As I was taking out the trash tonight, I realized that I use new trash bags. According to Pristine Planet, if every household in the US alone replaced just one package of 20 count drawstring tall kitchen bags made from virgin plastic with recycled ones, we could save over 45,100 barrels of oil - enough to heat and cool 2,500 US homes for a year. Real Simple magazine reviewed the best recycled trash bags and said Seventh Generation bags stood up well to abuse. Amazon carries them. Home Depot has recycled lawn and garden bags. Or better yet, use paper because it is biodegradable.

I was never into plants when I was younger. But there came a point in my years of existence when I thought, "why not give plants a try?" At first, I had no clue what to do. I would water, sometimes overwater. It was difficult trying to figure out how to make my plants survive. Thankfully, not a lot of plants were sacrificed during those years. Imagine my joy when my peace lily actually bloomed!

Now I have 3 pots of golden pothos, one pot of chlorophytum, one pot of palm, numerous lucky bamboo or dracaena (mind you, it's not really bamboo), and one big and one small pot of jade all in all. For both my office and at home.

Conclusion? Owning and keeping plants = doable. Even for those without a green thumb, like me.

I don't need to tell you that plants are great decorations. They liven up your space - whether it's at home or at work. If you go to a plant nursery, you might notice that the air inside smells different. Cleaner somehow. It's actually relaxing just being surrounded by plants.

Bring green inside your home or your workspace. It really makes a difference.

Upgrading mobile phone plans often requires a new phone. Instead of throwing the old one away, you can give them to charities who want your phone for the cash they can fetch. In some cases, they can be refurbished for domestic violence victims or women at risk for abuse. To find a local phone retailer, manufacturer or charity that will take your old handset, go to Wirelessfundraiser or Recyclewirelessphones.

Instead of tossing old batteries and obsolete portable electronic devices into your trash can, you can buy a Big Green Box that you can fill with electronic unwanteds and old alkalines. It comes with shipping prepaid to your recycling facility and you call UPS to pick it up. This will keep hazardous lead,mercury and other metals out of the waste stream.

PET plastic-or polyethylene terephthalate,used to make bottles with the number "1" in the recycling logo-can be recycled to make shoes, carpeting,t-shirts,jackets. Patagonia makes products from recycled bottles and other materials. Go to their website and type "PCR"-for post-consumer-recycled-in the search box.

Staples recently announced that it is offering nationwide computer recycling in its stores. It is the first national retailer to have an electronic waste recycling program on a daily basis. Just bring in used computers, laptops, monitors, faxes, printers to any US Staples store during store hours; they will be recycled according to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) standards. All brands will be accepted whether they were purchased at Staples or not. For large equipment, a $10 fee will be charged to defray recycling costs. Speakers, mices and keyboards are accepted for free. They also offer Easy Tech services to transfer data from your old computer to the new one. Find the nearest Staples store on Earth911's recycling locator at the top of the page by typing "electronics" on the left and your zip code on the right.

On TechSoup, you can also find a nearby company that will refurbish your computers, etc for schools,non profit organizations and charities or junk it in an earth-friendly way.

Since March 2007, Ikea USA has been charging a nickel for a plastic bag at check out. The money raised will be donated to forest restoration.The program was launched in the UK in June 2006 with an impressive 95 % reduction in plastic bag consumption. Ikea also cut the cost of its reusable shopping totes from 99 cents to 59 cents. They only offer bio-degradable plastic carrier bags. The corporation thinks these changes will reduce the number of plastic bags used by US consumers by 35 million in 2007.

Today: a trip to La Mesa Ecopark in Fairview, Quezon City, Philippines. The La Mesa watershed is the main source of water for practically all of Metro Manila and there was a lot of angry buzzing a year ago because there were plans to develop the area to provide housing for the employees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System. Tsk tsk.

