A humane reader asks, "How can I get rid of spiders in my house w/o using chemicals?"
Indeed. There is no need to fear or kill spiders, which are mostly beneficial insects, as any child can tell you thanks to Charlotte’s Web. In addition to being natural artists, spiders eat insect pests such as mosquitoes and flies.
As for our health, incomparably worse than insects are synthetic chemical insecticides used in homes have been linked to cancer,and can harm children’s development as well as provoke headaches, asthma and other ill health effects in all of us.
By contrast, “Most spiders pose no threat to humans,” biting, like most animals, only when provoked, according to Beyond Pesticides, a respected non-profit organization specializing in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which relies on least-toxic removal methods and treatments in home, garden and farming, and allows synthetic chemicals only as a last resort. That said, no one likes waking up with a bite on sensitive areas from active hunting spiders like the brown recluse who can crawl under, and up into, a bed.
The answer? Here are some tips from Beyond Pesticides and my own experience.
Remove.
*Dust (use a long-handled dustmop for ceiling corners) or vacuum to remove webs and egg cases. Remember to clean under furniture and in closets.
*Keep clothing and shoes off the floor and shake them out—carefully, and outdoors. Most spider bites happen when cleaning out closets or storage areas. Place in sealed plastic bags.
*Capture and release (outside). Trap spiders with a wide-mouth jar, sliding stiff paper or cardboard underneath. Invert jar so spider drops in. Or sweep the spider into a grocery bag.
Kill without chemicals.
*Swat hard with a magazine or shoe.
* The tax-time solution: Freeze, for 48 hours, boxes/ files/ containers filled with old papers & receipts you need but suspect spiders may be hiding in. Ditto old clothes and other stuff from cleaning out the closet.
*Or put things in sealed plastic bags and spiders will die for lack of oxygen (although freezing is kinder).
Keep spiders out.
*Seal openings, which also weatherizes and saves on energy bills. Think: door sweeps, caulking gaps around electric openings, windows and vents; make sure screens are intact.
*Keep 2 feet of clearance between shrubs and the walls of your home. This also helps keep termites out.
*Draw curtains or shades at night so spiders (and other insects) won’t be attracted to windows.
*Ventilate and dry out moist, humid areas, where spiders like to lurk.
*Cut down on clutter, which will also discourage roach infestations.
There! Spider monitoring is also a good way to get your spring cleaning underway.
Got eco-questions? Ask away on my home page, . More green living facts and tips can be found there and in my book, .
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Risks of nonstick & water-stainproof "Teflon" chemicals
Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, or PFCs, used in nonstick,water/stain-repellant coatings such as Teflon, Gore-tex and Scotchgard, are found in cookware, clothing, and many other daily consumer products--as well as in our bodies. One especially worrisome PFC, known as perfluorooctanaoic acid (PFOA), is found in more than 99 percent of Americans, according to findings by the Centers for Disease Control.
Below is a summary of the science finding possible risks of PFCs, followed by how to choose PFC-free products.
RISKS OF PFCS
Weakening children's immune systems
A startling new study finds that children exposed to PFOA and PFOS may have weakened immune systems, making it more difficult for their bodies to fight off infection and disease. Researchers tested for the PFCs in the blood of 587 children in Scotland's Faroe Islands from pre-birth to age seven, and discovered that those exposed to the chemicals had built up lower levels of antibodies to tetanus/diphtheria vaccines, reducing their immunity by up to one-half. Lead researcher Philip Grandjean, MD, DSc, told the Harvard Gazette that PFCs may pose a greater threat to the body's immune systems than the very toxic chemicals known as dioxins, which are classified as "likely human carcinogens" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And, chillingly, he noted that American women and children have higher levels of PFCs in our bodies than the Faroe Islanders have. The study is in the January, 2012 Journal of the American Medical Association.
Learning deficits in children
Children with higher blood serum levels of PFCs also have higher odds of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to a 2010 study of 571 adolescents ages 12-15 published in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).
