Win This Compost Tumbler!

Did you know that food scraps make up over 12% of the US waste stream?  According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away more than 25 percent of the food we prepare, amounting to about 96 billion pounds of food waste each year! Yikes!

For starters, it sounds like as a nation we need to be more conscious about the amount of food we purchase and prepare to minimize waste.  And when we do need to toss out food scraps, we can do it in a way to reduce the impact on the environment.

No matter where you live, autumn is a great time of year to start a compost pile. Compost piles break down food scraps (like vegetable peels, bread crusts, and egg shells) into super-rich, super-usable fertilizer for your flower beds and garden.  There are tons of resources out there that cover the composting process inside and out. Basically, to get started you will need 2 types of ingredients:

• Carbon (shredded newspapers, cardboard, and straw)
• Nitrogen (lawn clippings, food scraps, and weeds).

Combine them together and before long you’ll have compost. If you’re feeling lazy you don’t need to do anything else (but wait and wait). You’ll have usable compost by next year even if you never touch the pile again. If you’d like things to move along a little more quickly, you’ll need to turn the pile and add a few drops of water every few weeks. Enclosed compost bins can help keep your pile neat and organized.

Personally, I have a compost tumbler, a self-contained composting unit that you simply spin every few days to mix. I love it because it makes composting neat and easy and even my kids like to give it a spin!  So I’m really excited to be giving one away today!  That’s right, thanks to Clean Air Gardening, one lucky winner will get the Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler delivered to their doorstep, just in time to take care of all of those autumn leaves!

There’s 3 ways to enter:

1. Subscribe to The Green Parent via RSS or Email. If you’re already a subscriber, just leave me a comment below and say so!

2. Join The Green Parents Forum (already a member? leave a comment below!)

3. Spread the word about this contest via Twitter, Stumble, Digg, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

Leave a comment below each time you do one of these things...each comment equals one entry. The winning comment will be chosen by Random.org. Remember…US residents only.  Contest ends 9/30!

And the winner is….

Here are your random numbers:

13

Timestamp: 2008-10-01 16:32:42 UTC

Congrats Tavia!

1. Park It: Make every effort to walk, bike, or take public transit instead of driving you car. For inspiration, check out Alan Durning’s Year of Living Car-Lessly to read about his family of five’s car-free adventures.

1. Eat Local Foods: According to a recent report by the Natural Resource Defense Council, the average American meal contains ingredients from at least five countries outside the U.S. These ingredients are shipped by boat, train, and plane to our dinner plates, leaving a path of pollution and resource depletion in their wake. Make an effort this year to eat foods that are grown closer to home. Check out Sustainable Table for a state-by-state list of the seasonal foods that are found near you.

1. Trim Your Trash: Why put yourself on a diet when you can make a resolution to put your trash on one instead? The average American produces roughly 4.5 pounds of trash each day (that’s 17 pounds of trash thrown away each day for a family of four!) Trim that waste-line by practicing the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Check out these posts for great ways to reduce waste:

1. Turn Off A Light: There’s nothing worse than heading out the door with your arms full of kids, diaper bags, sippy cups, and snacks, only to realize that every light in the house is still burning. Make it your New Year’s resolution to turn off lights as you leave a room…better yet, put your kids in charge of “light patrol.” You’ll save a bundle in energy bills and light bulbs!

1. Vote Green: 2008 promises to be a big year at the ballot box, both at the national and local level.

   So before you cast your vote, check out the League of Conservation Voters to see where you favorite (and not so favorite) candidates stand on the environment.

]]> http://www.thegreenparent.com/2007/12/28/top-5-green-parent-new-year%e2%80%99s-resolutions/feed/ 10 http://www.thegreenparent.com/2007/11/24/the-green-parent-holiday-gift-list/ http://www.thegreenparent.com/2007/11/24/the-green-parent-holiday-gift-list/#comments Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:46:00 +0000 Jenn Savedge http://www.thegreenparent.com/?p=75

Are you worried about your holiday gift list this year? With all of the news about global warming and environmental degradation, let alone sweatshop labor and toxic toys, what’s a Green Parent to do? Never fear, there are tons of gifts that you can give to show your spirit without selling your soul. Here, without further ado, is The 2007 Green Parent Holiday Gift List…a list of gifts you can feel good about:

Give The Gift That Gives Back

Charities: Check out The Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) to find a charitable organization to match the interests of anyone on your list. The independent site lists charities by category and gives detailed information about the mission, efficiency, and capacity of thousands of organizations.

For The Little Idealist: Even the youngest recipient will be delighted with a charitable gift that piques her interest. Does the kid on your list love books? Donate her favorite title to the local library. Does he love the outdoors? Give him a gift membership to the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org) or the Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org). Or adopt-an-animal from the World Wildlife Fund and your recipient will receive info about the animal as well as a plush version to cuddle. For more ideas check out Idealist.org (www.idealist.org) for a listing of charitable groups that were founded by kids.

Offsets: Help friends and family offset their carbon footprint with a gift of renewable energy credits (RECs) or greentags. The money you spend on carbon offsets will be used to support projects that reduce or sequester carbon emissions. Check out Carbon Neutral (www.carbonneutral.com) or Green Tags USA (www.greentagsusa.org) to calculate carbon emissions and purchase greentags.

