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5 Tips for Going Green While on Your Summer Cruise

May 28, 2015 2

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A Note from Sweet Greens: This post wasn’t written by me – thank you for supporting the companies that support Sweet Greens.

As the world becomes more aware with climate change and other environmental problems, various industries are searching for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and follow greener practices. This includes the cruising industry. These days, a lot of companies who offer cruise trips to the Mediterranean are taking big steps to greenify their operations. But of course, it’s also important that the passengers participate in the movement to create a bigger positive impact to the environment. Read on to learn how you can start an eco-friendly summer trip while having fun at the same time.

  1. Reuse, reduce, and recycle
    This should always be practiced whether you are travelling by land or by sea. For starters, you should reduce the number of water bottles that you use. Instead of buying water from the grocery store all the time, you can bring your own refillable container instead. Cruise ships offer food and drinks onboard so you can probably find a clean drinking water somewhere. If you see specially marked recycling trash bins, make sure that you throw your garbage in the appropriate bins.
  1. Reducing carbon footprint
    You can’t stop a cruise liner from using fuel. However, you can still do your part in reducing the carbon footprint of your journey.  First, turn off the lights in your room if you are not using them. If you are not extremely dirty, only take quick showers at night to conserve water.
  1. Eat right
    Sometimes, we get so excited with the buffet on the ship that we take more than what we can eat. Reduce excessive food waste by controlling yourself in the buffet line. Not only is it good for the environment, but it’s also good for your health as well. Tip: use a smaller plate so that you won’t overeat.
  1. Use the stairs
    Climbing the stairs seems like a very daunting task. However, it can be beneficial for reducing electricity consumption. This is also effective for burning off the excess calories that you acquired at the buffet table.
  1. Say no to plastic bags
    If you are buying souvenirs from the gift shop, always say no to plastic bags. Trinkets like magnets or key chains don’t need to be wrapped in a bag. Shirts, meanwhile, can be jammed in your suitcases. If you are planning to buy a lot of souvenirs, opt to bring your own reusable bag instead.

What other green travel tips do you have? Feel free to join the discussion in the comments!

5 Simple Eco-Friendly Ways to Green Your Bathroom

May 18, 2015 0

If you are just beginning your green journey – a great place to start is your bathroom. It is amazing how many toxic chemicals, harmful personal care ingredients and disposables items can be found there. Not to mention, the insane amounts of water that literally go down the drain. While greening your bathroom may sound like a huge undertaking, when you break it down into 5 simple areas – you will find that your bathroom is eco-friendly in no time, read on to get started.

#1: Ditch the Chemicals
We all know what we eat is super important to our health – the same is true for what you put on your body. After all, our skin is the body’s largest organ and it absorbs everything that is put on it. I suggest slowly removing all of the chemical personal care products from your vanity, if you can’t do it cold turkey. Replace those items with toxic-free products, while they may cost a little more upfront the impact they have on your health and the environment over the long run is worth it.

#2: Ditch the Disposables
It is easy to purchase disposable razors, cotton balls, tissues, and facial wipes – they just seem more convenient. However, the cost to both the environment and your budget are huge. Instead, choose a razor where only the head is disposable, choose reusable (washable) cloths and menstrual products instead of tissues, wipes, pads or cotton balls. Those small changes alone, add up over the course of a year.

#3: Ditch the Air Fresheners
We all want our bathrooms to smell clean and fresh. However, those toxic air fresheners may smell nice, however they poison the air. I would highly recommend making your own all-natural air freshener instead and avoid the chemicals.

#4: Green the Cleaners
Great cleaners are eco-friendly, toxic-free and many work just as well as their chemical counterpart. The best part many are just as affordable as the chemical version and you can make them at home using common household ingredients that are all-natural and super affordable too.

#5: Switch to Low-Flow
Over 2.5 gallons of water goes down the drain each minute – a 15 minute shower easily equals 37.5 gallons of water. Yikes! The simple act of installing a low-flow shower head can save up to 1 gallon a minute, saving up to $900 annually on your water bill. They literally take a minute to install and you’re done. Bonus!

Teaching Your Green Kids to Love Gardening

May 14, 2015 0

Gardening with Children

Gardening has many advantages, and is known to benefit your children’s health and well-being. Teaching the kids to love gardening will get them outdoors, allow you to spend some family time together, and make them more rounded characters. Do some research or search online for gardening guides which will give you more information and tips. Here are five ways to help get the kids involved;

Give Them Garden Space of Their Own
A great way to get the kids out in the garden is to allow them to plan a section for themselves. Giving them the freedom to plan, build and enjoy their own space will not only leave them feeling invested in the garden, but will also allow you to spend time together, helping them create their space.

Create a Wildlife Garden
Building a garden to attract wildlife is a brilliant way to excite the kids. Wildflowers are great for attracting plenty of insects, which will encourage other wildlife such as birds and hedgehogs to your garden. Once the children have their first sighting, they’ll be invested in helping you improve the space to attract more animals! If you have enough space you could even build a pond which will almost certainly increase your sightings.

green kids gardening

Teach Them to Grow Their Own Food
Teaching your children how to grow their own produce will leave them with a skill for life. Let them pick the fruit and vegetables that they like, before helping them to build grow boxes and sow the seeds. The responsibility of nurturing their plants before harvest will teach them a valuable skill, and could be a precursor to a family pet!

Create an Indoor Garden During the Winter
Getting the kids interested in gardening during the winter months, will leave them excited and ready to hit the garden in spring. You can start small with a herb garden, before you start germinating your seeds in anticipation of planting.

