Hooooooray! It’s Friday! It’s time to let loose! In a green state of mind? We hope so. Here are a few tips to making your weekend best friends with the environment.
Last week, we tackled the idea of green cocktails. This week, with the help of planet green.com, we’re going to tackle a similar subject. Green beer!
“Beer isn't just the poster beverage for college parties, your after-work wind down, or lazy Sunday afternoons—no, beer is also a key player in a multi-billion dollar industry that reaches into the far corners of the world. Everyone loves beer—even environmentalists—and that might be why there's been a recent boom in green, organic spirits, sustainable and renewable energy powered breweries, and environmentally conscious, discerning drinkers. That's why it's as pertinent time as ever to think about what we all can do to green our beer drinking—and there's more to do than you might think. From supporting sustainable, even solar powered breweries, to drinking organic, pesticide-free beers, to steering clear of excessive packaging in cans and bottles”, there is much you can do to make your next drink one for the environment.
Here are a few steps you can take towards a greener beer. And don’t worry, they’re on the house.
*Drink organic brews
“Organic beer is a growing force in the industry, with dozens of brands and even more brews to choose from. If a beer carries an organic label, that means it's been certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as adhering to strict, legally binding farming regulations. It means you can expect the barley and hops to be organically grown: no toxic pesticides, no artificial fertilizers, no chemical preservatives; just fresh, non-toxic ingredients. Drinking organic (and buying organic) is also a good way to support more sustainable agriculture, and even to combat global warming.”
*Support green beer companies
“Keep an eye out for beer companies that are going the extra mile to achieve environmental responsibility—some companies are truly making a noble effort towards sustainability.”
*Drink beer from draught instead of from bottles
“The keg-inclined out there among us have reason to celebrate, greenly-drinking the draught is greener than downing the bottles. It only takes some simple visualization to understand why this is so: the kegs you'd buy for your college parties, and those that sit 'neath the counter at your favorite bar—how many beers does each hold? Depending on the size, it could be hundreds. That's hundreds of saved cans or bottles, provided you're reusing your cup.”
*Recycle your bottles, cans, and other packaging
“If you've just finished off a 12 pack of Silver Bullets, make sure to get those cans into the recycling bin—an aluminum can will likely be recycled and back on the shelves within 60 days . Aluminum is a sustainable metal and can be recycled ad infinitum (well, almost). If it's bottles you've got, make sure those get recycled too—most curbside programs will take both. And don't forget that cardboard box casing—unless it's drenched in beer and ruined, that's some perfectly good fodder for the paper section of your recycling bin.”
Here’s to your green weekend!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
TGIF! Think Green, It’s Friday!
Ok, so here we are again. It’s Friday! It’s the end of the week and it’s party time. Hopefully, after last week’s blog, thinking green won’t take a back seat to all the fun things that go on this weekend. Here at The Did You Know? Store, we’re hoping that thinking green on Friday (and on every day) is going to stick.
To keep going with our new TGIF tradition, we’re going to tackle the another fun weekend activity. Cocktail Party anyone?
Thanks to PlanetGreen.com, we have a few tips to share with you on how to make your next Cocktail Party the greenest party in town.
“There is something about sipping on a cocktail surrounded by friends that makes a party feel special. It doesn't matter what the time of year, whether you are getting into the holiday spirit, or sitting on a dock by a lake. Serving a cocktail takes some thought and imagination. Choosing the perfect cocktail to serve is a great way to set the mood of the party. It also takes a bit of ingenuity and legwork to make those cocktails green. There are a growing number of distilleries making organic spirits around the world, but crafting organic vodka, gin, whiskey and such is still the exception, and not the norm. They are often made in small batches and many are imported, both of which can make for an elevated price that not everyone can afford. Still, if you can find organic alcohol in your local liquor store, that's great, and you’re well on your way to a greener cocktail. But the alcohol base isn't the only thing about cocktails that can be green. There are many ways to green your drinks, from booze to shaker and everything in between.”
Top Green Cocktails Tips:
*Use organic liquors when you can
“More and more organic spirits are coming on the market, but actually finding them in your local store is not always easy. Vodka seems to be the most commonly available of spirits, which is great for you because so many terrific cocktails have a vodka base. Producers of organic spirits often make smaller batches and some retailers are reluctant to carry a product that they cannot guarantee will always be in stock. Ask your local purveyor or spirits about stocking organic products. They won't know you want it if you don't tell them.”
*Think Local
“If you are lucky enough to have distillers in your state or even region, it may make more sense to buy their products. Some producers may not be "organic," per se, but some distillers are making ecologically sound efforts in their business practices. Even if your local distiller doesn't actively engage in green practices, having it shipped across a state or two sure beats the entire country and whole globe, for that matter.”
*Think Seasonal
“Try to choose cocktails to fit in with your locale, and local, seasonal offerings. Take advantage of local fresh fruit juices and herbs in your summer drinks. Rather than make a traditional Screwdriver with orange juice, try a recipe that highlights a fruit that grows in your area such as grape or raspberry. In the winter time use fresh cranberries or mull some apple cider. If you are making a coffee-based drink, use organic dairy products and Fair Trade, organic coffee for those warming treats.”
*Make Your Own Cocktail Mixes
“If you see a margarita mix in your grocery store, resist. Making your own cocktails from scratch ensures that you know that the freshest, healthiest ingredients have gone into them, without preservatives or chemicals. Using fresh juice leaves you with pulp and skin to compost. Using mixes leaves you with unnecessary packaging to dispose of. Not only that, if you are using organic alcohol, you have a premium product”, and who doesn’t like sipping on those?
