Conservation | 5 Minutes For Going Green

Category Archives: Conservation

Greener Holiday Party Tips

Written on December 31, 2008 by SusanC

When entertaining for the holidays – or any occasion – consider using your regular dishes or reusable dishes bought to last through years of parties. We host large gatherings of friends a few times throughout the year, and always use our everyday plates and silverware. The aunt who hosts our huge family Christmas Eve meal has a special set of snowman-themed dishes that she breaks out each December 24^th. Nary a paper plate is wasted, and it’s a very good (and green) feeling.

For cups, we do use plastic Solo party-ware, but our friends write their names on the cups with a Sharpie, and we wash them after each gathering and put them away to use next time.

in Blog, Conservation, Eco-Friends, For The Home, Green Holidays, Green Thoughts, Reduce Reuse Recycle

- 4 Comments

Repurpose Old Cards Into Something Great

Written on December 26, 2008 by SusanC

7 Comments

Today’s guest post comes to us from VelociBadgerGirl, a great writer with a passion for green issues and overall awesome human being.

If you’re anything like me, every year at the end of the holiday season, you’re left with a pile of greeting cards from family and friends, and no idea what to do with them.

Some people throw them out or toss them in the recycling bin, but I always feel too guilty.

It’s a problem, I know, but in the meantime, I really don’t want to collect boxes upon boxes of used X-mas cards. Luckily, there are a few solutions for those of us too sentimental to throw our cards out, but too practical to store them in the attic.

in Blog, Conservation, Eco-Friends, For The Home, Frugal Living, Green Holidays, Reduce Reuse Recycle

- 7 Comments

Holiday Recycling Resources, Wrapped Up With A (Recycled) Bow

Written on December 24, 2008 by SusanC

1 Comment

Recycle, recycle, recycle. It’s a mantra of sorts for so many of us here at 5 Minutes for Going Green, and as festive celebrating with family and friends has most likely already begun, you are about to become busier than ever.

But don’t worry, we’ve got all your post-holiday recycling needs covered, so you can spend less time worrying how to recycle and more time circled around that last cheese log. (Don’t worry about that cheese log, either; remember, resolutions start next year.)

Step One: No recyclable left behind.

In other words, figure out what, exactly, you have to recycle and if it can be recycled.

in Blog, Conservation, For The Home, Frugal Living, Got Energy?, Green Holidays, Reduce Reuse Recycle

- 1 Comment

Reflecting On The Best Of 2008

Written on December 22, 2008 by Guest Contributor

2 Comments

As the end of the year draws near, we all get inundated with the “Best of 2008” programs, lists and commentaries.

Well, as I am a junkie for montages that reflect on what happened over the past year, and how it impacted one’s daily life, I thought I would share my own!

The Best Eco Friendly Changes I Made In 2008:

1. Used Miracle Mulch (eco-friendly coconut)
2. Added weather stripping to conserve energy.
3. Used motion sensors for outdoor lights to save energy. Turned off the porch light whenever we could.
4. Installed ceiling fans throughout the house. Never turned on the AC in 2008!

in Activism, Conservation, For The Home, Frugal Living, Got Energy?, Green Holidays, Green Outreach, Green Parenting, Green Thoughts, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 2 Comments

Recycled Note Of The Week: Smock Paper

Written on December 17, 2008 by SusanC

1 Comment

This week’s Recycled Note Of The Week was found in SmockPaper’s Etsy shop.

Meet Ellie, the sustainably letterpressed “petite card”:

This particular listing is for a set of 8 blank letterpress petite note cards with hand-lined envelopes, which the seller notes are perfect as gift tags or place cards.

Each wee note is sustainably letterpressed on bamboo paper is 2-1/2 x 3-7/16 folded.

But, wait, there’s more.

As if adorable elephants on bamboo paper isn’t great enough, SmockPaper is also a wind-powered business that donates 1% of sales to environmental causes via 1% For the Planet.

Each set of cards comes packaged from Syracuse, New York in a clear sleeve that is “petroleum-free, tree-free, and certified biodegradable by the Biodegradable Products Institute.”

in Conservation, Eco-Friends, For The Home, For The Office, Great Green Finds, Green Holidays, Recycled Note Of The Week, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 1 Comment

Green Glue

Written on December 16, 2008 by Guest Contributor

1 Comment

Despite being sick for three days now, I have been expending all my energy to prepare for my big event this week.

You could say I am hosting an eco-friendly cocktail party and tour of my home to educate friends and family about going green, but my mission focuses just as much on community as it does on conservation.

Once I started seeking out everything eco-friendly in the city, I couldn’t help but talk, talk, talk; you know how it is when you are excited about a new adventure. My energy overshadowed my fear that the green community was so tight that I would be an outsider looking for help.

in Activism, All About Us, Conservation, Eco-Friends, Green Outreach, Green Thoughts

- 1 Comment

Around The Greenosphere: Weekly Link Roundup

Written on December 5, 2008 by SusanC

1 Comment

First things first! Don’t forget that you still have until 7pm EST on Sunday (December 7th) to enter the Home Depot Programmable Thermostat Giveway if you haven’t already. Don’t miss out!

It’s definitely the Giveway Season and Michelle has a handy-dandy way for you to stay a leg up on all the giveaway goodness with her Giveway Message Board, where there are myriad green products being offered for the winning.

One of the giveaways showcased on the aforementioned message board features clothing items for Wildlife Works, a San Francisco based company committed to animal conservation:

Founded in San Francisco in 1997, we are the world’s first business designed from the ground up around a consumer brand that stands for wildlife conservation.

in Activism, Around the Greenosphere, Blog, Conservation, Eco-Friends, Green Giveaways, The Green Consumer

- 1 Comment

Programmable Thermostat Giveaway!

Written on November 24, 2008 by SusanC

80 Comments

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when slippers become a daily staple, hot tea seems to pour itself in your mug, and heating bills begin to climb to sometimes uncomfortable levels. The Home Depot wants to help you save energy and money this brisk winter season (and all year round), but we’ll get to that in just a moment.

First, let’s talk for a few minutes about programmable thermostats and what they can do for you and your home.

A programmable thermostat monitors the temperature of your home while you’re asleep or away. For example, the Rite Temp 7 Day Programmable Thermostat, an ENERGY STAR-qualified thermostat available at The Home Depot, offers temperature programming for every day of the week.

in Conservation, For The Home, Frugal Living, Got Energy?, Green Giveaways, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 80 Comments

Taking The Next Step

Written on November 19, 2008 by Guest Contributor

0 Comments

After my son’s first surgery in January, I stepped back and took a good long look at all facets of my life, which resulted in an epiphany of sorts. Days later I quit my job and started my own eco-friendly business to devote more time to my kids.

Once I walked away from the rat race my creativity soared and I started to invest more time researching how to be more environmentally conscious. I took the next step. And then another, and another, until I was making as many improvements in our daily lives as I was to our home.

in All About Us, Beauty and Body, Conservation, Green Holidays, Green Thoughts

- 0 Comments

Shop Responsibly this Holiday Season

Written on November 17, 2008 by Guest Contributor

5 Comments

For many people, Christmas has become a very commercial holiday. It has shifted from being a season of giving, to being a media circus and it has become a season of excess. This year tailor your shopping to be a bit more responsible and ethical in the items that you buy.

Shopping conscientiously doesn’t stop at being more frugal when making purchase decisions. We also need to think of the global implication. Every purchase we make is essentially a vote for the world we want. We need to look at the people behind the products that we invest our monies with.

in Blog, Conservation, Frugal Living, Green Holidays, Green Thoughts, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 5 Comments