eco-friendly shopping

Eco-Friendly Light Bulbs: Saving the Earth One Bulb at a Time

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eco-friendly light bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs have become a wasteful light source that is turning into a thing of the past. These bulbs often give off as much unnecessary heat energy as they do light. With new, more efficient lighting alternatives, more and more consumers are switching to alternative lighting methods everyday.

Compact Florescent Lights

While compact florescent lights are not the most ideal lighting source, they’re much more efficient than their incandescent predecessors. These Eco-Friendly light bulbs have come a long way from the original models which gave off an unusual blue light and were fairly expensive. Compact florescent lights can now be purchased at very reasonable prices and the light they produce is quite natural. They last an exceptionally long time, and use a fraction of the energy the incandescent types of bulbs do.

The only drawback to compact florescent lights is the small amounts of mercury they contain. While this mercury is harmless for regular use of these lights, it can be quite toxic when dealing with a broken bulb. Careful clean up and disposal steps must be followed when using these lights, so while they are incredibly efficient, they aren’t without their flaws.

Light Emitting Diodes (LED)

Currently, LED lights are somewhat more expensive types of Eco-Friendly light bulbs. However, if you choose to invest in these, they last surprisingly long and eventually pay for themselves. The light they produce is very natural and they use extremely small amounts of energy. The most important difference between these bulbs and the florescent lights is the durability they possess. They would rarely break and if they do, they contain no toxic mercury you would have to deal with.

Reducing you electricity bill with Eco-Friendly light bulbs isn’t the only function they perform. Because these light bulbs last so long, they produce much less waste material that will end up in a landfill. They also consume less power resulting in less wasted energy and resources. In addition to these types of bulbs, solar lamps are another option that can be used in well lit areas of your house and yard to give you the greenest lighting methods possible.

Eco-Friendly Water Bottles: Why Everyone Should Have One

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Eco-Friendly Water Bottles: Why Everyone Should Have One

Disposable water bottles use up so much of our earth’s resources and they severely pollute the environment when they end up in a landfill. Switching to Eco-Friendly water bottles can drastically reduce the amount of waste we produce while still allowing us to have fresh, filtered water while we’re on the go.

Using the Right Water

The reason we usually buy bottled water in the first place is for what’s inside. Bottled water will often be the same quality as the filtered tap water we can produce ourselves. While tap water in some areas is pure and perfectly acceptable to drink, water filters and purifiers are available for the areas that aren’t so lucky. These filters are usually quite inexpensive when compared to what you’re paying for bottled water.

Fitting your kitchen sink with a water purifier or keeping a jug with a water filter in your fridge will give you easy access to fresh, pure water without having to use up a ton of disposable bottles. Earth friendly water bottles can be filled with the same quality of water as the disposable types, so switching to the more environmentally friendly option is as easy as buying a simple water filter.

Types of Materials for Your Eco-Friendly Water Bottles

When deciding on the right water bottle to buy, consider what the bottle is made of and if it was manufactured in an environmentally safe way. Thick aluminum, thick plastic, and glass bottles are durable and can last a very long time. If you’ve used a recyclable material, these bottles can be disposed of safely while having little impact on the environment.

Some types of plastic bottles may contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) and some steel and aluminum types may be manufactured with harmful chemicals. Researching the type of bottle you intend to buy might take a little more effort on your part, but you can rest assured that you’re always using safe and Eco-Friendly water bottles the next time you decide to go for a drink of water.

With landfills overflowing and the earth’s resources becoming depleted, switching to reusable products has never been more important. Earth friendly water bottles will not only save you money by preventing repeated purchases of bottled water, but they will also go a long way in saving the earth from excess pollution.

Eco-Friendly Gifts: Show You Care While Making a Statement

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Eco-Friendly Gifts: Show You Care While Making a Statement

Too often we give gifts that are over packaged, over wrapped, and under used. So much energy and materials are used up in the manufacturing of these items and often gifts are forgotten about or disposed of if they aren’t useful. Even for the more thoughtful gifts, alternatives exist that will allow you to give Eco-Friendly gifts rather than those that create excess garbage and pollution.

