Hot off the presses and ready for you to come on in and pick up….Yes, it’s time for another fantastic issue of GReNO to hit stands all over the greater Truckee Meadows for your information and education.  Chock full of great articles and the local businesses you need to frequent for a more sustainable Northern Nevada, issue #3 is bigger and better!   Look for it at local business all over town or check it out online soon at www.mygreno.com

Show EcoReno some love at LoveALocalBusiness.com and maybe we’ll win a small business grant from Intuit.  Click on the “Vote for us” icon on the front page of our website, or visit this link right now: http://bit.ly/9AlT0i

It’s also time for our February newsletter.  Check out all the latest!

If you are going to plant anything this year, I suggest chceking out one of the Master Gardening Classes being held by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.  Classes are held on Tuesday evenings, 6:30pm, at Bartley Ranch.  They are FREE!  You might have missed a few – but there are plenty left including Dale Carlon talking about trees (we’ve had him here and he is GREAT!) and vegetable gardens.  Things don’t just grow here easily…find out what will work best for you!

Choosing an eco-friendly lifestyle is not just about the environment, but your personal health and well-being too.  Pollution is not just happening in our environment, but also in our home and bodies.

Pick up some of your personal products or those of your children.  Find parabens? Methylparabens?  Propylparaben? Any others?

Parabens are a class of chemicals used to preserve cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. They are also found in food additives. They are absorbed through the skin and digestive tract. In studies,  parabens are found to mimic estrogen.  According to the Breast Cancer Fund,  ”Measurable concentrations of six different parabens have been identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors. The particular parabens were found in relative concentrations that closely parallel their use in the synthesis of cosmetic products. Parabens have also been found in almost all urine samples examined from a demographically diverse sample of U.S. adults.”

What can you do? How do you avoid parabens? READ LABELS.  Parabens are found in a variety of products. Try to avoid if possible. If not, how far down on th ingredient list are they? Ingredients lists start with the highest concentration to the lowest. Parabens that sit at the bottom of the ingredient list would be a better choice. Just being aware can help you avoid them!

A friend was asking me about castile soap last night, thinking they’d switch to using that for body wash in their house.  We’ve sung the praises of Dr. Bronner’s castile soap here before, of course.  But as I looked into it a bit more this morning, it really struck me how awesome they are in terms of an all-around product that’s good for the world in so many ways:

Certified organic, all-natural ingredients – Enough said?

Certified fair-trade – some, but not all of their ingredients are fair-trade, but Dr. Bronner’s (the company itself) is.    They pay their employees well, with good benefits, and they cap executive pay at five times the lowest wage.  If only all companies were this way!  Read about it on their website.

100% post-consumer recycled plastic containers

4th- and 5th-generation family-owned and run

I could go on with all the reasons Dr. Bronner’s is my choice of soap for life.  It works great, it smells great, and I don’t have to wonder if I could have made a better choice for the health of the planet or my family.  If all products were made with the care and concern that Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps are, by companies as genuinely good as this one, wouldn’t the world be a much better place?

Check out this great video about a punk rocker, false positive drug tests, and natural soaps: “Soap, Drugs, and Rock and Roll”

One of my favorite things to do is be clever – kind of like MacGyver.  Okay, so I have no need to blow open a door or untie myself with a paper clip, but I do like reusing. Hey, it is part of the recycled, REUSE, refuse mantra. So I decided that I would pick an item and find some sensible uses for them to pass along to you. Here are a few for an empty cardboard tubes such as toilet paper or paper towels:

* To hold hair ties and barrettes: Between the cat, myself and my daughter, our hair accessories are always all over the place! Hair band hold tight around the outside and barrettes snap in to the top! Voila! All is one place!

*Organize electrical cords: Who doesn’t love a little organization? Simply fold the cord and slide tube over. This may not work for LARGE cords unless you have a large tube.