No-Waste Gifts

Flowers: Send your loved ones a bouquet you can feel good about from Organic Bouquet (www.organicbouquet.com.) For something unique, try the Fresh Myrtle Wreath Frame; a beautifully lush wreath made from domestically grown myrtle. It can be used as a frame, a wreath, or a centerpiece. $64.95

Chocolates: The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without chocolate. Dagoba Organic Chocolate (www.dagobachocolate.com), Green & Black’s (www.greenandblacks.com), and Newman’s Own Organic Chocolate (www.newmansownorganics.com) all make deliciously decadent organic chocolate selections. For something extra fancy, try Art Bite Chocolates made from organic Costa Rican chocolates. These hand decorated treats come in four delectable flavors: Whole Pistachios, Dried Ranier Cherries, a local specialty, Organic Cocoa Nibs and Chipotle Pepper, $29.95 (for 1 dozen).

Eco-Friendly Sweets: If your child has a sweet tooth (and what child doesn’t!) he will love making his own treats with a Glee Kit. Choose between the Chewing Gum Kit, the Gummy Candy Kit, and the Chocolate Kit. Each one comes with all of the ingredients necessary to make the treat as well as fun stories and info about the origins of the candy.

Toys You Can Trust

Roy Toy Building Sets: Roy Toy Classic building Sets, such as the Log Cabin and the Fort are Made in the U.S.A. from solid wood and non-toxic finishes. Each set contains over 140 all-wood pieces and a complete set of building instructions so kids can use to get down to building. $29.95

The Power House Kit: from Gaiam gives kids the supplies they need to build a model house complete with PV solar panels, wind turbine, greenhouse, and desalination system. The kit comes with an illustrated manual that includes 70 experiments and 20 building activities. $175.00

Organic Cotton Stuffed Animals: Look for a stuff animal, like this puppy or bear from Gaiam, that contains nothing but pure 100% organic cotton and low eco-impact dyes. $12.99

Puppets: Sequoia Wildlife Finger Puppet Playset: This beautiful playset contains six wildlife puppets (owl, bear, blue jay, squirrel, hare and fox) and a 17-inch plush sequoia tree. Older kids can put on puppet shows for little ones (and vice versa) to learn about animals, nature, and communication. Net proceeds of the sale of this toy benefit the Sierra Club. $39.95.

Cool Eco-Friendly Stuff

Gifts To Pamper: Does someone you know need a little pampering? Try the Feel Amazemint gift set from Aveda with all-natural products that cool, refresh, and protect the skin from environmental damage. $29.99. Or try the Angelica Gift Set from Aubrey Organics, a light citrus parfum and bath powder (made from rice and tapioca…not talc) set made from organic ingredients that are certified cruelty-free and vegan. $21.95

Eco Gadgets: Boys can’t resist their toys, so gadgets such as a hand-crank flashlight for the car or a solar-powered radio for the boat are sure to be a hit. Check out Sundance Solar (http://store.sundancesolar.com) for a number of eco-gadget selections.

Recycled Gadgets: Motherboard Business Card Case: This sleek case has a circuit board cover which fits snugly over a brass-colored metal base. Holds up to a dozen cards. No two patterns are exactly alike. $25.00 or Record Label Holiday Ornaments Laser cut from vintage 45 rpm records, these zero waste ornaments come packaged in sets of three different records in a clear, recyclable box. $18 for a set of three.

Books For All Ages

Hoot by Carl Haissen

Nature’s Art Box by Laura C. Martin and David Cain

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Magic Schoolbus: At The WaterWorks by Joanna Cole,

The Gaia Girl Series by Lee Welles

WoodsWalk by Henry W. Art and Michael W. Robbins

Worms Eat My Garbage: How To Set Up & Maintain A Worm Composting System by Mary Appelholf

Why Compost?

1. Save Money: Why pay money for plant food and fertilizers when you can make your own with some broken down leaves and newspapers. Composting is not as hard as you think and it can save you a fortune in yard care products.
2. Reduce Waste: Every scrap you put in the compost bin is one less scrap that’s locked away in a landfill.

3. Protect Your Plants and The Planet: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “compost has been shown to suppress plant diseases and pests, reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, and promote higher yields of agricultural crops.” The organization has also found that the composting process can help absorb odors, bind heavy metals, and break down toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Starting A Compost Pile

There are tons of resources out there that cover the composting process inside and out. Basically, to get started you will need 2 types of ingredients:

• Carbon (shredded newspapers, cardboard, and straw)
• Nitrogen (lawn clippings, kitchen waste, and weeds).

Combine them together and before long you’ll have compost. If you’re feeling lazy you don’t need to do anything else (but wait and wait). You’ll have usable compost by next year even if you never touch the pile again. If you’d like things to move along a little more quickly, you’ll need to turn the pile and add a few drops of water every few weeks. If you really want to get the most from your waste, check out a few online resources:

How To Compost.org
How To Make Compost
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Composting Info