Ways2GoGreen Blog

Guest Post: In the Case of Cosmetics, Organic is Better

Clay Miller — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:50:00 -0400

Ways2GoGreen’s readership is always looking for ways to better their lives without hurting the environment; that’s an initiative with which I am very familiar. I write about ways for consumers to better their choices in cosmetics, skin care—and generally everything else—by educating them on green practices, manufacturing, packaging and, most importantly, ingredient usage. The simple fact is that the cosmetics industry represents an enormous hole in FDA regulation policy. Any brand can make a small improvement to their process and slap the terms “natural” and “eco-friendly” to their packaging in order to entice the eco-conscious consumer. However, these brands should be put on notice. Truly natural and organic brands are hard to come by, but will benefit your body and the earth in the long run. Therefore, I urge you to let this article educate you but also to extend your own research in order to choose brands and products that align with your personal ideals about preservation of the earth and the healthiness of your body.

Having said that, let’s talk ingredients. There have been a lot of advertisements on television—as you may have noticed—that proclaim their products to be paraben-free. So what is a paraben and why are they telling me it’s not present? Parabens are just one of the many disconcerting ingredients found in many cosmetics and they are basically preservatives. Parabens can be most commonly found in shampoos, conditioners, lotions and gels. The reason they’ve come under fire lately is because they have been found in breast cancer tumors. They are also said to mimic estrogen, which can alter your body’s natural processes.

Even more disturbing is the presence of lead in lipsticks, and lead-like materials such as cadmium. These kinds of ingredients should be avoided because they are linked with everything from cancers to kidney failure. The cosmetics industry is hoping that you will ignore these ingredients by stating that the amounts are too low to cause real issues. Is that a risk you’re willing to take? You have to remember that skin care products do not just lie on top of your skin. They are absorbed into your skin—your epidermis, more correctly—and can be just as damaging as ingesting chemicals in food.

So, enough with the scary stuff. What can you do to combat this abuse in the cosmetics and beauty industries? Well, it’s simple. Educate yourself about the ingredients used in non-organic products and what to look for in organic brands. If you see “phthalates,” you might want to stay away. Instead look for whole derivatives of natural botanicals like “corn germ oil” or “rose petal oil,” both proven to moisturize as well, if not better, than some petroleum-based gunk. Need anti-aging products? Look for other essential oils like avocado and aloe, and vitamins like vitamin E and C. These nutrients will restore your skin’s elasticity and youthfulness without compromising the earth and your health.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about—now go out there and get to reading those labels!

Amber Evans is the resident organic beauty expert at Charleston Naturally. We carry trusted organic brands so that our customers can be sure about what they're putting in their bodies, as well as how it effects the environment. We have everything you need for the good life.

Guest Post: Forget the White Picket Fence, Green is the New Dream

Clay Miller — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:57:00 -0400

The white picket fence represents an ideal that symbolizes the beautiful suburban life of a family, which enjoys a peaceful living in a beautiful home. Although this has been the dream of many Americans for years, more and more individuals are replacing it with a new dream, known as the “green” dream. This dream highlights a new eco-conscious attitude, which relates to finding the best possible heating and illuminating solutions that can help us to bring the ultimate comfort in our homes while saving the environment. In order to sustain these affirmations, the current article presents some of the most modern heating solutions, which can help homeowners to get the best out of their investments.

Finding the Best Heating Solutions for All Seasons and Living Spaces

It is important to know that one of the best heating solutions for homes and offices is the underfloor heating system. This heating solution is suitable for different floor coverings, such as vinyl, wood, carpet, and tiles. Additionally, you must be aware of the fact that the underfloor heating companies provide free advices on different technical details, which can help you to choose the best possible underfloor heating system for your living space.

Therefore, it does not matter whether you are extending or renovating your living space, you can choose these heating systems to complement your home. The reason why you should select this solution instead of other alternatives is because it represents the best possible option, which highlights low costs and high efficiency.

Underfloor Heating: Check the Available Products

These days, the underfloor heating companies provide a series of products, which can literally meet different demands and needs. In order to get the best possible heating option for your living space, you should check the following passages, which present the most popular underfloor heating alternatives.

