Recently, we saw the Plastiki – a sailboat made out of 12,500 plastic bottles – complete its 15,000 km journey from San Francisco to Sydney. The publicity surrounding this event has been used to highlight the perils facing the oceans and one of them is plastic waste.

Recently, we saw the Plastiki – a sailboat made out of 12,500 plastic bottles – complete its 15,000 km journey from San Francisco to Sydney. The publicity surrounding this event has been used to highlight the perils facing the oceans and one of them is plastic waste.

A big mess in the oceans
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), over 13,000 pieces of plastic litter the surface of each square kilometre of ocean.

Charles Moore, the scientist credited for discovering the Pacific Garbage Patch said earlier this year: “Humanity’s plastic footprint is probably more dangerous than its carbon footprint.”

We’ve heard of the Pacific Garbage Patch, now scientists are warning that a floating mass of scattered refuse extends over thousands of square miles in the remote Atlantic.

Marine life – the victims of our plastic pollution
The NOAA estimates 100,000 turtles and marine mammals are killed by garbage every year. Turtles are particularly vulnerable as they cannot distinguish between jellyfish (their staple feed) and plastic.

Plastic pollution is also a hazard to human safety. Waste can clog up waterways and this can have catastrophic consequences. Plastics were identified as a major contributor to severe flooding in Bangladesh in the late 1990s and in the aftermath, a total ban was imposed on plastic bags.

An expensive mess
Plastic waste is expensive. Plastic products may be cheap to produce – just pennies for a typical shopping bag – but their cleanup (not to mention their effects on human and environmental health) can cost a lot more.

Is biodegradable plastic the solution?

It’s worth bearing in mind how plastics are made. They are petroleum products made from a non-renewable source and dependency on oil is continued with plastic use. Plastics do not break down easily. The time required for a typical plastic bag to decompose is believed to range from 20 to 1,000 years.

Biodegradable plastics have been around for over twenty years. These are made using products such as corn, hemp and soy. While this is not a solution to the plastic waste problem (because biodegradable plastics can also have an environmental impact), it is a serious consideration within the wider scheme of waste management.

Reduce, reuse, recycle
The fact of the matter is, if you use it, it has to end up somewhere. Only by following the three Rs motto, can the plastic problem be dealt with.

Using less plastic
The simple solution is to not create the waste in the first place.

Is that bottle of soda or water really necessary? Less than 20 per cent of plastic water bottles are recycled. We also have to ask ourselves if we really need those extra household items that won’t be in use for long and will create more waste.

Recycling is everyone’s responsibility
It is estimated that between 3 and 6 per cent of plastics are recycled around the world. There is need for improvement. The mindset has to change from “disposable” to RECYCLABLE.

Companies who have taken initiatives to make their products more recyclable are seeing rewards. At the government level, those municipalities and local governments that have incorporated recycling into their waste management schemes are dealing with significantly less waste going to the landfills.

Consumers have to play their part by making a greater effort to recycle. Too many recyclable items are still going to the landfills.

Dispose properly
We shouldn’t forget this important aspect. Carelessly tossed waste is more likely to end up in the waterways than if it was placed in a disposal unit. 80 per cent of ocean plastics come from land.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lou_Kawakami

Everyone is looking to save a buck or two these days… but saving some time wouldn’t be too bad either. Advertising a green campus while keeping up with your classes and lifestyle can be a challenge, but here are 5 eco friendly living tips that will shave off a few dollars – and a few hours – from your hectic life.

Everyone is looking to save a buck or two these days… but saving some time wouldn’t be too bad either. Advertising a green campus while keeping up with your classes and lifestyle can be a challenge, but here are 5 eco friendly living tips that will shave off a few dollars – and a few hours – from your hectic life.

Shop Online

Not only will this eco friendly tip help your green travel ways by reducing your carbon footprint by not driving, you will also save gas, gas money, and time. Yes, you won’t be able to try things on, but almost all online stores nowadays have great return policies if you really don’t like it. Not only can shopping online save you time, but you can also find great products at discount sites like Ebay and Amazon.

Drink from the Tap

Drinking from the tap will not kill you; people have been doing it for years! Green living experts actually recommend children being exposed to tap water because it allows them to come in contact with any natural bacteria without harming them. It builds their immune system up while also saving you hundreds of dollars a year.