Anyway, the park features a swimming pool, a small lake for boating, picnic grounds, biking areas, fishponds, a butterfly garden, flower terraces courtesy of Shell and a fitness trail courtesy of Petron. I'm kinda iffy about the last two due to their sponsors. It was pretty encouraging nonetheless to see that people are flocking to the place. Very nice alternative to the malls mushrooming in the city.

I saw the vehicle in the picture going around the park and thought how nice it would be if it's a hybrid or an electric car. Turns out that it uses eco-friendly fuel that's been certified by the Department of Environment Natural Resources and the Department of Energy. Apparently, it has some additives which lessen emissions. Not that amazing to me, personally, but it's a start.

What better way to enjoy nature than to be outdoors?

With Memorial Day long weekend looming ahead of us, I'm sure a lot of folks are there are thinking of going on picnics, barbecues and cookouts. I know I am.

Mother Earth Living has a list of picnic items that are good for the environment.

Here are some tips for your fair weather picnic plans:

Go organic. Buy what you'll eat from the nearby local farmers market. By the way, that corn you bought? Leave the husk on, soak in water for a bit and then put on the grill. It works.

Stay sweet. Afraid of the insects that flit around your food? Put sugar water in an open jar a couple of feet away from where you are. It attracts them to the water, not to your food.

Leave them alone. Wildlife, that is. Look but don't touch. Stay in designated picnic areas, if any.

Get stylish. Score stylish points by using cloth tablecloths and napkins you already own. You don't throw it out. You throw it in the washing machine. Voilà! You can use it again for the next picnic.

Get real. Use real plates and utensils. No need to go out and buy anything because you already own them! Otherwise, if using disposable is inevitable, bring a Sharpie and tell everyone to put their names on their cups. That way, each person will use only one cup.

Keep recycling. Don't forget to bring trash bags to sort out whatever garbage you'll have.


Carrying all these is too heavy? Imagine Mother Earth carrying all of our collective weights.

As a famous travel quote goes (I wish I knew who said it),

Take nothing but pictures. Kill nothing but time. Leave nothing but footprints.

Fuel saving tips for this Memorial Day weekend:

• Regular car maintenance keeps your vehicle operating at maximum efficiency. Keeping tires inflated to recommended pressure improves gas mileage by 6%. Keeping wheels aligned improves fuel economy by 10%. Keep air and fuel filters clean.
• Clean out the trunk or cargo area. Pack lightly for vacations or weekend trips.Extra weight cuts fuel economy.
• Change your driving habits. Don't speed, avoid sudden braking. Accelerate gradually and drive smoothly. If you have a navigation system, use it to avoid getting lost and wasting gas. Don't idle. Idling uses more fuel than turning the engine off. Park and go inside instead of waiting at the drive thru.
• Combine errands into one trip or organize stops so you don't have to retrace your route. Avoid rush hour if possible and plan the driving route to avoid congested areas.
• Keep airconditioner off in slow city traffic.
• Walk, bike, carpool or use mass transit.

Take time to remember those who died in the service of their country.

Good ol' reliable Google came up with a "Summer of Green". Check it out!

I am also guilty of using bottled water but this is due to elevated chlorine levels at my town's water supply. What to do?

• Store uncovered tap water in the refrigerator to dissipate chlorine.
• Boil water to remove unpleasant taste. If you are concerned about tap water safety, contact your local water company or check the EPA Safe Drinking Water site to get the lowdown on your neighborhood's water supply. Municipal water systems are required to test for harmful microbiological content several times a day while bottled water companies are only required to test once a week. Consumers are not assured that bottled water is cleaner or safer than tap.
• Use faucet-mounted, undersink, whole-house or reverse-osmosis water filters.
• If you do buy bottled water, write or call the bottler to find out more about the source and its surroundings. The label or cap should tell you if it came from spring waters or a community water system.
• Buy from companies that use PET or PETE plastic, marked with the number 1. It leaves less solid waste, is easier to recycle and releases fewer emissions.
• Wash and reuse plastic bottles. However, this can further compromise the quality because chemicals used in the plastic can leach into the water.
• For portability, invest in reusable bottles you can fill with tap water.

