I’ve been doing composting for quite some time, almost four year to be exactly. I must confess that I’m amazed with the amount of items I have been throwing inside for all that time and how the composting just makes it go away.

I have a big, fixed composting bin which I manually mix. If it was today I would try to get a spin bin compost tumbler which is much easier to handle.

With a spin bin you are able to mix the compost by just turning around the tumbler on its own support. This is great to keep the compost aerated, the items mixed and once it is not standing on the floor it keeps predators away.

What kind of compost bin do you use?

Spin Bin Compost Tumbler – The Best Option For Composting is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. How can you start composting?
2. Composting meeting is today

I just read an interesting article in a Brazilian blog  about using PET bottles to build a vertical vegetable garden.

Reusing PET bottles is very important since there are so many available and it is hard to recycle them. Getting ideas to reuse them is very important and I found this vertical garden a real good idea.

Here is a photo with the sugestion:

What do you think of the idea?

Green Ideas: Vertical Vegetable Garden is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Burpee: Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener (Organic)
2. Organizing my garden for spring and summer time
3. Almost Starting My Organic Garden

Our natural environment is a sacred place that we all need to try and protect. How could we possibly live without it? The current state of the natural world is basically crisis and we need to drastically change the way we live before it is too late. If every person committed to a environmentally friendly lifestyle, then we would be well on our way to prolong the integrity of nature. Here are a few tips on small changes you can start making now so that we can start seeing positive transformations in our future environment.

Use Less Plastic

Image via Wikipedia

The development of plastic has changed how we live our lives, but has not necessarily been good for the health of the environment. The problem is not only that plastic takes forever to decompose in the landfills, but also that the production of the material relies heavily on the polluting oil and gas industry. So what can we as consumers do about it? For starters, consume less plastic! Sometimes it’s unavoidable but more often plastic could easily be omitted from the average lifestyle. Start small, such as using promotional bags, for your groceries instead of plastic or, better yet, use reusable cloth that usually comes in the form of green bags. Make this a part of your lifestyle, as half measures just won’t do.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We know this line, but for some reason haven’t fully grasped its implications. The primary reason for our environmental problems is simply that we consume too much. Reducing our consumption limits the amount of resources we need to take in the first place, reusing keeps already-produced items out of the landfills and recycling helps old materials become new again to avoid starting from scratch with new resources. Make it a fun challenge for yourself to see how often you can go without buying something new, and know that you can feel good about your efforts.

Take Public Transit

Nowadays, we just can’t get around the fact that we must get from point A to B, whether it is to visit family and friends, to get groceries or to go to work. Taking public transit instead of your own car not only reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the amount of petrol that is consumed, but it also costs you less in the long run on petrol, parking and car maintenance.

Eat Organic Food

We all need to eat, but that doesn’t mean we all need to eat food that’s bad for our bodies and the environment. The production of organic foods doesn’t use chemicals like the large-scale commercial farming does, resulting in more fertile soil, less polluted waterways and healthier food. To take it a step further, try eating food that is grown locally and is suitable for the climate you live in. Native plants use far less resources to grow and a shorter shipment route means less petrol went into getting the food to your door.

Be Water Smart

On the whole, Australians are very aware when it comes to their water consumption but it could be better. For example watering gardens should be done early in the morning or late at night so that the water doesn’t evaporate before the plants can use it. Growing non-native ornamental plants such as flowers and grass uses water resources that could be better allocated to things like vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Native wildflowers, grasses and herbs will grow just as well without ever having to water them.

If we can all start to make small but permanent changes in our lifestyles, future generations will be thanking us, as they will still have some natural environment left to support them. It’s not too late to start making a difference, but now is the time!

5 Easy Things You Can Do For the Environment is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Let’s Protect the Environment
2. Helping to Save Mother Earth
3. How to be More Eco-Friendly

Image via Wikipedia

The growing concern over environment issues has made everyone to contribute various preventive measures in saving our environment. These include the college students who also carry many things to counter the problem of environment. There are many college students and colleges that have taken the initiative against the crusade of global warming. However, not all are seen practicing the ideology of green. A college is the right place which should be hit hard on issues like environment; since you find majority of students involved in anti environmental activities. These include certainly wasting paper in such a way that it cannot be recycled or reused. The following are the tips which can make you and your college green- a perfect place to spread the message of saving the environment.

1. Recycle everything, especially the paper: Just imagine the amount of paper you waste in just one single semester. There amount of paper you consume in the form of scrap copies, daily school newspaper, term paper, and the number of printouts you get from the internet. Rather throwing them or wasting them anywhere, it’s better if you put them in a recycle bin in the campus. Also recycle other stuffs like cans, cardboard boxes and bottles. While having the print outs, better use both the pages, and if possible use the draft mode more than any until and unless you require them the most.

