Mom Goes Green

Hey, where’s your mind?  You know I’m talking about Christmas trees, right?  Of course you did!… sheesh.

But the debate over real Christmas trees vs. the artificial option has been raging for some time.  Both sides give a pretty good argument but for as long as I can remember, my mom and now my own family have gone the route of artificial trees.

Aside from the fact that you can now buy them with the lights already attached (for the “no-cursing-over-the-tangled-light-strings”-factor!) they are easy to assemble so you can get to the fun part of decorating!  And my eco-friendly favorite factor… they get used year, after year, after year…

My husband would probably tell you a different story and that is the fact that I have compassion for literally everything(!) and would never dream of killing a tree!  He has been known to yell “OUCH!” when I bite into a piece of broccoli (to which I scream back “STOP IT!”) because then I feel bad for the broccoli! (Now you think I’ve gone mad, don’t you!)  Don’t laugh.  A friend of mine won’t put anything in the dishwasher by itself because she thinks it will be lonely.  (See, we’re all nuts!)

But seriously, the environmental side of using live trees is the fact that they require herbicides and pesticides for about 8-12 years before they’re a “sellable” size.  Add to that the carbon footprint of getting them to a selling site, unless you live near a tree farm or cut your own.  At the end of the season, they end up in the trash, unless you seek out a source for recycling them for mulch or compost.

On the opposite side, artificial trees are often manufactured in China (with PVC and, some say, lead) and you have to consider the “cost” of getting them to your local retailer, but they do get used again and again.  And often, they get donated to another family or organization before they eventually meet a landfill once they are tattered, old and no longer loved.   Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of a biodegradable artificial tree just yet.

So what is the answer to the debate?  Simply… I don’t know for sure.

Actually, the most environmental choice would be to buy a live, uncut tree with the root ball still intact and then plant it right after the holidays.  One consideration though (especially in cold climates) is digging a hole in the frozen ground.  For this, I recommend digging the hole ASAP and then you can just plant it as soon as the holidays are over. ( I also recommend talking to a professional about how to move them outdoors and properly plant them, to increase the chance of survival.)

But whatever you choose for your family, do the responsible thing and see that your real tree gets composed or mulched or use your artificial tree for years and years to come.

Now, I have to get back to steaming some broccoli…awww.  Poor broccoli.

If you have a computer (and let me guess… you have one, since you’re reading this!) you probably have a printer too … but what do you do when the ink runs dry?

Some of us will resort to trying to have cartridges refilled.  Some of us (me included!) will have little success.  So you are either stuck with this bothersome little ink cartridge or a behemoth of a useless toner cartridge.

Each year in the U.S. alone, 350 million of them wind up in the trash (that’s about 8 per second!), they’re buried in landfills and pollute the earth.  They’ll take about 1,000 years to decompose, but did you know that most can be recycled up to six times, yet only 30% are currently being recycled?

Did you also know you can be rewarded for recycling them?  I’ve actually used this as a way of funding the environmental programs at our daughter’s school.  Because budgets are tight, there just aren’t funds to support the programs.

So there are two great solutions that are likely to be sitting in your neighborhood awaiting your arrival.  I’m using “MaxPerks” at OfficeMax.  For every qualifying cartridge, I’m given a $3 credit for my next purchase. Just sign up for the card, drop off up to ten cartridges a week and voila… there’s my budget!  I’ve used it to purchase recycled paper and materials, for information to send home, and prizes for the kids’ participation in our environmental programs (including recycled pencils made from newspaper, recycled paper notebooks, and Terracycle pencil cases made from recycled drink pouches!).

A similar program is also being offered through the “Staples Rewards” program at Staples stores.  They’ll take up to three cartridges a day with the same type of $3 credit.

And if I haven’t mentioned it before, we have a program set up at school for the students to bring in the cartridges for recycling – so not only are we giving everyone an easy way to recycle and help the earth, but they’re helping to support our programs too!

So next time that empty cartridge is mocking you… don’t trash it, recycle it! Ahh… the life of a recycling/PTA mom… but the “Perks” and “Rewards” are abundant!

I’ve never been shy about telling you when I love (or despise) something and I recently learned about one of the coolest things on the planet… and considering the season of giving, I absolutely have to share this one and give it some MomGoesGreen love!

It’s called the “Starter Kit for Change” and it contains some of the most thoughtful, eco-friendly items to get anyone and everyone started on the road to “green thinking”.

Two moms/musicians/friends/eco-girls developed a company called rocklovepeace and put together an amazing kit that contains:

• a reusable tote bag (“reuse”)
• an arbor day tree seedling (“plant”)
• fair trade hot chocolate (“be fair”)
• a treeless journal (“write”)
• a Sudoku booklet with a recycled pencil (“think”)
• a compact fluorescent light bulb (“switch”)
• gratitude cards (“be grateful”)
• an envelope to help end hunger (“give”)

They thought of everything and I’m not exaggerating when I say that.  The gift box and paper they come in are recycled, the ribbon and bag are biodegradable, the tags are embedded with flower seeds (they  can actually be planted!) and an enclosed booklet explains the importance and impact of every element included.

The reusable bags are even made from fabric remnants and no two are alike (and they’re SO much more stylish than the cheap-o bags!).  Plus, every bag is inscribed with Mahatma Gandhi’s inspirational quote:  “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” Doesn’t that describe the mission we all wish to accomplish?  Del and Melanie are on this mission too… to educate, motivate and activate CHANGE!  Plus they are donating a portion of the proceeds to Action Against Hunger.

This is truly the coolest thing I have yet to see…The “Starter Kit for Change” is the gift of going green!  And if I got this from someone, I would be thrilled… actually, I got this gift for myself and now I think I’m one pretty cool gift-giver too!