As one joke goes, Evian is "naive" spelled backwards.

One of the most annoying things nowadays is junk mail. You know it, you've received it and honestly, you don't want to have anything to do with it.

Yet junk mails are like pest infestations. They infest your mailbox to the point that they're overflowing. Not only are those people who send out junk mail contributing to environmental waste, they're a waste of time.

There are many websites out there that offer tips on how to stop junk mail. The most straightforward I found was from Obviously.com. I also came across websites that charge money to help you stop junk mail - some would do it themselves, others provide kits. It's totally up to you if you want to give these sites a try. I've done it on my own. Honestly, it does eat up a chunk of your time, but I think it's worth it. The time I'll spend making the calls and doing what I can to stop the junk mail is nothing compared to the headache of dealing with junk mail on a day-to-day basis. The last time I did it, it took me 2 hours only because I even wrote letters to mail out (say, to the Direct Marketing Association, etc.). But that's me.

However you decide to deal with your junk mail is up to you. Just consider putting an end to this madness. Maybe the senders of unsolicited mail will realize they're wasting their own time too.

I admit, I am guilty of this hideous practice. I drink a lot of water, you see. But I have yet to find a nice water bottle that looks...well, interesting, to say the least. Most of the water bottles I've seen are just so bleah, so boring. I mean, if I'll be carrying it around, I want it to look nice. Why not? I found Klean Kanteen, but they don't have a lot of options. Then I came across MySIGG.com. Now I can't make up my mind what design I want! At least these water bottles look waaay better than regular plastic bottles.

Logo from the MySIGG website.

New York City's air quality has consistently been among the worst in the US. The city has the highest asthma mortality rate in the country. In July 2005, Mayor Bloomberg signed the Clean Air Taxis Act, allowing the use of hybrid electric vehicles as taxi cabs. According to the Sierra Club, this could reduce emissions of global warming pollutants by up to 50%. If the program is successful, NYC officials hope to have an entire green fleet in 8-10 years. The city has also been replacing its old diesel buses with hybrids and natural gas vehicles. They plan to expand the use of biodiesel for its heavy vehicles, such as sanitation trucks. So next time you're in the Big Apple, hail a hybrid.

In April 2007, Home Depot launched its Eco Options program. It helps customers identify products that have less impact on the environment. The products include all natural insect repellents, biodegradable pots,certified wood, organic plant food, energy efficient lightbulbs and programmable thermostats. For more information, visit Home Depot.

Here's a contribution from our niece, Kristen.

Hi Green Unlimited,

I found a toothbrush that is made with 100% recycled plastics in the handle of the toothbrush. I found it on amazon.com. The product is called Preserve Toothbrushes. I also found a product that is from ECOLIPS. Their products are Eco Tints. Basically, they're lip balms/tints that are made of organic plant oils, aloe vera, and etc.

I thought it was pretty cool and thought I should tell Green Unlimited about it.

Here is the link to Eco-Lips:
http://www.ecolips.com/Products.aspx

From a McDonald's in Quezon City, Philippines. I'd applaud this sign if only they would quit stashing all takeout in plastic bags and if they started using recycled materials for their food containers.

In the UK, that is. While telecommuting is making great strides already, there are still plenty of companies out there who sneer at it and think it's just a creative way of skiving off.

Ah, if they only knew how much happier it would make employees if they are allowed to work at home. A lot of people prefer it to making the trip to the office everyday and having to deal with annoying things that pop up in the office. It's also been said that people who work at home tend to be more productive than in the office, although admittedly, they have to contend with distractions like TV and the urge to goof off and enjoy the glorious glorious day outdoors. But another fun benefit of working at home is how it helps reduce energy use and emissions.