2. Prefer walking rather than using your bike or car: Generally the campuses are very much pedestrian friendly, while most of them also give enough space for public transportations and bike path. Instead of using them frequently to cover short distances, better walk through, in this way you will be able to save money on fuel, maintenance and even at the inflated premium of student car insurance. If you have a car, do not often use it; rather go for car pool or program like Zipcar with your fellow students who live in your way.

3. Reduce the disposable cups and plates consumption: Using disposable cups and plates can be tempting for the convenience prospective. However, this piles up lots of money waste and improper plastic use. It’s better if you get some inexpensive plate and cup and wash them often while using in the campus. You can use them in the dorm room as well, since many of the dorm rooms have kitchen where you can easily wash these plates and cups, rather than messing up in the bathroom sink.

4. Reduce the Air conditioner use: Most of the students often switch on the AC even though they do not require them often. Better reduce the use. By using the AC often can hamper your planet plus your electricity bill piles up.

5. Turn off your computer: In campuses, students often do not turn off the computers thus to keep checking their messages every now and then. It’s better if you turn it off when you leave or roam around.

6. Opt for used books: Buying new books is like asking for more deforestation and also putting more money. The best way to get rid of these two major issues is to buy used books. Moreover, the used books have tons of notes scribbled between the lines which can be useful for you while you refer them.

7. Replace the lights with compact CFL or fluorescent light bulbs: Bulbs though may cost more, but they last long and consume very little electricity eventually saving your money. If you happen to live in dorm, better get rid of the lamp and put on these bulbs. These are pretty environment friendly and pleasant to use.

8. Buy Green: Always prefer buying recycled products, especially when you are buying papers. And buy all sorts of environmental friendly products; these though may cost you more but most of the time the difference is pretty minimal. And also carry jute bags rather than using the plastic bags.

These are simple and sweet methods to keep your campus green and keep it environment friendly. Besides practicing the above steps, make sure you form some environment friendly groups and keep organizing various programs and awareness campaigns in the campus to inculcate the environmental values among the students and staff. Keep various contests and paper presentations which can spread awareness about going green in the campus.

+++++++++

About the author: Rebecca is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on latest trends. Beside this she loves doing gardening in her free time. These days she is reading a book on urban design.

Tips for Going Green at College is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Go Green or Being Green: A few tips for beginners
2. The Best Environmental Studies Programs
3. Moving to Green

Image via Wikipedia

Making your office more sustainable doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune on buying and installing green products. In fact, there are several small things you can do right now that will instantly make your office greener.

Number 1 – lead by example and inspire your staff

Nothing instigates change quite like a well-informed and inspired workplace. Get the ball rolling by explain to the staff through an engaging speech what sustainability is, why it is important and what the company’s newfound objectives are to achieve it internally. To keep the ball rolling set aside a lunchtime each month to have an office screening of a movie that focuses on sustainability or assign one staff member to present a sustainability tip each week. Whatever you choose to do make sure it reminds the staff of the company’s sustainability goals and inspires them to be instigators of change.

Number 2 – purchase green

Sustainability is less about buying recycled materials and green products, and more about using less. Rather than purchasing green items with sheer abandon, you should question why you need them at all. In some instances, you will be able to make do with what you have or find an alternative way to do it, and in others you will need more resources – when this happens opt for the recycled or green option. Green options can be found for almost anything these days from business card printing and booklet printing to electricity and light globes.

Number 3 – promote green travel

One of the easiest ways that companies can inspire their staff to become more sustainable is by offering facilities that inspire those actions. Install bicycle racks so that your staff can cycle to work, provide showers so that they can run or walk to work, and encourage the take-up of public transport. After a month or so of instigating these facilities you’ll probably find that not only are your staff more sustainable, but they will also be more productive thanks to the exercise.

Number 4 – Power down

Turn off everything when you are not using it – not only will this save you money on utility bills, but it will lift your office’s sustainability status. This means turning off computers, printers and any other machinery rather than putting them into sleep mode and switching off all the lights when you leave the office.

Number 5 – Minimise waste

Wherever possible recycle and reuse everything around the office and think carefully about everything you throw out. Aim for zero waste!

As you can see these are actions that you can implement pretty much straight away. They might only be small actions, but they can have a huge impact environmentally and as you become more sustainable, you can add others.

