Go Green Earth Day Contest
What we all know and love about PBS is that it allows us to recycle and reuse our favorite things…books! We’re here to keep well-loved books out of landfills and in the hands of avid readers. Increasing our positive impact on the environment is an important goal of the club, so we look forward to Earth Day each year as a special time to celebrate and to further our commitment to protecting the planet.
This year, we want you to celebrate with us! In the spirit of Earth Day on April 22, 2011, we’d love to hear your great ideas for Going Green.
Share with us a practical, creative, helpful, and fun idea on how to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE household items. Remember, when it comes to going green, even a little goes a long way. Submit just one, excellent idea that each of our members can implement into their lives to live a more verdant lifestyle.
Submit your greening idea by April 14th in a comment to this post. We will choose 5 ideas and members can vote on their absolute favorite Going Green Idea starting April 18th. The winner will be announced in the PBS Blog on April 22nd. The grand prize winner will win 10 credits & $5.00 PBS Money, and the second, third, fourth, and fifth place ideas selected will win 3 credits each.
We look forward to hearing all your ideas and pooling everyone’s suggestions to make PBS members the greenest readers in the country!
Go green and good luck!
“The earth is what we all have in common.” – Wendell Berry
For Your Greading (Green Reading) Pleasure
Click the cover images to view the details page for each book on the site. These books are ready to be reused; they’re available to order from your fellow PBS members!
The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers, Thomas Kostigen
It's Easy Being Green by Crissy Trask
Wake Up and Smell the Planet by Grist Magazine
Squeaky Green by Eric Ryan, Adam Lowry
Tags: Book Recommendations, Book Suggestions, Contests, Green Living
I like to use a variety of items to recycle into wrapping paper.
– If you are not a card saver, you can use card covers to decorate wrapped gifts (Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, etc).
– Magazine ads or photo layouts make cool wrapping for smaller gifts.
– I have my kids use paper bags or larger envelopes to take together and decorate for a personal touch to wrapping paper.
– My dad loves to read the paper, so his gifts are always wrapped (nicely) in newspapers.
i crochet doormats out of plastic shopping bags and placemats and bowls for the patio table.the doormats just need to be hosed down to clean.and the placemats and bowls dont mind being left out in the rain or overnight.i can crochet condiment holders for mustard and ketchup.ect..ect…
Okay, this is technically my sister’s idea, but I’m stealing it! She saves boxes (like those from cereal, crackers, or even soda 12-packs) to reuse for wrapping gifts. The boxes can be cut down, re-folded, and closed with one or two pieces of tape. The colorful packaging and logos look really cute with a ribbon on them! And of course, greeting card fronts can be trimmed into gift tags!
Each weekend I prepare packets of oatmeal to take to work during the upcoming week. I use 5 small ziplock baggies and I recycle them week after week. I know I shouldn’t use plastic bags at all but I think this is a great compromise. I’ve been using the same 5 bags for months.
How I go green in the classroom:
Like many college instructors, I require students to purchase scantrons for their exams. Since we only use one side of the scantron for an exam, I always tell my students to save the scantron and use the back side next time. This cuts the number of paper scantron forms being used in half. I have a couple hundred students per semester and teach three semesters a year, so it really adds up.
Use old magazines and letters in scrapbooks! Scrapbooking is a great way to fill the time and a wonderful way to keep memories. You got a program from a great show you went to? Use it as the backdrop on a page you’re putting pictures on. Even using magazines and newspapers are great ways to make your scrapbook unique and saves from buying plain card stock that is just going to be filled over anyway.
As a college student, I have several loose papers with important information disappearing when left unattended. These papers include bills, brochures, receipts, and check stubs to name a few. As a neat freak (and a responsible “green” adult), I have found that the best way to keep these small loose papers in order is to recycle envelopes. Tons of envelopes come from personal mail, payments, and statements among other things. When I receive a new envelope, I assign them a certain category for filing. One envelope is used for payments that are due, another for post office receipts, and still another for pending bank deposits. The other envelopes that I don’t use for organizing and filing are used as scratch paper. For students who have the same envelope overstock, consider using them as filing systems for the index cards you use for working bibliographies, presentation notes, and flash cards for exams instead of spending well-earned money on index card cases. The organizing possibilities are endless for anyone and everyone. Just think about it. Recycling envelopes is convenient, handy, and eco-friendly.