Teach Them How to Compost
Although perhaps not the most exciting of topics, teaching your children how to make compost will give them a greater understanding of consumption, waste, and their effect on their natural surroundings. Start by educating them on the importance of recycling, before moving on to composting.

Hopefully the above tips will help you to get the children interested in gardening, not only will they reap the benefits; so will you.

Image via bass_nroll and theloushe used under the Creative Commons license
This post wasn’t written by me, thank you for supporting the businesses that keep Sweet Greens running!

Build an Organic Bathroom Giveaway with Coyuchi + Zabada

April 22, 2015 198

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Air Weight Towels

Happy Earth Day 2015! Yay! Today I have a giveaway for you that I have been super excited to share, I know you will love it. It’s sponsored by Coyuchi and Zabada. The prize is a very generous collection of goodies to help you build an organic bathroom. One reader will receive a white Bath Towel ($48) from Coyuchi Air Weight Bath Towel Collection, a Zabada Bathroom Handy ($30) and Bathroom Marvel ($30) valued at over $100. Hooray for Earth Day Giveaways!

coyuchiWe reviewed these items in our home and have to tell you that they are perfect for building the perfect organic bathroom. Coyuchi is the first company to bring organic cotton bedding to the United States. Coyuchi towels are loomed from pure organic cotton, in colors drawn from earth, water and sky. Soft and thirsty, they’re designed to dry quickly on the towel bar and in the dryer.  A rolled self-hem helps them hold their shape wash after wash. The towels are free of the toxic dyes, bleaches and finishes used in conventional textiles.Our biggest challenge living in Florida is that it seems like it takes our bath towels forever to dry – it’s just so humid here. With Coyuchi’s Air Weight Bath Towel Collection not only do you get the first-ever Fair Trade Certification for towels in North America, but these towels dry very quickly. Bonus!

Here are some key features:

  • Coyuchi’s Air Weight Towel Collection has achieved Fair Trade Certification under the strict requirements set by Fair Trade USA
  • These organic cotton towels mark the first-ever Fair Trade Certification for towels in North America
  • Fair Trade certification for Apparel & Home Goods is the first social, economic and environmental standard that directly benefits the workers who sew the items
  • For every Fair Trade Certified™ product sold, a percentage is paid directly to a special workers’ fund
  • Workers then decide collectively how to spend these funds, based on the community’s greatest needs, including bonuses, scholarships and disaster relief funds, medical care and transportation
  • Coyuchi Bath Towels retail for $48.00 each, Hand Towels retail for $18.00 each and Coyuchi Wash Cloths retail for $8.00.

zabada bathroomhandy_hr_rgbWe also tried out the Zabada chemical-free cleaning products including the Zabada Bathroom Handy and Bathroom Marvel. Zabada’s mission is to rid American homes of harmful, chemical cleaning products. Using fiber clean technology, Zabada products remove 99.9% of bacteria using only water. The Bathroom Handy features a two-sided and fibered cleaning solution. The speckled side of the Bathroom Handy is the soft side, this is used to clean smooth surfaces such as mirrors, vanities and shower screens. The non-soft side of the Bathroom Handy is used to remove calcium, lime, mold and soap scum from wet areas in the bathroom. I love Zabada products because they remove 99.9% of bacteria just using water. Which makes cleaning the bathroom a breeze and there is never any worries about what is our cleaners because you don’t have to use any! The Bathroom Marvel is highly absorbent and perfect for streak-free drying of bathroom surfaces. The Marvel is durable enough for daily use in keeping lustrous surfaces like bathroom fixtures, shower doors and mirrors crystal clear.

Here are some key features:

  • Cleans surfaces in the bathroom, laundry and toilet
  • Removes calcium, soap, toothpaste with just using water
  • No need for yucky chemical sprays and bleach
  • Replaces store-bought cloths, sponges and grime products
  • Lasts 2 to 3 years, saving you money from buying chemicals

Want to build an organic bathroom of your own – leave a comment. For extra entries follow Coyuchi and Zabada on each of their social media channels and leave a separate comment for each!

Coyuchi Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @Coyuchi
Twitter: @Coyuchi
Pinterest: @Coyuchi
Instagram: @Coyuchi

Zabada Social Media Channels:

Facebook: @ZabadaClean
Twitter: @ZabadaClean
Pinterest: @ZabadaClean
Instagram: @ZabadaClean

Good Luck! Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only – and will end on May 1st.

Composting to Reduce Waste

April 15, 2015 0

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Springtime is in the air, and many of us are planning summer gardens and planting rows of colorful flowers. At this time of year, gardeners often turn to nutrient-rich compost to improve their soil and increase their yields. In fact, compost is the successful gardener’s secret weapon. Fortunately, virtually anyone can create compost. Whether you choose to purchase a ready-made compost bin or create a pile in a corner of your yard, you can create compost ready for the garden in no time. Not only is it good for your garden, it is also good for the environment. As 67% of the waste thrown away in this country is actually organic waste, composting is a great way to recycle.

Compost transforms household organic waste into something beneficial. Rather than throwing away table scraps, outdated produce, eggshells, moldy bread, and coffee grounds, why not add them to a compost pile in your own backyard? In addition to food waste, you can also add leaves, yard clippings, and even some types of paper to the compost pile. As you start your compost pile, keep a few things in mind. First, alternate layers of brown materials, like dried grass clippings and leaves, with green materials like food scraps. Next, water down your pile periodically. Finally, stir or mix the pile occasionally and then watch it turn from discarded waste into rich compost. To learn more about organic waste and what you can do about it, check out this infographic.

Recyclebank_Impact_of_Organic_Waste

 This post wasn’t written by me, thank you for supporting the businesses that keep Sweet Greens running!

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