Infertility in Women
Women with higher levels of PFCs in their blood had a harder time getting pregnant, researchers at the UCLA School of Public Health reported in 2009.
Cancer?
EPA has not yet completed a risk assessment of PFOA, but the agency’s Scientific Advisory Board has said that PFOA cancer data were consistent with its guidelines for likely human carcinogens.
HOW ARE WE EXPOSED?
Food and food packaging
Researchers in the Harvard study think that the mother's and children's PFC exposures came mostly from consumption of fish, which is a staple in the islanders’ diet. PFCs are released in the environment during manufacture and accumulate in animals' bodies, rising in the food chain.
House dust and leaching
Two studies released in 2011, conducted in Catalonia, Spain and Vancouver, Canada. Like many other toxic chemicals, such as phthalates in PVC plastic, PFCs can leach/migrate out of fabric finishes and nonstick coatings as these surfaces erode and break down in light, heat, and wear and tear. The EPA refers to how PFOA, specifically, can be released by breakdown of coatings made with it.
CHOOSING PFC-FREE PRODUCTS
These findings underscore the importance of removing PFCs from manufacture, which is the source of contamination of our waterways and food. By stopping our purchase of products coated with these chemicals, such as nonstick cookware and rain/stain repellant clothing, bedding, upholstered furniture, carpeting, and even dental floss, we send a clear message to manufacturers, who respond to reduced demand.
Avoid nonstick-coated cookware
For what to choose, see my Green Cookware List. For how to safely use nonstick cookware to avoid "Teflon flu" and bird-killing fumes, click here.
Fabric finishes
For a rundown on fabric finishes to avoid in clothing, furnishings and bedding, with some greener bedding choices, see my Whole Living Econundrums blog.
Personal Care
Steer clear of Teflon nail polishes and curling irons; do keep flossing your teeth :), but try to use unwaxed rather than "Glide" type coated floss, EWG advises.
For more on "Lose It" toxic chemicals in daily products, and "Choose It" greener, healthier products and ingredients, check out my book, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices. And do visit my home page for seasonal green living choices at GreenerPenny.com. Got an econundrum? Just ask me at GreenerPenny@gmail.com. I promise to reply.
Best green bouquets now
Who's the fairest? The Valentine who picks certified fair-trade, organic or locally grown flowers. That's because conventionally grown blooms are so unfair: 70 percent of U.S. flowers are flown from abroad, where workers often do not receive fair wages and laws do not restrict the use of dangerous pesticides. A 2006 Harvard study found that children born to women working in the Ecuadorian flower industry had impaired brain development due to prenatal exposure to pesticides. So have a heart! Give your loved one better blooms and invest in safer conditions for workers, ecosystems and consumers alike.
Then there are the wasteful carbon emissions from all the fuel miles those flower shipments consume!
A big green bonus: Fair trade, organic bouquets are now priced competitively with regular ones! Here are some fair floral tips.
1. Buy Local
Talk to the flower farmers: Your best bet is a farmers' market. Buy local fresh or dried flowers from growers who, if not certified organic, can assure you that they don't use pesticides and treat workers fairly. Ask your florist shop for contact info for growers. Search your zip code for the nearest growers and farmers' markets at Local Harvest.
When shipping flowers, order through your local florist shop, and ask them to choose a shop in your recipient's zip code that sells locally grown blooms. That way, you support two locales!
2. Look for verified green/fair trade labels In a rush? Who isn't. Look no farther than your nearest Costco (hint, hint, Valentine!) See below.
*Certified Fair-Trade flowers are grown on farms that receive financial incentives for providing fair wages, safe, clean housing and workplaces, and protecting rainforests by farming sustainably.
*Certified USDA Organic flowers are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers (a boon to farm community health as well as ecosystems).
Veriflora uses third-party certifier Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) to make sure that workers and natural resources are protected.
*Rainforest Alliance Certified follows Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) standards limiting pesticides and ensuring farm families health care and education.