Greening the Office is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Recycled Office Supplies
2. Let’s Protect the Environment
3. Choose the perfect executive office or home office furniture

Image via Wikipedia

As you all know that plastics can never be destroyed, it gets crumbled in minute bits generally termed as photo degrades. These plastic bits can come into your food supply and can prove fatal in your lives. The same plastic is instrumental in polluting the water with lethal chemicals like hormone disruptors, carcinogens and PCB’s. Everyone throw the plastic; be it on the floor or at the municipal garbage, however, these all end up in the ocean coming back in our life in a large extent. Though this problem cannot be eliminated completely, but it can be curbed to certain extent. The following are the 10 simple ways of preventing exposure to plastics:

1) Shun plastic products: Plastic though is convenient option to use, however, it finds an easy way to our food. When you process any food stuff in a microwave, it vaporizes the plastic making the plastic residue to enter into it thus contaminating your food. Instead of using plastic glasses better reuse the glass or containers of Tupperware.

2) Knock out the bottle: Replace all the plastic bottles with glass. Plastic bottles though are handy to use, however, comes with many lethal consequences. Hence its better you switch over to steel or sigg or glass bottle. By doing so, you can shield yourself from being exposed to various chemicals present in the cheap plastic bottles. Also even avoid the plastic straw you get in various restaurants with their soft drinks.

3) Recycle or reuse plastic: You can recycle the plastic and by doing so, you are saving money on the trash bags. Many of the plastic containers can be washed properly (preferably sterilizing with cider vinegar). Remember only the plastics which are of higher grades can be reused.

4) Opt for products made up of biodegradable plastic: Nowadays, you will find couples of plastic cups and packaging peanuts and other supplies generally made up of biodegradable materials. These prove great solution to the issue of plastics polluting our environment.

5) Repair, sell or upgrade the gadgets: Many of the cell phone or iPod users get latest models even they do not need them and put their devices in trash, contributing a lot of pollution in our environment. However, the older versions of cell phones or iPods are more superior in quality and can be repaired easily. So better, repair, replace or sell rather than dumping in the dust bin.

6) Recycle your computer components: If you want to upgrade your PC, don’t just dump your monitor, rather take them to any electronic recycler.

7) Use cloth based grocery bags instead of plastic: Replace the plastic bags with cloth grocery bags. Of late, stores have started charging plastic bags; hence by carrying cloth bags you can not only save money but also contribute using less plastic in the polluting world. Also reuse your old bags rather than asking for new.

8) Worry about the tiny plastic: The worst of the plastic is the tiny bits, which usually is consumed by the animals like fish, turtles, birds etc. These poor animals die often consuming these tiny bits thus leaving nothing but plastic in them.

9) Don’t be a litter bug: Many of the people think that by donating the litter they contributing less garbage to the world. There are few people who throw their used car batteries having sulfuric acid into forest area. The truth is these remain for ages and keep damaging the environment.

10) Clean your neighboring pond: Often you will find small ponds near your place which contain water which are cleaner than the municipal taps water. The reason behind is obviously the presence of turtles or fish which keep them clean. However, these are seen with plastic debris, thanks to the careless people residing around. Allocate 15 minutes in a week cleaning this mess and putting them in a proper place.

Final Word: People often claim that it’s impossible to clean up the mess created by plastic, and they often wait to see some miracle happening one fine day. The truth is no miracle is going to come. We as the common and responsible citizens have to rise up against this plastic menace. By trying the above ten points, you can really make the difference in saving the environment from the alarming pollution spread all across the world.

+++++++++++

About the author: Rebecca is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and environment. Beside this she loves reading. These days she is busy in writing an article on health care.

Ten Simple Ways to Avoid Exposure to Plastics is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Go-Green: Recycling
2. How to be More Eco-Friendly
3. Go Green or Being Green: A few tips for beginners

Recycling and reusing is becoming more natural nowadays. Although people’s awareness for the need to follow the go green movement is increasing, the need to save money and to be more frugal when it comes to buying also dictates what to buy and how.

Reusing furniture, clothes, objects, paper, and other materials is getting more popular among the population and it has a huge acceptation.

A lot of used items are also preferred when the moment to buy arrives. Used cars, used furniture and even used skid steer parts are selected when it comes to buy expensive or even cheap items.

Used car parts are items that are widely searched. They are acquired from vehicles that where in accidents or that no longer are used. Used car parts are usually in perfect conditions and they can be reused without problems.

The same happens with furniture. Items that are painted, and repaired can be used again by people that want to buy second hand furniture.

Clothes, specially baby and toddlers clothes that sometimes are used once or twice can perfectly be reused by other babies and children. There are families that exchange clothes when they have children of different age.

There are so many items that can be reused. By doing so we are having a go green perspective of life and at the same time saving money.