Taking Public Transit/Biking to Work

This eco friendly living tip obviously coincides with not only saving money but decreasing pollution as well. This is an especially good tip for those city dwellers. Many individuals who live in the city think driving is more efficient, but taking mass transit or riding your bike can get you to work with a smaller carbon footprint and cheaper. How is it cheaper you might ask? Ever think of the gas you’re wasting stopping and starting from stoplights and stop signs? Or, how about the daily price of the parking garage downtown? Using public transit or biking helps solve both those problems.

According to the National Geographic documentary Human Footprint, Americans consume about 989,985,594,240 half gallons of milk over the course of a lifetime.  This is good news because it shows that we are staying healthy by consuming milk, but it’s also bad news because it means we are creating more waste when we throw these plastic milk jugs away.

According to the National Geographic documentary Human Footprint, Americans consume about 989,985,594,240 half gallons of milk over the course of a lifetime.  This is good news because it shows that we are staying healthy by consuming milk, but it’s also bad news because it means we are creating more waste when we throw these plastic milk jugs away.

Although you should recycle plastic milk jugs by taking them to the recycling center or placing them on the curb for recycling pick-up, not everyone does. One way to recycle these gallon plastic milk jugs is to reuse them for other handy purposes.

Here are 10 tips for reusing plastic milk jugs:

Yarn Dispenser

Cut the top of the milk container off just enough so a ball of yarn and your hand can fit into the hole. Once the ball of yarn is in take the end of the yarn and bring it through the handle of the milk jug. This is a great way to keep the yarn from getting tangled together!

Scooper

For an easy way to scoop up kitty litter, dirt or anything else, cut off the top of milk jug right above the handle. You can then hold onto the handle and scoop up whatever you need to.

Bird Feeder

Instead of buying an expensive bird feeder try making your own! Check out these Milk Jug Bird Feeder Instructions for an easy way to feed the birds.

Or you can watch this cool YouTube video:

Funnel

This is one of the easiest homemade funnels to make. All that you need to do is to cut off the bottom of the milk jug right below the handle, turn it upside down and pour.

Piggy Bank

With the lid on the top of the milk jug, cut a small slit opposite of the handle and drop in your change. You can even use markers, paint or stickers to decorate your piggy bank.

Plant Base

Instead of buying a potted plant base or saucer you can just off the bottom of the milk jug and place the pot inside.

Meat Separator

It’s never good to see your hamburger patties sticking together once they’ve been in the freezer. To prevent this from happening you can cut the milk container into small circles or squares and place them between the patties.

Plastic Bag Dispenser

Cut a small hole across from the handle and then put in your plastic bags. You can take the bags out one by one from the hole whenever  you need one.

Toilet Bowl Brush/Plunger Holder

Cut a hole across from the handle that’s big enough for the toilet bowl cleaner or plunger to fit through.

Dustpan

With the lid still on, turn the milk jug container upside down and cut the top off at an angle. This is a great alternative to traditional dustpans.

Most people cringe at the word diet, but no matter if you’re a struggling senior with a budget only for Ramen Noodles, or a senior trying to make the world a little better for your grandkids, these five (and a half) eco-friendly diets will help not only your waistline go down, but your carbon footprint as well.

Most people cringe at the word diet, but no matter if you’re a struggling senior with a budget only for Ramen Noodles, or a senior trying to make the world a little better for your grandkids, these five (and a half) eco-friendly diets will help not only your waistline go down, but your carbon footprint as well.

These diets are simple, easy to manage, and cost effective.

1. Real Food Diet – If grandma wouldn’t call it food, neither should you! The Real Food Diet consists of eating foods with little to no unpronounceable ingredients. Many food products in your local grocery store are packed with unnatural and processed ingredients which can retain fats in your body.
2. Locavore Diet – Stimulate your body and the local economy by buying foods produced within 100 miles of where you live. Farmer’s Markets are a great source of local fruits and vegetables, as are local bakeries and food co-ops for baked goods and other products. Local foods tend to be less processed, giving your body natural vitamins and proteins it needs to stay healthy and trim fat.
3. Eco Atkins Diet – The traditional Atkins Diet is packed with animal fats, far from green and only questionably healthy. But this eco twist follows the same carb-to-protein ratio using plant-based proteins like soy, beans and no-starch gluten instead. Researchers found dieters lost weight and reduced their bad (LDL) cholesterol levels at the same time.
4. Vegetarian Diet – Did you know that eating a veggie diet can reduce your carbon footprint by a ton? Your water footprint (as well as water weight) will significantly decrease as well. Keep in mind you can still have eggs and dairy. You also want to make sure to fill up on healthy produce and legumes so you don’t fill up on carbs.
5. Vegan Diet – This diet is not for the faint of heart. You need to be dedicated and strong-willed, willing to take the extra step from vegetarian to vegan. Vegan diets are like vegetarian, although they also take out any animal-based products like dairy and eggs.

