Tips to Cut Down Holiday Waste

gift wrapAbout 2 months ago, we posted a blog about reducing kitchen waste, but during the holidays it seems extra hard to be environmentally minded about how much we waste. In fact, Americans use about 4 million tons of wrapping paper and gift bags and that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of holiday waste. According to the EPA, household waste increases by more than 25% over the holidays. Food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons all add up to an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills.

So what can you do? Continue reading “Tips to Cut Down Holiday Waste”

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Teaching Kids How to Go Green and Save Money

The earlier in life you learn how to live a greener lifestyle, the better. Repetition turns actions into habits, so teaching kids how to save energy, conserve resources, and avoid creating waste will help them live more sustainably as they grow older and establish their own households.

To get started, here are 10 green tips you can teach your kids now to help them develop resource-saving – and money-saving – ways to live green.

1. Use paper on both sides. Have a readily available pile of paper that has been printed or written on one side only for use in making notes, drawing, and the like. Then when both sides are written on, recycle. Continue reading “Teaching Kids How to Go Green and Save Money”

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Saving Money and the “3 R’s” of Green Living

Composting is one of those rare things that is very easy to do and offers multiple important benefits.

How easy is composting? All you need is a location in your yard and some kind of containment for the compost that develops. Ideally, the compost sits on the ground, allowing worms access to it from below ground.

Your compost bin can be a specialized compost container custom-built for the purpose, a trash can with the bottom cut out of it, or an area about 3 feet square bounded on three sides by wooden walls. The cost is minimal, even if you buy a compost bin. It turns out that my town gives compost bins to residents for free, so you should check availability where you live.

What goes into compost? Kitchen scraps, yard waste, and a lot of similar items that would otherwise go to trash and landfill. By putting biodegradable items like coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, and leaves into your compost bin, you are not just reducing the amount of waste you send to the landfill each week. You are also creating a nutrient-rich addition to the soil that will enhance your lawn and garden. Continue reading “Saving Money and the “3 R’s” of Green Living”

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    Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, ND is a pioneer of integrative medicine and a leading authority on science-based natural medicine.
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    Debi is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition, a personal trainer, and whole health coach.
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    Dr. Rav Ivker is a holistic family physician, health educator, and best-selling author.
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