Corks

Not sure if anyone of you heard of flooring made of corks? In fact I just learnt there are so many different things that can be used by recycling those wine corks...I should ask my aunt for the corks since she always buy lots of wine...nah, she is not an alcoholic!

This is one way of re-using corks, Ciclus Designs made them into cork mats to hold your hot kettle and pans, etc. Very cool and makes you wonder why you never thought about it before?

WorldofGood

Wow even ebay is doing their part to save the world.

WorldofGood.com by eBay is the world’s first online marketplace to convene thousands of People Positive and Eco Positive sellers and products all in one place, empowering you to shop in ways that align with your personal values. Respected, independent organizations verify the positive impact every product has on people and the planet. Our goal is to ensure that every choice you make here is a good one.

Only issue is if I need to ship it from a seller in US, I am actually increasing my carbon footprint..dang

Friends of Glass

Dang, I forgot to copy down what I solemnly promise to do...it was along the line of I promise to use glass whenever possible because I care for my own health and for the world.

In addition to joining the family of the Friends of Glass, no, it is not a cult...I get a stained glass of myself...I would have put in Angelina Jolie's pic but hey, this is artistic and the photo of me get blurred so it is fine.

I also solemnly swear that at no time was my hair both blond and black at the same time! Hmm they have to add brunettes sooooooon...

Organic Toiletries again

Seems like there are more and more manufacturers making environmentally friendly products for home use and since toiletries are something very personal, the more environmentally friendly they are, the better they are for our skin and for our health in the long term. In addition, with every order placed, Joia donates $1 to The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees" project in Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest. So you can offset your carbon footprints at the same time.

Joia Botanicals' products are all natural. They do not use synthetic ingredients, artificial fragrances, parabens, nothing but the natural ingredients provided by nature.

They use naturally-organic, wild-harvested ingredients which further incentive to preserve the rainforest and help provide a meaningful source of income for local communities in Brazil.

Sustainable Kitchens

Found this kitchen manufacturer which is interesting, seems like going green is getting easier and easier everyday and in all parts of your home too.

Bazzèo kitchens are manufactured using non–toxic paints and lacquers, free from heavy metals and low in emissions. Bazzèo kitchens are produced using recycled and regenerated wood from certified resources as well as the use of non–toxic laminates, aluminum, glass and technical veneers. Kitchens by Bazzèo use only lumber, veneers and wood panels from fully managed and sustainable forests.

Motion Sensor Lights

I think whoever invented the motion sensor lights is brilliant. Of cos these products have been around for a long time but it doesn't hurt to bring up them up again. This particular light can be screw into any bulb outlet, sense movements from within a 5 meters range, brightness and timing can all be adjusted by you.

Imagine how much electricity bills you save when you use one of this motion sensor lights rather than turning the lights on permanently. Perfect fit for the stairway, toilet, basement, porch and storeroom, etc.

In my mind, I am hoping that they can detect cockroaches and lizards movements as well, so that when they glide through, the lights will turn on automatically and give the insects a heart attack and that will save me the trouble of hitting them to death.

Paperchair

First, there are paper bottles, now there are paper chairs..what's next? It's all up to your imagination! How I wish I can invent things like thee?

Paper Chairs, as the name state is made of recycled newspaper and is strong enough to sit on. They also comes in many colours but they won't be on sale till April and most likely not in a city near me...more the pity.

VS goes natural

Victoria Secrets has launched their own range of toiletries made from organic ingredients...prices are pretty reasonable. Be a Natural Beauty today!

Now all we need to do, is wait and see if they launch their own organic cotton range of clothing!

Yummy Honey Drop

There is a brand of honey fruit juices in the market made from organic honey and organic fruit juices....yummy....

Best of all, their website is very cute with all the bees buzzing around...check them out

Unfortunately, they are not available here in our region...darn..once again...

Bugger

Last Friday I had a chance to speak to one of my employees who is in-charge of our office move to a new location.

While talking I told her that having those water coolers are not healthy, why don't we install a hot water heater dispenser which will boil the water from the tap and it is healthy and cheaper..(don't know what I am talking about? Read the article on plastics). She said well, we don't know if we will have a wet pantry therefore she cannot commit.

