The Green Life

Weaning Off Paper Towels

The CDC recommends that you wash your hands after using a public restroom to prevent the spread of disease. But what about all that's wasted every time you use a paper towel? In fact, each person uses about 741 pounds of paper each year. That’s a lot of trees.

Recycled paper towels and electric hand dryers are great, but one company claims these solutions aren’t green enough. PeopleTowels claims that its organic-cotton hand towels produce no waste and reduce a user's carbon footprint. Also, they come in colorful designs.

The downside is that they can be pricey if you’re on a budget. And they're only available through the company’s Web site.

Green Your Holiday Meals: All Those Leftovers

Working up a menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any of the other upcoming winter holidays? This week’s tips will help you be environmentally responsible while planning that feast.

Tip #3: Do Right With What’s Left

If there’s one thing synonymous with American holidays, it’s lots and lots of leftovers. So what to do with yours? If there’s a food bank or homeless shelter in your region that takes prepared foods, you can bring ‘em there. If not, you can turn your leftovers into other meals, including soup or sandwiches; mashed potatoes can become a breakfast hash.

Whatever becomes of your grub, you can also deal with those licked-clean dishes in responsible ways: A full load in the dishwasher is greener than washing them by hand, especially if you skip the drying cycle.

Tell us: How do you deal with leftovers and dirty dishes after a big holiday meal?

PLEASE NOTE: In observance of Thanksgiving, the Sierra Club’s offices will be closed for the rest of the week. We'll be back with new posts on Nov. 30. In the meantime, you can peruse our archives for a wealth of green-living tips.

Fish is Delicious, But What's the Catch?

Isn't it frustrating when your best efforts to do the right thing are thwarted?

That's what may be happening to customers at some sushi restaurants that are serving endangered bluefin tuna without telling their clientele. Researchers at the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics tested the fish at 31 sushi restaurants in New York and Denver; they found that where bluefin tuna was served, it was correctly labeled “bluefin” only 36% of the time. Several times it was mislabeled as another tuna species, or just identified as "tuna." 

It's a tough time to be a pescetarian. According to a Monterey Bay Aquarium report, overfishing is pervasive. Most (63%) of stocks are in need of recovery. Destructive fishing practices like trawling harm the ocean floor. This BBC article from 2006 predicts that if current fishing practices continue, wild fish will be a thing of the past by 2050. Yikes!

A Rental Community to Keep it Green

With Black Friday this week and Christmas just around the corner, the holidays can bring out the worst in our overconsuming and wasteful habits. We buy and get gifts, like DVDs, that usually receive more shelf time in a week than actual use in a year. If one of your New Year’s resolutions will be to limit your eco-footprint, one company’s attempt to revolutionize the act of  renting can help reduce waste and save resources while earning you a little extra green.

Rentalic Inc. (pronounced like "metallic"), a company in San Mateo, California, runs a community rental service via an online marketplace. Users can rent out their stuff, allowing renters to avoid spending the full amount for an item they might only need temporarily. The idea is to save or make money while reusing and sharing.

Green Your Holiday Meals: Decorate Smart

Working up a menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or any of the other upcoming winter holidays? This week’s tips will help you be environmentally responsible while planning that feast.

Tip #2: Think Through the Decor

If you’re shopping for table settings for the big meal, look for organic, reusable linens and cloth napkins. As for the centerpiece, try to go with one that’s nondisposable or edible – such as a cornucopia filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables – instead of flowers. Did you know that around 80 percent of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from Colombia and Ecuador and contain 50 percent more pesticides than is legal to have on edibles? Just some food for thought.

Tell us: How do you green your holiday decor?

The Sierra Club's Holiday Survival Guide

Thanksgiving is just days away, and that means lots of food, holiday traditions, and conversations with family members you haven’t seen in awhile. It’s a special time of the year, a time to think about what's important to you and what you're thankful for. But it’s also a time when we tend to butt heads with some of our extended family – you know, the ones who think we’re crazy for composting and driving a Prius.

Don't worry about making it through dinner, though. We’ve put together a handy Holiday Survival Guide that provides answers to common questions that environmentalists get asked during holiday dinners.

Have an uncle who thinks environmentalists are socialists? No problem. A cousin who doesn’t quite understand climate change? We’ve got you covered. How about an aunt who thinks coal is so cool that she actually likes getting it in her stocking? Yep, we got that one, too.

After you read the guide, head over to the Holiday Survival Support Group on Climate Crossroads to share your stories and tips.

You can also share the survival guide with your friends and family by sending them a Sierra Club Holiday e-card.

--Kyle Boelte

Green Your Holiday Meals: Go Organic

Working up a menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or another winter event? This week’s tips will help you be environmentally responsible while planning that feast.

Tip #1: Opt For Organic

We know that organic foods are better for our bodies, but did you know that they’re significantly better for the planet too? Since organic farmers don't use toxins on their crops, they prevent chemicals from contaminating our soil and water, and from harming wildlife. It doesn’t just need to be just the turkey or ham that’s organic; it can be the wine, too, or the vegetables in the side dishes. An added plus: organic foods taste better!

Tip #2: Think Through the Decor

Tip #3: All Those Leftovers!

Tell us: What organic products do you buy?

Is it Green? Scan its Barcode to Find Out.

Do you have trouble trying to find the most eco-friendly product in the store? Is it difficult to tell whether companies are greenwashing? Now GoodGuide has put responsible shopping just a few clicks away.

The first iPhone application that scans bar codes to provide ratings on healthy, green, and socially responsible products is here. The app – which is available for free from Apple’s iTunes App Store – allows consumers to compare and research more than 62,000 products by simply scanning the barcode.

Green Your Thanksgiving: Want Not, Waste Not

It's almost time for Americans to visit with loved ones, express gratitude, and eat a really, really big meal. This year, we're providing tips to help you celebrate Thanksgiving with less impact.

Tip #4: Streamline Your Meal

Most people expect to be well-fed on Thanksgiving, but you can reduce waste by considering portion size and guests' personal tastes. If no one actually likes mincemeat pie, don't make it just to satisfy tradition. Fill the bigger platters with local vegetables and serve more carbon-intensive food in a small dish with a small spoon to encourage dainty portions. Keep waste out of the landfill by sending leftovers home with guests and composting food scraps.

Share your tips: How do you reduce food waste during Thanksgiving?

Green Your Thanksgiving: Gratitude

It's almost time for Americans to visit with loved ones, express gratitude, and eat a really, really big meal. This year, we're providing tips to help you celebrate Thanksgiving with less impact.

Tip #3: Appreciate the Natural World

Thanksgiving traditions vary, but most celebrations include some form of appreciation for the year's blessings. When expressing gratitude, take note of nature's gifts. You may feel thankful for a beautiful sunrise, a bountiful harvest, clean water, or colorful autumn leaves. By nurturing your connection with the planet, you will energize your environmental activism.

Share your tips: What do you appreciate about the natural world?