Since I do lots of spring cleaning, rather than purchasing harsh chemical detergents and cleaners that could affect the environment, I make my own at home — which not only saves the earth, but also money!
For counter tops, cupboards, and walls, I dip a cloth in warm water, add a little dish soap and baking soda (the baking soda acts as a soft abrasive to remove tough spots and light scratches).
For drain cleaners, I mix together 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt, and ¼ cup cream of tartar. Then, I pour ¼ cup of this mixture into the drain, followed by a pot of boiling water. I don’t use the entire solution, and keep what’s leftover in a bottle for future needs.
For air fresheners: I simmer a small amount of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves on the stove to give my home a pleasant fragrance. Freshly cut flowers can also make a room smell like spring.
For washing windows, wiping down mirrors, or cleaning other glass surfaces: Instead of paper towels, try a “squeegee,” similar to that used in gas stations to clean windshields. This results in less waste, since it is reusable. I use washable towels to wipe the cleaner off the glass also.
(Glass cleaning solution can be made from 2 tablespoons borax or washing soda and 3 cups water. Pour the solution in a spray bottle and voila — a cleaner, greener Windex!) 🙂
My husband takes two liter bottles and cuts them in half and uses them to plant seeds for vegetable plants before transplanting them to our garden. I use christmas cards and bithday cards tha have pictures that can easily be cut out and use as gift tags on the following years gifts.
To reduce the amount of gift bags in our landfills and encourage my family members to reduce their plastic grocery bag waste I use reusable bags as gift bags. Just add a little tissue paper (which I reuse from gifts given to my family) to make a beautiful gift. I find the bags throughout the year and usually for much cheaper than gift bags.
When shower liners get old and stained or ripped, save them and use them to cover your floors, furniture, shelves, etc when painting. Saves you money on buying the special tarps or cloths to cover your floors and you get a little bit more use out of the liner before you throw it away! I’ve also done this with bed sheets!
When a book is too big for the printed out sheets to cover, we recycle paper bags (from the grocery store, etc) to wrap it. You can also make reusable gift bags from old clothes (think velvet or satiny fabrics) or other fabric that you have on hand.
I am currently recycling vcr tapes by knitting them into gift bags, I am anticipating using at least 2 – 90 minute tapes. I also sew empty capri sun bags into gift bags, it takes 36 pouches to make a small gift bag and 48 pouches into a larger one.
Have a book swap! :0) I am an elementary school teacher, and I kicked off my “Caring for the Earth Unit” (& culminated my Dr. Seuss unit) by having a book swap with my kindergartners. Students could bring in 1 or 2 gently used books that they no longer read/wanted. I gave them a ticket for each book they turned in (the kind that can tear apart, from the dollar store), on which I had put a Dr. Seuss/ book swap label. I laid out all of the books the children brought in. As the children turned in a ticket, I tore off the smaller half, they chose a new book, & I gave back the half of the ticket that had the label. We had talked earlier about ways to recycle/reuse the ticket, and agreed that a bookmark would be the best idea. We also talked about how the children could have their own swaps with neighbors, friends, etc. (but I cautioned the children to check with their parents first!). Now my students all have “newish” books to read & “newish” book marks to use, and they had A LOT of fun!
One of my favorite ways to reuse old wall calenders is to make book marks with them. The columns and rows are great to cut along to make the perfect size, and the reverse side has a great picture of whatever your favorite thing is.
I can make 7 Book marks from each month, that’s 84 bookmarks for each calender!!!! Great for including in my PBS book-swaps.
The biggest and most important thing that I have done to “Go Green” in the past two years is to not shop for brands from companies that are not earth friendly. These huge multimillion dollar corporations, unless they state that they are, are not very green at all. They produce huge amounts of chemical and industrial waste producing their products, and most americans only help support that type of waste by buying their products.