Retailers
Costco sells gorgeous long-stemmed Rainforest Alliance certified roses in a tropical sunset's worth of shades, from yellow and orange to pink and red.
FTD offers Fair-Trade Certified roses and lilies in its Eco Flowers line.
One World Flowers sells fair trade bouquets at fair prices.
Organic Bouquet carries a great variety of flowers, all certified organic.
California Organic Flowers grow year-round domestic blooms, available through Local Harvest.
Texas growers Arnosky's Specialty Flowers. supply Central Market, Whole Foods and HEB (Texas' own grocery chain) with beautiful cut flowers grown with environmentally sensitive practices.
Want to add some organic, fair-trade chocolates to your sweet package? Use GreenerPenny's mobile-friendly Chocolate Shopping List.
More practical green, healthy solutions for your daily life, from food and water to cleaning, energy, cosmetics and more, can be found in my book, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices. For more info and tips, see our home page, GreenerPenny.com!
Then there are the wasteful carbon emissions from all the fuel miles those flower shipments consume!
A big green bonus: Fair trade, organic bouquets are now priced competitively with regular ones! Here are some fair floral tips.
1. Buy Local
Talk to the flower farmers: Your best bet is a farmers' market. Buy local fresh or dried flowers from growers who, if not certified organic, can assure you that they don't use pesticides and treat workers fairly. Ask your florist shop for contact info for growers. Search your zip code for the nearest growers and farmers' markets at Local Harvest.
When shipping flowers, order through your local florist shop, and ask them to choose a shop in your recipient's zip code that sells locally grown blooms. That way, you support two locales!
2. Look for verified green/fair trade labels In a rush? Who isn't. Look no farther than your nearest Costco (hint, hint, Valentine!) See below.
*Certified Fair-Trade flowers are grown on farms that receive financial incentives for providing fair wages, safe, clean housing and workplaces, and protecting rainforests by farming sustainably.
*Certified USDA Organic flowers are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers (a boon to farm community health as well as ecosystems).
Veriflora uses third-party certifier Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) to make sure that workers and natural resources are protected.
*Rainforest Alliance Certified follows Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) standards limiting pesticides and ensuring farm families health care and education.
Retailers
Costco sells gorgeous long-stemmed Rainforest Alliance certified roses in a tropical sunset's worth of shades, from yellow and orange to pink and red.
FTD offers Fair-Trade Certified roses and lilies in its Eco Flowers line.
One World Flowers sells fair trade bouquets at fair prices.
Organic Bouquet carries a great variety of flowers, all certified organic.
California Organic Flowers grow year-round domestic blooms, available through Local Harvest.
Texas growers Arnosky's Specialty Flowers. supply Central Market, Whole Foods and HEB (Texas' own grocery chain) with beautiful cut flowers grown with environmentally sensitive practices.
Want to add some organic, fair-trade chocolates to your sweet package? Use GreenerPenny's mobile-friendly Chocolate Shopping List.
More practical green, healthy solutions for your daily life, from food and water to cleaning, energy, cosmetics and more, can be found in my book, Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices. For more info and tips, see our home page, GreenerPenny.com!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Best bedside book: The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Although summer officially ended last month, it hangs on for a little while yet in these golden autumn days. One Indian Summer, in the Vermont forest, my child found a newt red as flame--a long-forgotten moment that returned to mind as I read Elisabeth Tova Bailey's The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. Early on in Bailey's struggle with a debilitating illness, a visiting friend, walking in the woods, sees a small brown snail, picks it up with some wild violets, and presents it to the bedwritten writer. The resulting memoir reminds us of how very much a small but thoughtful gift can mean. The book itself is such a gift to the reader. If you’ve been wanting to slow down and rediscover quiet, illuminated moments in your own life, look no farther than Bailey’s wonderful story about her long, confining illness and the busy, intrepid and, yes, audibly chewing creature that lifted her spirits by sustaining her connection to the forests and fields where she couldn’t wander anymore.