I've been working at home for over a year now, a decision I consciously made because I really got sick of the office and spending 30 minutes to two hours on the way to work just didn't seem right anymore. I'm not sure if I've reduced my footprint by a whole lot, but my work setup currently saves me a lot of money AND fuel, plus I don't have the air conditioner running all day long either. Yay!

The photo above is of my nice little work area. I work sitting on the bed, probably not the most ergonomically correct seating option, but that means I have nothing to lean back against and keep myself awake. And I can't just lie back and fall asleep because of all the junk littering the bed either, hehe.

And apparently, yesterday was Clean Commute Day in Roanoke, Virginia, too. Is there something about May 18 that makes all these things happen?

Labels: work

Why is it that I always find myself writing about bags here? :D Stupid question to ask really, being a big fan of bags and also annoyed at the fact that reusable bags have yet to gain popularity over here.

Anyway, I found Norquest Bags today, a company from India which manufactures reusable bags of all sorts. The story of how they got started was pretty cool, with an event that spurred the interest of Rajiv Badlani, the man behind this company.

When she was 8, my daughter Kaajal came home from school and told us we were not to use plastic bags any more. Her tone was determined and her chin was set. It was clear that this was not a negotiable issue.

Great to see that this isn't just catching on in the Western world, but in other countries, too. Now if only we'd get moving on this issue here.

Labels: fashion

Visit The Rainforest Site and help preserve endangered land. You can even take the pledge to conserve energy.

Everyday we are exposed to various man made chemicals. Environmental illnesses, breathing problems, chemical sensitivities are on the rise. Symptoms may include exhaustion, headaches, asthma or hay fever, dizziness, nausea,vomiting, stomach cramps,loss of concentration, rashes, muscle aches, heart palpitations. How to clean up your personal and living space? Avoid all scented products such as perfumes, potpourri,aftershaves. Avoid all dryer sheets, fabric softeners, scented detergents. Use only non toxic cleaning and personal care products. Eat organic foods and avoid all pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides. Avoid processed foods and do not consume anything with aspartame. Use 100% cotton or wool bed linens; wear natural fiber clothing (100% cotton, wool, silk or linen). Avoid permanent press or wrinkle resistant fabrics as they have been treated with formaldehyde that doesn't wash off. Store food in glass jars instead of plastic containers. Plants such as spider plants, philodendron, aloe vera can help purify your home. Open your windows. 9 out of 10 breaths are most likely taken indoors. Outdoor air is still less toxic than indoor air.

Who doesn't love a good long bath? It's one of life's simple pleasures.

Unfortunately, long baths take its toll on the environment too. A bath uses 30 to 50 gallons of water, while a short shower only uses 10 gallons. Factor in the energy used to heat the water. Eeek.

Or if that proves difficult, take a bath as quickly as you can. Turn off the water while you soap and shampoo. Don't use too much hot water. You can be clean AND green, after all.

OK so I felt guilty for using the computer and contributing to this blog. So here are some tips on minimizing the environmental impact of computer use.

• ELECTRICITY: Buy computers with the Energy Star logo. Turn off the computer when not in use and only turn on peripherals when you are ready to use them.Screensavers do not save energy---shut your computer off instead. Look for ways to limit your computer activities.
• PAPER: Don't print unless you have to. Reuse paper that's already printed on one side.Use unbleached recycled paper. For general information type of documents, circulate by email instead of printing out individual copies. Avoid needless printing of email messages. Use email instead of faxes or send faxes directly from the computer to eliminate hard copies.
• UPGRADE:Instead of replacing your old computer, upgrade. With a little patience, you can do it yourself or have a professional do it for less than the price of a new one.You may also give it to charity or use a recycling service. Don't throw out your old computer.The chemicals in computer equipment leach into the soil and ground water.
• RECYCLE: For diskettes, just reformat and reuse. Refill and reuse toner cartridges.
• OTHER SUGGESTIONS:Buy a monitor that's only as large as you really need. Buy ink jet instead of laser printers. Use your computer to help the environment e.g. by writing to newspapers and the government. It can also allow you to telecommute,eliminating transportation and other costs.