Johnson and Johnson is one company that is earth friendly, so I am friendly right back to them by buying their products. If a company is not stating that they are a “green company”, then the chances are they are probably not. Buy local, and know what you are paying for, and in paying for those items, what you are supporting. Many products can be made at home or bought locally from people you know in the community. If they cannot be obtained this way, be sure to research into the companies you are buying from. Put your money where your values are.
For Christmas last year, I wrapped presents in a new kitchen hand towel so I wouldn’t have to use gift wrap.
I bought christmas pattern hand towels at the drugstore, and I put the gifts into the center of the towel, wrapped and tucked the ends in, and then used a small amount of thin ribbon to hold it together.
That way the wrapping can be used in the kitchen for many years to come and my family and friends enjoyed the idea.
In 2010 my goal was to become more green.
The 1st big thing I did was invest $25 in a DivaCup. It’s a silicone reusable menstrual cup. I’ve had it over a year now and think of how much money I’ve saved in the way of feminine products.
The 2nd thing I did was started a baking soda/water shampoo wash and an apple cider vinegar/water rinse (2 TBSP BS to 1 cup water and 1 TBSP ACV to 1 cup water). I premake it in sport top style water bottles and leave it in the shower. It’s saved me money on buying shampoo, saved the environment from the plastic bottles and chemicals. And best of all, it’s Sooo cheap!
I just started a blog on wordpress called “Trash into Junk” which is just what you’d think it would be. On there I have pictures of the junkbots I make with my kids. We use old wooden blocks, plastic tags, old drywall screws, homeless marker caps, key chains,and other small plastic trash. I may not be making a huge impact on the environemnt, but my kids (5 and 7) love to make things out of whatever we have around and see the possibilities in things.
Give away or sell usable stuff that you don’t want. You can do it through paperbackswap.com, taking stuff to a consignment store, posting on Craig’s List, or posting on Freeshare. Also, you can check the above sites to see if they have anything you want or need. Freeshare has webpages for different areas all over the country. The one I use is for my county. You can post if you have something to give away or something you want. No selling is allowed. It is just giving away stuff.
Best way to green your life is to realize what’s unnecessary for living a happy healthy life. Every week make a small step to being self reliant or a little more green, (start a compost, crochet/sew/knit your own reusable bags/napkins, make small changes to your personal life). Often times the step will overlap both ideals. Be sure to be open minded and only go as fast or as far as you’re comfortable, being comfortable throughout the process helps encouragement of yourself and others 🙂
*Suggestions Below*
– Save a landfill! Switch to a menstrual cup (there are almost a dozen varieties and colors to choose from in the world), maybe use natural sponge instead of tampons or panty-liners during your “barely need protection” days, do some research on IUD’s/IUC’s and spend ten years with one small copper T instead of thousands of condoms! (These also save your wallet.. wink wink)
-Save your immune system! Over-washing your hands, body, hair, home and office are killing you, (or at least making you substantially weaker) and the environment, (no really, it is). All of the hand-sani’s and antibacterial soaps and bleaches you use to kill the bad bacteria in your life, are ALSO killing all of the good bacteria. Yes, good bacteria exists. It was here before us and it’ll be here long after.
-Save the world! By eliminating paper towels, paper bags and throwing food into the trash, your saving trees by the forest-full, keeping landfills smaller, gyrating plastic islands a little less plastic-y and keeping the clutter in your life down. Use washable fabric napkins, towels and washclothes (learn to make them yourself and find an addicting new hobby). Refuse paper plates and plastic utensils, toy around with the idea of bringing your own take out containers to restaurants, (it’s not that weird, trust me). Compost your food scraps and coffee filters and tea bags! If you do it right, it doesn’t smell and you can use it to grow your own herbs and veggies and fruits in the spring 🙂 If you use a worm composter, free fishing bait for the entire year!
I tend to get a lot of coupons through email (Sweet Tomatoes for example) and instead of printing out a sheet of paper and cut out only a small part, I’ve started to download them to my ipod touch. Apparently a lot of places can scan the coupons right off the Touch allowing me to save ink and save paper. Plus I never forget a coupon.
