Guy Goes Green

Wannabe green guy going green

Posts Tagged ‘waste’

Green Gift Giving

January 13th, 2010

There is always a time where you need to give a gift, not just around Christmas. After Christmas, though, I started thinking of different types of gifts I can either make by hand, re- purpose or reduces the amount of waste created by purchasing. I came up with a small list, that I can start working on earlier in the year, but even if I need to buy a birthday gift, I will have this list handy.

1. First thing, is one thing I rely on when it get’s close to the deadline; giftcards. These things are very green. They come with either a trifold, which is already wrapped, or without. Even with out it, you can just throw it in a card and call it done.

2. You can buy the recipient a book. I think this is a very good idea because there really are indefinate number of books you can purchase, for any reader. Plus don’t come with any extra packaging.

3. Re-purpose all of those Christmas cards or Birthday cards into something useful. You can make them into postcards, stationary, gift tags or even a set of Christmas ornaments.

4. Knit a scarf. Usually around winter anyone can use one of these. Knitting may be a hard skill to learn, but once you learn, you never forget. Plus there are a wide array of patterns or gift ideas you can use to make for people.

5. You can also make a quilt or other bedding. All you need is a sewing machine and several types of fabric. You can also use any left over fabric from other projects you may have lying around.

6. Make a wooden picture frame. We are lucky to have a local Habitat ReStore in our area you can purchase scrap wood or any other materials at cheap prices. This is just a different type of thrift stores, and you can keep an eye out for items someone you care about is looking for. Making picture frames may take some patience, but it doesn’t require a lot of hardware to complete. We purchased a miter saw, a manual one, and most of the picture frame material you can find at a hobby store.

7. Homemade cooked goodies. Who doesn’t like getting fresh baked cookies or a pie. I have even seen in stores all of the dry ingredients for a particular recipe in a Ball canning jar; including a recipe. This would be a unique way to personalize something. Plus you can buy the jars at a local thrift store so you don’t have to spend unnecessarily.

8. You can also make a one of a kind photo book from one of many online companies. You don’t have to go out and drive anywhere to purchase. You can stay in the comfort of your own home and design. Some companies like Shutterfly, Snapfish and Kodak are just a couple out there to check out. They all offer a slightly different product.

That is my list of possible gifts I will be revisiting this year when I need an idea. This only includes purchased or homemade goods, you could always offer your services like babysitting or yard work. The possibilities are absolutely endless. I would love to hear of your creative ideas on gifts you have given.

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Posted in Ashley's Posts, General Green, Green Products

Tags: Christmas Cards gifts green homemade re-purpose Thrift Stores waste

Would it be green of me to stop blogging?

January 7th, 2010

Even though I have gone through about half of this week without watching one second of television, I still feel like I have no time. Although the challenge is to conserve energy, I think one thing that I was hoping to get out of this would be better quality time at home. I figured I would either be spending time doing something productive or doing something with Ashley, instead we are doing the same things except with the television off. I think it is a problem of television AND computers.

Well, I cannot give up my computer time, otherwise I might lose my job. I suppose I could give up my computer time at home, but then I would have a tough time accomplishing everything I want to do for this blog and my other online addictions (Facebook/Twitter/Reddit). I suppose I could try and make my time more efficient on the computer and set goals so that this darn internet does not consume my free time. Turning off my computer would be good for the environment (and my brain) too.

I realized this last weekend that Ashley and I were sitting right next to each other playing Scrabble on Facebook. Why? We own the game. I think it would have been better to get the physical game out play it instead of interacting through our laptops.

This week started as an exercise in reducing waste, but might end up more of an examination of time management and how to best harvest all the marrow I want to squeeze out of life. Let me know any tips you have in the comment area below.

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Posted in Energy, Week 12 No Television

Tags: green television waste

Packaging sucks. Avoid packaging.

December 29th, 2009

When given a new green challenge by Ashley, I have found it a useful exercise to examine why following the given task is a good idea. This week’s green challenge is to reduce the amount of packaging I use and try to eliminate as much packaging as possible. To eliminate packaging completely is pretty much impossible, but it is certainly a worthwhile endeavor to use as little packaging as possible.

In a previous week, and with the help of our NatureMill composter, we worked to reduce the amount of food waste we produce. Besides the food that cannot be used or composted, what else is there that goes into the garbage? Some people put diapers in the garbage. Most of us have paper waste, but hopefully we are trying to recycle what we can. What is left? Packaging.

A good chunk of the packaging in our landfills is Styrofoam. 25% of our landfills are made up of Styrofoam. I am sure part of this 25% is Styrofoam coffee cups (which could generally be avoided), but part of this is the packaging that we send and receive. Everything from the Styrofoam eggshells to molded Styrofoam packaging goes straight into the garbage. This material cannot be disposed of in an eco-friendly way (that I am aware of) and should be avoided.

Besides Styrofoam, which I am learning to be evil, there are other reasons to avoid as much packaging as possible. If Styrofoam takes up 25% of the landfill, I wonder what the percentage is for all packaging waste. Even if you buy a product that uses recycled packaging and you recycle it yourself, it still takes resources to recover that material. Somebody needs to pick up the item in a carbon emitting vehicle, go through an industrial (and likely carbon emitting) process to change the item into whatever, then turn around and transport the item back out to the public. A recycled product is a way BETTER way to consume, but avoiding the waste packaging product altogether is BEST for the environment.

Avoiding packaging will always be better for the environment. I already have some ideas on great ways that we can avoid packaging further and sure I will have a list coming up in the near future. Please let me know any information you have or what you do to reduce your packaging waste in the comments area below.