If the vegetarian and vegan diets are too much for you to handle, try a flex diet. Flex diets designate certain times when you are allowed to eat meat, like the weekends, every other day, etc. It weans meat off your diet slowly but still allows you to indulge those burger cravings that everyone seems to have!

Becoming eco-friendly in the world today is gaining in popularity in every age group. Making the choice to buy organic and bio-friendly products can be costly, which is not always an easy option for starving college students.  Be the hero, and show the campus how to be Earth conscious with these green campus savvy tips.

Becoming eco-friendly in the world today is gaining in popularity in every age group. Making the choice to buy organic and bio-friendly products can be costly, which is not always an easy option for starving college students.  Be the hero, and show the campus how to be Earth conscious with these green campus savvy tips.

• Clean your dorm or apartment using inexpensive and green cleaners

Replace these cleaning products with these natural mixtures in inexpensive water bottles. Stain remover = baking soda and a little water; Counter/tile cleaning products = equal parts water and white vinegar

• Lights off!

When you leave your apartment turn off your TV, lights, ect. to save energy.  When you leave for break for more than a few days, unplug what you can because even if something is off it still consumes energy while plugged in.

• Recycle

Start a recycling bin to separate trash from recyclable goods.  In states like Vermont, Maine, Michigan, and New York, you can receive cash for cans; some states even pay up to 10 cents.  A bag full of empty soda cans could be a free slice of late night pizza.

• Walk to classes

Save money on gas by buying a bicycle or simply walking instead of driving.  Parking passes and rising gas prices add up, spend the money on something for you, while getting exercise at the same time and reducing your carbon footprint.

Those amazing fruits we call pumpkins are the staple for the Halloween holiday season. They create family bonding times during the carving, and set a spooky yet fun atmosphere on your stoop when trick-or-treaters come knocking on your door. But what to do after the witch’s hats have been put up and the candy eaten? Pumpkins can be reused in a lot of ways that are friendly to the enviornment, your body and your home.

Those amazing fruits we call pumpkins are the staple for the Halloween holiday season. They create family bonding times during the carving, and set a spooky yet fun atmosphere on your stoop when trick-or-treaters come knocking on your door. But what to do after the witch’s hats have been put up and the candy eaten? Pumpkins can be reused in a lot of ways that are friendly to the enviornment, your body and your home.

Here are 7 environmental ways to make the most out of the pumpkin decorations you see at the stores without spending too much! Uses range from food, decorations, and even body care!

Food

• Stuffed Pumpkin – the pumpkin is already hollowed out, now stuff it again! Use bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and cream. To add flavor to the cream feel free to add nutmeg and black pepper. Cut the bread and cheese into slices, throw it in the pumpkin, and bake! Make sure there is a nicely sized hole on the top to scope out the deliciousness at the end! The oven should be at 350* and the pumpkin should bake for 2 hours, taking the top off for the last 20 minutes.
• Harvest Pumpkin Soup – Pumpkin soup is one of the best harvest foods available, one that keeps you energized, healthy and warm throughout the fall season. There are plenty of recipes online that incorporate leeks, apples and cider to make a spicy or hearty soup, ready for any hungry family our get together.
• Pumpkin Biscuits –Warm biscuits straight from the oven are mouthwatering enough, but with pumpkin? Count me in! Follow any typical biscuit recipe, but add ½ teaspoon of allspice and ¾ cup canned pumpkin. Add the pumpkin to the flour, the allspice to the salt, flour and baking soda, and you’re set to go with the most mouthwatering pumpkin biscuits!

Body

• DIY pumpkin body butter – This exfoliating ‘oh-so-good’ massage aide and moisturizer is actually extremely easy to make! Mix ½ cup of pumpkin puree, ½ cup solids from a can of coconut milk and a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. That’s it! Once you apply to the skin and massage it in, let it fully soak in for 10 minutes or so, then rinse off with warm water.
• Pumpkin Mask – This is a great excuse to sit back and relax for an hour while getting pampered, exfoliated and moisturized! Everything one needs in the fall season! Unfortunately, this is not something to be done at home, but offered at many spas and skin care specialists. The smell is intoxicating, the feel of your skin baby smooth, and your complexion ready to take on the world!