Under Tiles Heating: In most cases, the under tiles heating systems deliver two different alternatives, namely the electric and hot water systems. While the hot water system provides a pipe layout, the electric one comes along with conventional cable matting and conventional loose cable systems. As you might already know, the electric alternatives are somehow better than the hot water options. The reason for this is that they ensure specific advantages, which relate to the most essential cable matting system characteristics that include versatile installation and short installation times especially for the systems that come along with only one core. However, cable matting also highlights some important disadvantages, such as increased installation times for the systems that use various numerous and the necessity of sticking the mats on the supporting surface. On the other side, the loose cable systems are the cheapest options, being ideal for small or big rooms. Although they require a long time to be installed, especially in awkward-shaped rooms, most of them deliver some better alternatives when compared to the cable matting options.
Under Carpet, Wood, and Laminate Heating: These systems are usually delivered by foil cable heating mats, which come in a variety of sizes. The foil cable heating mats are characterized by a series of properties, which include minimal wiring, primary heating unit, ultra thin designs, a great build quality, low cost, and fast response time. Obviously, due to these properties, the foil cable heating mat delivers the best possible underfloor heating solutions.

As you already know, the most important advantage of using such a system is the fact that it helps people to build a great eco-conscious attitude while saving money. Therefore, these systems can literally attract individuals by ensuring some truly important characteristics, which include a great versatility and efficiency.

The versatility of these systems consists of the fact that they can be used in any rooms, including wet areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms. Additionally, you should know that their efficiency does not only relate to a great affordability but also to the fact that they ensure low power consumption and high comfort factor. By simply choosing these systems and other eco-friendly products, a person does not give up on the classic American dream. He or she actually opts for a better dream, which underlines a great eco awareness that sustains the efforts of those persons who intend to help their children to inherit a healthy planet.

This is a blog post by Zander Lewis, occasional guest blogger and full time environmental enthusiast. While his interests as well as his articles span a myriad of topics, he is currently focused on bringing forth the importance of responsible heating methods to the environmental discussion. All too often do we forget our own impact, our home’s carbon footprint, one that could easily be reduced by using underfloor heating systems.

Guest Post: Keeping Yourself Energetic with Exercises and Nutritious Diet

Clay Miller — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:38:00 -0400

A lot of exercise, Pilates, aerobics, yoga etc is going to flash through one's mind once the term health and fitness comes into mind. Though all these activities play a major role in your health and fitness regimen but one thing that needs to be paid attention and is really crucial in deciding your health is the kind of diet that you take. I have seen people who will keep exercising only to be surrounded by health disorders. This is due to the fact that these people don’t take the right diet while they are exercising.

Keeping your energy level at the best throughout the day is really important. To keep your energy at he best level you need to have a right mix of diet and food. Taking a diet that does not suit your lifestyle will only add to the boredom and lethargic attitude. Breakfast is the most important meal that needs to be had in the morning. Avoiding breakfast only means that you are not providing enough fuel to the body to maintain the energy level throughout the day. Skipping breakfast also means having a heavy lunch or a heavy dinner which will lead to weight gain and feel lethargic. Impairment in concentration will also be caused due to the lack of breakfast.

Having almonds and fresh fruits or fresh fruit juice for breakfast along with a tinge of honey is going to keep you fresh and boost your energy level which will high throughout the day. Almonds include helpful monounsaturated fats and essential fatty acids, which can give you the focus and alertness you're looking for. Almonds also help you to sharpen your memory. While having supplements be very sure about the ingredients of the supplement as it may contain artificial caffeine that is not really good for health and may ruin your health regimen.

Leafy green vegetables like spinach have ample of vitamin D that helps reduce fatigue and can help you up your energy levels. These green leafy vegetables are rich in magnesium and other minerals that will help you overcome the deficiencies that crop up because of exercising or any other physical activity. Brazil Nut is yet another energy booster that is rich in selenium, which is a great way to boost mood and energy. Make sure your diet has enough quantities of protein as they form the building blocks of the human body and are quite essential in the wear and tear of the body.