Also I have this huge pile of paper which I call the recycle area. If it’s paper and there is one square inch or more of white space anywhere on it, that is where it is going to go. You know the old saying “back of the envelope calculations”? I do front, back, then open up the envelope and use the insides. Junk mail alone will give you more spare paper than you need. (Unless you are on one of those junk mail reducer lists which I am on). Since I frequently have to write things out by hand (chemical reactions for example) and scan them into the computer, I use these small areas so I don’t need to use a whole new sheet of paper. Instead of purchasing a case or of notebook paper to last me for a year, I’ve only needed one 200 page packet for my daughter and I and that’s going to last us for over a year at this rate.
We love to go to kids baseball fields after the games and collect all the plastic bottles out of the trash or littered under the bleachers etc. We clean them out and take them to the recyling section at our local dump. We keep all the coke & powerade product caps and go to their website and claim all kinds of prizes ( :
When going through my mail, especially the junk mail, I pull out the 8″x10″ papers that are printed only on one side. I check to make sure there is no personal information on the printed side. The paper that passes this test then gets placed in my printer where it is recycled. I use it to print coupons I have found on line. I also use it to print the address when I am sending out a book ordered through the paperback swap. I shred all the other paper and envelopes that I can’t reuse. The shredded paper is then used as a mulch in my gerden. I spread the shredded paper and cover it with leaves and pine needles. Before you know it, the shredded paper composts while it is conserving water in the garden and keeping the weeds down.
Our family has gone green by reusing the gray water from our wash machine to water the grass in our back yard.
This spring I am going green by reusing cans and Styrofoam or paper cups to plant seeds in for my summer garden. Who needs to go out and buy those little black seedling trays!
I reuse wrapping paper to wrap cardboard boxes, gift boxes, ring boxes, etc to set out on my desk/dresser and organize. I also take the wrapping paper and cut out shapes for decoupage, instead of buying special cards/papers just for that, I can reuse something I already really like. Any and all scraps are saved for recycling! I also use pill counters (M-F ones) to hold earrings for when I travel and powdered eye makeup for everyday use.
Reuse your PBS mailing envelopes.
The simplest way we can be more GREEN that we all can use is REUSE the mailing envelopes that your PBS books come in. Using the mailing instructions and address label is a great way but if you can just reuse the packaging that books mailed TO YOU come in until they are worn out we’ll all be more green.
Compost everything. Even newspapers can be shredded and used for compost. Worms love it. Mix the shredded newspapers with your kitchen scraps (egg shells, potato skins, carrot tops, etc. just no animal products) with a little garden soil and you’re good to go.
PBS is the BEST recycling plan their is. I love books and love PBS… share, save, recycle with PBS.
I have not bought paper napkins for years and rarely use paper towels. Instead, when my children were small, I used washcloths that I bought in bundles. They work great for wiping faces and cleaning up spills, and can be reused when not dirty by the use of personalized napkin rings. Ours were simple wooden rings purchased at a craft store that each child decorated with permanent markers. Washing these once or twice a week with other kitchen laundry really cuts down on the use of disposable paper products. Now that everyone is grown, we have graduated from the daily use of washcloths as napkins and usually use napkins that I made from stained tablecloths. These can be cut as large as you like, and take only a few minutes to hem.
I recycle Christmas cards that are sent to me. So many of them have beautiful pictures on the front and I just hate to toss them onto the recycled paper pile. I cut off the front of the cards if there is no writing on the back and they aren’t embossed, and I send them as Christmas postcards. I feed them into my printer and print a line down the center and a Christmas greeting like the ones you find inside regular cards on the left side. I write a personal message at the bottom of the left side and the address on the right side, just like a regular postcard that you might buy when you’re on vacation to send back home. There’s still plenty of room for postage and your return address. Not only am I recycling and reusing, I’m saving money by not having to buy cards every year.
In order to reduce water use, I place a bucket in the shower to catch the water while it is warming up. I then use the water for my indoor or outdoor plants. This not only saves on the water bill but also uses a precious natural resource that would otherwise go down the drain.
Garden! Garden! Garden! What could be greener than saving on fuel and water by growing your own produce? This year I am starting seeds indoors. Instead of using plastic trays, you can make plantable pots out of newspaper. Take an empty can (soup, vegetables, any size) and fold newspaper in half and lay the can down on newspaper (can will only cover part of newspaper) and roll it up around the can. Take the paper that is hanging off the can and twist it around and fold it up on the bottom of the can. Remove the can and you will have a fun little pot to fill with soil and seeds and they can be planted straight into your garden when the plant is big enough.
