Green Your Day

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the “stuff” in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is intentionally hidden from view.

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. It exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.

It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the “stuff” in your life forever.

Bottom line: this short movie is a ‘must’ in order to raise awareness in our society and needs to be seen by as many people as possible, and FAST.

Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?

1. Watch it: Clear 20 minutes from your busy, busy schedule to see the bigger picture.
2. Live it: Live by example, be the change that you want to see in the world.
3. Speak it: Tell everyone you know about it: your email list, your family, your friends, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus… you get the picture.
4. Host it: Share it with your community by showing the film at a house party, or classroom, or church group, or neighborhood association or any other location. (The official websites includes everything you need for a successful event including invitations, group activities and more.)

The new law in Israel prohibiting smoking in public areas and restaurants means one step closer to cleaner, greener living, right?

Not exactly, walk by any coffee shop in Tel Aviv and the first thing you will notice are dozens of cigarette butts surrounding the area.

Why is this happening? Restaurant owners are prohibiting smoking anywhere on restaurant property (including tables outside) and requesting that their customers smoke just outside the property line before returning to their tables.

The result? City sidewalks and curbs are turning into heavily littered personal ashtrays.

Yeah, but what could I possible do about it?

1. Don’t smoke. I know: easier said than done. But if you can’t not smoke, then at least smoke less.
2. When you finish your cigarette, head to the nearest garbage can. Since most coffee shops in Israel are located under residential buildings, a garbage bin can usually be found within seconds if you just make an effort.
3. Talk to the restaurant owner or manager and request that they provide an ashtray to place where their customers stand to smoke.
4. Quit assuming that there is some kind of cigarette fairy that comes out in the middle of the night to make your dirty litter magically disappear. Street sweepers work extremely hard in tough weather conditions to make sure that you and I have a clean street to walk on. Most of these workers are old enough to be our grandparents.

Did You Know?

During the time it takes you to read this sentence, 50,000 12-ounce aluminum cans are made.

SOURCE

“The beginning of the shampoo bottle always goes faster than the end.” - Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land.

When I read that quote, I instantly realized that I was one of those people who waste things when they’re there, and then try to savor them when they’re nearly gone.

And I know I’m not alone.

How often do you find yourself trying to pound out what’s left of your shampoo bottle, only to give up and reach for that fresh new bottle waiting on the side just aching to ooze out generously into the palm of your hands?

Next thing you know the old bottle is tossed away with perfectly good shampoo still hanging on to dear life! Not a very eco-friendly move.

“Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

1. Don’t buy new shampoo and conditioner until you completely run out of the surplus you already have. Use what you have and work with it! You’d be surprised how much of the product is still left in a seemingly empty bottle: Consider it a Hannukah bathroom miracle!
2. Got new bottles already lying around? Store them somewhere far, far away from your bathtub, like in another room where you’ll think twice before skipping out of the shower all cold and wet to get it.
3. I personally try leaving my (cruelty-free) shampoo and conditioner upside down for a while but that usually turns into a bad bowling game, knocking down bottles left and right. There must be a better way, right? There is: Apparently some geniuses before me have already thought of this and came up with new and convenient ways to store your bottles upside down (see above pic, courtesy of Fluggart). You might consider it a good investment to ultimately help you waste less.
4. And when you’re finally finished squeezing the sense out of the bottles: Recycle, recycle, recycle!

Did You Know?

If everyone in the U.S. recycled their Sunday newspaper it would save roughly 500,000 trees every week!

SOURCE

Ordering in food to your home or your office can be fun every once in a while (I’m rather addicted to it myself…) But ever notice all the “stuff” that comes along with your meal? A typical order of one simple meal can usually include most (or all) of the following:

A plastic fork, a plastic knife, a plastic spoon, 1 or 2 paper napkins, a small paper packet of salt, a small paper packet of pepper, a toothpick, freshener wipes in their little paper cover and the little plastic bag that holds all these unnecessary items together! Oh, and not to mention a plastic cup and/or straw for your drink!

What the means is that one simple meal (that you didn’t even make yourself!) can result in a bag full of waste that goes straight to the garbage! Un-freikin-believable!

“Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

Believe it or not, all it takes is one simple sentence upon ordering: “And I won’t be needing the utensils and stuff, thank you.”

Use your own utensils, use your own salt and pepper, use your own cups and as for the “freshening wipes”… oh, for green’s sake, just wash your hands!

Some offices in Israel and around the world have already been officially declared “green” and are no longer offering disposable coffee cups to their employees (good for them!) But just because your office is not environmentally aware, doesn’t mean you have to go along with the crowd!

“Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

1) Suggest a green movement to the company bosses, removing all disposable coffee cups and utensils from the office kitchen. If the bosses don’t seem convinced, you could always mention how much MONEY they will be saving (bosses love that!)

2) Teach by example: When CEOS have their heads so far up their butts that they can’t seem to grasp how important such a decision is, well, then there’s nothing left to do but be your own boss! Just Say No to the disposable cups by officially declaring today (and every day) “Bring Your Coffee Mugs to Work Day”. Simply put, BE the change that you want to see in your office!