The diverting snail, which could hang upside down from a fern frond and, when Bailey watered the violets on her bedside table,“...would glide to the rim of the pot and look over, slowly waving its tentacles in apparent delight...”, kept her company during a very lonely time when, Bailey writes, “...my friends were golden threads randomly appearing in the monotonous fabric of my days.” Although she couldn’t move her body, Bailey’s imagination journeyed far and wide as she studied her snail.
She reads Darwin, who was fascinated by Molluska and the hitchiking propensities that enabled them to be carried by birds or logs across oceans. “Stuck to an autumn leaf, a snail may blow along in a storm, its magic carpet eventually landing in faraway terrain.” She learned, in confirmation of her own observations of her pet, that snails have brains, and romance, too. Gerald Durrell and others watched the mating of snails–some of which, like Cupid, literally shoot a dart into the flesh of a paramour. Bailey contributes to the literature: “Eventually I would learn that I may be the first person to have recorded observations of a snail tending its eggs.”
An illness can change a life for a long time, sometimes forever. For more than two decades, since she collapsed with a high fever on a visit to Switzerland, Bailey has been periodically laid low with a weakened immune system, pain and chronic fatigue. During the year spent with a snail and its progeny, considerable healing began, as so often happens when genuine interest in other beings frees us from feelings of isolation and depression.
Over time, Bailey wrote in an email, she has become sensitized to many synthetic chemicals, such as the pesticides that also harm amphibians and snails, and the phthalates that offgass from polyvinyl (PVC) plastic and have been linked to asthma and hormone disruption. She writes in her email of how chemicals offgassing from a PVC shower curtain produced a reaction--coughing, eye irritation, headaches, and collapse--that led to her hospitalization. Not content with removing her shower curtain, Bailey spoke with her state’s poison control center and, joining the Center for Health, Environment and Justice's campaign, convinced her local stores to stop selling the curtains, which were also treated with a toxic fungicide.
Thinking of other invalids and homebound people, Bailey writes in her book, “I felt a connection to all of them. We, too, were a colony of hermits.” Clearly, she feels and acts on a sense of responsibility to the planet and the rest of us, and it was her generosity of spirit that got me to finally reach for her book, which had received glowing reviews and a recommendation from my beloved aunt in Vermont.
As it happened, I turned to Bailey's book when I was recuperating from a blackout and fall, caused by a sudden mysterious fever, that had severely curtailed my normally active life. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating helped me to recognize the resulting stillness as an opportunity. Bailey's warmth, wit and energy changed my life by reaffirming my connection to what matters most to me--friends, family, the natural world--and reminding me to spend much more time with them. I highly recommend this marvellous book.
You can hear the snail eating, and watch it go with the flow, at ElisabethTovaBailey.net.
The diverting snail, which could hang upside down from a fern frond and, when Bailey watered the violets on her bedside table,“...would glide to the rim of the pot and look over, slowly waving its tentacles in apparent delight...”, kept her company during a very lonely time when, Bailey writes, “...my friends were golden threads randomly appearing in the monotonous fabric of my days.” Although she couldn’t move her body, Bailey’s imagination journeyed far and wide as she studied her snail.
She reads Darwin, who was fascinated by Molluska and the hitchiking propensities that enabled them to be carried by birds or logs across oceans. “Stuck to an autumn leaf, a snail may blow along in a storm, its magic carpet eventually landing in faraway terrain.” She learned, in confirmation of her own observations of her pet, that snails have brains, and romance, too. Gerald Durrell and others watched the mating of snails–some of which, like Cupid, literally shoot a dart into the flesh of a paramour. Bailey contributes to the literature: “Eventually I would learn that I may be the first person to have recorded observations of a snail tending its eggs.”
