Archive for August, 2008

Bamboo Beds - Green & Eco-friendly

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
Phil Pendleton asked:


Bamboo is an interesting plant that is grown predominately throughout Asia. This plant has a wide variety of uses and has characteristics that help promote it as a green or eco-friendly material. In this article we’ll examine bamboo and how it is used in a variety of products from bamboo flooring, bamboo beds and furniture and even bamboo kitchen items.

Bamboo describes a wide variety of species that are found throughout Asia. Bamboo often called a tree is actually considered a plant. It grows rapidly and produces shoots or food at the base of the plant that can carefully be harvested and once properly opened can be consumed. These shoots reveal themselves seasonally and are offered in local markets for sale just like fruits and vegetables are offered in farmers markets that we have here in North America.

Besides being harvested for food, bamboo is also harvested for its culms or the longest and tallest growing part of the plant. These culms can them be processed and made into boards due to their strong tensile strength. Mature bamboo is just as strong or stronger than hard rock maple and provides an excellent material for building bamboo floors, bamboo beds and furniture as well as bamboo kitchen items. Being so strong it holds up well to day to day use and exhibits many of the characteristics of wood but with an exotic appearance.

Bamboo grows very quickly. In 5-7 years a bamboo plant can be harvested to be made into boards. It will grow back or may also be seeded to grow back. Considering many species of oak and maple take up to 50 years to grow before they can be harvested makes bamboo a very green or eco-friendly choice for building such things as bamboo flooring, bamboo beds, furniture and bamboo kitchen items.

Because bamboo is found predominately in Asia it is used as a viable building material there for homes and industry. Many American manufacturers though who either practice using green alternatives or have found the exotic nature of bamboo appealing have committed to bringing in bamboo boards into North America for manufacturing products here. This practice is still relatively new but is growing in popularity.

When we consider the need for alternatives and better choices for building materials, bamboo can immediately be seen as a viable solution. The fact that it grows quickly, can be harvested and grow back make it a strong choice as a green alternative to domestic hardwoods. Bamboo also provides a source of food which further demonstrates its usefulness. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly alternative, consider bamboo next time you’re out and about and shopping for new products.



SANTANA

Earth friendly cleaners?

Thursday, August 21st, 2008
Lisa Marie asked:


Does anyone have any suggestions…
I am looking for good eco friendly household cleaning products that smell good (essential oils), kills germs and cleans tough dirt too.
Product names… Websites… Stores?

KATHLEEN

Which is more Eco friendly, burning our paper trash or sending it to the dump in trash bags?

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
Kat asked:


I’ve got the Go Green Bug, and wonder if glossy paper and light card board packaging can be burned, instead of sending it to the dump? Here we can recycle many products but not paper with a glossy print or finish. A lot of my junk mail and news paper ads are printed with a glossy finish.

I also have alot of light card board packaging which I’m unsure how to recycle. My town does not offer any kind of card board recycling. Can I burn these items?

I live in the country and have my own burn pit, where we have mini bon-fires. So which is best, burn or dump? I know it’s picking the lesser of two evils here, so only serous replies Please.
I am happy to say I do carry my own bags to use instead of using those white, plastic grocery bags. I found some wonderful bags that fold into an attached pouch making them so small I now carry them everywhere in my purse. :) Ok before I pick the best answer I will answer some of your questions. In town they do have a pick up at the curb recycling system but out here were I live we have to carry our stuff to the recyclable trailer.

I really like the idea of using the cardboard as weed prevention in my flower beds and garden idea! I do also have 2 compost heeps, so I can add some of my cardboard into that too. I just know that I will have more cardboard than needed for both these ideas.

I also just read in our local paper our recycling people are sending out surveys asking the public how they can make recycling better. I plan on taking the survey.

ONEIDA

Whats the difference between organic, all-natural, and eco-friendly? ?

Monday, August 18th, 2008
Lets Rewrite an Ending that Fits asked:


You see so many products these days with these titles, you cant tell the difference. So whats the difference? And which one is best?

LAZAR

Looking for a product review on green cleaning products?

Sunday, August 17th, 2008
Maria asked:


If you have used cleaning products (paper towels, laundry detergent, ect.) by brands Seventh Generation, Ecover, and/or Method, I’d love to hear some feedback. How affordable, effective, and eco-friendly did they prove? (I’m considering making this change in my own home.) Thanks!

NICHOLE

Ecofriendly products?

Saturday, August 16th, 2008
女神 asked:


Does anyone know of a website or book that lists brand names that are earth friendly (biodegradable) and also cruelty-free?? I want to change all of my household products, from cleaning agents to shampoo, makeup to food, over to eco-friendly/cruelty-free products.