Make Your Own Earth Friendly Gifts

Homemade gifts may be one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give someone. It shows you care enough to put your own time and energy into the gift and allows you to get creative. This option can usually save you money and will almost always eliminate unnecessary packaging.

Deciding on the homemade Eco-Friendly gift you’d like to give can be determined either by using a talent you’re passionate about or by basing it on something your recipient loves. For the best gifts, you can give according to the interests both of you share. For example, if you love to bake and they have an addiction to chocolate chip cookies, bake them up a batch of your favourite recipe and put them in a reusable tin.

Homemade gifs can include ideas such elaborate home cooked meals, a sweater or scarf knit from 100% organic wool, or a personalized piece of art or poetry you’ve created just for them. By using your strengths and determining your recipient’s interests you’ll be able to give the most appreciated and Eco-Friendly gifts.

Online and Digital Gifts

Gifts that have absolutely no packaging or material mass can still be incredibly thoughtful and cherished. Purchasing online subscriptions, paying for gaming memberships, buying e-books and music downloads, or donating to their favourite charity will completely eliminate the waste made from manufactured products. These Eco-Friendly gifts allow you to give your friends things they want and can actually use.

Organic Gifts

If a store bought gift is the best choice for you, Eco-Friendly gifts can still be found by choosing items made from biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable materials. If you’re giving clothes, pick them out something made of 100% pure cotton, wool, or hemp. Gift baskets containing organic foods can be extremely welcome around the holidays as they can be opened and shared by everyone.

Giving Eco-Friendly gifts may also encourage your recipients to take the environment into consideration. With whatever gift you choose to give them, you may also be giving them the gift of education by reminding them that our environment needs to be protected and even the smallest of steps can help prevent further pollution.

Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags: Saving the Environment in Style

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Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags: Saving the Environment in Style

The disposable plastic shopping bags we see people carrying out of stores in armfuls are a wasteful convenience that can easily be replaced with Eco-Friendly shopping bags. Plastic bags deplete the earth’s oil and paper bags ravage the forests and lumber supplies. The manufacturing process of these bags we so casually toss away also contributes to the pollution of the environment. Earth friendly shopping bags can be reused and recycled and are usually made from biodegradable materials.

Earth Friendly Shopping Bags Save You Money

Quite often reusable tote bags are free as promotional items or can be purchased at very low costs. More and more shopping stores these days are charging for plastic bags in an effort to reduce waste and pollution. By carrying your own Eco-Friendly shopping bags with you, you can avoid paying for disposable bags while using them to carry other personal items such as books, gym gear, water bottles, or wallets.

Made From Natural Materials

Earth friendly shopping bags can come in many different styles, colour, sizes, and fabrics. Some reusable tote bags may not be made from eco-friendly materials, so make sure you’re buying one that is biodegradable and can be recycled.

Some Eco-Friendly shopping bags are made from cotton, canvas, or mesh, while others may be made from new eco-friendly types of plastic. These plastics are recyclable and strong enough to be used over and over for quite some time. These plastic Eco-Friendly bags can be made from 100% polypropylene, 100% polyethylene, or 100% post consumer PET recycled water bottles.

Used As a Promotional Product

Many companies give these Eco-Friendly shopping bags away as a marketing tool. They are able to show that their company cares about the environment while having their label displayed like a mini billboard on the side of a bag their customers are walking around with. Some of these bags can be quite fashionable and may come in the form of a shoulder bag or backpack. Many people will reuse these often, especially when the logo is from a popular high end store.

Earth friendly shopping bags are made to be inexpensive, yet durable. They offer an eco-friendly alternative to the drastically wasteful, disposable plastic and paper bags. With the increasing reduction of natural assets on our planet, taking every possible step we can to reduce waste will prevent further pollution and contamination to our world.