A Press Democrat Blog

Living Green

Saving time and resources

My Favorite Recycling Center: The Legacy

Wednesday, at 12:10 by

Whenever I am in south Sebastopol, I take few minutes to see what’s happening at The Legacy. A volunteer based arts and crafts reuse center in the Southpoint Shopping Center near McDonald’s, they accept and resell fabric – by the pound!, as well as sewing notions, yarn, hobby supplies and books. Kid friendly, it is a great way to introduce children to low cost do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. My idea of heaven! It’s also a great spot for presents – for yourself… Read More »

Disposable Reading Pleasures, Part I

Monday, at 2:41 by

Paper makes up 17.3% of California’s and 16.3% of Sonoma County’s discard stream. Much of it is single use reading materials – newspapers, magazines and books. We all take this mountain of short-term gratification for granted – but it doesn’t have to be so… mountainous. With a little effort we all can substantially reduce the impact of our reading pleasure – without reading less! Obviously the more readers per copy benefits the environment – but not the publishing industry. If… Read More »

Eyeglass Reuse – Santa Rosa

Thursday, at 6:05 by

First, ask your eye care provider if they take part in an eyeglass reuse and recycling program. If the answer is no, ask why. There is no reason why undamaged eyeglasses should end up in the trash! If need be, you can mail them to Lions In Sight, 1404 Lemon St, Vallejo, CA 94590. The list below was snipped from our fabulous Sonoma County Recycling Guide which is located in the AT&T Yellow Pages under “R” and at www.recyclenow.org: Santa Rosa G&G Supermarkets,… Read More »

Non-Toxic Refillable Whiteboard Markers

Thursday, at 1:12 by

I just purchased a set of AusPen refillable whiteboard markers. The fact that I bought anything new is news – since that is such a rare occasion. But marker pens? Yes, I am quite tired of messing with old, almost dead markers and was delighted to find some that are affordable, non-toxic, refillable, made from recycled aluminum and recyclable!!! We used them last week at the Environmental Center on the big whiteboard and they performed very well. Almost odorless, there… Read More »

Tomorrow is National Regifting Day!

Tuesday, at 2:01 by

In honor of office holiday parties, tomorrow, the Thursday before Christmas, is National Regifting Day. Money Management International (MMI) suggests that you turn your gift exchange into a regifting party. “In case you are hesitant to break tradition, you can rest assured that the majority (60%) of people think that regifting is becoming more accepted; the top two reasons are to save some green.”… Read More »

Wrapping For The Earth

Tuesday, at 11:43 by

A torturous form of delayed gratification, wrapped gifts cultivate excitement and wonder. Yet nowadays gift wrap can be quite pricey and is often made with non-recyclable plasticized or metallic paper. Careful unwrapping and reuse helps but ultimately it ends up in the landfill. If it is placed in the recycling it must be sorted out at the recycling center. I imagine the paper sorters dread Christmas. Can you imagine miles and miles of smushed wrapping paper mixed with plastic bags, rubber bands and tape?… Read More »

White Elephant Gift Exchange/Game

Tuesday, at 11:03 by

White Elephant Gift Exchange/Game A great inter-generational activity that creates life-long memories, white elephant exchanges involve gifting no longer wanted items to-be-determined friends and relatives.  Many families and groups prefer this to one-on-one exchanges since they minimize the expense and effort involved in personalized gift giving, and the game brings pleasure to all involved regardless of what they individually take home. The rules can vary somewhat; here is the set I prefer: Without leaving home, find a previously owned item… Read More »

NYC To Pioneer Clothing Recycling

Tuesday, at 9:30 by

A fashion and beauty web site, Styleite is dedicated to giving readers the latest and greatest in fashion and beauty news, insight and commentary.  Recent topics range from The Return of Classic American Style, Sudanese Models Arrested After Sharing A Mixed Runway and Leather Shorts: The Be All, End All Of Seasonal Dressing? But this is the post that caught my associate’s attention or perhaps a fashion savvy friend of his: NYC To Pioneer Clothing Recycling Come September: “There are two things an NYC resident… Read More »

Using kegs for that vintage pour

Tuesday, at 10:09 by

From the SF Chronicle: “Call it the next eco-revolution in the wine industry. Driven by demand from forward-thinking sommeliers and restaurateurs, more and more wineries are ditching the bottle. Not only do reusable kegs cut down on waste and supply costs, lowering prices all around by as much as 30 percent, but they also deliver what many believe to be a more reliable glass of wine.”… Read More »