THE LAST STRAW

We all know we shouldn't use straws because they are everywhere and they are plastic. But I can't drink anything cold without one. Solution: A glass straw. I love it. I love the way it feels and it is easy to keep clean. I just rinse it with a bit of soap and water and then stand it up in a glass until it dries. You can also purchase a skinny little brush to clean it with. I purchased it from Glass Dharma 707-964-9350 http://glassdharma.americommerce.com

This is the one I purchased: 9.mm x 6.25" $7.50 plus the brush $5.00 plus shipping $3.00
Total: $15.50

Not cheap compared to all the thousands of free plastic straws, but a small price to pay for Mother Earth. Makes great little gifts to all your eco-minded friends and relatives.

DON'T TRASH THAT FLEA COLLAR

According to Woman's Day, April 1, 2010:

Flea treatments and collars cannot be thrown in the regular garbage. They must be disposed of at garbage collection sites - you know, those places that accept toxic and hazardous waste.

So, if this is what you are using on your companion animals, think again. I know there are natural alternatives to this poison, you just have to research it. I didn't use a thing for twenty years/12 cats. All I did was comb, comb, comb - and I never had a flea problem. I even had large area rugs. After their dinner meal, I would get each one and 1, 2, 3 comb under their arms, groin, neck, belly, behind ears, tail. Once a week I gave them a thorough combing. I grabbed the fleas stuck in the comb with a tissue and tossed in toilet, where the fleas, what few there were, drowned. They were indoor cats, but I did have one outdoor cat that came in and brought some fleas in, no doubt. When I finally got my outdoor cat to stay in without spraying, the fleas eventually disappeard.

The reason I stopped using toxic chemicals on my cats over twenty years ago was when my third cat was around 4 months, I washed him with a flea soap and he went into convulsions. That was the first and last time I ever used something like that and he never had another convulsion.

To be honest, there were a few times during those years I had to use drugs to get rid of tape worms, which did come from fleas, but I felt that was safer than continued use of flea collars, etc.

GLASS JARS VS PLASTIC CONTAINERS

I will never buy plastic storage containers ever again. I love storing food in glass jars. The best are wide-mouth jars from salsa. I also like the small horseradish jars with the white lid. I pretty much save all my jars until I run out of space to store them. I get a pretty good collection of salsa and spaghetti sauce jars, so I can always recycle some. If you can't get rid of the odor from the lid, you can soak in soapy water for awhile. I find that eventually the odor goes away and does not affect the food stored - even pickle jars - which are great. They are better than plastic containers because you can see through them and don't have to play guessing games. Plus you don't have to worry about bad plastic leaching into your food. I am not sure if you can microwave the glass jars - I haven't tried it. I would venture to say it is probably ok to do so.

REUSE POLITICAL SIGNS

So many political signs are wasted. They are thrown into our landfills and they are made of some sort of plastic. For those of you who have garage sales or who demonstrate against animal abuse, these signs can be covered with paper and re-written on. Use staples to affix paper to sign (not scotch tape). I have used them for garage sales and they work great. In thinking further, I discovered that they also make a great substitute for a cork bulletin board if they are the "corrugated" type. I know if you think about it, you can think of other uses for these wasteful signs that are polluting our environment as litter and trash. I have several signs to share, so let me know if you need a couple. Pick them up after elections, and pass them around to people you know. Don't forget to take the metal legs as they are needed if you use as a garage sale sign. If you feel uncomfortable taking these signs after elections, just call the rep involved. I am sure they would be happy for you to take them. Offer to return the metal legs so that they can reuse them.