Now go have a green party!
To keep going with our new TGIF tradition, we’re going to tackle the another fun weekend activity. Cocktail Party anyone?
Thanks to PlanetGreen.com, we have a few tips to share with you on how to make your next Cocktail Party the greenest party in town.
“There is something about sipping on a cocktail surrounded by friends that makes a party feel special. It doesn't matter what the time of year, whether you are getting into the holiday spirit, or sitting on a dock by a lake. Serving a cocktail takes some thought and imagination. Choosing the perfect cocktail to serve is a great way to set the mood of the party. It also takes a bit of ingenuity and legwork to make those cocktails green. There are a growing number of distilleries making organic spirits around the world, but crafting organic vodka, gin, whiskey and such is still the exception, and not the norm. They are often made in small batches and many are imported, both of which can make for an elevated price that not everyone can afford. Still, if you can find organic alcohol in your local liquor store, that's great, and you’re well on your way to a greener cocktail. But the alcohol base isn't the only thing about cocktails that can be green. There are many ways to green your drinks, from booze to shaker and everything in between.”
Top Green Cocktails Tips:
*Use organic liquors when you can
“More and more organic spirits are coming on the market, but actually finding them in your local store is not always easy. Vodka seems to be the most commonly available of spirits, which is great for you because so many terrific cocktails have a vodka base. Producers of organic spirits often make smaller batches and some retailers are reluctant to carry a product that they cannot guarantee will always be in stock. Ask your local purveyor or spirits about stocking organic products. They won't know you want it if you don't tell them.”
*Think Local
“If you are lucky enough to have distillers in your state or even region, it may make more sense to buy their products. Some producers may not be "organic," per se, but some distillers are making ecologically sound efforts in their business practices. Even if your local distiller doesn't actively engage in green practices, having it shipped across a state or two sure beats the entire country and whole globe, for that matter.”
*Think Seasonal
“Try to choose cocktails to fit in with your locale, and local, seasonal offerings. Take advantage of local fresh fruit juices and herbs in your summer drinks. Rather than make a traditional Screwdriver with orange juice, try a recipe that highlights a fruit that grows in your area such as grape or raspberry. In the winter time use fresh cranberries or mull some apple cider. If you are making a coffee-based drink, use organic dairy products and Fair Trade, organic coffee for those warming treats.”
*Make Your Own Cocktail Mixes
“If you see a margarita mix in your grocery store, resist. Making your own cocktails from scratch ensures that you know that the freshest, healthiest ingredients have gone into them, without preservatives or chemicals. Using fresh juice leaves you with pulp and skin to compost. Using mixes leaves you with unnecessary packaging to dispose of. Not only that, if you are using organic alcohol, you have a premium product”, and who doesn’t like sipping on those?
Now go have a green party!
Friday, January 30, 2009
TGIF! Think Green, It’s Friday!
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!
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!
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.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Sunday November 16th
Another rainy day in Southern Rhode Island, but here at The Did You Know? Store things are heating up and going green. One of our favorite products is a great organic t-shirt. With positive messages and no pesticides or chemicals used in the manufacturing process, these shirts are something to smile about. Come check out the soft, stylish, and super cozy long sleeved collection from Life Is Good. Maybe you’re looking for some holiday cheer? We have a great selection of Grow-a-Note cards, including some new designs for the winter season. Or there is the environmentally-friendly line of Zum soaps, sprays, and scent diffuser reeds with delicious winter scents like peppermint, almond and clove, or vanilla and cinnamon. Whatever you fancy or need this chilly season we have something for everyone.
Monday, November 10, 2008
November 9, 2008
Save money by going green!
As the temperatures drop and we head into winter it’s time to look for ways to save money, especially with home heating costs and the holidays fast-approaching. Why not look into purchasing a reusable mug and brewing a pot of coffee at home? You can make your morning pick me up as strong as you like and you can pick from a vast majority of organic and fair trade beans. Better yet? Making coffee at home and filling a reusable mug saves you money! Or why not start bringing lunch with you to work? Come in and check out our selection of lunch totes, sacks, utensils, and thermoses. You can pack healthy green options, your favorite homemade treat, and you can save yourself a ton by not buying lunch in the cafeteria or deli down the street. While you’re out doing your holiday shopping come see us at our second location on Main Street in East Greenwich, RI.
As the temperatures drop and we head into winter it’s time to look for ways to save money, especially with home heating costs and the holidays fast-approaching. Why not look into purchasing a reusable mug and brewing a pot of coffee at home? You can make your morning pick me up as strong as you like and you can pick from a vast majority of organic and fair trade beans. Better yet? Making coffee at home and filling a reusable mug saves you money! Or why not start bringing lunch with you to work? Come in and check out our selection of lunch totes, sacks, utensils, and thermoses. You can pack healthy green options, your favorite homemade treat, and you can save yourself a ton by not buying lunch in the cafeteria or deli down the street. While you’re out doing your holiday shopping come see us at our second location on Main Street in East Greenwich, RI.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
November 8,2008
New Store Opened!!!
Today, we opened our second location in East Greenwich, RI. The store is located in the East Greenwich Commons on Main Street (same shopping plaza as Starbucks and CVS).
The store will carry many of the same products as the Wakefield Store. Come check out the new store and start your Holiday shopping early!
Today, we opened our second location in East Greenwich, RI. The store is located in the East Greenwich Commons on Main Street (same shopping plaza as Starbucks and CVS).
The store will carry many of the same products as the Wakefield Store. Come check out the new store and start your Holiday shopping early!
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