And as we celebrate this day of our nation’s independence from oppressive rule, let’s think about independence other ways – from oil-rich foreign countries, from a mindset that considers everything disposable, from toxic ingredients in everything on store shelves.  How many changes can we make before our next 4th of July?  As long as our culture depends on all these things, we aren’t truly independent!

Keep up the good work, make every day Earth Day, and let’s all keep doing our best to clean up our nest.

As a minor side note, EcoReno will be closed this Sunday to attend the Earth Day celebration in Idlewild Park.  Please join us there, it’s going to be a great day!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

As part of the festivities, Kiwanis will be holding a bike sale and swap to benefit both Nevada Econet and the Kiwanis kids’ programs.  Letting you know now so you have time to get your bike stuff together!

Especially wanted to point out next week’s solar presentation from Clean Energy Center.  It’s going to be on Wednesday the 7th, 6:30pm.  If it’s half as interesting and informative as the presentation on wind power they gave, you will definitely want to be here if you’re interested in renewable power for your home or business.

Oh yeah, did you see our new company car?  Nice, huh?

April Fool!  :-)

* 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!

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!

]]> http://main.goecoreno.com/2010/02/valentines-day-we-love-you/feed/ 0 http://main.goecoreno.com/2009/12/12-green-gifts-for-christmas/ http://main.goecoreno.com/2009/12/12-green-gifts-for-christmas/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:31:56 +0000 morgan http://main.goecoreno.com/?p=1013 As we are quickly approaching Christmas, here is a list of 12 gift ideas.

Bamboo Utensil Set: Held in a convenient case made from recycled PET material, this set includes a fork, spoon, knife and chopsticks.  $12.29

Wallets:  We have two varieties in stock currently. Wallets made from billboards and some made from inter tubes. Stylish an perfect for any age. $25.95 – $56.00

Recycled Glassware: From vases to platters to carafes, we have a variety of 99% recycled glassware in stock.  $4.50-  $47.00

Baggie Dryer: We all know someone who refuses to throw away those plastic bags. These baggie dryers are a HUGE hit and work great! $19.99

Compost Keeper: Available in recycled green plastic, white ceramic and stainless steel, these are a perfect accessory for anyone that composts!  $9.99-$52.99

Telephone Wire Bracelets: Handmade in South Africa from discarded telephone wire, these bracelets are a stylish accessory! perfect from mom, sister or wife! Assortment of colors available. $16.99

Recycled Cotton Blankets:  Made from 74% recycled cotton, these blanket are a great gift idea!  Sock Monkey and Dog designs available. $45.00

Bamboo Kitchen Towels: so pretty and sturdy, these towels are great for the kitchen and bath. They are 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton.  Throw in one of our hand or dish soaps to complete the gift! $7.oo

Stuffed Animals: These fabulous stuffed toys are made from recycled plastic bottles. Cats, dogs and bunnies available. Softer than you would think! $15.00-39.00

Green Toys: All made from recycled milk jugs, these green toys are a huge hit!  Tea set, cookware set, gardening set, eco-saucer, dump trucks and recycling trucks available. $9.99-39.99

Filtered Stainless Steel Water Bottle: Perfect for anyone. Stop buying bottled water with this purchase. Replaceable charcoal filter that lasts up to 100 gallons of water. Reduces up to 99.99% of  contaminates. Perfect for home, school, travel, office and the great outdoors! $46.99

Gift Certificate:  Give the gift of green for anyone. EcoReno carries a variety of household and personal products for throughout the year.

Happy Holidays to all of you. Don’t forget to recycle your Christmas Tree after the holidays!

Artificial trees seemed like a good response. You buy it once and use it over and over again. Even greener, buying it used. Artificial trees are mostly made with PVC plastic, a petroleum by product that leaches dioxin. Dioxin is very toxic. Manufacturing site is also something to consider. Was your tree made and shipped overseas?  That’s a big carbon foot print. And when all is said and done and the artificial tree is ready to move on, it eventually ends up in the landfill.

Plantable tree. I love this idea. Buy a tree in a pot and you can plant it after the holiday. Trees are great! Yet if you desire a large Christmas tree, how big can the tree really be in a pot? After 3 years, I would have nowhere to put another tree – although they could be  a gift. Trees should be planted because they are appropriate for you and your home/yard- so running out to buy something just because you can  plant it  might not be the wisest choice.

Farmed trees fill vacant lots all around town. Trees can be grown with harmful pesticides and other dangerous chemicals. Organic would be a good choice – avoiding the toxic chemicals. But do think about the carbon footprint, an organic tree shipped from Maryland versus a non-organic farmed tree from California.

Chop your own tree. My first response to this was an absolute no, but with further investigation, it has become clear that this is a sustainable choice. Organic in the sense that no one has purposely fertilized my tree of choice with harmful chemicals.  Cutting your own tree helps manage our forests by thinning small trees in overstocked areas.  You need a permit! Permits are available through the BLM and USFS.   Use this link for office locations, hours and further information.

Lastly, skip a tree.  Decorate your home inside and out. Place ornaments on a houseplant. Make your own tree. Be creative – you might start a holiday tradition! Check out these creative ideas:

Happy Holidays!