Then I said, I also promised some of the employees that I will look into working with a recycling company to set up recycling bins in the office when we move to the new location. Her answer, sorry we don't have enough space.

What the heck? This person obviously doesn't care for the next generation or the welfare of our employees. Sick!

Plastic

I have a friend who told me the 1 shown at the bottom of the bottle that she is using means she can use this bottle for another time before it must be thrown away. By using it another time is my friend's effort at recycling.

But unfortunately, the 1 at the bottom of the bottle meant something different from what she understands. Anyway I retrieve this from The Green Guide which I introduced before. This article is very long but it will do no harm to read in details. Now I also must think twice about whether to take my daily drinking water from the water cooler!

READ NOW

Plastics are classified by their "resin identification code"—a number from #1 to #7 that represents a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

Here's a quick breakdown of plastic resin types:
#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)Examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles
#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/Examples: Milk jugs, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles
#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)Examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes
#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)Examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags
#5 polypropylene (PP)Examples: Cloudy plastic water bottles, yogurt cups/tubs
#6 polystyrene (PS)Examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers
#7 other (plastics invented after 1987; includes polycarbonate, or PC, and polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources as well as newer plastics labeled "BPA-Free")Examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers

What To Buy:
#2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP: These three types of plastic are your best choices. They transmit no known chemicals into your food and they're generally recyclable; #2 is very commonly accepted by municipal recycling programs, but you may have a more difficult time finding someone to recycle your #4 and #5 containers.

#1 PET: Fine for single use and widely accepted by municipal recyclers; avoid reusing #1 water and soda bottles, as they're hard to clean, and because plastic is porous, these bottles absorb flavors and bacteria that you can't get rid of.

PLA: plastics made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane and anything else with a high starch content; although you can't recycle these plant-based plastics, you can compost them in a municipal composter or in your backyard compost heap.

Plastics to Avoid:
#3 PVC: Used frequently in cling wraps for meat, PVC contains softeners called phthalates that interfere with hormonal development, and its manufacture and incineration release dioxin, a potent carcinogen and hormone disruptor.

#6 PS: Polystyrene-foam cups and clear plastic take-out containers can leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food.

#7 PC: The only plastic made with bisphenol A, polycarbonate is used in baby bottles, 5-gallon water-cooler bottles and the epoxy linings of tin food cans. Bisphenol A has been linked to a wide variety of problems such as heart disease and obesity.

Kiehl

I mentioned before that using some household products like vinegar etc is good for cleaning up the house. Maybe some may not understand what's so green about it.

Some chemicals/detergents/cleansers we buy to clean our house are not biodegradable, so their soap suds cannot be fully removed even with our water treatment systems and thus damage our ecosystems.

That's why, I got this for a Christmas present. My fren bought me this saying cos I support Brad Pitt but it goes deeper than that, she knows I am all for making small steps to be green.

It is made with 100% Biodegradable formula and biodegrade into the ecosystems within 28 days. It is also formulated without parabens, SLS and Dyes and contained in 100% Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) Bottle.

Best of all, 100% of the net profits from the sale of this product will support the work of JPF ECO SYSTEMS, a charitable partnership created by Kiehl’s and Brad Pitt to maximize awareness of environmental sustainability.

The bottle is recycleable and it even comes with a personal message from Brad.

Onions to the rescue.

In these days where everyone is tightening their belt, what better way is there to beautify yourself using things that are readily available at home.

As everyone knows, no matter how much we are told not to squeeze our pimples and acnes, we just couldn't resist and end up with scars.

Here's one way to be green and yet save money.

Lighten acne scars with onions

Take 1 tablespoon of onion juice, 1 tablespoon of carrot juice, 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of olive-oil. Mix all ingredients carefully and put on the face. Wash the mask from face in 20 minutes.

Composting

I have finally started my composting! This is how it looks before I add on another layer of soil.

Doesn't the pic look a bit gross? It is full of almost rotten banana peels, onion skins, chilli core and egg shells. Maybe instead of a compost, I will get a onion and chilli plant haha. Next time round, I will remove the plastic sheet.

Hopefully i am able to show some updates in a month or so.

Maps

Have you ever gone travelling and collected tons of maps or brochures which you then throw away when you return home or when you are at the airport?