Home

• DIY floating pumpkin candles – Place these in water-filled shallow bowls on the dinner table and have a beautiful fall inspired centerpiece. Buy 6-8 miniature pumpkins and the same number of small votive candles. Cut a hole the size of the candle in the top of the candle and sit the candle snugly in the hole.
• DIY fresh-pumpkin air fresheners - Make the delicious smell of Halloween and Thanksgiving last throughout the season. This is extremely and will hone your pumpkin carving abilities! Cut the top off and scoop the guts from the pumpkin just like you would if you were carving it. Cut holes in the pumpkin sides for ventilation, then spread your favorite spice along the inside of the pumpkin top (nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.). After you place a beeswax tea candle in the middle, light it, and let the subtle aromas of pumpkin mixed with spice calm and relax you.

Who doesn’t love a nice, comfortable pair of flip flops?

The summer is almost here, so flip flops are the perfect shoes for guys to wear with shorts and a t-shirt, or for ladies to make a fashion statement in a cool summer dress.

One way you can sport flip flops while also saving the environment is to purchase recycled flip flops…

Who doesn’t love a nice, comfortable pair of flip flops?

The summer is almost here, so flip flops are the perfect shoes for guys to wear with shorts and a t-shirt, or for ladies to make a fashion statement in a cool summer dress.

One way you can sport flip flops while also saving the environment is to purchase recycled flip flops. These flip flops are often made from reused materials such as rubber tires, fabric and cork, so they help reduce landfill waste. They also happen to be very comfortable.

Make a Flippin’ Decision

No matter what music festival, baseball game, green gathering or other casual event you attend, you’ll see people wearing flip flops.

Whether you practice living an eco lifestyle or not, it’s important to choose a pair of well-made, recycled flip flops instead of a cheap pair that you’ll just throw away after a few months. Instead of ending up in a landfill, your flip flops might just make it through a few extra summers.

Check out these cool recycled flip flops for women and men, and decide which pair best suits your personal style:

Women

Teva Lennox Sandal

Canvas and leather upper is made from 100% recycled material, and there is a 50% recycled rubber outsole.

Ocean Minded Laguna Sandal

Cushioned sandals with 100% recycled bottom sole.

Simple CA Bana Sandal

These sandals are made from washable suede, cork and rubber, and recycled paper forms are used to construct them.

Chaco Sunflower Sandals

These are embroidered with cute flowers and have a recycled rubber sole.

Body Glove Castaway Sandal

Made with organic cotton and cork, plus recycled foam and tire rubber.

Chaco Intersect Eco Tread Sandals

Provides great arch support and is made from 25% recycled rubber.

Men

Reef Remixed Sandal

Soles are made from recycled rubber tires.

DVS Ziggy Wolfgang Sandals

Midsole is made from a blend of cork and Ecotrue, and the sole is made from 100% recycled tires.

North Face Ex-Girlfriend Sandals

Top straps contain recycled PET lining.

Body Glove Castaway Sandal

These are made from organic cotton and cork, as well as recycled foam and tire rubber.

Timberland Rippler Thong Sandal

Contain organic cotton canvas and 30% recycled rubber outsoles.

Gravis Hempurpedic Sandal

Made with renewable hemp and recycled foam that shapes to your foot.

Unisex

Lazy Boy Natural Flip Flops

Vegan and cruelty-free, these are made from natural hemp and recycled race car soles, bicycle inner tube straps and rubber footbeds.

Splaff Flopps

Produced in a 100% waste-free environment, these flip flops are made from recycled car tires and bicycle inner tubes.

Ho Chi Minh Tire Sandals

100% recycled tire sandals made in Cambodia.

You really can’t go wrong with a pair of flip flops in the summer. And with a pair of eco-friendly flip flops, you’ll not only be doubling their lifespan, but you’ll also be helping out the environment.

We’ve all heard about foreign exchange programs that let you stay with families from other countries, but have you ever heard of an organic farm exchange program?

Well that’s exactly what WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is: a program that gives hosts a chance to share their organic farming experience with volunteers and allows volunteers to help hosts with daily organic farming activities…

We’ve all heard about foreign exchange programs that let you stay with families from other countries, but have you ever heard of an organic farm exchange program?

Well that’s exactly what WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is: a program that gives hosts a chance to share their organic farming experience with volunteers and allows volunteers to help hosts with daily organic farming activities.

There are currently over 500 hosts in the U.S.

What is WWOOF?

WWOOF was created in the UK in 1971 as a way to find help for people working on organic farms.

The organic farm hosts provide housing and food for the volunteers, who in return help them with their daily farming tasks.

