ECOSiZE Me

Pass on the Program

Thousands of full-color 65-page programs were handed-out to fans inside Joe Louis Arena for the Red Wings vs Predators game on Friday night. Since the cover of our copy of "Today: The Official Publication of the Detroit Red Wings" is imprinted with "Issue 4 Game 30 Detroit vs. Nashville, Friday March 5, 2010 7:30 p.m.", I am going to assume that these are distributed at each and every game. Again I am only assuming because I have not checked directly with the organization.

Don't get me wrong...I was born and raised in Detroit and am a huge fan of the Wings at JLA. The program is chock-full of ads, articles, line-ups, trivia...all good, fun stuff!

Why is it that "being-green" isn't second nature to us as a society? Do we really need to have a date-specific publication at each and every game? There are more eco-friendly ways to combine advertising dollars with information while reaching the audience. The Wings organization is such a stand-up one and practices of environmental sustainability would fit them so well.

Realistically, how many of those programs left the seats with the fans after a fabulous win; how many programs made it past the garbage bins in the concourse? If they did make it back to our homes, how many were given a second chance by being recycled?

Next time, for the sake of being-green, we'll have to say "no thanks" and pass on the program.  

Eco-Friendly Fashion: My 4 Favorite Sweaters

Here are my four favorite sweaters, acquired this season.

  

 

 

 

L to R; Top to Bottom: Limited brand brown shrug; Ann Taylor white open-front cardigan; Field Gear zip-front wool cardigan; Abercrombie wool/cotton pullover.

Total price tag for all sweaters combined: $20

None of them are made from recycled plastic. None of them are organic cotton. But they all are eco-friendly. How? Why? Because they are purchased second-hand (or vintage, or used, or thrift or resale). Call it what you will. I call it smart.

According to Wikipedia, the demand, acceptance and awareness of used clothing has increased significantly since the 90's. Two main reasons for this: it's fashionable (as seen in Hollywood) and it's environmentally-friendly. Did you know that it takes an estimated 100 gallons of water to manufacture one (new) wool sweater? And nearly 500 gallons to make one new pair of stonewashed jeans?

So, the next time you are looking for eco-friendly fashion, check out your local resale shops. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you can find.

Green Fast Food Dining

Our blog is about being green while keeping it real. Here is a little anecdote about both. 

This past Saturday afternoon, the kids and I had lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries and did a little shopping at Target. On our drive to the shopping center, a piece of litter along the street caught the attention of my 6-year old. He commented that he "can't believe people litter and if he could, he would pick it up and recycle it." What ensued for the next several miles, was the counting of every piece of visible litter by all three of my children. We lost count as we neared our destination but we continued to talk about why people litter and what a terrible behavior it is because it disrespects our planet and our community.

The lunch destination was an upscale fast-food joint, serving none other than (yummy) burgers and fries. The burgers are wrapped in foil; fries are served in styrofoam, drinks are filled in paper cups and your complete order is placed in a brown paper bag. This is the real part...yes, upon occasion, we are fast-food patrons. Recycling is one of my core values and I feel a bit of hypocrisy when I visit a place like this, knowing full well every wrapper is meant to be disposable. Trash cans are the only option with no opportunities for recycling.

It's all about choices and perhaps I should have chosen a different place for lunch. But like I said earlier, this blog is meant to be green AND real. So, upon finishing our meal, we did the greenest thing possible...we took our foil wrappers, paper cups and paper bag home with us to recycle.

If you are curious about the Target portion of the trip...the answer is "yes" we did bring (and use) our own fabric shopping bags.

Green Resolutions

It's a new year and with that comes new resolutions. Our recommendation? Keep it simple, keep it real, keep it green. No matter where you are on the green spectrum, pick one new green habit to work on this month.

Wikihow breaks down how to form a (new) good habit in simple steps, which can easily be applied to being and going green. Know what you want to do. Make a list of the benefits. Commit to the habit. Set (realistic) goals and reward yourself. Start slow. Be consistent. Give yourself time for the action to become habit. Experts estimate that it takes 3-4 weeks for (good) habits to form. Add new green activities each month.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. It can be a process, so long as you are taking steps in the green direction.

Cheers to a green 2010.

We're Back

We took a hiatus from our blog this month to focus on the holidays and spend time with family. In the process, we had some time to regroup and refocus. We hope that you will join us in the new year on our journey to be wise about our ecosize.

Ecostore USA Newsletter - Always worth the time to read

They are one of our favorite green things and we've blogged about them before. Ecostore USA's November newsletter is available here and it's always worth the time to read. Here at Ecosize Me, we believe in making a positive impact on our environment and we fancy those around us that believe the same. So this holiday weekend, kick back, read their newsletter, check out their site and be thankful for all that we have.

You won't want to miss their Share the Love:Holiday Sale. These items make great green holiday gifts. Turn your family and friends on to ecostore USA's plant and mineral based products and feel good that you are doing something especially green this holiday season.

America Recycles Day--Recycling Is Good

November 15th is an annual, nationally recognized day to promote and encourage Americans to increase recycling at home and at work and to buy products made with recycled materials. Take a look, take a step and make a difference. http://www.americarecyclesday.org

Recycling is good...

• Recycling 1 aluminum can saves enough energy to run a computer for 3 hours.
• Recycling 1 glass bottle saves enough energy to to power a 100-watt lightbulb for 4 hours.
• Recycling a stack of newspaper 3 feet tall saves 1 tree.

212 Degrees

"At 211^o water is hot. At 212^o it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. It reminds us that seemingly small things can make tremendous differences."

~~Sam Parker and Mac Anderson, Authors of 212^o The Extra Degree

It's our choice to be the 1^o that makes a difference!

Bottled Water Is So Yesterday

Whether it's a result of economic or environmental pressures, the highly popular bottled water is slowly, but surely on a downturn. And that simply is music to my ears for these reasons...

"According to Food & Water Watch, more than 17 million barrels of oil -- enough to fuel 1 million cars for a year-- are needed to produce the plastic water bottles sold in the United States annually. And about 86 percent of the empty bottles get thrown into the trash rather than recycled." This is an excerpt from a Washington Post article from August.

You can read more reliable but staggering statistics here and here. Be sure to read about the energy footprint of bottled water as well.

The point of this post is to encourage, persuade and ask you to CHOOSE to REUSE and TURN ON THE TAP. In other words, fill reusable water bottles with tap water and say NO to BOTTLED WATER.

As a family, we have made this choice and are happier, healthier and greener because of it. We hope you will choose to do the same. It is one little step in the green direction.

Missed Opportunity

I saw a Wal-Mart commercial on television this past weekend. It was an advertisement of how you could save money by shopping at their store and then packing your lunch instead of eating out on a daily basis.

Displayed in the commercial were a variety of items that they would have you use to pack a lunch. What was truly significant about the footage was that it contained a paper lunch bag (instead of a reusable lunch container) as well as a bottle of water (instead of a reusable drinking container). While I applaud the idea of packing your lunch instead of eating out, Wal-Mart misses the boat, economically and environmentally. Purchasing individual (disposable) bottled water and (disposable) paper lunch bags are not ways in which to be economical. Nor are they ways in which to be green.

What a missed environmental opportunity! Wal-Mart’s PR and advertising gurus fail to gain the respect of “green” shoppers. Their commercial silently and subtly speaks volumes about the company’s true commitment, or lack thereof, to our environment.

 

The Wal-Mart commercial is an indicator that environmental stewardship is not truly at the forefront of our society. That convenience and disposability take precedence over waste reduction and sustainability. This is truly an unfortunate circumstance. One that needs to be reversed.