Blog Archives

Sustainability during the holiday season

11/24/2025

Most people follow family traditions and use special decorations during their holiday celebrations. These traditions and decorations help make the season and its events festive. Here are a few thoughts on how to keep the special feeling of the holidays while being more eco-friendly.

Avoid disposables. Use cloth napkins and tablecloths and re-usable tableware.
Choose decorations that can be stored and re-used year after year.
If you have lighted decorations, either inside the house or outside, turn them off when no one is likely to see them. Putting them on a timer is an easy way to make sure they’re off when they should be. And choose energy-efficient LED lights.
Avoid single-use gift wrap. Choose a re-usable decorative cloth bag or wrap gifts using materials you already have, like old magazines, newspapers, comics, or paper shopping bags. You can also use clean fabric like scarves, bandannas, or even pretty dish towels for a reusable wrapping.
When choosing gifts, consider giving tickets for an experience the recipients might enjoy. If you know their preferences, food from local businesses might be enjoyed much more than a random gift quickly chosen to fill an obligation. Offers to help with chores or donations to charity in the recipient’s name might be good options for some on your list. Try to avoid generic gift purchases that are not meaningful to the recipients.
Plan holiday meals to avoid food waste as much as possible. Plan food preparation according to the number of expected guests and have a plan for leftovers. Sending leftovers home with willing guests can be an excellent way to share the holiday spirit.
Before heading out of town, unplug electronics and other appliances to conserve energy. Even small actions like this can reduce your carbon footprint.
When it comes to ambiance, choose candles made from soy or beeswax instead of paraffin. Soy and beeswax candles burn cleaner, making them healthier for your indoor air quality while providing the same warm glow.

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What happens to donated clothing

11/13/2025

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Most of us have clothes we are not likely to use again, but are not sure what to do with them. The attached article discusses what happens when you donate them to one of the large non-profit thrift organizations. The used clothing may get re-sold, or it might be recycled, both of which are better than ending up in a landfill. The article also lists suggestions for other alternatives that might be better. Here are a few of them plus a few from me:

Buy better quality clothing so it lasts longer, and avoid fast-fashion.
Learn how to care for, mend, and launder your clothing so it lasts longer.
Use your imagination to repurpose or upcycle your old clothing. One person I know turned old t-shirts into cloths for washing dishes. My grandmother made hundreds of quilts out of clothing scraps and donated them. Patch a hole with a cute applique or fancy stitch. I bought a really nice pair of wool mittens made from an old sweater that was too torn to be repaired.
A friend of mine held clothing-swap parties, where a group of friends traded clothes they no longer wanted.
Gently-used baby and children’s clothing could be donated to a church or women’s shelter. Look for alternative places to donate.
And remember that if your clothing goes to a textile recycler, that is still much better than going to a landfill.

https://www.rd.com/article/what-happens-used-clothing-donations/

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Easy ways to save energy while cooking

11/4/2025

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Saving energy is not only a good way to help the planet, but it saves you money too. This article has lots of good tips to reduce your energy use while cooking.

https://energized.edison.com/stories/easy-ways-to-save-energy-while-cooking

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