reduce

Green Product Shopping Tips

Author
Kate Rime
Chinook Book, the original Blue Sky Guide
Publication Date: 
November 1, 2010

When looking for green products it helps to return to the ol' Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Resources
Read Up!: 
The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, by Michael Brower & Warren Leon, Three Rivers Press, 1999.
The Better World Handbook: Small Changes That Make A Big Difference, by Ellis Jones, Ross Haenfler and Brett Johnson, New Society Publishers, 2007.
Act Locally!: 
Chinook Book, chinookbook.net
Do It Green! Directory, doitgreen.org/directory
Moss Envy, mossenvy.com
Recycled Products Guide, recycleminnesota.org/htm /ReProd.htm

Sustainability in the Office

Author
Reprinted with permission from Minnesota Waste Wise
_
Offices contribute greatly to the waste generated in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), each year the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of office paper, and the average American throws away 1.6 billion single-use pens.
Footnotes/Endnotes

ON THE WEB!

Do It Green!, Minnesota,
doitgreen.org
(see Business section)

Minnesota Pollution Control, Agency, reduce.org

Minnesota Waste Wise,
St. Paul, MN, mnwastewise.org

National Resources Defense Council, nrdc.org/enterprise
/greeningadvisor/pa-reducing.asp

Reduce Waste from Unwanted Junk Mail

Author
Modified and reprinted with permission from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Save time and paper. Although much junk mail, including catalogs, windowed envelopes and advertisements, can be recycled, it is a worthwhile effort to reduce this waste stream at its source. Nearly 32 pounds of paper and plastic go into the garbage for every American. That's a pretty sizeable "junked mail" problem!

Mail List Brokers and Marketing Associations. Households can significantly reduce their advertising mail by registering with the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference

Green Building 101

Author
Rachel Maloney
Natural Built Home Store

Let's face it, green is hot. It describes everything from automobiles to energy sources. One area where the development of green products is exploding is in the field of green building. Green building encompasses initial building site selection and energy efficiency all the way through the finish material choices such as carpet and counter tops. Safe and sustainable products can be incorporated into a project whether it is a new commercial construction or simply repainting a wall in an existing home.

Footnotes/Endnotes

Web Resources

United States Green Building Council, www.usgbc.org

Natural Home Magazine
www.naturalhomemagazine.com

Print Resources

The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options, Dan Chiras, Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners, 2004.

Green Remodeling : Changing the World One Room at a Time, David Johnston, New Society Publishers, 2004.

Organizations

Natural Built Home
4020 Minnehaha Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
612-605-7999
www.naturalbuilthome.com

ReUse Center
Minneapolis, 612-724-2608
Osseo, 863-315-0949
www.thereusecenter.com
Family installing UltraTouch recycled cotton insulation - an itch-free, non-toxic insulation alternative.

Productos y envasado

Author
Brooke Owen
Translator

Reduce, re-usa, recicla y abona. Escuchamos éstas palabras frecuentemente pero ¿cuántas personas hacen algo para incorporarlas en su vida? Casi todos reciclamos latas de aluminio. Buen trabajo. Pero, se puede hacer más. ¿Sabías que cada minesotano produce más de 2.000 libras de basura cada año?

Reduce Your Commuting Costs by Asking Your Employer about Metropass

Author
Bob Gibbons
Metro Transit

More and more Twin Cities businesses – large and small – are helping employees underwrite the cost of commuting by bus and train. Employees within a company frequently become the catalyst for a company-sponsored transit benefit by asking their employers to examine Metro Transit’s premium business partnership called “Metropass”.

Footnotes/Endnotes

Contact:

Metro Transit
Employer Programs Hotline
612-349-7427
www.metrotransit.org

The CERES Principles

Author
Tara Wesely

 

Footnotes/Endnotes

Web Resources

CERES Network for Change: www.ceres.org

Business for Social Responsibility: www.bsr.org

Green Biz: www.greenbiz.com

 

Print Resources

The Ecology of Commerce, Paul Hawken, 1994

Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, John Elkington, 1998

 

Organizations

The Alliance for Sustainability
www.mtn.org/iasa

Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network
www.nextstep.state.mn.us/section.cfm

Tips for Reducing Waste While Traveling

Author

--Parts excerpted from www.reduce.org

"The less we take with us into the mountains, deserts, forests or waters, the more their spirit informs and enlivens us. We should be as reliant on our wits as much as possible and on "things" as little as possible. This means we should wear and carry as little as we can get away with while being in, and moving through, the natural world." -- Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia

Footnotes/Endnotes

Web Sites

Reduce Waste

www.reduce.org

Enviornmental Vehicle Rental Cars: 

www.evrental.com

Co-op America's Travel-Links
120 Beacon St.
Somerville, MA 800-648-2667
www.coopamerica.org

Minnesota Office of Tourism
500 Metro Square
121 7th Place E.
St. Paul, MN 651-296-5029
www.exploreminnesota.com
Syndicate content