In exchange for helping hosts with daily tasks, volunteers:

• Don’t have to pay hosts for their stay
• Get free accommodations and food
• Learn about organic growing and lifestyles

The volunteers not only get to travel to different states or countries, but they also get to learn about the unique eco-lifestyles of these organic farmers.

Neither the hosts nor volunteers pay each other for the experience, but there is a small fee charged by the WWOOF network to maintain the program.

The best thing is that the program is available in so many different countries, from Australia and Costa Rica to Spain and Uganda. You can see a complete listing of countries here.

If you’d like to be a volunteer you can click here, or if you’d like to be a host you can click here.

This is truly a great opportunity for students or anyone interested in organic farming to get first-hand experience from professional organic farmers. There really are so many more things you can learn in person than by reading a book or watching a television show.

With all the information out there about green living, it’s hard to know what exactly you can do as a student to make your life green. It’s hard to use organic toilet paper when you’re living on a budget, and you can’t necessarily tell your university you want all the dorm furniture to be recycled.

With all the information out there about green living, it’s hard to know what exactly you can do as a student to make your life green. It’s hard to use organic toilet paper when you’re living on a budget, and you can’t necessarily tell your university you want all the dorm furniture to be recycled.

So, how can you make a difference and make your life greener? The following is a list of three simple ways you can make the biggest impact with little changing (no wind turbines in front of the chem building required).

Change your dish washing routine

In college it’s very easy to buy a $3 bag of paper plates and throw them in your closet for when you need them. Sadly, this not only gets ridiculously expensive, but it also kills the environment. Instead, purchase an inexpensive set of plates and silverware – Corelle is a good company.

When you’re done eating, simply go to the common room on your floor and scrape off the leftover (compost it if possible) and let the bowl/plate soak in hot water for a few minutes. No extra rinsing required! The plate is ready for the dishwasher. Make sure you only run the dishwasher when it is totally full.

For an extra step, turn the “heat dry” option off the dishwasher and air dry your kitchenware after it washes.

Store food better and smarter

You might think you’re being environmentally friendly when you buy the flimsy plastic containers to store your food, but guess again. Not only do multiple plastic containers kill the environment, but after half a dozen uses (maybe up to 20 if you’re lucky) they get gross and you throw them out anyways!

Instead, buy heavy duty glass containers with quality plastic lids. Not only is glass more durable and eco-friendly, but they’ll last your entire college career.

Clean up you act!

And well, we mean this literally. When cleaning, like most other things, reusing and recycling is the best way to go. This means not using 53475897 paper towels when cleaning. Instead, store a few buckets, sponges, soap, and possibly a mop and whatever else you deem essential to a cleaning raid (I always prefer to have an old rag or t-shirt around for dusting). Use these items to clean up after that big party, or before the parents show up. Also remember to use eco-friendly products!

Learning how to live an eco lifestyle is an enlightening process that may take months to get the hang of. Learning how to be money-savvy while taking part of green living might take even longer than that. Part of an eco lifestyle is eating healthy, using green transportation when possible, participating in green efforts, and saving energy in any and every way possible.

Learning how to live an eco lifestyle is an enlightening process that may take months to get the hang of. Learning how to be money-savvy while taking part of green living might take even longer than that. Part of an eco lifestyle is eating healthy, using green transportation when possible, participating in green efforts, and saving energy in any and every way possible.

When many areas of the US have had record hot summers, it is hard to remember to be energy-savvy. Keeping the A/C down can some very cranky customers, but here are some ways in which to save energy while living an eco lifestyle and NOT want to pull your hair out.

1. Turn off the lights – your parents were not simply trying to get on your nerves when they told you this growing up. Turning off lights as you leave a room really helps conserve energy. Not only does this help extend the life of the light bulbs, but will decrease the typical 11% of a home’s energy bill that lighting consumes.
2. Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs – These light bulbs, more commonly known as CFLs use about 75% less energy than regular bulbs and have a longer lifespan.
3. Use Motion Sensors – Outdoor lamps and other lighting is a huge energy sucker when left on all night. Installing motion sensors will not only decrease the amount of energy used by these outdoor safety lights, but also may boost security and decrease the effect on wildlife that leaving lights on through the night might do.
4. Turn off your computer – A computer has become a needed appliance in today’s world, but is also one of the biggest energy suckers in your home. Before going to bed, turn off your computer and do not turn it on in the morning until you’re actually using it. This green living tip saves energy and money; according to the Department of Energy you’ll save an average of $90/year.
5. Laptop > Desktop – Laptops only us 15-25 watts of energy during regular use. Desktops use 150 watts on average. Laptops are more convenient in every way!