Thank you to my facebook friend: Colleen Cruz

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER BUY AGAIN

1. Styrofoam is forever. It's not biodegradable.Alternative: Buy recyclable and compostable paper cups. Best option: Invest in some reusable mugs that you can take with you.
2. Paper towels waste forest resources, landfill space, and your money. Alternative: When you do buy paper towels, look for recycled, non-bleached products. Search the National Green Pages™ for recycled paper products. Best option: Buy dishtowels or rags to wash and reuse.
3. Bleached coffee filters: Dioxins, chemicals formed during the chlorine bleaching process, contaminate groundwater and air and are linked to cancer in humans and animals.Alternative: Look for unbleached paper filters.Best Option: Use reusable filters such as washable cloth filters.
4. Excess packaging wastes resources and costs you much more. Around thirty three percent of trash in the average American household comes from packaging.Alternative: Buy products with minimal or reusable packaging.Best Option: Buy in bulk and use your own containers when shopping.
5. Teak and mahogany. Every year, 27 million acres of tropical rainforest (an area the size of Ohio) are destroyed. Rainforests cover 6% of Earth’s surface and are home to over half of the world’s wild plant, animal, and insect species. The Amazon rainforest produces 40 percent of the world’s oxygen. Alternative: Look for Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.Best Option: Reuse wood, and buy furniture and other products made from used or salvaged wood.
Learn how to become WoodWise at home and in your office »
6.Chemical pesticides and herbicides. American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year. The EPA found at least one pesticide in almost every water and fish sample from streams and in more than one-half of shallow wells sampled in agricultural and urban areas. These chemicals pose threats to animals and people, especially children. Alternatives: Buy organic pest controllers such as diatomaceous earth. Best Option: Plant native plants and practice integrated pest management. Plant flowers and herbs that act as natural pesticides.
7. Conventional household cleaners.. Household products can contain hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents and petroleum-based chemicals that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your indoor environment, positing a particular danger for children. The average American household has three to ten of hazardous matter in the home.Alternative: Look for nontoxic, vegetable-based, biodegradeable cleaners. Best Option: Try making your own green cleaner using vinegar, water, and castile soap.
Find safe, green cleaners in the National Green Pages™»
8. Higher octane gas than you need. Only one car in ten manufactured since 1982 requires high-octane gasoline. High-octane gas releases more hazardous pollutants into the air, and may be bad for your car. Alternative: Buy the lowest-octane gas your car requires as listed in your owner's manualBest option: Make your next car purchase a hybrid. Or ditch the car and take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.
Learn more about green transportation »
9. Toys made with PVC plastic. 70% of PVC is used in construction, but it is also found in everyday plastics, including some children’s toys. Vinyl chloride, the chemical used to make PVC, is a known human carcinogen. Also, additives, such as lead and cadmium, are sometimes added to PVC to keep it from breaking down; these additives can be particularly dangerous in children’s toys. PVC is also the least recycled plastic.Alternative: Avoid plastics that are labeled as “PVC” or “#3.” Look for #1 and #2 plastics, which are easier to recycle and don’t produce as many toxins. Use sustainable construction materials.Best option: Take action to tell manufacturers to stop using PVC plastics, especially in children’s toys.
Find safe toys in the National Green Pages™ »
10. Plastic forks and spoons. Disposable plastic utensils are not biodegradeable and not recyclable in most areas.Alternative: Use compostable food service items. Companies such as Biocorp make cutlery from plant materials such as corn starch and cellulose.Best option: Carry your own utensils and food containers.

Recommendations from www.GreenAmericaToday.org

DON'T THROW THAT CORK AWAY!

Crown Wine & Liquors collects corks and sends them to Art Schools where students burn them and use them for charcoal drawings. Of course, the plastic corks won't do. If you frequent a different wine/liquor store or just have one in your neighborhood, perhaps you can ask them to do the same thing. They basically just place a small pail on the counter with a sign about the corks.

RECYCLING WEBSITES

Here are some items you can recycle.

1. Athletic Shoes - One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti: http://www.oneworldrunning.com/. Nike's Reuse-a-shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring: http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/.
2. Compact flourescent bulbs (CFL): Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: http://www.ikea.com/.
3. Computers and electronics: To find the most responsible recyclers go to www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.
4. Ink/toner cartridges: http://www.recycleplace.com/
5. Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell it to someone in a developing country: http://www.collectivegood.com/. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: http://www.donateaphone.com/
6. Foam packing peanuts/blocks: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept these for reuse. Or call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site: 800-828-2214/loosefillpackaging.com. For places to drop off Foam Blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers:
410-451-8340, www.epspackaging.org/info.html
7. Batteries: Contact http://www.batteryrecycling.com/
8. Appliances: Steel Recycling Institute to recycle http://www.recycle-steel.org/. Or the store where you bought your new appliance will probably take the old one or Goodwill accepts working appliances.
Information from Green America: http://www.greenamericatoday.org/

more sites:
9. Cell phones and rechargeable batteries: rbrc.org
10. Computers: sharetechnology.org
11. Paint: earth911.org
12. Tires: epa.gov/garbage/tires/live.htm
13. Carpets: carpetrecovery.org
14. Eyeglasses: neweyesfortheneedy.org
15. Electronics: mygreenelectronics.org