Styrofoam...trying to say no to styrofoam in our school cafeterias. I joined forces with a couple of other very eco-friendly moms in an effort to get our school district to eliminate styrofoam trays. We met with our district's Wellness Committe and food service provider to find a (cost-effective) alternative to styrofoam trays.

Their concern: cost in dollars. Our concern: the environment and our children's health. You can see the disparity. It will most likely be a long journey before the switch is made. But that's okay because we are in it for the long-haul. Eliminating styrofoam from our school cafeterias is more than possible, it's probable and there are nearby school districts that have already accomplished it.

Stay tuned for more on this journey.

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.  

Sometimes it just takes a little enticing to realize the benefit of the results. Reflecting on the green Valentine party contest, one teacher had this to say:

"Thank you for encouraging and promoting these green ideas.  I think it 
will take off for all other classroom parties.  At first, I thought I 
would miss those cute paper valentine napkins and doilies.  But, now I 
am happy to have reusable products for the rest of my teaching career. 
  I should have bought them 30 years ago!"

As it turned out, everyone was a winner. However, we couldn't provide pizza to all 18 classrooms, so 2 unbiased judges narrowed it down. The original plan was 2 top prizes...we awarded 4.

No one noticed (or didn't complain about) the lack of disposable paper, plastic or styrofoam valentine themed plates. What everyone talked about instead was the creative things each and every classroom did to make their party "green". Finger foods to eliminate utensils. BYO reusable plates and cups from home. CLOTH napkins that were washed and lined-dried afterward. Autographing t-shirts instead of exchanging paper valentines. Homemade, recycled, reusable containers for collecting treats. One extremely creative parent made treat bags by reusing oldTarget shopping bags and leftover cellophane bag. Cookie-decorating that doubled as snack and activity. Reusable tablecloths instead of disposable. One classroom was bold enough to mix holidays and use a Thanksgiving table covering, all in the name (and fun of) being green.

In the end, we all learned that being green can be easy, fun, creative and inexpensive. We recycled, we reused and most importantly we reduced our impact on the environment.

 
World, meet my new purse:  

(Actually, mine is solid black but for picture clarity, I uploaded a lighter color bag).

Made by Maggie Bags, it is fabricated from rejected pre-consumer (automobile) seat belt webbing. Hip, eco-friendly, unique and stylish all in one.

It keeps perfectly good material out of the landfill so it falls inline with my "closing-the-loop" eco-resolution (buying more recycled stuff). The bag is also a sharp addition to the "what am I made of" section of our school programs in which we showcase unique recycled-content items.

Love, love this bag! Except (and I truly wish there wasn't an "except")...

It is made in China. Let's assume that the seat belt webbing originated in the U.S. and was shipped to China for manufacturing and back again. The greenhouse gas emissions generated from transportation more than likely offset the value of recycling the material. In other words...a bigger than desired carbon footprint. We can all learn much more about the environmental impact of our decisons at use-less-stuff.

Still love, love this bag. Just wish it was made here in the U.S.A.

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.

Ok...so I am the chairperson of the Green School Committee at my children's elementary school. (This is my second favorite volunteer position EVER...right after helping in my children's classrooms).

Anyhow...sometimes I just don't understand how others don't get the importance of being green and I get a little frustrated. My forte' is not subtle encouragement. I'm more the "here-are-the-facts-so-go-ahead-and-make-the-changes-now" type. Often times, my "subtlety" is lost on others.

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and room parents are undoubtedly planning the festivities. That is, until they read my email, from the green school committee chair. My committee is sponsoring a contest. Can you guess? The classroom that plans, hosts and carries out the "greenest" Valentine's  Day party will win...a pizza party. Kids like pizza and it's a great incentive so we went with it.

The committee members and I will remove ourselves from the "judging". I haven't finalized our judges yet, but my hope is they will include our media center instructor, our principal and another lucky individual. I just may extend that last invitation to our school superintendent. He has been one of our celebrity judges In the past, for our Earth Day poster contests.

The rules are pretty simple and straightforward...room parents will be asked to submit in writing, a list and description of how (their) classroom's Valentine's party will be green. This is meant to be creative and open-ended. The possibilities are endless and room parents will be encouraged to think in terms of snacks, tableware, decorations, crafts, waste-generation, recycling, etc.

Wish us luck on our contest.

We just got word and wanted to share the news! We are both honored and excited that you will be able to find us at the 92nd Annual Michigan PTA Convention in April where we will be presenting the session "Creating a Greener Culture". More information will be provided as it becomes available. In the meantime, be sure to mark your calendars. 

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.

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.