option of Greening your ticket.

Heres an example of your options as posted on the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival website.

Greening Your Ticket
Opt to donate $1 or 3 to help “green” your ticket at the time you buy it, and your donation will be used in one of the following ways:

Reforestation. Trees naturally remove CO2 from the atmosphere and can help fight climate change by storing carbon in their trunks, roots, and branches. PG&E ClimateSmarts reforestation projects will also benefit wildlife and water quality by permanently protecting and restoring California’s native forests. Visit www.pge.com/climatesmart

Offset your festival experience. This $3 donation will be used to purchase (and then retire) pollution credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. By buying and then retiring these credits, we will directly prevent polluting companies from buying them and using them as a “right to pollute.”

But how do I know that my hard-earned money will actually be put to good use, and what exactly does it all mean?