For more information see the University of Buffalo Guide to Green Computing

We have television sets at work and lately a lot of shows have been featuring tips for green living. Someone made a comment on how people are going overboard with this these days, even blaming former Vice President Al Gore for all the hype. This person said that global warming is just part of the earth's natural cycle of cooling and warming. He also made a comment that in third world countries, there aren't even emissions standards. Fighting words coming from a citizen of the world's worst polluter. In the developing world, 2 billion people don't even have electricity. They live under some of most polluted skies. These poor countries bear the brunt of problems caused by global warming:acid rain, respiratory problems, smog, typhoons, flooding, famine and drought. Here is a great article on developing countries and climate change.

Is it just me or do you also pass by the kitchen, open the refrigerator and check out what's in there? Then you realize that you don't need anything there, so you close it and move on. Minutes later, you're back again in front of the refrigerator, perusing the contents...as if the contents have changed in the last few minutes since you've looked inside! Are you as guilty of this nasty habit as I am? The sad thing is, I know exactly what's inside the refrigerator. I also know that I don't want anything from there. I'm just checking if something will appeal to me.

I know this not-so-nice habit takes a toll on our energy bills. I'm trying to mind my refrigerator manners. I'm also teaching myself, "leave the refrigerator alone. Stop opening and closing it." I remind myself to get what I need in one take.

Just an FYI though. Did you know that keeping your refrigerator full is actually good for it? It doesn't waste energy because there is less space to cool when the space is used up. Who knew? Don't go overboard in filling it up though. Then your refrigerator will start exerting effort in cooling everything.

By the way, I learned about a refrigerator magnet that checks your energy consumption through this website. I can't find a picture of it. What a great idea, especially considering how many people out there collect magnets to stick on their refrigerators. At least this magnet would be informative too.

Labels: household

All right! Now here's a website that lets everyone get involved. Wiser Earth is a project of the Natural Capital Institute and is described as,

...a community directory and networking forum for organizations addressing the central issues of our day: climate change, poverty, the environment, peace, water, hunger, social justice, conservation, human rights, and more. Content is created by people like you from around the world.

Engineer Gerry Caroro has been assembling vehicles and tinkering with electric bikes since he was in high school, but he only had the chance to push through with it sometime between the years 2000 and 2001. And so he launched G Car Motors Philippines. The company has already manufactured electric cars, trikes, and bikes, the prototypes of which you can see in their Quezon City showroom.

The company’s manufacturing facility is located in Bataan, where they also conduct numerous test drives to make sure that each vehicle is in order. At the moment, they are producing 20 units per month, but are looking into expanding and hopefully upgrade to 100 units per month. They are also hoping to manufacture amphibious vehicles in the future, which would hopefully help motorists get through the floods of typhoon season.

Gerry is particularly interested in environmental issues around the world, which is why he decided to create environmentally-friendly vehicles in the first place. He’s particularly worried about pollution in Metro Manila, and hopes to help ease the situation with his electric vehicles.

G Car’s electric vehicles are small, cute, colorful, and eyecatching. Engineer Gerry Caroro explains, “If I’m going to make something new, I might as well make something that looks different. Why invent a new product that will just look like everything else out in the market?” His inspiration for the vehicles’ designs is the Philippine eagle, which he believes is a powerful symbol for the country.

Cuteness may sell in other industries, but for automobiles, it takes more than that. So what do these electric vehicles offer?

First of all, regular car batteries make these vehicles run. Charging these batteries take anywhere from six to eight hours. All you have to is just plug it in like you would any other appliance. Don’t worry about overcharging the battery. The charger is equipped with an automatic shut-off feature once battery power has been boosted to the max. The car can run for 60 to 80 kilometers on one full charge at the recommended speed of 40 kph. If that’s a little tame for you, you can choose to have higher-voltage batteries installed, which will then allow you to clock in at 60 to 80 kph. The basic vehicle doesn’t come with a sound system or air conditioning, but G Car would include those features with a vastly-improved battery installed.