Reusing Items and Saving Money on The Way is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Reusing Simple Items into Useful Products
2. Child safety
3. Money Saving Tips – Budget and Reuse

Guest Post

Every month, you surely receive promotional offers and monthly bills on your home mailbox. You may rave on the latest promos from retailers. But you surely are almost always ranting about your monthly bills, whether for utilities or insurance.

Nobody said paying up monthly obligations and balancing your household budget is easy, especially these days. When the times get tough, your logical measure would be to trim down or lower your regular household expenses. Doing so should never be an extreme sacrifice. Here are 10 ways on how you could reduce your monthly household bills.

1. Budgeting

Limit your spending on necessary items to just about 60% of your overall monthly income. This may mean exerting more effort on effective and logical budgeting. Carefully track your regular expenditures every month and try to adjust budget targets in every category. Your monthly expenses should not exceed your regular monthly income.

2. Electricity

According to the US Department of Energy, the average American household spends up to $250 or more annually just on standby power. Thus, you could save so much if you would always unplug appliances and devices that are not in use. Keeping your printer, television, or PC plugged in and on standby incurs small energy losses.

3. Telephone bills

Lower your telephone bills for both landline and cellphone. For landlines, switch to measured-use plans that may cost at least $10 each month for unlimited incoming calls and limited outgoing transactions. Use your mobile phone for emergencies and only if necessary. Switching to a prepaid mobile plan could help you save a lot as you may spend just about $20 each month on buying prepaid.

4. Groceries

Try to buy by bulk as doing so would help you save dollars. Also buy more when items are on sale. How about using discount coupons? Compare price tags on various supermarkets so you could determine where to find and get the best buys. Avoid frequent trips to the grocery, do your shopping list weekly or twice a month, and do not shop for your household supplies on an empty stomach.

5. Heating and cooling

Make your home weather-ready. Windows and exterior doors must be caulked so that air inside the house would not seep out when you are using your heater or air conditioner. Check your home insulation. It would be easier to keep a weather-tight home cooler or warmer during summer and winter, respectively.

6. Internet and cable

Have you already figured out that you could save a big amount of cash by bundling your Internet and cable television services? By doing so, you could possibly save up to $392 every year.

7. Water

Try to minimize your water bill as well. Be mindful of the way your household uses water every day. Do not leave the faucet running while you brush your teeth. Do your laundry weekly instead of daily. Repair leaky tanks and taps and fix running toilets. Try to take quick showers instead of lengthy showers.

8. Mortgage

Paying for your home loan is not actually part of essential spending for your household but since it is necessary to make payments, mortgages usually get into regular household expenditures. Do not stick to your minimum required payments; try to pay more than required each month so you could lower your principal and possibly shorten loan maturity. Remember, the longer your mortgage stays, the higher your interest payment becomes.

9. Home insurance

Seek discounts from your home insurance provider. If it remains costly, try to look around for cheaper policies from other insurers. Just be careful not to compromise the overall coverage and benefits.

10. Car insurance

Increase your excess charge (an amount you agree to shoulder before the insurance provider provides for claims). Doing so is a good way to lower your car insurance premiums.

Andrew has been working in the finance industry for several years, helping people with debt management and refinancing solutions.

10 Ways to Save Money on Household Bills is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Ways In Which You Can Overcome Family Debt
2. Six Ways to Save on Business Costs This Spring
3. Falling into debt again

Each time a birthday party date approaches the rush for the preparation begins. If you intend to buy all the decorations and birthday party invitations it might be easier and less complicated but keep in mind that you can make handmade ones.

There are decorations that can be made by recycling items we might have at home and that are no longer in use. Paper, whether it is from magazines, newspapers or others can also be used to make the invitations cards.

Beautiful and interesting things can be done by recycling or reusing so let’s start doing it instead of buying new.

Recycling and Reusing to Make Birthday Party Decorations and Invitations is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Recycled Party Invitations
2. Invitations matter
3. Invite and Announce with style

Do you know you can recycle ink cartridges as well as toner ones? If you haven’t heard about it yet, keep in mind that there are special recycling programs to recycle canon ink cartridges as well as ink and toner cartridges from other brands.

Everyday different programs are created to meet the needs of recycling. Housewares appliances also have a special program as well as cork lids.

The efforts to keep special trash away from irregular trash continue in order to accomplish the goal to protect the environment from harmful trash.

Cartridge Recycle Program is a post from: Have a Better Life

Related posts:

1. Recycling Ink or Toner Cartridges
2. Go-Green: Recycling
3. Eco Tip: Recycle Expired Medication