Ok, so here we are. It’s Friday. Universally recognized as the end of the week and universally recognized as the start of party time, Friday is a day where thinking green might take a back seat to all the other fun things that go on during the weekend. Here at The Did You Know? Store, we want to embrace the fun of Fridays while being green at the same time. In fact, we want our being green to stay at the same fast pace as all the other weekend stuff, so we’re starting a new wave of weekend thought. We’re starting TGIF, Think Green It’s Friday!
To start off our TGIF tradition, we’re going to tackle the most basic off all weekend activities. It’s time to talk green dinner parties! A dinner party is a weekend event we all know and love and, as PlanetGreen.com points out, is one that can create a pretty serious amount of waste. “From leftovers, to paper waste and even energy waste, not all dinner parties are created environmentally equal. In planning your next party, why not make it green? From small dinner parties with a few friends to gatherings packed with family, eco-conscious dinner parties can be fun and easy to organize.”
Here are some tips from PlanetGreen.com that should get your next dinner party on the green track.
“By changing just a few common dinner party moves, you can seriously reduce your dinner party's carbon footprint. Be sure to indicate clearly how to get to the dinner party via public transportation. Is there a bus nearby? A light rail? If you don't live near extensive transportation, why not encourage guests to carpool to reduce their footprints.”
Also, “Instead of buying one time use decorations think about going green. Party store decorations are often paper and plastic and usually only last the night of your party. Look outside in your yard for nature inspired decorations. Why not gather branches, flowers foliage and rocks? You can also head on over to your farmer's market for local flowers. Filling vases with hints of the season like pinecones, lemons or leaves is a great way to add a bit of green to the dinner table. Petroleum free soy candles can help you create a mellow mood.”
“If the farmers' market season is still on when your party shopping happens, this is the ideal spot to buy local food. Local produce is not only good for your health, it’s good for the Earth too. The shorter distance food travels to get your plate, the less carbon gets in to the air. To find out what's in season for your party you can check out a seasonal produce calendar. This will help you plan a green menu that celebrates the seasons. When you head out shopping, don't forget your reusable bags!”
“If you can, avoid the usual paper cups, plates, napkins and plastic utensils. If you are stuck on these for your party, look for unbleached or biodegradable products. If you can forgo these you will save a nice pile of trash from making its way into the landfill. Instead, use dishwasher safe china and glasses you already have around the house. If they don't all match, add more green candles and native plants to match the eclectic sets.”
“Set up bins at your party that clearly mark where guests can recycle, compost and send trash to the landfill. Composting your scraps is great for your garden and easy to do. Next, be sure your dishes are finding their way into an efficient dishwasher; we have a great guide on how to green yours. The basics? Skip the pre-rinse, fill it on up, and lower the heat. If you don't have a dishwasher, be sure to do some eco-friendly hand washing. When it comes to scrubbing your countertops post-party, opt to do it with green cleaning products. They're good for the Earth and your health, too.”
So there you are. Now go have a green party!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Machine Wash vs. Hand Wash
My name is Daniel. I manage the East Greenwich branch of The Did You Know? Store. I have a story I'd like to tell, a blog I'd like to post...
So I had a few friends over my apartment the other night. I was showing them around, giving them the grand tour, the whole deal. When I took them into the kitchen, one of them commented on how nice it must be to have all the modern amenities that my kitchen had. They were especially impressed that I had a brand new dishwasher. When I told them that I had never so much as opened the thing, they were confused. Why would someone who has a perfectly good, perfectly new dishwasher never use it? The truth is, I never really thought about it. I grew up in a house that didn't have a dishwasher so I was not used to using one. I had always taken the old fashion approach. I had always washed my dishes by hand. I also just assumed that washing by hand was more environmentally friendly. Then my friend shook my world.
"You know that dishwashers are better for the environment" he said.
"No I didn't" I replied.
When they left, I did some research. Here's what I found.
I was happy to find an entire article on this very subject on treehugger.com. What I discovered surprised me a little. It might surprise you too. According to research, dish washing machines are usually the more efficient of the two approaches in washing those dirty dishes. Overall, they use less energy and less water than hand washing. There is a catch though, so don't worry if you live in a house without a dishwasher like i did. "If you can keep the water use low, equal to an efficient machine, you'll require less energy, but doing an entire load of dishes in 4 gallons of water (the amount of water an efficient machine uses) is roughly equivalent to doing them all in the same amount of water you use in 96 seconds of showering."
Basically, the numbers indicate that it's possible to be as efficient when hand washing, but it's pretty tough. An approach that would guarantee less water usage, as opposed to running the water on half blast, is to fill a basin of water and use it to wash the dishes. It is easy to lose track of the gallons of water flowing down the drain when you leave the faucet on and filling something with water and turning the faucet off is a good way to prevent that from happening.
So what is the verdict? Who is the winner?
Well, that's up to you.
So I had a few friends over my apartment the other night. I was showing them around, giving them the grand tour, the whole deal. When I took them into the kitchen, one of them commented on how nice it must be to have all the modern amenities that my kitchen had. They were especially impressed that I had a brand new dishwasher. When I told them that I had never so much as opened the thing, they were confused. Why would someone who has a perfectly good, perfectly new dishwasher never use it? The truth is, I never really thought about it. I grew up in a house that didn't have a dishwasher so I was not used to using one. I had always taken the old fashion approach. I had always washed my dishes by hand. I also just assumed that washing by hand was more environmentally friendly. Then my friend shook my world.
"You know that dishwashers are better for the environment" he said.
"No I didn't" I replied.
When they left, I did some research. Here's what I found.
I was happy to find an entire article on this very subject on treehugger.com. What I discovered surprised me a little. It might surprise you too. According to research, dish washing machines are usually the more efficient of the two approaches in washing those dirty dishes. Overall, they use less energy and less water than hand washing. There is a catch though, so don't worry if you live in a house without a dishwasher like i did. "If you can keep the water use low, equal to an efficient machine, you'll require less energy, but doing an entire load of dishes in 4 gallons of water (the amount of water an efficient machine uses) is roughly equivalent to doing them all in the same amount of water you use in 96 seconds of showering."
Basically, the numbers indicate that it's possible to be as efficient when hand washing, but it's pretty tough. An approach that would guarantee less water usage, as opposed to running the water on half blast, is to fill a basin of water and use it to wash the dishes. It is easy to lose track of the gallons of water flowing down the drain when you leave the faucet on and filling something with water and turning the faucet off is a good way to prevent that from happening.
So what is the verdict? Who is the winner?
Well, that's up to you.
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