Guess what? Maps can be recycled and made into bags (nothing surprising since even newspapers can be recycled and made into bags, wallets, etc) and even napkin rings. These are sold online for a pretty steep price, in my personal opinion. So next time before you throw the maps away, think twice and see if you can do some arts and craft for your own personal use.

PL, very appropriate for you, you are the map collector!

Samsung Blue Earth

Wow Samsung came up with the world's first solar powered touch screen phone!

The new phone called Blue Earth has a body made from recycled plastic extracted from water bottles, a solar panel for power on the back, an ‘eco-mode’ energy-saving setting, and a built-in ‘eco walk’ pedometer for calculating how much CO2 emissions you’ve saved by walking.

I will definitely not mind checking out this phone when it is launch.

Happy V Day!

Wishing all my readers a advanced V Day tomorrow!

While celebrating with your loved ones, you can be green at the same time.

All these possibilities especially if you celebrate at home :

- Drink organic wines
- Light soy based candles
- Use biodegradable cutlery
- Present organic roses
- Wear green intimates
- Cook and eat food bought from local farmers

Have a good one!

Slideshow

Beautiful pictures but reflect the sad truths about our environment today.

Reuters Slideshow

Paper bottles

In order to be creative, we need to think outside the box and imagine the impossible.

If not for Brain Image, no one will know that paper can hold water. The paper bottle is made from 100% renewable food-safe resources, fully recyclable and can be used to hold most liquids.

Check it out! Aren't they pretty?

Marvellous Machine

I think all of us can agreed that the washing machine really used up a lot of water. Although I used the grey water from the washing machine to flush the toilet, there is nothing better than if the machine can wash using as little water as possible.

And now, wait no longer, presenting to you, the washing machine that uses just one cup of water clean an entire load of clothes, saving a ton of both water and energy every time its used. No kidding!

The chips used can be removed at the end of the wash and be reused up to 100 times. It uses a mere 2% of energy and water vs the machines we are using today.

Laptops

Frankly this should have been done long long time ago.

We don't necessary need to have packaging for everything. This is one good example of HP selling their laptops and package it in a recycled material laptop bag and sold them in the shops this way. If you think about it, isn't it easier to carry the laptop home this way rather than lugging the laptop home in a box? Brilliant!

Green Printer

I know most of my frens will luvvvvvv this gadget. I have heard enough of frens who are exasperated by the cost of cartridges but hey guess what? Most printer companies make money from these consumables and not the printer itself, so what makes you think they will lower the price for consumers?

But fret not, there is a gadget in the concept mode but it uses coffee or tea dregs as the ink, amazing isn't it? This makes it almost cost free as most of us will drink coffee or tea. So if you do not compost your coffee or tea dregs, you can just divert it to your printer. At the end of the day, not only are you being green, your printouts smell wonderful too!

The RITI printer is an eco-friendly printer based on the concept of a new ink system. We focused on the ink cartridge since it is one of the problems when using a printer: it's often difficult to replace, costly to refill, and can stain your hands if mishandled.

The RITI printer uses coffee or tea dregs. The user places the coffee or tea dregs into the ink case located on the top of the printer, then insert a piece of paper in the middle. Moving the ink case left and right will print your image, and as you draw on the paper, dregs inscript on the paper just like ink.

Using coffee or tea dregs as ink saves the cost buying ink, the burden of wasted things, and users' work. Furthermore, since the user moves the ink case in order to make a print, the device doesn't need electricity. Of course, you can smell a whisper of coffee or tea incense from the paper printed by RITI.

Use:

1. Insert a paper in the middle of the printer

2. Put the coffee or tea dregs into the ink case on the top of the printer

3. Move the ink case left and right as you draw on a paper

4. When the print finishes, pull out the paper from the printer and wash the ink case

Green Revolution

This is fantastic, I am excited to see the results of Obama administration's efforts to be more green and environmentally friendly and at the same time create jobs to boost the economy.

These are extracts from his press conference yesterday in Indiana. (Source : The White House)

Q : With respect to the stimulus bill, are there provisions in there that address green job issues, improvement of environmental issues, and those type of matters?

THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely. It's a great question, and let me describe for you just some of the things that we have in there. Under this plan, we would double the production of alternative energy -- double it from where it is right now. So that's point number one.

Point number two -- point number two, there is money allocated in this plan to develop the new battery technologies that will allow not just cars but potentially RVs as well to be -- to move into the next generation of plug-in hybrids that get much better gas mileage, that will wean ourselves off dependence on Middle Eastern oil, and will improve our environment and lessen the potential effects of greenhouse gases and climate change.

We also have put in money that provide for the weatherization of millions of homes across the country. Now, this is an example of where you get a multiplier effect. If you allocate money to weatherize homes, the homeowner gets the benefit of lower energy bills. You right away put people back to work, many of whom in the construction industry and in the housing industry are out of work right now -- they are immediately put to work doing something. You can train young people as apprentices to start getting training at -- in home construction through weatherization. And you start reducing energy costs for the nation as a whole. So there are billions of dollars in this plan allocated for moving us towards a new energy future.

Now, I'll be honest with you, some of the critics of the plan have said that's pork. I don't understand their criticism. Their basic argument is, well, that's -- you're trying to make policy instead of just doing short-term stimulus. Well, my whole attitude is, if we're going to spend billions of dollars that creates jobs anyway, then why wouldn't we want to create jobs in things like clean energy that create a better economic future for us over the long term? That's just -- that's common sense to me. That's common sense to me.

Green Guide

If you are interested to find safe, healthy and green products for your family, check out GoodGuide

Green Makeover

How come our government cannot do this? Even Middle East that has abundance of oil are building a green city...arrrghhh

Quarter of UK homes to be offered a green makeover

More than one in four homes in the UK will be offered a complete eco-makeover under ambitious plans expected to be announced this week to slash fuel bills and cut global warming pollution.

The campaign is thought to involve giving 7m houses and flats a complete refit to improve insulation, and will be compared to the 10-year programme that converted British homes to gas central heating in the 1960s and 1970s. Householders could also be encouraged to install small-scale renewable and low-carbon heating systems such as solar panels and wood-burning boilers.
In total, it is thought the Department of Energy and Climate Change will commit to cutting a third of greenhouse gas emissions from households by 2020.

The announcement by the energy and climate secretary, Ed Miliband, and the communities and local government secretary, Hazel Blears, which is expected on Thursday, will be widely welcomed by environmental groups and fuel poverty campaigners who have been lobbying hard for more action to tackle emissions from homes. The proposals are likely to require skills training and create thousands of jobs.

Ed Matthew, head of UK climate for Friends of the Earth, said: "Twenty-seven percent of emissions in this country come from people's homes and if they don't cut emissions from homes radically we have got no hope of achieving our climate change targets."

However, campaigners will be worried about how much money the government is prepared to commit. Last year, the prime minister, Gordon Brown, announced nearly £1bn from power companies for energy-saving initiatives. By contrast, various reports have estimated the cost of insulation and small-scale clean energy alone to be £2bn-£12.9bn a year to reach the government's target of an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Matthew said the targets would only be met if each home treated was insulated well enough to cut those emissions by two-thirds, the financial incentives were high enough, and people on low incomes had the work paid for to tackle fuel poverty. It is estimated that more than 5m households are in fuel poverty, meaning they spend more than 10% of their income on heat and power.

"My concern is they will not be investing enough money to take these homes to a high enough energy efficiency standard to insulate them from rising fuel prices," he added.

A report by Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute in 2007 found that carbon dioxide emissions had risen 5% since Labour came into power in 1997, and only four out of every 1,000 homes had any "low-and-zero carbon technologies". The report also warned that with rising population and falling household numbers, emissions from the sector would rise by 23% by the middle of the century "if nothing else changed".

As well as the target of seven million homes, the heat and energy saving strategy is understood to push for a dramatic increase in the level of insulation for each house or flat, and to encourage more small-scale zero-or-low carbon heat.

The schemes will be voluntary, but Miliband is expected to announce financial incentives.
Similar schemes overseas included grants or cheap loans, transferable to a new homeowner if the property is sold. Also, the Sustainable Energy Academy estimates that if homeowners spend £15,000-20,000 they would save that amount in lower bills in 10-15 years, even less if fuel prices rise. Another possibly option is for whole districts to be offered community clean energy schemes, or mass fitting of efficiency improvements.

