Posts tagged ‘being green’
Chipper Tips: 15 Foods you can Re-Grow from Scraps!
Here are some various plants (in no particular order) that you can regrow from the food you already have! Woot! Way to reduce, reuse and recycle! You can have green onions and celery growing constantly. (And potatoes/sweet potatoes, but that’s just because they decide to do that in your pantry all by themselves). There’s nothing like eating a meal you’ve grown! Not only are these veggies and fruits nutritiously delicious, they can be grown over and over again for you to enjoy. Regrowing food scraps is also a great, rewarding activity to do with your kids while teaching them about reusing and growing plants. Eat healthy and grow your own food to feel better than you ever have!Do you guys regrow any of your food? Share with us!
- Apples- http://www.ehow.com/how_2135774_grow-apple-seeds.html
- Tomatoes- http://www.ehow.com/how_5581958_grow-tomatoes-fresh-tomato-seeds.html
- Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes- http://www.gardenguides.com/117543-plant-cuttings-potatoes.html
- Green Onions- http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/how-to-grow-green-onions-indefinitely.html
http://tipnut.com/nifty-food-plants/ - Leeks- same technique as Green Onions
- Carrot Tops- http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/children-in-the-garden/grow-carrot-tops.htm
- Pineapple- http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/Pineapple/pineapple.htm
- Celery- http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/growing-celery-indoors-never-buy-celery.html
- Romaine Lettuce or Cabbage- Same technique as Celery
- Avocado -http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/09/09/how-to-grow-an-avocado-tree-from-an-avocado-pit/
- Lentils- http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/19/how-to-grow-sprouts/
- Pumpkin- http://pinterest.com/pin/98375573080950437/
- Ginger- http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/5-foods-you-can-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/
- Garlic- http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/5-foods-you-can-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/
- Bok Choy – http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/how-to-regrowing-bok-choy.html
Chipper Tips: The 500 Year Shopping Trip (REUSABLE BAGS)
Most of you probably already know that the majority of plastic bags are not recycled or reused. Every person in the United States uses an average of 330 plastic bags each year. That’s 100 billion plastic bags all together! Many cities and states are banning plastics bags in order to cut down this outrageous number of wasted bags since it can take up to 500 years for one of them to decay in a landfill. Each plastic bag is a partially made of petroleum and other harmful chemicals that leak into the ground where they veeeryyyyy slllloooowwwwllllyyyy decompose.
Ken Prue, San Diego’s recycling program manager, gave this solid list of why plastic bags are not recycled in addition to all the obvious reasons:
1) It is cost prohibitive to recycle plastic bags or other types of plastic film or plastic wrap in the curbside program.
2) The recycled bags have little value, and when collected get badly contaminated, decreasing their value further.
3) There are virtually no markets in the U.S. for curbside-recovered plastic bags, and international markets are not much better.
4) A bigger problem with collecting plastic bags curbside is that they get wound up in collection and processing equipment, requiring maintenance that costs money and time, and creates inefficiencies for processing all the recyclables.
But there is a cheap and easy alternative! It’s called a shopping bag. They are reusable, come in various sizes, and are apparently very chic in France : ) Most are sold at a variety of groceries stores or you can buy a bunch online for as little as $1! Have trouble remembering them when you hit the store (like I do)? Leave some in the trunk of your car or by the door so you can grab them on your way out. Reuse the plastic bags you can’t avoid or take them to your local Safeway, where they have a plastic bag drop off. Many of Chipper’s books and products come with our reusable totes, good for shopping, the beach, or when ever you need a bag! Be apart of the green action with Chipper and decline plastics bags whenever possible!
Think paper bags are better? Think again ans find out why here.
Planting Party!
Going green means not only recycling and buying organic. It means growing your own food too! The food industry in America pollutes our environment almost more than any other industry in our country. The chemical, processed foods and preservatives we eat are making us unhealthy and unhappy. Help make sustainable, organic food for you and your loved ones by making your own garden! Or plant one together at your school or local community building.
There’s no better way to getting your hands dirty and spread your enthusiasm for healthy eating with your friends than by throwing a food party! You can host an indoor gardening party or an outdoor celebration! All you need is some empty egg cartons (for growing seedlings that can be transplanted later), or pots (with holes in the bottom), dirt or compost, and a few little shovels or even large spoons. Pick up some certified organic seed packets at a gardening store or order online at www.seedsofchange.com. Buying seeds here will ensure that your planting party seeds are NOT genetically modified (GMO).
