It may seem harmless to take a small rock or pine cone out of a national park as a souvenir, but that simple act is both illegal and harmful to the environment. When you think about the number of people who go through our parks, if even a fraction of them take “souvenirs,” the numbers would be staggering. At Petrified Forest National Park, it’s estimated over 12 tons of petrified wood is taken out every year by visitors. Instead of taking souvenirs, take pictures. The only exception to this rule is sea glass; while beautiful, this tumbled glass is technically trash, since it comes from broken bottles.
AVOID PALM OIL
The World Wildlife Fund is urging consumers to avoid palm oil in products because it’s grown in tropical rainforests where clear-cutting of land for palm oil plantations has led to devastating losses of critical wildlife habitat. Bio-diverse forests are lost, and endangered species like orangutans, tigers, elephants and rhinos are threatened. Palm oil is found in items like lipstick (it helps hold color and doesn’t have any taste), instant noodles, pizza dough, detergent, soaps and even packaged breads. Read product labels closely, and try to avoid items with palm oil.
COST PER WEAR
The next time you go clothes shopping, think less about how you look in the new garments and more about how long you’ll wear them. It turns out that the average person in the United States tosses about 90 pounds of textiles per year into landfills or donation bins. Much of it is barely worn – and a lot still has tags! When shopping, consider two things: Will you wear the piece at least 30 times, and is it well-made enough to stand up to 30 washings? If the answer is yes, then it’s a good investment piece. If it’s not, steer clear from buying this “disposable” fashion.
‘SALAD-SPIN’ LAUNDRY
When it comes to dry-clean only garments like silk, wool and cashmere, you don’t have to waste money – or use chemicals – to keep them clean. They can be washed at home by hand in cold water with gentle detergents like baby shampoo or delicate laundry detergent. Once you soak these garments, never ring them out to remove excess water. Instead, toss a piece into a salad spinner and spin away; it’ll force excess water out of the fibers without ruining the shape. Then lay the item flat on a towel, fold the towel over, roll it up and press. Lay the garment flat or hang it to dry and voila! – a clean “dry clean only” piece done at home.
RENEW MUSTY BOOKS
If you ever buy used books from a library book sale or a garage sale, you might wonder how to disinfect them. Musty books can be a breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria and even for dust mites, but you can easily get them clean-smelling and germ-free. Use a damp towel with a little white vinegar to wipe the covers; the mild acid from the vinegar will disinfect, and the towel will wipe away dirt and smudges. To clean the paper inside, keep books away from humidity and heat. Instead, place smelly books in a freezer bag, and let them chill inside the freezer for 24 hours. They’ll smell fresh and clean in no time.
REUSE, RESTORE
Are you undertaking a home renovation project? There’s no need to send all the “old” stuff to the landfill when Habitat for Humanity can reuse it. The group’s Habitat ReStores accept all sorts of construction materials. Generally, anything in good condition that can be reused will be accepted, but the most-wanted items include sinks, toilets, bathtubs, working appliances, flooring, lighting and door handles and fixtures. Try to keep parts together to make reselling your goods easier. Learn more at habitat.org.
DESKTOP SLEEP MODE
Your desktop computer can be a serious energy hog. One way to save around $25 to $75 annually on energy costs (according to the Environmental Protection Agency) is to simply activate the power management function on your desktop. This function automatically puts your computer to sleep when it’s not in use. The EPA recommends setting your computer to go into sleep mode after five to 20 minutes of inactivity. This small step can reap huge energy savings. GE implemented power management mode for its computers and saved $2.5 million annually on energy usage alone.