An illness can change a life for a long time, sometimes forever. For more than two decades, since she collapsed with a high fever on a visit to Switzerland, Bailey has been periodically laid low with a weakened immune system, pain and chronic fatigue. During the year spent with a snail and its progeny, considerable healing began, as so often happens when genuine interest in other beings frees us from feelings of isolation and depression.
Over time, Bailey wrote in an email, she has become sensitized to many synthetic chemicals, such as the pesticides that also harm amphibians and snails, and the phthalates that offgass from polyvinyl (PVC) plastic and have been linked to asthma and hormone disruption. She writes in her email of how chemicals offgassing from a PVC shower curtain produced a reaction--coughing, eye irritation, headaches, and collapse--that led to her hospitalization. Not content with removing her shower curtain, Bailey spoke with her state’s poison control center and, joining the Center for Health, Environment and Justice's campaign, convinced her local stores to stop selling the curtains, which were also treated with a toxic fungicide.
Thinking of other invalids and homebound people, Bailey writes in her book, “I felt a connection to all of them. We, too, were a colony of hermits.” Clearly, she feels and acts on a sense of responsibility to the planet and the rest of us, and it was her generosity of spirit that got me to finally reach for her book, which had received glowing reviews and a recommendation from my beloved aunt in Vermont.
As it happened, I turned to Bailey's book when I was recuperating from a blackout and fall, caused by a sudden mysterious fever, that had severely curtailed my normally active life. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating helped me to recognize the resulting stillness as an opportunity. Bailey's warmth, wit and energy changed my life by reaffirming my connection to what matters most to me--friends, family, the natural world--and reminding me to spend much more time with them. I highly recommend this marvellous book.
You can hear the snail eating, and watch it go with the flow, at ElisabethTovaBailey.net.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Greener less toxic computers and computing tips
A new computer for back to school. Do or don't? In tech purchasing, as in nearly everything these days, it's possible to spend your pennies more wisely for your sake and the planet's, now that companies are being vetted for energy efficiency and reduced pollutants. On the other hand, given the hazardous e-waste released by improper "recycling" (read, dumping) of 50-80% of our e-waste abroad, you might want to hold onto your old machine, upgrading its memory (and saving your money) for as long as possible.
If you really want or need to buy new, ask the company if they'll take your old machine for free recycling.
In a nutshell, here's what to look for new, and what to avoid:
Choose It: Energy Star computers with least toxic contents
Lose It: Computers that waste energy and contain hazardous chemicals
Did You Know? If all computers sold in the U.S. met the U.S. EPA Energy Star standards, we’d save about $2 billion in electricity each year, and reduce as many greenhouse gases as taking 2 million cars off the road.
Toxic brominated fire retardants (BFRs)can migrate out of computers [casings] into house dust, according to a 2004 Environmental Working Group study. Learn about other hazardous chemicals in computers from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.
4 things to demand from a new green computer:
* It should be energy efficient/ Energy Star compliant.For lists of Energy Star desktops and laptops, click here.
* It should minimize the use of hazardous chemicals. The Environmental Working Group has a list of PDBE-free (toxic fire retardants) computers with links to manufacturers’ websites, while Greenpeace (below)also examines PVC, arsenic, lead and other toxic components.
* Its maker should have a responsible takeback/ recycling program
* The company should be significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
* The company should receive a high rating from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) and from Greenpeace's annual electronics guide (see below).
Here are the computer companies who scored among the top ten greenest in Greenpeace’s most recent, 2010 Guide to Greener Electronics.
1. Nokia
2. Sony Ericsson
3. Philips
4. HP
5. Samsung
6. Motorola, Panasonic and Sony in 3-way tie
9. Apple
10. Dell
For the details, see Greenpeace's rankings page.
If your student can wait till Xmas, or better yet, the post-Xmas sales, Greenpeace's new guide comes out in November 2011 and I'll keep you posted.
Old or New: Energy saving tips
Whether you keep chugging along with your old computer or buy a new one, you can always improve on its performance and your energy savings by smart usage.
