Having an Eco Friendly Green Halloween is more and more desirable these days. How can you green your  Halloween?

• Buy your pumpkins, squash, and other vegetables from a local farmers market or from local sources
• Rent or buy your costume from used clothing stores like Goodwill. Reusing items that you already have is even better. Consider donating or giving away your costumes after Halloween. Trade with other families.
• Utilize reusable bags to hold treats
• Trick-or-treat in your own neighborhood or carpool to your destination
• Compost the pumpkin, squash, leftovers, etc.
• Give out green oriented treats like organic fruit, repurposed trinkets not sugar
• Donate extra candy, food to local shelters

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Method has a new way of packaging refill products such as their foaming hand wash refill and their laundry detergent, and dish soap. They use a pouch with easy pour spout that they claim uses 83% less footprint than a rigid plastic bottle.  It uses less plastic, energy, and water. Refills are in widespread use in Europe, where they are more green and landfills are as plentiful.

The pouch itself is a stock pouch from Winpack International, so more vendors may start using this packaging. Consumers can save money by purchasing refills, while companies can actually make more money. Less fuel is utilized transporting packaging and essentially water. Concentrated refills save even more money, and just require the addition of water.

It will take some time for consumers to accept refilling. Hand pump soaps are one area in which refills have gained acceptance.

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Zojirushi VE Hybrid Water Boiler & Warmer is an energy efficient device that we recently purchased.  We have found it consumes far less power than using a microwave to boil water for beverages, instant noodles, etc.  It is also far handier than boiling water on the stove.

We had a 6 year old model that needed replacement. This unit is Vacuum-insulated to keep water warm. It provides maximum energy efficiency with 195 degree water falling slowly to 150 degrees 8 hours later.

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The New Year brings forth resolutions to get rid of all the stuff we have accumulated all year long. You probably added to your pile of items during the holidays, so it is time to get rid of the old and de-clutter. Because we are green, eco-oriented, we need to do this the right way.

Unfortunately, We all have stuff we do not want.  Here are some resources for redirecting unwanted items to people in need and saving them from the land fill. Be sure to look at our tutorial on recycling electronics.

eBay is a good place to sell off items of value. You can use a eBay trading assistant company, but you will be getting even less money. Be sure to take the time to write a detailed description and to upload quality photos that show the product in a good light. You will maximize your return with all the tedious listing and dealing with deadbeats. Trading in your item will net you far less money.

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With the Pandemic, it because clear that food scarcity was a major problem.  People lost their jobs and just needed food to eat.  Food banks were pushed to their limits, seniors had meals delivered.

What eco friendly elements can help reduce food waste and decrease food scarcity.

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How to expand your Solar Panel system

We installed our original solar panels way back in 2004.  They have generated a ton of power for us, but after 14 years, it was time to think about adding on to our system.

Be sure to read our articles: Are Solar Panels for me?

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Get a Free Solar Power Estimate from a local vendor

Why Clean Solar Panels?

Once you get your solar panels installed, you will find them fairly maintenance free. Most are rated for a very long 30 year lifetime. As you can see from the above picture, solar panels can get dirty. Pollen, bird droppings, dirt, and dust can build up on solar panels. We try to clean solar panels at least two times a year. March/April when the rainy season has passed, and August/September, towards the end of summer. Pollen from our nearby evergreens really sticks to the panels. Try to clean pollen off before it bonds, otherwise a cleaning solution may be needed.

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Over 11 million tons of textiles went into landfills in 2018.  Few people equate fashion with environmental issues, but it is a big problem.

Did you know that making clothes is a dirty process?  Per the Wall Street Journal April 2019:

The textile industry has generated about 380 million metric tons of plastic—more than other individual sectors such as electronics or consumer and industrial products or building and construction, according to a 2017 study in the journal Science Advances. Plastic accounts for 63% of the materials used to make clothes, according to a 2017 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and 73% of those materials end up being incinerated or put in a landfill each year.

Most people do not want to negatively affect the environment with their clothing picks. Shockingly, there are several gotchas with even this simple Choice. Read the rest of this entry »

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor Air Quality refers to how clean the air we breathe indoors is. We spend 90-95% of our time indoors. Often times the air outside is cleaner. This leads to health problems like allergies, asthma, etc.

Consumer Product Safety Commission and EPA has a good guide on how to improve indoor air quality. EPA has an extensive list of items that affect indoor air quality.

Major air quality problems include: Smoking, Fireplaces, Mold, Dust, Radon, Stoves.

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Electric Car Federal Tax Rebate

• “All electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that were purchased new in or after 2010 may be eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500,” according to the US Department of Energy.
• Your tax bill needs to exceed $7500
• Phased out by cars a company sold. 200,000 cap
• Includes plugin hybrids (Lower $)
• No more rebate: GM, Tesla, Toyota (Soon)

Cars with rebate as of April 2022

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