Solar panels are an optional feature of the vehicles. They’re not intended to power the cars, but rather to charge the batteries. Gerry tells us that at the moment, the cars are most efficient on level terrain and even on flyovers. He hopes to come out with an improved version in the future, a hybrid vehicle making use of electricity and biofuels.


G Car has also come out with two versions of the electric bike. One runs solely on batteries while the other is equipped with a battery and can also be pedaled. “If you get tired of pedaling, you can just switch on the bike and the motor will run for you. And if you want to conserve the battery, just switch it off and pedal again,” Gerry says. Charging these bikes take four to seven hours and can be used for a maximum of three hours.

Engineer Gerry Caroro concedes that his electric cars are undergoing constant development and haven’t been fully optimized yet. They are fighting for the electric vehicles to be allowed on major highways such as EDSA and are awaiting approval from the DOTC. However, the use of these cars is permitted in subdivisions and on smaller roads.

He also discovered that he’s not alone in his dream of producing electric vehicles. After being interviewed on TV, he received calls and visits from other independent individual electric vehicle manufacturers, who have assembled items such as electric jeeps.

As with new products and inventions, he is facing several challenges, not least of all overcoming people’s skepticism about the viability of a Philippine-made electric car and weaning people away from their preference for enormous foreign SUVs. Still, he’s hopeful it can be done if people see for themselves that they actually work and could save them a lot of money, and help the country in the process as well.

For inquiries, or if you are interested in funding the development of the electric cars and bikes, you can get in touch with Engr. Caroro at

G Car Motors
38-C West Avenue
West Triangle, Quezon City
+632 3765420, +632 3765423
gcar_motors@yahoo.com

If you're like me, you have old CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or empty printer cartridges lying about. According to Worldwatch Institute, each month over 45 tons of used CDs are discarded worldwide. Discs are made of recylable materials and yet most end up in landfills. If there isn't a local recycling center near you, GreenDisk will dispose of your spent supplies and other computer related waste. They even sell office supplies and computer accessories made from recycled materials. If you're looking for more creative ways to reuse and recycle, RecyclingCDs will turn them into clocks, coasters or calendars.

It is common practice to flush expired medications down the toilet or a drain to prevent accidental ingestion. But when they enter the sewage system, wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceutical compounds. Regardless of the level of treatment, most conventional treatments are not effective in eliminating these man-made pollutants . When disposed at landfills or septic tanks, they can also seep through the soil or groundwater. The best thing to do is to return unwanted, leftover or expired medications to a nearby hospital or pharmacies where they can be properly disposed of. If this isn't allowed in your area, contact your local hazardous waste facility to see if they have any recommendations. If you must dispose of them in the trash, keep them in their original containers. Modify the contents to discourage consumption: add water to pills, kitty litter or flour to liquids. Seal and double wrap in non-transparent bags. Discard in garbage, not recycling bins. This is still safer than the sewer.

A few months ago, I discovered G Car Motors, a small company manufacturing electric cars. They have several models out right now and they're mostly small, colorful things, as you can see in the picture. They also offer motorbikes, which runs on batteries and by pedaling.

It's great that someone in the Philippines is actually thinking of producing vehicles that wouldn't use gas, but I have to admit that so far, the vehicles aren't totally perfect yet. For one thing, you would still need to charge the batteries with power from the grid, and another thing is that they only go as fast as 40 km an hour (anybody know how to convert this value?). Any accessories and add-ons will also sap the vehicle of power and would therefore need a really high-powered battery.

Still, the idea's a good one, and perhaps with a little extra tweaking and a lot of press, this might stand a chance.

Labels: transportation