*Protect important documents: Have a hope chest? Slide diplomas, birth certificates, and marriage certificates into paper tubes to protect them.

*Starting seedlings: With Spring around the corner, why not start your own seeds? Cut into TP tubes into two piece and paper towel tubes into four. Set in container, touching to hold each other up. Fill each with compost, soil, or starter for seedlings and then plant seeds. When they are ready to plant, plant the tube, making sure to bury completely in soil.

*Gift Wrapping/Shipping: Place gift inside roll and wrap tootsie roll style. Be more green and use newsprint, old sewing patterns, or magazine pages to wrap the gift.  They can be used as padding for shipping or to keep those fragile items in place.

*Kindling: Use to get that warm fire going!

*Kid’s Crafts: If nothing else,. kids can tape two together for a great pair of binoculars! Need to dram a prefect circle?

*Organization: When placed upright cardboard tubes can help with storage  for a variety of items: crayons, socks, jewelry, beads, crafts and more!

Reusing is fun and inventive. Before throwing that some thing into the trash - take a look at it and see what you can reuse it for!

Someone loves you.  And you love someone. Valentine’s day is right around the corner on Sunday February 14th. Why not a GREEN gift? Here are some suggestions. And as always, we are here to help!

Bamboo Heart Shaped Cutting Board. It was even ‘Made with Love.”

Heart print reusable shopping bag.  You could even put more goodies inside!

Bubble Bath.  Who wouldn’t love a bubble bath with a glass of champagne? This brand comes without all the nasty chemicals!

Stuffed Bear. Made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, these bears will hug back.

Candles. To accompany that bubble bath! These soy candles have a clean burn, are non toxic, and burn longer than paraffin wax candles!

Greeting cards.  Nothing says ‘I love you’ more that the words themselves. Check out our plantable cards!

Telephone wire bracelets. These Fair Trade bracelets make a statement! Beautifully handcrafted!

Heart Backpacks. Made from biodegradable canvas and recycled plastic bottles, these bags scream love for the owner and the planet!

We have so many GREAT ideas!  Great toys and gifts for kids, moms, dads, and all of those that you love!

Too many gifts to buy? Hug the ones you love!

There are about 82000 chemicals in use in the US with 700 new ones added each year.  Only 650 are monitored by the Toxic Release Institute (program through the US Environmental Protection Agency or EPA). Only 200 have been tested for toxicity and only FIVE have been banned throught the Toxic substances Control Act. ¹

Phthlates are just one of many known toxic chemicals found in a variety of products. Mainly used as a plasticizer, phthalates mimic hormones and in animal testing, have been proven to cause reproductive and neurological damage.  They are EVERYWHERE from vinyl flooring, plastic bottles, shower curtains, food packaging, lubricants, adhesives, toys, shampoos, deodorants and so much more.

You may not find phthalates right in the ingredient list, although some products are labeled “phthalate free.” There are a number of different phthalates. Here are a few:

• DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are often found in personal care products, including nail polishes, deodorants, perfumes and cologne, aftershave lotions, shampoos, hair gels and hand lotions.
• DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is used in PVC plastics, including some medical devices.
• BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) is used in some flooring, car products and personal care products.
• DMP (dimethyl phthalate) is used in insect repellent and some plastics (as well as rocket propellant).
• Fragrance  is also another term that you should be wary about as it  can denote a compound that may include phthalates.
  (Taken from The Daily Green)

So how can you avoid phthalates? Look for products that are labeled “phthalate free,” avoid plastics 3 and 7 as they are more likely to contain phthalates and read labels and ingredients. Although the EPA is taking steps to put these on the concern list, it will take time. The best defense you can take is being educated and aware!

¹Slow Death by Rubber Duck, Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie 2009

The tumbling composter is by far the easiest and quickest way to compost. We carry a 58 gallon capacity, 100% recycled black plastic tumbler. The stainless steel rod that runs through the middle helps break down organic material as you spin it. It stands on a galvanized steel that won’t rust. A daily spin may create rich dark humus in as little as 21 days! Conveniently opens, with a locking, animal proof lid,  from both ends of the barrel for convenient access.  The best part about this composter is that it can be relocated!

