Palm | Kelapa Sawit

The Dell computer company has started packing their notebook computers with bamboo. Sounds a bit strange at first, I must admit. Are they shipping these computers to panda bears who will then have internet and a snack? The answer is obviously no. Have you seen a bears paw? I doubt it could fit on the keyboard...

For many people, sustainability is just another term or word that is supposed to make the world a better place to live. For others, it is a reality that if sustainability is not dealt with now, this earth may eventually become an uninhabitable place to live.
If you’ve never really thought of how you contribute good or bad to the environment, maybe it is time to stop and examine what can be done to make the world a better place to live, and how you can help. The following are several ways that can help make a difference on this planet.

 minimizing carbon footprints
 Save energy
 Improve and conserve water
 Recycle
 Limit car usage
 Improve natural environment

Although these are just a few ways that can help go green, it is good to start somewhere in doing making a difference.
Every community or county offers environmental programs that can assist in making wiser decisions to help the environment.


C.R.

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http://www.greengiftguide.com a website with an eye catching home page and an even better motto: LIVE RESPONSIBILITY. SHOP SUSTAINABLY. This site offers gifts of varied nature from business, clothing, pets, garden, home and even toys. You can find green ideas to trim your tree, wrap your presents, and even entertain for the holidays. You can also get tips and facts and learn how to start a recycling program.
Wow, a million years is how long a glass bottle will sit in a landfill doing nothing and 80-100 years is the lifespan of an aluminum can.
Cool, did you know that clothes are made from recycled material products that come from recycled plastic. Such things like T-Shirts, jacket fiberfill, fleece sweaters, and sleeping bag fiberfill can be made from materials that results when plastic is recycled.
Obvious is the products that recycled material from glass can be made into like glassware, tile, and new glass containers but not so obvious is what recycled aluminum cans can create, which includes picture frames, home decor, and even baseball bats.
I found some great information on this site but like all others I have to questions how much investigation goes into the products that found there. When I read the disclaimer and found the site taking no responsibility for the items that are sold on the site it made me wonder. However, there were many great tips and facts that were helpful to me. To get more information about this site go to the link above.
Juli Knapp

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Not realizing the size of my own carbon footprint, I have begun taking my own recyclable bags into the grocery store every week when I buy my groceries. This is a baby step towards a “greener me” but it’s an important one.

More and more stores are selling these recyclable canvas bags and usually they are reasonably priced. Stores like Fred Meyer, WinCo, and even Costco have their own bags that they sell which of course you can use at any other store. Sometimes the stores even give them away for free with a purchase of a certain amount of groceries. One of the best reasons to bring your own bags is because it takes an average of 15 to 1000 years for 1 plastic grocery bag go decompose. That is just 1 plastic grocery bag! Using paper bags really isn’t a step up either when it comes to being environmentally friendly. Also according to reusethisbag.com “plastic bags don’t biodegrade but are at risk for degradation” which is releasing toxic particles from the bags (http://www.reusethisbag.com/). The website also claims that 10% of the waste that is found on the beaches are plastic bags.

When deciding on purchasing recyclable bags, watch out for bags that are not made from 100% recyclable products. Lots of the bags that are for sale may contain partial recyclable materials, but they aren’t 100%. This is a type of greenwashing since companies advertise their bags are “environmentally friendly” or “safe for the environment” but actually aren’t.

Not only do I earn $.06 for every bag I bring in the store, I also am carrying fewer bags into my house. I use an average of 5 bags every week for my family of four which is a savings of $0.30 off my grocery bill. Plus the bonus is the canvas bags hold a lot more than the plastic or paper bags so that means fewer trips for me!

~Melanie P.

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I have never really stopped to think about how my recycling efforts are paying off in relation to the energy expended to recycle those products. I just recycle. I recycle because it is supposed to be good for the environment and save landfill space. Then I saw this really great article at http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4290631.html that addressed some of the most important aspects of the recycling ideology. I think that as consumers it is extremely important to take a look at the ways in which we have come to believe that something is good for the environment may really also be creating more problems at the same time. We should all take a step back and re-evaluate the ways in which we believe we are doing the "right" thing for the planet and make sure that what we knew 10 years ago is still the case.


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Don't know how to recycle your electronics? Not convinced you should? Want to know how it's done? Check out these short clips.

Basic information on recycling computers:



"Electronic waste is the fastest growing kind of trash in America...":



Dangers of e-waste:



More data shows concern over chemicals in e-waste:



More corporations 'going green':



Computers aren't the only type of electronics you can recycle. Search Google for more important info. and instructions on how to recycle old electronic item(s) you want to get rid of. And your old cell phones are important too--instead of tossing them in the trash, consider donating cell phones to soldiers.

~Anna