The Conservatives have proposed grants of up to £6,500 per household, which would be repaid over up to 25 years from expected savings of £160 on gas and electricity bills.

Green tip for the day

Found these tips on Women's Day. Thought share with all of you here so that you can use these as ordinary household items to resolve some household incidents or improvements.

Oh well, the picture is too small so I am just going to provide the link

Cheers!

Recycling crayons.

Ever wonder what to do with short crayons that you put aside because it is too hard to hold or it has sentimental value thus you don't throw it away?

I found out how you can recycle crayons from Lenore in craftinagreenworld.

Instructions :

1. Start off with a collection of old, broken crayons without their wrappers. Put them into piles by color (all the blues together), by complimentary (purples and yellows, reds and greens, blues and oranges), or by whichever looks best.

2. Break them down into smaller peices, which will make it easier to put into the molds. Speaking of the mold, the best ones to use are silicone. They are pliable, so it will be easier to get your new crayons out after baking. They come in all kinds of shapes, from hearts and stars to the alphabet.

3. Once you have your crayons in the molds how you like them, preheat the oven to 150 degrees F.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking frequently to make sure they are not smoking.

5. After baking, set the molds somewhere to cool. Once the mold and the crayons are cool to the touch you can pop them right out. Let them cool for an additional 5 minutes.

6. Once they’re completely cooled, you have a brand new set of creative crayons!

Viola! These are amazing and save you money from buying your kids crayons over and over again.

Brighter Planet

I am so happy that I signed up for this program. But at the rate I am earning my points I will never be able to offset my carbon footprints...*sob sob* but but but 350 is better than nothing and I will continue to learn how to earn, it's a start at least.

What is this points about, let me explain :

Bank of America has teamed up with Brighter Planet to offer carbon offsets to WorldPoints™ customers. When you redeem your WorldPoints for offsets you help build new renewable energy projects across the USA. It’s an investment in our future.

For 2,500 points you can offset an estimated 2.5 tons of CO2—roughly equal to turning off 1,500 light bulbs for a day or offsetting the amount each passenger is responsible for on a cross-country airline flight.

For 5,000 points you can offset an estimated 5 tons of CO2—roughly equivalent to taking an average car off the road for a full year or turning down the thermostats in twenty houses two degrees for a winter

For 10,000 points you can offset an estimated 10 tons of CO2—roughly equivalent to offsetting the emissions caused by the electricity used in a house in an entire year, or sending 3,000 fewer bags of garbage to the landfill

WOW, imagine this!

Impressive!

Guess what? Yesterday, I finished a bottle of drinks and I asked my mum if she wanted the bottle? If not, I will throw it away (yes, I am not that green after all but it is because there is a reason behind it).

Then she said, don't you want to recycle it? WOWWWWWW...cos I started a recycling exercise at home for months and then just before CNY, she said don't recycle cos she doesn't want clutter at home. So she stopped the whole exercise and now she wants to resume.

Which is good news indeed, because all my education has bear fruits. My mum has become more conscious of the environment and is taking the initiative!

Green Tip for tomorrow!

Since I have already given my tip for today, I am writing in advance for tomorrow. I believed I wrote something about grey water not so long ago on how you can reuse the grey water to flush your toilet.

If you find that troublesome, you can still save water by doing the following which 'brainwash' your cistern to draw less water with each flush.

- Fill a empty milk carton with rocks and put it in your tank to save about 3.78 litres per flush.

Such a simple and foolproof way of saving water!

Green Tip for today

You learn new things everyday...do you know that philodendrons and peace lilies can purify the air and absorb airborne pollutants, keeping the air you breathe clean and clear?

Cheap and good solutions, instead of plugging in the humidifier or purifier and waste electricity, why not just plant these plants and the peace lilies are pretty too.

Flowers, anyone?

Who would have thought you can recycle your flowers by donating? So if you end up with flowers for V Day and weddings, donate them. Companies that have flower display in their offices and hotels which have flowers all over, donate them.

The flowers will be re-assembled and given to those who are elderly, sick and terminally ill. Downside for locals is, this organization is in the USA.

To give the gift of flowers, go to FlowerPower Foundation