Have a lot of water as it is a solvent for many of the toxins that get accumulated in the body as a result of the secretions in the cells and tissues. Make sure you have a rich diet along with moderate to heavy exercises if you are not doing any physical activity for the whole day. Your health is a result of the nutrition that you provide to your body.

Author Bio:
The author is an expert in writing on topics like Food, health and Medical Issues. She is a fitness freak and believes that nutritious food and good health are the essential elements of life that help a human being lead a quality life. Being gluten intolerant she is a big time advocate of Gluten Free Food and Gluten Free Recipes.

Infographic: Green Home Upgrades That Pay You Back

Clay Miller — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:57:00 -0400

Click on infographic to enlarge.
Credit: http://www.cobaeurope.com/

Become Environmentally Responsible with Modular Construction [sponsored]

Clay Miller — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:21:00 -0400

The growing trend of green living continues to bloom both in the United States and internationally. Consumers are realizing that living green doesn’t simply involve recycling paper, using energy-efficient light bulbs, and driving electric cars. If we plan to reside on this earth, we must take care of it. To so do, we must see the bigger picture when it comes to protecting the environment. Environmental protection branches out from the products we use in our homes and the cars we drive, to the way we build our world. The U.S. Green Building Society is one of the many organizations bringing awareness to the way we apply environmentally responsible choices to the processes of constructing our country’s homes, businesses, schools, etc. Beginning from the ground up, so to speak, we can tackle green living from the start by creating sturdy structures in which we live, work, and learn, all while protecting our environment and the ecosystems in which we live.

According to the U.S. Green Building Society, the LEED organization (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an integral part in creating structurally sound buildings where a entire generation can reside with a minimal impact on our environment. They go on to say, “LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.”(1)

The leading trend in green building this year is modular construction. Having made considerable technological advancements in the last decade, modular construction has become a viable way to build new homes and commercial buildings while still remaining cognizant of construction’s environmental effects.

Traditional construction projects can take a year or more to create a single structure. From start to finish, simply laying the foundation can take more than half that time, meaning that not a single nail will be hammered for six months. Once the construction process finally begins, contractors run the risk of over-ordering building materials and creating a substantial amount of waste during the building process. In most cases, if a builder has extra materials after a traditional construction project is complete, those materials go in the dumpster, along with the huge amount of packing and shipping materials those products arrived in.

According to the National Science and Technology Council, the construction industry accounts for 40% of primary energy consumption and 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.(2) Additionally, the council asserts that each year new construction uses 30% of our raw materials and 25% of our water, resulting in 30%—equal to 135 million tons—of waste placed in landfills.

Modular construction has made a significant dent in these devastating numbers by simultaneously laying foundation onsite while building fully wired and plumbed modular units in an offsite factory setting. Because modular construction professionals specialize in this particular type of construction, they have mastered the process and thus order materials much more efficiently, are able to build units faster and with more accuracy, and produce much less material waste. The factory not only provides protection from the elements, factory controls, and engineering technology to construct modular units, but also allows for builders to store and reuse spare materials for the next project. In addition, by reducing onsite construction time by nearly half, far fewer greenhouse gasses are emitted in the process. Overall, modular construction is a better, more environmentally responsible way to build.

This guest post is brought to you by the team at ModSpace, a provider of modular building solutions for temporary or permanent space needs. With over 80 branch locations across the U.S. and Canada, ModSpace offers prefab offices, used office trailers, and even green modular buildings.

Guest Post: A Green Home… Made of Steel

Clay Miller — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:34:00 -0400

When someone thinks of steel buildings, the first words that probably pop in mind are strong, durable, clean-cut, and solid. What’s just as true but perhaps not as pronounced are steel’s excellent characteristics of being extremely sustainable and eco-friendly as well—in fact, in many ways, more so than any other type of building material.

But, I hear you say, isn’t wood or brick or cement more… well… earthy? And isn’t that supposedly better for the environment? The answer is, perhaps surprisingly, a resounding no. The many advantages of steel include its strength, design capabilities (which in many ways encourage insulation), and durability. Apart from helping with noise reduction and condensation control, the insulation within steel buildings prevents heat from escaping into or out of your building, saving you on electricity expenses and wasted energy—doing both yourself and Mother Nature a big favor.