*Use your machine's built-in power-saving features. To learn what they are, how to activate them, and calculate how much you would save, check out the EPA IT Calculator and other tools featured on the Climate Savers Computing website.
Turn off your computer and the power strip when it's not in use. See more tips from the EPA.
If you turn off your PC when it's not in use, you can save 188 kilograms of CO2 and 437 kilowatt hours (kwh)a year. Significant savings, with the average national cost of a kwh topping 12 cents in 2011.
Finding more products
Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to my free monthly e- newsletter by emailing GreenerPenny@gmail.com. And, for Choose It/ Lose It lists with brand names in everything from cookware to cosmetics, see my book, Do One Green Thing. Thanks!
If you really want or need to buy new, ask the company if they'll take your old machine for free recycling.
In a nutshell, here's what to look for new, and what to avoid:
Choose It: Energy Star computers with least toxic contents
Lose It: Computers that waste energy and contain hazardous chemicals
Did You Know? If all computers sold in the U.S. met the U.S. EPA Energy Star standards, we’d save about $2 billion in electricity each year, and reduce as many greenhouse gases as taking 2 million cars off the road.
Toxic brominated fire retardants (BFRs)can migrate out of computers [casings] into house dust, according to a 2004 Environmental Working Group study. Learn about other hazardous chemicals in computers from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.
4 things to demand from a new green computer:
* It should be energy efficient/ Energy Star compliant.For lists of Energy Star desktops and laptops, click here.
* It should minimize the use of hazardous chemicals. The Environmental Working Group has a list of PDBE-free (toxic fire retardants) computers with links to manufacturers’ websites, while Greenpeace (below)also examines PVC, arsenic, lead and other toxic components.
* Its maker should have a responsible takeback/ recycling program
* The company should be significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
* The company should receive a high rating from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) and from Greenpeace's annual electronics guide (see below).
Here are the computer companies who scored among the top ten greenest in Greenpeace’s most recent, 2010 Guide to Greener Electronics.
1. Nokia
2. Sony Ericsson
3. Philips
4. HP
5. Samsung
6. Motorola, Panasonic and Sony in 3-way tie
9. Apple
10. Dell
For the details, see Greenpeace's rankings page.
If your student can wait till Xmas, or better yet, the post-Xmas sales, Greenpeace's new guide comes out in November 2011 and I'll keep you posted.
Old or New: Energy saving tips
Whether you keep chugging along with your old computer or buy a new one, you can always improve on its performance and your energy savings by smart usage.
*Use your machine's built-in power-saving features. To learn what they are, how to activate them, and calculate how much you would save, check out the EPA IT Calculator and other tools featured on the Climate Savers Computing website.
Turn off your computer and the power strip when it's not in use. See more tips from the EPA.
If you turn off your PC when it's not in use, you can save 188 kilograms of CO2 and 437 kilowatt hours (kwh)a year. Significant savings, with the average national cost of a kwh topping 12 cents in 2011.
Finding more products
Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to my free monthly e- newsletter by emailing GreenerPenny@gmail.com. And, for Choose It/ Lose It lists with brand names in everything from cookware to cosmetics, see my book, Do One Green Thing. Thanks!
Green, Nontoxic Back to School Supplies, Lunch Kits 2011
What I love most about back-to-school shopping is slipping some new green office supplies and lunch totables for myself into the cart. American families are expected to spend about $68 billion on back-to-school shopping this year, so green choices can help stimulate marketplace change. You’ll find lots of planet-friendly, personally healthier products below, plus ideas for lightening the impact on your wallet.
* “Shop” your closets and bins. Make it a treasure hunt for the kids, giving reward points applicable to new stuff on their wish list. Still-good pencils with worn-down erasers can be renewed with fun eraser caps such as IWAKO’s PVC-free dolphins and monkeys* .Sell old books at cash4books.
*Buy textbooks second-hand. Ask about used book sales at your school or library, or compare prices for titles at Bookfinder.com.
