8/24/13

When it comes to toilet paper, there used to be only two options: paper made from virgin tree pulp that comes from forests and recycled paper bath tissue that may have traces of BPA from contaminated recyclable paper. Either way, you couldn't win. A new alternative fiber tissue is coming to market that is made from sustainably grown bamboo and sugarcane husk. It has the feel and texture of regular paper, but it isn't made from trees and is 100 percent BPA-free. One brand sold at drugstores, Ology, is competitively priced and is even endorsed by the independent environmental organization Healthy Child, Healthy World as one of their eco-picks.

8/23/13

Do you want to support your favorite charities but wonder if your donation will actually go to charitable works or if it will just pay for fundraising and other administrative costs? If you want to give to a nonprofit organization and want 100 percent of your donation to go toward good works, why not fulfill its wish list instead? Many charitable organizations, like animal shelters and conservation cleanup groups, have wish lists on Amazon.com for items they need on a regular basis, like trash bags and cleaning supplies. Simply peruse the list of goods, fill your shopping basket with the items and pay for them. They'll get shipped directly to the charity, and you'll know exactly how your donation was spent.

8/22/13

For a long time, plastic clamshell takeout boxes and disposable drink cups from fast food restaurants were almost impossible to recycle. They are commonly made from hard-to-recycle No. 6-grade plastic, also known as polystyrene. But things are changing: Major supermarkets and fast food retailers are switching to No. 1-graded plastics, or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate), which is the most commonly recycled plastic. Since these containers have the look and feel of No. 6 plastics, check to see if the recycling mark is a No. 1 -- if it is, you can recycle it.