12/25/11

If you want to invest in good-for-the-planet and oh-so comfy organic cotton bedding, but can't afford the high price tags, think flash sale sites. Sites like Gilt.com, OneKingsLane.com and HauteLook.com work with designers to sell their excess inventory at a steep discount. These sales are for a short period of time, and when the inventory is gone, it's gone for good. The home decor sections for these sites often carry eco-friendly bedding that can be bought for a song. It's worth signing up for free and checking in periodically to see if your favorite green bedding line is on sale.

12/24/11

Can padded envelopes with plastic cushioning embedded inside be recycled? Yes! The next time something fragile is mailed to you in a padded mailer, feel free to toss it into any recycling bin that accepts mixed paper like magazines, junk mail and office paper. It can be recycled at the paper recycling facility where the plastic parts will be separated and the paper part will be pulped and made into new paper products.

12/23/11

The average American household spends about $41 on disposable holiday gift wrap and bows each season. Save some money and cut down on wasteful, hard-to-recycle paper and bows by using things you already have. Wrap gifts in newsprint or flattened kraft paper from paper shopping bags. Rip open an old VHS tape and use the shiny black tape for ribbon. And fill boxes with shredded scrap paper that you've run through a paper shredder.