*Drive less. Sparing your car just 10 miles per week can cut your CO2 emissions by 340 pounds per year.Walk, bike, take public transport, combine shopping errands into one trip, and carpool to local stores.
*Roll orders into one. Order green supplies with other families in your neighborhood and have it sent in one shipment to one address.
Pencils and Pens
Pilot’s BeGreen pens are made with 89% PCR recycled plastic bottles, with recycled ink, and refillable.
Earth Zone pencils, which come with a recycled metal sharpener, Greenciles /,in 60 percent PCR packaging, and O’Bon’s wildlife-pattern pencils pencils are all made from recycled newspapers, not wood fresh from trees.
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For least toxic, VOC-free art supplies, markers and glues, choose water-based, washable items and look for the Arts & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) seal. You’ll find it on Faber-Castelli Watercolor EcoPencils made from reforested wood.
Crayons and water-soluble glue made with soy wax, minerals and plant pigments are at Kidzone. And a reader recommends synthetic-free Clementine markers.
Paper
Choose products with the highest percentage of post-consumer-recycled (PCR) content you can find. On paper goods, look for Forest Stewardship Council or Rainforest Alliance Certified seals, availabe at Staples and other office stores.
Look for tree-free papers, such as New Leaf’s Farm Fiber Collection. Their 100% PCR banana paper is gorgeous
To hold green paper, Earthbinders are made from 96 percent post-consumer content.
One-stop-shops for recycled paper products, binders, staples, clips, pencils and pens:
The Ultimate Green Store
Staples Eco-Easy directory
Home Depot’s Green Pages
Backpacks: PVC-free, recycled fabric
Chico Bags’ RePete daypack is made from recycled plastics and aluminum.
Ecogear Palila backpack made from RPET (recycled soda bottles), as well as hemp and recycled
cotton ones, can be found at Pristine Planet.
Lunch and drink containers without BPA, Lead and Phthalates
Reuseit.com,includes a 16-oz. Thermos King insulated stainless food jar with spoon; also, organic cotton cloth or mesh sandwich/snack bags and cleanable wrapping mats.
Greenfeet.com’s
Go Green Lunchbox kits come with a BPA-free covered bento tray, a stainless drink bottle that fits inside, a white board inside the lid for notes to your child, and an insulated, PVC-free bag to carry it all.
Our reader also highly recommends the nontoxic bento boxes, insulated covers and stainless food jars at Laptop Lunches.
For more products, see my lists of BPA-free food containers and drink bottles. For green, healthy product and action tips in every category of daily life, please heck out my home page, GreenerPenny.com, and my green living book, Do One Green Thing!
Thanks all of you for your input and suggestions--just add below to Comment section of this blog!
*Younger Sibling Safety Alert: Erasers, staples, paper clips and other small items are choking risks and should be kept out of the reach of children younger than three.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Mango & yogurt cake recipe
This recipe is a tropical--and lighter--adaptation of the traditional pear or blackberry butter cakes I learned to bake in Brittany, France. Our mango tree had a bumper crop earlier this summer so we cut up and froze (see freezer photo, left) what we didn't eat fresh or give away. You can substitute any fruit you like, fresh or frozen! But remember to let fruit thaw before you add it!
INGREDIENTS (I use organic and local whenever possible)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 and 1/2 cups diced fresh or frozen/thawed mango or other fruit, such as blackberries, blueberries, or a mix.
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts (optional).
PROCEDURE: Let butter soften at room temp and beat with sugar till creamy. Add vanilla, beaten eggs, yogurt, blend well. Sift/blend flours and baking soda. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in fruit, nuts. Pour into 8 x 8 inch cake pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for 50-60 minutes until golden brown on top and fork inserted comes out clean.
Delicious with ice cream or more yogurt!
For more information about healthy eating choices and organic and other food, personal care and cleaning labels, please visit my home page and blogs at GreenerPenny.com, and, if you like, sign up for my free monthly (if that) e-newsletter of green living tips!
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