Our distributor raised the price on our tumbling composters as of the first of the year.

We are offering a SPECIAL deal through February 16th.  We are taking pre-oprders for an early March shipment. We will give you the tumbling composter at the old price of $229 plus another 7.725% off! Basically tax free!  Payment due before February 15th. We will accept a non-refundable deposit of half with the second half due at time of pick up.

Composting is easy! Not only does it cut down on our contributions to the landfill, but it creates beautiful, dark, rich, soil that is perfect for those flower beds, gardens and indoor plants. Take advantage of this deal!

Simple changes can help make an overall difference. Is your health and future worth it? What if you have little ones around? What are you doing to help their future?

We are not extreme, the Tiars.  We just want to make sure that our kids are educated, safe, and that they have a sustainable environment for their future.  We have incorporated as we have learned and do the best that we can as often as we can.  We don’t drive hybrids, we don’t have solar (yet), eat completely vegan, organic diets (obviously) and we aren’t draped in organic clothing.  We DO compost, attempt to garden, clean with safe green products, recycle and REUSE  as much as possible (I have turned into my grandmother washing and reusing plastic utensils and baggies), buy secondhand if we can, use personal products that are not ridden with chemicals (mostly), and try our best to incorporate new green practices where we can.

The products that we carry in the store – well, we have used or currently use a LOT of them. So here are my top 5 money saving products….and it is hard to only pick 5.

-Charlie’s Soap: I love their laundry soda and their all purpose cleaner. The all purpose cleaner work on everything including stains on clothes. I like it so much that we started selling it by the gallon for those that will use a lot of it. The laundry soap is 15.49 for 80 loads! It lasts forever! It is hypo-allergenic, non toxic and biodegradable and leaves NO residue on your clothes like other detergents.

-Baggie Dryer: I started washing baggies a while ago, especially after Lola begged and begged for the Hello Kitty ones. I hung them over washed wine glasses or utensils in the dish rack. NOTHING compares to the baggie dryer. I can’t explain it – but it rocks! No corners stuck together and they dry quickly. It doesn’t take up any room and you can wash a bunch at a time!

-Chico bag/Tucker bag: They are reusable grocery bags. I forget my bags – a lot. Sometimes I just carry and I have even punished myself with having to load and unload a cart full of groceries into my car and then into my home, hoping that it would instill never to forget my bags again. These bags are awesome! They fold into themselves and can be thrown right back into my purse. Plus, they are colorful and fun! I know you have to buy them, but they pay for themselves! I promise! Raley’s will give you 5 cents per bag and Winco will give you 6! It adds up. I always bring more that I think I will use – and always use them all.

-Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap: If you have never heard of it, you should try it. We buy it by the gallon (EcoReno can for you too!) We have it in our hand soap dispensers, shower,  and laundry room. It is so safe – you can eat it! I do not recommend for floors as it leaves a residue.  But those stinky pet and kid odors? It is WONDERFUL! I dilute with warm water and use on carpet and upholstery. It is the BEST shave gel ever! Marc even shaves his head with it. Camp?  The peppermint is perfect for showering, dishes, and brushing your teeth! Yep, teeth.

-Diva Cup: Sorry for you gentleman out there. I struggled with #5, but I really feel that this is one of my best money saving items!  I have written about it before (link) so I will spare you the details again here…..but I can’t emphasize it enough. A menstrual cycle can run a girl up to $30 a month.  I have paid for my Diva Cup and still going strong!

It was hard to pick 5.  Because I LOVE my water bottles, I want a bamboo utensil set and the ‘I’m not a paper cup” Cup would have made me a lot happier than the disposable cup that I got at Bibo this morning. I even think that my soy chai latte would tasted better.