Allie’s Answers

Make a bird feeder or a humming bird feeder.

Make a volcano, a tornado, or a boat.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

It’s freezing outside. You come home, change into a comfy t-shirt and a pair of shorts and pad around the house in flip flops. When you get cold, you crank the heat up.

It’s ninety-five degrees and humid as all get out, but with the air conditioner blasting, you’re a little chilly. You throw on your favorite cozy sweater.

Sound familiar? We’ve all done it.

When it’s cold, wearing a sweater and socks allows you to “dial down” your thermostat, conserving energy (and saving you money on your next energy bill). When it’s hot, shedding some layers will allow you to “dial up,” keeping the temperature in your house higher and requiring less from your air conditioner.

The idea is an oldie but goodie. According to Howstuffworks:

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appeared on national television for the first of what were later dubbed “energy speeches.” The country was going through an oil crisis, and Carter advised us to “dial down” our thermostats. His line of reasoning was that, by reducing the temperature in our homes, we could conserve heating fuel.

Click here to read the Howstuffworks guide to conserving energy at home.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

I had a set of rechargeable batteries back in junior high when I got my very first walkman. They took forever to charge, and barely lasted long enough for me to listen to Side A of my Rhythm Nation tape.

Rechargeable batteries are yet another example of how greener products have improved in recent years. If you were unhappy with them in the past, it’s time to give them another go.

Duracell’s NiMH charger only takes about six hours to get batteries from zero to full charge. I don’t think the charge lasts quite as long as regular batteries, but they last long enough. I’m pretty sure you could listen to Janet Jackson’s entire discography on one charge.

Buy an extra pack of rechargeable batteries, and you’ll always have some ready when you need them. They can be recharged hundreds of times. And in addition to being more environmentally friendly than traditional alkaline batteries, over time, they’ll save you a bundle.

You can order them here.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

When I think of recycled products, I remember the grayish lined looseleaf paper I had as a kid. When I had to erase, I wore a hole right through the paper. And we won’t talk about the fact that all the other kids in my class had crisp white paper.

Recycled products have come a long way. Lately, I’ve been drooling over Viva Terra’s eco-friendly goods. They use reclaimed materials and factory remnants to make fun and elegant housewares.

According to the EPA:

“Buying recycled helps “close the recycling loop” by putting the materials we collect through recycling programs back to good use as products in the marketplace.”

And when buying recycled looks this good, who can complain? And check out this doormat made from flip flop factory remnants.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

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I was skeptical when I first tried Feline Pine. I’ve tried other environmentally friendly kitty litters before. One was made from recycled newspaper, another from cedar shavings, but when the whole house ended up smelling like cat, I quickly switched back to traditional litter.

When I saw Feline Pine at in the kitty litter aisle, I decided to give environmentally friendly kitty litter one last try. I’m really glad I did. My cat made the switch easily, and the only odor I’ve noticed is a pleasant, woodsy scent. No new trees were cut to make this product.

Feline Pine has:

• no harsh artificial fragrances
• no dangerous silica dust
• no unnatural chemical additives
• virtually dust-free pellets

A seven pound bag should last for four weeks. As it’s used, the litter pellets break down into saw dust. After scooping, the dust can be composted, or used as mulch.

Feline Pine is relatively inexpensive - around five bucks for a one month supply. You can find it at Petco, Petsmart, Walmart, and Target (in store only), as well as at many regional chain stores.

Go to the Feline Pine Website for rebates.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie

We all know we should recycle, and we all have a vague idea of what is recyclable and what isn’t, but do you get stumped some times? So do I.

The good folks at eartheasy have broken it down, and given us a great reminder of how much of a difference recycling makes.

“ According to the EPA, the national recycling rate is just 30%. Increasing materials recycling in the US to 60% could save the equivalent of 315 million barrels of oil per year. Recycling is a great way individuals can make a difference, both locally and globally.”

The general recycling guidelines for plastic are as follows:

plastic
Plastic does not break down in landfill, and since It can be recycled to make many diverse products, effort should be made to recycle all plastic waste.
Recycling centers vary in the types of plastic they accept. Check with your local recycling center, and take care to buy plastic goods which are recyclable.
- plastic goods are assigned different numbers to grade them for recycling:
#1 and #2 for containers, #4 for bags, #7 for mixed plastics that are not recyclable.
- plastic bottles are a valuable recyclable material. Among many other items, this plastic can be “spun’ into fleece fabric (see EcoSpun). Tops should be removed before recycling, and put in with your general plastic items.
- avoid using plastic food wrap, plastic food tubs and TV dinners which are packaged with non-recyclable materials.
- plastic grocery bags - most grocery bags are made of high density polyethylene, a Type 2 recyclable plastic. Most grocery stores have bins outside so customers can drop off used plastic bags for recycling.
- polystyrene (cups, food trays, egg cartons, etc) does not biodegrade. Ask if your recycling center accepts polystyrene for recycling; many now accept this material. Try to reduce your use of this material.

Check out the guidelines for paper and cardboard, glass, metal, and electronics, along with tips on buying recycled products here.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie.

I love bonuses. I’m elated when I buy my favorite toothpaste and it comes with a free sample of dental floss. When you buy food that comes in a jar, you get a bonus storage container with your purchase.

Jars are a great way to store food, craft supplies, hardware, even barrettes. They’re dishwasher safe, keep food fresh longer, and can be used over and over again. I store rice in spaghetti sauce jars, cat food in a big pickle jar, guacamole mix in a jam jar. Out in the garage, I keep nails, screws, and picture hanging hooks separated in salsa jars. Baby food jars are awesome for organizing beads and buttons. It’s a great way to work the reuse part of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Start your jar collection by grabbing a jar of Newman’s Own Marinara on your next trip to the grocery store. Good, good for you, and for a good cause.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie

A full fridge uses less energy to stay cold. Use containers of water in the refrigerator and bags of ice in the freezer to fill in the gaps. But be careful not to over stuff, leave enough room for the cold air to circulate.

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Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie

My kitchen sink is white porcelain. When we first bought our house, I thought it was quaint and charming. Quaint and charming wore off fast when I realized that old porcelain sucks up stains like nobody’s business.

Parsley Plus did a great job on my kitchen counters. It easily cleaned up stuck on bits of orange pulp and smells clean and fresh like — you guessed it — parsley.

I put it to the ultimate test — the kitchen sink. When I did a quick spray and wipe, it cleaned on a respectably. I thought it might be good for a daily clean, but I’d need to hold on to my bleach cleaner for deep cleaning. I sprayed another round of Parsley Plus, let it sit for a minute, and scrubbed with a sponge. I am a convert. No more bleach cleaner for me.

This is the best all surface cleaner I’ve used. After using Parsley Plus, my kitchen sink looks quaint, charming, and pristine white.

Parsley Plus is 100% biodegradable and made with coconut based surfactants and parsley. Order at Earth Friendly Products.

My cat likes to jump on the bathroom counter to lap drops of water out of the sink, so using harsh chemicals to unclog the drain is not an option.

Make your own harmless and environmentally friendly drain cleaner with baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water.

eartheasy has the recipe:

Drain Cleaner: Pour about 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, then 1/2 cup vinegar. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clear residue. Caution: only use this method with metal plumbing. Plastic pipes can melt if excess boiling water is used. Also, do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener–the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.

Another Eco-Friendly Tip from Allie