Don’t forget to compost your…condoms?

Some good ideas, some gross, this article from Planet Green exposes 75 household items that you may not have thought of throwing on that compost heap, but may be surprised to find out that you really can.  Whether you take every suggestion to heart or not, this list goes a long way in showing us that we could save a LOT from the landfill or recycling center just by making a better use for it.  Composting can also help you save money on garbage bags and fertilizer, and can be a fun and educational family activity!

From the Kitchen

1. Coffee grounds and filters
2. Tea bags
3. Used paper napkins
4. Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
5. Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
6. The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
7. Plain cooked pasta
8. Plain cooked rice
9. Stale bread
10. Paper towel rolls
11. Stale saltine crackers
12. Stale cereal
13. Used paper plates (as long as they don’t have a waxy coating)
14. Cellophane bags (be sure it’s really Cellophane and not just clear plastic—there’s a difference.)
15. Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
16. Old herbs and spices
17. Stale pretzels
18. Pizza crusts
19. Cereal Boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
20. Wine corks
21. Moldy cheese
22. Melted ice cream
23. Old jelly, jam, or preserves
24. Stale beer and wine
25. Paper egg cartons
26. Toothpicks
27. Bamboo skewers
28. Paper cupcake or muffin cups

From the Bathroom

1. Used facial tissues
2. Hair from your hairbrush
3. Toilet paper rolls
4. Old loofahs
5. Nail clippings
6. Urine (yup)
7. 100% Cotton cotton balls
8. Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks

Personal Items

It might be a good idea to bury these items in your pile. Just sayin’.

1. Cardboard tampon applicators
2. Latex condoms

From the Laundry Room

1. Dryer lint
2. Old/stained cotton clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces
3. Old wool clothing—rip or cut it into smaller pieces

From the Office

1. Bills and other documents you’ve shredded
2. Envelopes (minus the plastic window)
3. Pencil shavings
4. Sticky notes
5. Business cards (as long as they’re not glossy)
6. Receipts

Around the House

1. Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister
2. Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces)
3. Subscription cards from magazines
4. Leaves trimmed from houseplants
5. Dead houseplants and their soil
6. Flowers from floral arrangements
7. Natural potpourri
8. Used matches
9. Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit

Party and Holiday Supplies

1. Wrapping paper rolls
2. Paper table cloths
3. Crepe paper streamers
4. Latex balloons
5. Raffia
6. Excelsior
7. Jack o’ Lanterns
8. Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor
9. Natural holiday wreaths
10. Your Christmas tree. Chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one…)
11. Evergreen garlands

Pet-Related

1. Fur from the dog or cat brush
2. Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
3. Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage
4. Feathers
5. Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits)
6. Rawhide dog chews
7. Fish food
8. Dry dog or cat food

Click here for the full article

Happy Earth Day! & Ecossentials Update

First of all, a Happy belated Earth Day to all!   We hope that you spent your Earth Day in an environmentally-sound fashion – biking to work, taking a shorter shower, turning down your heat or A/C, etc.

Secondly, you may have noticed that we have a new look!  We have finally implemented the new Ecossentials logo, created by Typework Studio, right here in Buffalo, NY!  Our main website is coming along as well, and we hope to have something to show you on that front very soon – thank you for your patience!

Ecossentials will be celebrating Earth Day by visiting the Green Living Show in Toronto, where we hope to find some new products and projects to bring back stateside for you!

Have a great weekend all.  Make it a great opportunity to get outside, get some exercise and perhaps participate in a neighborhood clean-up!

Here are some great neighborhood clean-up opportunities going on in your area this weekend:

Buffalo, NY – Elmwood Village

Anaheim, CA

Boston, MA

Boston, MA – Charles River Cleanup

Charleston, SC

Chicago

Los Angeles – Lizarraga Elementary

Los Angeles – Heal the Bay River Cleanup

Los Angeles – Panorama City

Los Angeles – Sun Valley

Los Angeles – North Hills East

Madison, WI & Madison, WI – Parks Cleanup

Monmouth Co, NJ

Nashville, TN (upcoming)          

New Milford, CT

NYC &  NYC – Rockaway Beach Clean

Pittsburgh, PA

Portland, OR

Providence, RI & Providence, RI (2)

Richmond, CA

Toronto, ON

Washington, DC / Maryland

Greening your Game

This is for all of you athletes out there!  Going green is now sneaking its way into every sector – including sports!  Here are some neat new ways people around the world are going eco friendly while they play.

Soccer (for my husband):  The sOccket Ball – The newly-developed sOccket Ball is a soccer ball that actually generates energy while you play with it, storing it for later use to power your lighting, cell phone, ipod, etc.  It was developed by a group of female Harvard grads, and is intended for use in developing countries where electricity is scarce and kerosene is often used as a light source.  The sOccket is currently still in the prototype stage, but the company has already implemented youth programs and studies in developing African nations.  They also have plans to release a high-end version of the sOccket in the US and Europe, although no formal date has been announced. More at: www.soccket.com.

Hockey (for my hometown heroes, the Sabres, of course!):  The Brooklyn Park Hockey Rinks in Minnesota are saving energy by using untreated water from a city well to keep their rinks cool.  That’s right, the geothermal project uses an underground heat exchanger to cool the water off, transferring it back to the community center for use in cooling their rinks. They will also be able to recycle heat from the cooling system to use in heating the building.  The project is expected to save the community $60,000 a year, and cut energy usage in half!  Via myfoxtwincities.com.

The Hockey Stick Box – Furniture designer Dorothy Spencer has designed a storage box made entirely from old hockey sticks – and it looks pretty cool, too! Via furniturehomedesign.com.

Football, Baseball & Motor Sports:  Fan Cans – Fan Cans are customizable recycling bins that feature lids shaped like football, baseball or motor sports helmets.  They are made from 50% post-consumer and industrial plastic (we wish it was 100%), and can be ordered in the color and logo of your fave team, driver, etc.  Coca cola is has purchased baseball and football-themed Fan Cans as part of their “Give it Back” campaign, and has implemented them at NFL and MLB games across the country.  More at fancans.com. Via justgoodcars.com.

Skiing:  We may be just about done with winter sports for the season, but when you plan next year’s ski trip, select an eco friendly ski destination from this list from Planet Green.

Surfing:  Ride the waves in style with these bamboo surfboards by Gary Young.

Kayaking (for my Aunt DD): Forego the plastic, and get a low-impact wooden kayak, or if you’re really ambitious, make one yourself! From Guillemot Kayaks.   Also be sure to grab your PVC-free personal floatation device, like this one from Sierra Trading Post.