#17

So the holidays are over and you’ve got a pile of greetings and gift cards, on display and collecting dust in a corner of the living room. But they’ve got to come down eventually, and unfortunately most will find their way into the rubbish bin.

Of course you, diligent Bonzai readers, would never trash that precious card stock, I’m sure. We’re all recyclers here, are we not?

But what about doing one better? Instead of tossing them in with the newspapers and tomato tins, why not hold on to them for later use? Simply remove that pretty (and valuable) front! (leaving the back, inscribed with your relative’s well wishes, to recycle) Now you have a brand new post card, a clever thank-you note, or a lovely gift tag!

You can also wrap a gift in simple brown paper (re-use a paper grocery bag), then tape the recycled card front to it, to add a festive image.

So save your holiday cards for the next years festivities! But don’t forget to save other cards throughout the year – this works equally well for Valentines, birthdays, and beyond!

BONZAI!

#16

We’re coming up on December madness, and that means serious travel season in many parts of the world. But with airlines being so . . . *ahem* . . . not nice, a lot of us are opting to drive to our holiday destinations. Here’s a few tips on how to maximize mileage in the coming month – and beyond.

First, get rid of any extra baggage! Tools in the trunk, flotsam and jetsam hiding under the seats . . . I even have an iron in the back of my car (long story). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, each extra 100 pounds will reduce gas mileage by 1-2%. And it adds up fast! So clear out.

Then, before you leave for your trip you’ll need to check your tires. We’ve all heard it before, but seriously guys! If everyone kept their tires properly inflated, we would reduce consumption by millions of barrels per year – like, no need to drill in ANWR! So put that funky little tool in your glovebox to good use!

Next you’ll need to take a trip down to your local auto specialist. If your air filter is reusable, you need to clean it; if its replaceable, you need a new one. Dirty filters muck up the air/gas ratio which compromises combustion. You should aim to address the air filter every 12,000 miles or so.

And finally, drive right on the road – especially in stop ‘n go traffic. That means: slow, constant acceleration, which will cut your fuel consumption by ~20%. That’s a lot of savings, so keep the pedal OFF the metal, eh!?

Safe traveling my dears, and happy holiday season!

BONZAI!

#15

Autumn is my favorite season for many reasons, not the least of which is the leaves. Yellowing, darkening into crimson tree-toppers, and then finally . . . falling.

If you’ve got these seasonal scallywags littering your lawn, please use a rake to tidy them up. Aside from being a terrible noise nuisance, those gas-powered leaf blowers spit out as many toxic emissions in an hour as a car would by driving for 350 miles! And all of it right into your airspace.

So once you’ve got your leaves all piled, what will you do with them? Burning them is a no-no, as it creates massive air pollution and poses the risk of igniting a wild fire. But throwing them in the trash will just contributes to a landfill. So what to do?

If you garden, you can use them! Leaves make a great mulch or winter cover. Just spread a thick layer over all your dormant beds. Or, go over them with a mulching mower to cut them up real tiny-like. Then sprinkle those clippings across the grass, as ‘lawn feed’.

Of course, you could always toss the leaves directly into your compost bin. Still not composting? Many cities will pick up yard waste along with trash and recycling, since they use it in parks and city projects (as well as resale). So give your local government a call to find out if there are programs available.

BONZAI!

#14

Alright guys, lets talk about coffee.

If you grab your joe on the go, remember to bring your own reusable mug. Millions of plastic and paper cups are trashed each year, and totally unnecessarily. For extra insurance, stow a lidded metal mug or glass jar in your glove box for emergency caffeine fixes. I even have a friend who habitually carries a ceramic cup in her purse, everywhere she goes!

If you brew at home, make sure your equipment is eco-friendly. For example coffee filters are bleached with a chemical called dioxin, an environmental toxin and carcinogen. Choose unbleached paper, cloth, or metal mesh coffee filters instead, to keep yourself and your planet dioxin free.

Regardless of whether you drink out or drink in, make sure your business is going to a company that shares your ethical priorities. Look for earth-friendly organic, eco-friendly ‘shade grown’, and socially responsible fair trade coffees.

BONZAI!

#12
If it’s yellow, you can let it stay
If it’s brown, you should flush it away
This is the song I like to hear
To save over 1,200 gallons of water a year!

’nuff said, amiright?

BONZAI!

#8 So, we’ve all agreed that wasting paper is bad. We’ve canceled our newspaper subscription and we recycle all our mail and our ‘brown bag’ lunch comes in a canister. But unfortunately, 90% of our households are still reliant on one of the worst wasters of this limited resource: napkins.

It’s time to end it, guys! Paper towels and their ilk account for 3,000 tons of landfill waste each year. That’s millions of trees – trashed. Is it really worth the perceived convenience?

Instead of traditional paper products, try using dishrags around the kitchen. Rip up old towels for dirty cleaning jobs. Dine in style with cotton napkins. Stash a hankie in your satchel (or your back pocket, for fashion and for function!) so you won’t ever get caught unawares. Add a small cloth to your packed lunches (or your kids’), and keep a supply in the glovebox, too. It’s so easy to cut out unnecessary paper, and once it’s habitual, you’ll wonder why it took you so long.

And just in case you’re wondering, it takes less than half the energy of paper production, to fabricate and then re-clean a cloth towel over its lifetime.

BONZAI!

#6  Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about laundry, and the many opportunities to ‘clean up’ the clothes cleaning process.

The easiest way to save energy is during the drying.  I always try to hang out my clothes to air dry, but there are some pieces that just require the dryer.  In these cases, be careful you don’t overdry.  Not only is it wasteful, but you can actually damage your duds!  Most machines have a ‘more dry/less dry’ setting, and this is what you should use.  There’s an apparatus to sense the moisture inside, so the cycle will only run for as long as it’s needed.

Using this setting instead of the timer can cut costs by 10-15%.  And of course, always skip the dryer if possible.

BONZAI!

#3   Looking for a new way to further curb your energy consumption? What about incorporating dimmers into all of your home light fixtures?  These easy-to-install devices are especially useful in rooms with skylights or large windows, because they allow you to use less artificial light as needed.  This is a great DIY weekend project – ask for installation instructions at your local hardware store – and just a little of your time invested can incur incredible electricity reduction.

Ready to take it one step further?  If your school or office gets good natural light, suggest that they install dimmable ballasts on lamps and overhead fluorescents throughout the building. In the Multnomah County (that’s Portland, baby!) Building, they added dimming controls to all the fixtures, and now they save an average of $4,000 per year on their electric bill!

BONZAI!

#2  If there’s two things I love, it’s wine and recycling!  Sound random?  Well I don’t know about you, but I’ve been saving my wine corks for a while now, waiting to find some creative repurposing that’ll keep them from going to waste.  Now, I seem to have found my answer.

Yemm & Hart is an organization focused on salvage innovation, and they want your corks!  Currently in the collection phase, once they accrue 6 tons of corks they will begin converting them into retail floor tiles.  All cork donors will receive a discount on the finished product – plus a sense of relief regarding all their boozy by-products!

Read all about the project here, or just take my word for it and send your corks to: Wine Cork Recycling, Yemm & Hart Ltd., 610 S. Chamber Drive, Fredericktown, MO, 63645.

BONZAI!

#1  Chlorinated bleach, when washed down the drain, degrades into a substance called ‘organochlorine’.  This compound is believed to be carcinogenic, as well as harmful to the reproductive, neurological, and immune systems.  Instead of cleaning with a chlorine containing bleach, try making your own solution. Fill one spray bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide, and another spray bottle with white vinegar.  Spray to mix as needed (this is more effective if they mix on contact).  

BONZAI!