Especially in recent years, steel homes have nearly become synonymous with the term green buildings. In fact, in the United States real estate market there are several green building rating systems and guidelines currently competing to create the ideal home that healthily sustains both humans and their surrounding environment. Several such widely recognized programs include the LEED Certification, Green Globes, and the Federal Sustainable Buildings Principles.

Keynotes of a steel construction green initiative include Solar Energy Systems (with renewable energy options, and lower electricity costs while saving the environment) and the implementation of LEED points (including recycling of content, low emissivity and reflectivity, rainwater collection). From energy savings and water efficiency to CO2 emissions reduction and improved indoor environment quality, LEED helps transform the built environment into environmental sustainability.

Metal buildings are often constructed with a dedication to saving the environment while reducing energy costs and waste. Solar panels can be easily and seamlessly integrated into standing seam roof systems, an outstanding source of renewable energy. Products are environmentally sustainable and green in nature; the steel used to manufacture the buildings can be made from up to 60% of recycled material. Not only that; once a steel building ends its life-cycle or is no longer of service, 100% of the material can be recycled again.

You can also find steel construction companies that are Energy Star approved—that is, they feature qualified metal roofs that are more reflective of the sun’s rays, thus further reducing the amount of heat transferred into a building. This in turn reduces the amount of energy needed to air-condition the building; Energy Star approved buildings can reduce the structure’s use of peak-hour energy usage up to 40%.

These are just a handful of the ways with which steel construction strives to preserve the environment and ensure a cleaner and more eco-friendly future. By choosing steel construction, you are cooperating to ensure a greener, cleaner tomorrow. The result? You saving money on energy costs, while dramatically lowering your carbon footprint… for which we give a big green thumbs-up!

Can Lingerie Be "Green"? [sponsored]

Clay Miller — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:05:00 -0400

As the green initiative continues to gain traction, many people are wondering if fashionable clothes, like lingerie, can be made through green methods. This sentiment is understandable, because most organic and green clothes look closer to potato sacks than something sexy and spicy. However, as designers continue to embrace these materials, the designs have gotten better for all types of clothes. So, can lingerie be green? Technically, anything can be, but only if the right materials and dyes are used. Look for these factors in your next piece of lingerie to make sure they are green.

Materials
Cotton wastes a lot of water and needs a lot of resources to be made, and while organic cotton is better, it is far from the best. For true green lingerie, you need something that does not require nearly as much resources to make.

Wool and hemp are viable options as well, but wool can be scratchy and hemp (unless it is properly processed) may not be comfortable. Out of these two, hemp or a hemp and cotton blend might be the best, as it makes the lingerie comfortable without sacrificing the green philosophy.

Bamboo is also incredibly green. Bamboo practically grows on its own, and it grows to huge heights without a huge amount of resources. Not only that, but bamboo thread is stretchy, thin, comfortable and very sexy looking.

Recycled materials are also common, and since they reuse materials without requiring more resources, they are automatically green. Blends of any of these materials helps to make the lingerie green, while combining the feel and look of both material types.

Dyes
The dyes used on conventional lingerie are really quite toxic and poisonous, and they really damage the environment. There have been many studies showing that conventional dyes cause a range of problems for the people wearing the clothes, so it is best to avoid them just to ensure your own safety and health.

While lingerie has not been the target of many environmentally friendly dye campaigns, there are some designers that are trying to do this. Unlike the material, where it is easy to see the difference in the material by feel and by looking at the tag, it can be harder to know what type of dyes a designer used.

Look at the marketing material and see if the company is boasting the use of organic or low-impact dyes. Since people want these dyes, most companies will proudly market them. Between the two, organic is better as the dye materials will not have a lasting effect on the water, but low-impact is good as well.

Design
The reason you are buying lingerie is to look and feel sexy, and regardless of the lingerie being green, it should still be sexy. Unlike materials and dyes, you don’t have to look at anything new for this, just look at the lingerie itself.

In their lingerie, some designers add organic and natural elements to increase how green the lingerie looks. For example, some designers use tagua nuts and other similar elements. If you are going for a more natural look, this is great. Not only that, but these elements usually improve how environmentally friendly the lingerie is.