RIA

Eco-Friendly Clothing?

Thursday, August 14th, 2008
me asked:


For school, I was thinking about putting on an eco-friendly fashion show, modeling clothes made of organic/reycled materials. ANYONE KNOW ANY SITES/STORES that would carry such products? Do you think stores would donate clothes? Should I suggest it as being a product endorsement??? thanks for the help, i’m lost!!

MALIN

Suggestions for a Cheaper, Greener, More Eco Friendly Christmas and New Year

Sunday, August 10th, 2008
Davinos Greeno asked:


Christmas tree

• Rather than buying a real tree thats been cut down, transported and then thrown away, purchase a large potted plant or small tree that can be used each year as your evergreen Christmas tree.

• You could always purchase an artificial tree that can be reused for many years, these range from 10 pounds to over 100 pounds. Ours actually looks real!

• If you buy a real tree, pay the Woodland Trust or a different organization to plant one in its place!

Christmas Decorations

• If you have evergreen shrubs and trees - to make sure you have an annual supply of eco-friendly Christmas decorations why not do some of your pruning just before Christmas and use the choice bits for inside? If you have not got any evergreens but have a garden ask for some of these plants as Christmas presents. They may take a few years to grow but then all you will need to do is harvest in December and be as creative as you like.

• Make a homemade wreath using branches trimmed from your garden or somebody elses.

• Purchase handmade decor made from recycled or eco-friendly materials. If possible by Fair trade as well, as they are a great way to support the disadvantaged. While some of these crafts may not be from recycled materials they provide much needed income to needy individuals.

• Ivy is good to drape around pictures, windows and the base of Christmas trees, it will hide the wires of the tree lights. There is as far as I know no substitute for electric fairy lights but as they last for years and use very little power, their impact is relatively low and they do look great.

• One of the advantages of using natural decorations is that after Christmas they do not need to go in the bin they can enter your normal garden waste on the compost heap.

Christmas tree ornaments

• Make homemade ornaments from (painted) pinecones, painted eggshells, crushed (colored) aluminum foil, paper chains, paper snowflakes, old CDs and more!

• Decorate a doll as an angel.

• Do an online search for recycled or homemade tree ornaments for numerous ideas or purchase these recycled or eco-friendly tree ornaments if you cant be bothered to make them.

Gifts

• Buy a subscription to an organisation working to make the world a better place such as the RSPB, RSPCA or Oxfam.

• If you are buying a present that uses batteries make sure the person you are buying it for has a battery charger and buy rechargeable batteries.

• Buy a homemade present, bird table, compost bin. Chocolate cakes often go down very well!

Gift wrap

• Collect extra photocopies or no longer needed papers from work for your children to draw on the back.

• Use colored pictures from your childrens colouring books.

• Use leftover pieces of fabric or wallpaper.

• Use recycled paper.

• Put the gift inside another gift such as a decorative tin, nice wooden box etc.

• Use gift wrap, gift bags and gift boxes, ribbon and bows from last Christmas or previous celebrations. Leave the tags blank on the gifts you are giving so that they can be reused.

Greeting cards & gift tags

• Send an e-card.

• Make a greeting card or tag from scrap paper, fabric or wallpaper.

• Make cards or tags from pieces of food box.

Packing material

• Use saved packing material such as foam or bubble wrap.

• Crush up newspaper into loose balls. This is cheap, quick and lightweight! This is our preferred method for box filler.

After the New Year

• Find out where you can recycle your real Christmas tree or Christmas cards, local councils and supermarkets are a good place to start. They will turn your trees into mulch for use in parks and public gardens.

• Use any wrapping paper that is no longer reusable for shelf liners or craft projects.

• Save boxes, gift bags, wrapping, filler, ribbons and bows for future gift wrapping or craft projects. Give them away to friends, neighbours etc if you have too many to keep.



TEFO

Seventh generation cleaning and laundry products?

Thursday, August 7th, 2008
Charlie C asked:


have any of you used them and do you think they work well? the laundry detergent softner I am currently using is OK but I am not impressed with the fabric softner. I have well water, very hard water, and the softner isn’t very effective compared to non-eco/animal friendly products

KEVINA

Is tin or plastic more eco-friendly/green?

Thursday, August 7th, 2008
stasiia asked:


I need to buy packaging for body products and am wondering what is more eco-friendly.. tin or plastic. In production and terms of recycling, is one better than the other?

Or, does anyone know wholesale suppliers of recycled or eco-friendly bottle/jar packaging (google did not help much).

Thanks!

NEVADA