We live on a farm, so some of our “going green” ideas may not work for city folks.
We recycle our table scraps and plate scrapings into eggs by feeding to our free range chickens. This makes less going into the septic tank and cuts the chicken feed bill.
All winter we saved the small cups from yogurt and have started out garden seeds in them. We lined them with newspaper for easier transplanting.
I do not buy paper towels. I have a good supply of cloth kitchen towels and wash clothes and use them for all the kitchen and bathroom cleaning. Once a week I wash them with my home made laundry detergent. Cloth works so much better than paper towels anyway.
Of course I love paperback swap and my local library! Not only do I save $$$ but I get great books.
I’ve tried to recycle what we can, newspapers, containers, cardboard. Also involved is recycling clothing by donating it to rummage sales or local organizations. We use our microwave frequently, and instead of covering the food with paper towels, we have been using reusable plastic covers. We use our own bags when shopping when possible.
I buy clothing and household items at the local thrift shop. Yard sales are good too. I bought curtains which were recycled from hospital ER rooms (you know the ones that have the mesh up top?). Well, I recycled all of the curtains for my 10 windows in my living room ($5) and then took the mesh top and made reusable shopping bags. If I had gone to my local/national store, it would have cost me about $250 to cover my windows, plus the bags at $1 each would be $15. I saved $260!!!
Also I purchase from the above places wool and cotton blankets to pad the inside of quilts I make the quilt tops from old clothing (levis too) and line the backs with good flannel sheets (also purchased there). Many have become family heirlooms and are being fought over. Cost for one quilt? = $10.
I make my own laundry soap and dish washing liquid. Main ingredient=water.
My daughter has a farm and she gives me the old feed bags (would end up in the trash). I use them for my yard trash that can not be used in the compost, i.e. cactus, tree limbs, etc.
Family give me plastic grocery bags (also saved from the trash) I use them to pick up dog pooh and line my small garbage cans with.
All my cut off ends of vegies, onion skins, potato peals and more are put into the freezer and finally compiled to make a wonderful homemade vegetable soup stock.
I only shop at the thrift stores on 1/2 price or $1 day.
My family and friends pass magazines and books around, thereby saving on trees, postage and $. Then we call each other to discuss what we liked or didn’t like about the book.
Happy Recycling
Where I work we get a lot of unwanted faxes. We also have several people who have a bad habit of printing out their emails! Besides encouraging those people NOT to print out their emails unless they absolutely have to, I raid the garbage basket right beside the copy machine/fax. I take the paper that’s been thrown away to the cutting board and chop it into scrap paper for all the offices.
Let’s see…..
-recycle everything the City will pick up:glass, plastic, tin cans, cardboard and of course junk mail
-donate old electronics to charity
-reuse items I’ve printed for scrap paper
-use ebilling and digital filing vs. printing out every thing
-use bank’s bill pay instead of envelopes and stamps
-participate in trading used books, both PB and HB; also started reading ebooks
-buy product refill sizes when possible
-use rechargeable batteries and purchased a charger that will charge 9V, AAA,AA, C and D sizes
-save cardboard boxes from mail purchases for reuse later
-bought and use reusable shopping bags whenever possible
-use envelopes made from recycled material to mail my books
-purchased solar charger for my PDA and cell phone
My favorite is from my Girl Scout Leader: print on the blank side of the paper. All our printer paper is single-sided. I don’t think there’s any plain white paper in the house!
I make old calendars and magazine pages into mailing envelopes. Even in this day of emails, it’s nice to get a colorful envelope with a letter in the mail. (This is great for overseas soldiers.)
Bath towels have holes or are they falling apart on one side? Save them and turn them into usable hand towels and wash cloths! Cut them up into hand-towel sizes or into wash-cloth sizes. With a sewing machine do a zig-zag stitch over the edges. You now have new hand-towels and wash-cloths!
Babies growing up? This trick reuses in two ways….we saved our bottle drying rack and use it dry ziplock bags after we wash them. The bags last through many washes and when they finally spring a leak, we throw then in the plastic bag recycling offered by our county!