Regardless of looking for green lingerie, you should never sacrifice the look of them for green materials. About the same amount of effort is needed to work with organic and green materials, so there is no excuse for a designer to produce an inferior looking piece, just because he or she used eco-friendly materials.

Conclusion
Can lingerie be green? Of course it can be, anything can be. As long as designers use the right materials and the right dyes, then lingerie can be incredibly green. However, some designers feel that by increasing the eco-friendly quality of their lingerie allows them to sacrifice in the design department.

There is no reason for this, because lingerie can look sexy while still being friendly to your body and the environment. So go out to your favorite lingerie store and start looking for something that fits your body and the environment. With the massive increase in green awareness, this shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve. Just keep the above in mind, look at the tags and you should be able to find something green and sexy.

Author Bio
Tom is an avid blogger and frequent contributor to a number of publications, including Heating Oil Shopper, a leading provider of home heating oil news and information on a variety of topics, including Massachusetts heating oil prices.

Guest Post: Eco-Friendly Tips For Home and Office

Clay Miller — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:19:00 -0400

Becoming an eco-warrior is not as easy as it sounds, however, nine out of ten times; it is the thriftiest option available to you. There are several methods available to you, which will help you to 'Go Greener' at home and in the office as well.

Eco-Friendly Tips to Adopt at Home

1) Planting a herb garden is a great way for you and your family to learn how food is produced.

2) Make sure that you change some of your light bulbs to CFLs. This will also help you save on your electricity bills.

3) Completely stop using disposable bags and switch to reusable ones.

4) One important step towards going green is to change at least one appliance to an energy-efficient one. Be sure to check the energy star label.

5) Stop using plastic disposable bottles and switch to reusable water bottles, which are also cheaper.

6) Make it a habit to always turn off lights and fans.

7) Enjoy natural light as much as you can by keeping the curtains open. Turn on lights only when you require it. Also, create as much natural ventilation as possible as natural cross ventilation helps with cooling, and also aids in removing unwanted toxic chemicals. This will also help prevent dust mites and mold.

8) Make a list before heading out to run errands to reduce the number of trips necessary. For shorter distances, walk or ride your bicycle.

9) Visit your local market and buy organic foods which are better for your health.

10) Turn everything electronic, including computers, off at night to save electricity.

11) Reuse scrap paper. You can make small notepads of the scrap paper and can keep them near your telephone or in your purse.

12) Hang your laundry out to dry in the sun.

13) Set out buckets and containers to collect rainwater for watering your garden and houseplants.

14) Use cloth for wiping rather than paper goods.

15) Limit water usage by restricting the time you take to bathe. Go for five-minute showers.

16) Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.

17) Wash clothes in cold or warm water, instead of hot water.

18) Create a compost bin, which is an inexpensive way to reduce the amount of garbage produced by your household.

19) Avoid preheating the oven for dishes that take over an hour to cook.

20) Only use the right-size pot on the stove.

Eco-Friendly Tips to Adopt in your Office

1) Make sure that you read all your files and documents electronically and completely avoid the use of printed copies.

2) Always make notes on your computer and not on paper.

3) Carpool to minimize your carbon footprint.

4) Make use of your office stairs and stop using the elevator.

5) Use email for all inter-office correspondence.

By adopting these simple and basic tips, you can be a part of the green revolution, and can help preserve the natural resources of Mother Earth.

Author Byline: Rashmi strongly believes in the concept of going green. She is a frequent contributor to Key Insurance Quotes, has written several articles and posts on how to save the environment, and also on how to become an eco-warrior.

How To Teach Green Habits To Your Kids [sponsored]

Clay Miller — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:57:00 -0400

Raising our kids is an important responsibility that involves educating them, not only in school, but in life as well. This includes being ecologically responsible. They learn from watching the behavior of others, especially what they see demonstrated at home by parents and other family members. By involving our kids in green activities in a fun way, they learn about caring for our planet and building good habits that will stay with them throughout life. Just remember, a little creativity will go a long way!

