Monday, October 15, 2007

Mean "green" recycling machine...

I've been tagged by Miss Sarah over at Toast and Tables blog (thanks a lot :) to reveal in my own blog my "green" side. Not my money hungry side, but the other "green". I know it's hard to believe that you can be glamorous and planet-friendly at the same time, but it's true!

Okay, maybe I don't drive my car on alternative fuel or grow my own organic vegetables in my backyard (It's in my nature to kill plants, I think it's genetic)...but, I think in general it just matters that on a daily basis I'm planet conscious in some way or another big or small.

With that said, here's 10 things I do to that make the planet like me....

1. Recycle...duh! Okay, and I don't mean just tossing out cans into a bin. I do that. But, really recycle...like paper, electronics, tires...ect.


2. Reuse...okay I promise the next ones will be creative. But, I consider buying refurbished furniture pieces an act of "reusing", am I right?!?!

Love this refurbish white faux bamboo chair from Pieces

3. Purchase sustainable furniture...it's out there, I assure you. Not just for office furniture anymore, but there are great companies, like Eboniste for example that are using reclaimed wood in fabulous ways...

Paris Console from Eboniste

4. Ceiling fans...they are some great looking ones available these days. So, say goodbye to that horrible "contractor" fan (you know the one I'm talking about) and look into Modern Fan Co. or the like...

I put some of these in my spare bedrooms...Concept II by Minka Aire

5. Turn off the lights!! You know they say things look better in the dark. Well, it's true. But, if I need light to see so I don't stub my toe on something, then I use compact fluorescent bulbs in all my fixtures. Ikea has these great ones that are shaped like an A lamp bulb, check them out...


Energy-saving bulb E26 from Ikea

6. What's in your wash? Well, like Sarah, I too use planet friendly soaps, cleaners, detergents, etc. I usually get mine from Trader Joes, but there are plently of products on the market, like Method sold at Target.

7. Have a blog....see I could be writing all these thoughts down on paper, but I'm not! And there in fact, I'm saving the planet :)

8. Do the dishes for god's sake! As much as I would like to sometimes with our house in such a disarray and that dishwasher built the year that they were invented, I use our dinnerware and not paper plates or paper cups. At work we do the same.

9. Carpool. Okay, I don't carpool to work, but I carpool to drinks and dinner. Yup, it's the best way to go. Meet up and drive together, you kill to birds with one stone and have an automatic DD. Either that or cab it, I figure they're driving around wasting fuel either way, why not be in the car with them.

10. Tote your own. I bring my trusty Trader Joes bags everytime I go to the market, and even if I'm not at Trader Joe's but at another grocery store, I still bring them (tucked away in my cute hobo bag).

7 comments:

READY2SPARK said...

Fantastic post! Thanks for participating in the Green Challenge. I've compiled everyone's posts on my blog who participated in the challenge. Don't forget to pass it on.

Thanks again,

Lara

Bhavna Bhatnagar said...

Some good tips there Kate! [or should I call you Ms. Sustainable? ;-)]

The Peak of Chic said...

All very good suggestions Kate, and ones we should all follow too!

Sarah Dennis said...

Great post Kate! As a New Yorker you know I loved the taxi part!

Thanks for posting.

Brilliant Asylum said...

You are to be admired. I wish I could say I do everything on your list, but at least I am now inspired to try. It is so fascinating to learn what people are willing to do to save the earth.

franki durbin said...

I must have that table from Eboniste. Thank you for the resource!

Lindsey said...

I'm with ya on #3. I hardly buy new pieces of furniture. Everything is used...and I think that's what makes it so fun. The pieces have stories!