Hybrid or GMO seeds are sterile and less nutritious. Since they don’t reproduce, they actually harm the biodiversity of our food sources. Also, using GMO seeds supports a vicious and expensive cycle that forces our farmers to buy new seed every year rather than following the ancient tradition of collecting and cleaning seeds after a harvest and saving them to be replanted to grow into more produce year after year. Certain natural strains of seeds have long histories. Recycled by farmers for over 150 years, these seeds need to be preserved just the way they are. We all want our food to be fresh, simple and pure!
If planting an indoor garden versus a window or outdoor garden, make sure to chose vegetables and herbs that can be grown in a confined space and don’t need much other than a little sunlight and water. Some good seed choices would be peppers, heirloom or cherry tomatoes, r simple herbs such as sage or marjoram. Gather your friends, divvy up the seeds and other supplies and get planting! Make a copy of the care instructions for each type of plant for everyone! Also make sure to only one type of seed gets planted in each container.
Keep in touch and let each other know how each of your little “farms” are faring. Make sure to transplant when the sprout get about two inches high if you used egg cartons (maybe throw a second Transplanting Party!). Then when they have fully grown, harvest your plants and make a feast! It’s yet another great way to get everyone together and when you all eat the delicious produce you all grew with your own two hands, nothing tastes or feels better! You can even keep the cycle going by cleaning your seeds and starting over gain by replanting next year.
Anyone can start their own little garden! It’s a great, fun way to get people growing their own veggies, herbs, and even edible flowers! GO GREEN AND GET CHIPPER TODAY!
Recycling 101
We are told recycling is important and necessary to sustain our planet’s resources and environment. This is undoubtedly true, but what are some strategies TO recycle? What CAN’T be recycled? Where do all the materials we recycle GO anyways? After some research on the National Recycling Coalition website (www.nrc-recycle.org/dos.aspx), here is some basic information and a few tips to improve your recycling efficiency!
- CLEANLINESS COUNTS: Rinsing cans and keeping boxes out of the weather makes them easier to process, thus keeping costs down.
- PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT GOES IN YOUR BIN: Be an accurate recycle-er! Cereal boxes are good but not greasy pizza boxes; recycle your milk jugs but take off the caps. Check your bin’s lids and follow instructions!
- GOOD BETS: Steel cans, aluminum, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, plastics bottles, glass bottles and jars, ad any kind of clean, dry cardboard can all be recycled (sometimes for money!) at your local recycling center.
- PROBABLY NOT: Styrofoam, light bulbs, food-soiled paper, wax paper, and ceramics are probably not recyclable. Be aware and try to use less of these materials.
- DO RECYCLE ELECTRONICS: Recycle your old computers and cell phones. Check out Dell, Stables, and Waste Management Recycle America Web sites for information on how can recycle these items.
- HAZARDOUS WASTES HAVE THEIR PLACE: Household hazardous wastes, like paint cans, motor oil, antifreeze, car batteries, pesticide, pool chemicals, etc., usually need to be disposed of separately. Again, check your community resources and guidelines.
Sometimes recyclable products are recycled into exactly what you’d expect. Old newspapers are recycled into new newspapers, and old glass bottles are recycled into new glass bottles. However, there are thousands of different products created out of recycled materials! Here are just a few.
GLASS BEVERAGE CONTAINERS are recycled into materials for roads, marbles, decorative tiles, surfboards, and jewelry.
FIVE PLASTIC SODA BOTTLES yield enough fiber for one extra-large T-shirt, one square foot of carpet, or enough fiber to fill one ski jacket.
PLASTIC BOTTLES are also recycled into carpet, park benches, picnic tables, park benches, pipes, flowerpots, and sleeping bags.
MILK JUGS are recycled into sandbox toys, tea sets, and cookware.
STEEL AND ALUMINUM CANS are recycled into new cars, bikes, appliances, cook ware, lawn chairs, window frames, toys, fire hydrants, and tools.
NEWSPAPER is recycled into festive wrapping paper, construction paper, tissues, game boards, animal bedding, puzzles, and telephone books.
WORN-OUT SNEAKERS are recycled into material used in basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic feilds, running tracks, and playgrounds.
TIRES are recycled into shoes, purses, raincoats, umbrellas, farm tools, and hats.
FLIP-FLOPS are recycled into doormats, jewelry, toys, and furniture.
MIXED PAPER is recycled into tissues, napkins, paper towels, school supplies (folders, index cards, and notebooks, and even cat litter.
CARDBOARD is recycled into brown paper lunch bags, cereal boxes, and soap boxes.
Once you start recycling and get into the habit, it becomes second nature. And you will be blown away by how little you actually throw away! Get Chipper and start recycling today!