Recycling - Make It Colorful

A simple way to teach kids how to be kind to the environment is to set up a home recycling system. This does not need to be elaborate, boring or expensive. Since most kids love bright colors, try setting up a colored bin system for different types of items. Something as simple as different color plastic bins will work just fine. Designate a different color for each type of item to be recycled, then let your kids be in charge of sorting. Small children love to help, so when we get them involved in recycling, they learn green habits. They also build self esteem through their efforts.

To encourage your kids to recycle, try setting up a reward system. One example would be to mark each day on the calendar that they successfully complete their assigned tasks. Once they have completed their tasks for a designated time period, provide them with a special reward, such as a favorite meal or an afternoon at the zoo. This will also teach them how to work toward a goal and successfully reach it.

Give New Life To Unwanted Items

To teach kids about conservation, and stretch your budget in the process, instead of throwing unwanted or broken items away, reuse them when possible.

If something breaks, before throwing it out, see if it can be repaired. If not, look for alternate uses for the item or its parts. Many household items can be reused in craft projects, decorating and gardening. A good example of giving new life to an unwanted item would be to use shards from a broken dinner plate to accent a flower garden. It may not be usable on the dinner table, but it can add a lovely splash of color to compliment those spring blooms! The key is creativity. Kids have endless imagination so get them involved and turn it into a family project.

Clothing that is beyond repair, or no longer wanted, can also find new life in many ways. Following are a few examples:

Cut worn clothing into strips to make throw rugs, or cut into unique shapes to make place mats and napkins. You can also design colorful wall hangings or any number of other creative projects to decorate your home. The only limit is your imagination.

For items that are no longer wanted but still usable, donate them to a thrift store or homeless shelter and help the less fortunate. This will teach your kids about charity and helping members of the community in a tangible way.

This philosophy goes for shopping as well! Instead of heading to the mall when you need a new outfit, start at the local thrift or consignment store. Many great bargains can be found at a fraction of retail. It is also an adventure because you never know what you will find. You might even discover designer clothing hanging on the rack for just a few dollars.

As the saying goes, one man's junk is another man's treasure.

Reduce Waste

Teaching our kids about conservation begins at home. Simple acts such as shutting off the light when leaving a room, or turning off the water while we brush our teeth, sets a good example and reduces the amount of natural resources we use. Applying this same philosophy when we shop will help to reduce what ends up in our landfills. When grocery shopping, look for products with the least amount of packaging. If you have the storage space, buy in bulk. This will save you money and reduce waste.

Get your kids involved. It is a safe bet that they will inspire you while you educate them, and will provide the entire family with a way to help keep our planet green.

Author Bio
Beck Harris Writes about moving with U-Pack while keeping it green!

Ecotricity Says “Dump the Big 6” UK Energy Utilities

Clay Miller — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:46:05 -0400

Ecotricity, the world's first Green Electricity company, has launched its “Dump the Big Six” rallying call to ditch your badly behaved supplier and make Britain greener.

The Big Six (British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Npower, Scottish & Southern, Scottish Power) have long enjoyed a carbon-fuelled chokehold the UK’s energy, supplying 99% of customers. But their grip may be crumbling.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince OBE, the man credited with kick-starting the world’s green electricity market, believes now is the moment to topple the grey giants and bring the UK into the renewable energy future.

Large numbers of households are deserting the Big Six: British Gas alone lost 200,000 customers in the last quarter. The Big Six are disgracing headlines left and right. Even the energy secretary accused them of malpractice.

· A third of Brits have seen no benefit from the recent ‘price war’ on energy

· The Big Six were hammered with over four million complaints in 2011

· Which.com found that 80% of households aren’t on the best value tariff

· Big Six investment in new sources of renewable energy runs as low as £5 a year per customer

In this era of big business, Ecotricity shows when it comes to ethics & customer service, David can beat Goliath.

· Ecotricity is the UK’s foremost renewable energy company

· Ecotricity invest more of your bill in new sources of renewables than any other power supplier

· 88% of Ecotricity’s customers rate their service as ‘excellent or good’

· Your TV stays on when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing

Over 60% of UK households could switch to Ecotricity and get greener energy for not one penny more than they are currently paying.

Visit the Facebook page created on purpose for the campaign