I re-use the shipping envelope packages when I receive books from other Paperbackswap friends!
An easy way to conserve energy is to wash your clothes with cold water instead of hot. It also helps keep colors from fading. Double win!
We don’t just swap books, CDs and DVDs, we swap EVERYTHING! Craig’s List has been a great way to find homes for furniture and other items we no longer need. I cannot recall the last time I purchased anything brand-new (besides socks and underwear, of course…) Tag sales, thrift shops, neighborhood swaps – not only are we saving the environment we’re also saving lots of money to feed my addiction to travel.
Go Green and help the environment and your wallet by making your own cleaning solutions for the home. Simple items such as lemon, salt, vinegar, water and baking soda in various combinations can clean almost anything! Adopting homemade solutions not only reduce plastics but also makes your home smell fresh instead of like chemicals.
I recycle in a traditional way–anything that I don’t want or use anymore goes to my younger sisters or brothers. And if they don’t want or need whatever I’m getting rid of, the stuff goes to salvation army, or Big Brother Big Sister for others to have. Every little bit counts. ^_^
I’m a college student so saving money is a big deal. I buy almost everything used and then use it til it can be used no more. Most objects do end their lives in the recycle bin.
Paper – save on paper by filing homework electronically, print on both sides, use paper that has been filled to make homemade paper for art projects or turn into origami for decorating
Plastic – Buy a bottle and fill it at a water fountain or if you really want soda you can get some from a soda fountain most stations will let you fill your own bottle, turn shopping bags into Christmas wreaths (or Advent wreaths)
Cans – All those Spegettios cans have to go somewhere! Paint ’em up and give them as gifts (pencil holders). Make a windchime, sounds really funky and not high and pretty, I actually didn’t like this one much but it looked interesting.
Clothing – Makes awesome material, wall decorating, quilts, curtains, pillows and stuffed animals can all be made from outgrown clothing. Donate stuff in good shape.
It is really important to treat your things nicely, my cousin can’t believe I’ve had the same backpack for seven years and I even used it all summer most years, including overseas trips. The difference, I treat my backpack nice and take care not to let it get ruined, she throws hers around and must buy two or three a year. Another note, only have stuff you use! What’s the point of thirty pairs of shoes if you only wear some of them once or twice? Find a few good pairs that work in multiple situations and wear them til they fall apart.
Other than refuse to buy anything wrapped in or made of plastic, which I do, but it is a challenge, I do have a couple of easy tips:
1. Carry a stainless steel water bottle or coffee cup with you everywhere (even on airplanes) and use it for all your to-go beverages.
2. Buy a bamboo fork/spoon/knife set or some odd cutlery from a thrift shop and carry it with you everywhere (even on planes, no issue with security) so you don’t need to use plastic utensils.
3. Bring your own carry-out containers for take-away. I have a stainless steel 2-part “tiffin” that they are only too happy to fill for me. Plastic is unhealthy to heat food in!!!
4. Use a plate instead of plastic wrap to cover a bowl of leftovers – how easy & cheap is that!!
5. Great idea for book shipping – reuse a clear plastic envelope (from magazine, newspaper, etc) on the OUTSIDE of your packaging. Slip the book wrapped in the PBS shipping label inside and you only need one piece of tape to seal the bag shut. Recycles plastic, saves on tape, and the address is clearly visible through the plastic. Plus, the recipient doesn’t have to fight through the sometimes mummy-like layers of tape used to wrap books in paper.
I save the dryer lint and put in an empty kleenex box in laundry room. When the box becomes full, I fill up an empty cardboard egg carton and pour wax from a candle over the lint and save it to start camp fires in summer time for marshmallows or hotdogs with the kids!
The Happy Hookers Crochet Club crochets hats for babies in the local hospital nursery and NICU. The scrap or too-short pieces of yarn are given to a bird watcher friend who leaves them out in his yard and on his clothesline so that birds can easily pick them up and weave them into their very colorful and beautiful nests!
Reduce-buy only what you need and use what you buy. Reuse – buy non disposable item. Recycle-sale or donate anything you can not fully use.