Stop Junk Mail. Be Eco Friendly. Do Good. The GreenDimes Blog

"Green" Fashion Defined

With all the talk about Greening that we see in every part of our life, I thought this question and answer with Suzanne D’Amato of Vogue magazine was worth mentioning.

Q: …does "green" fashion have a concrete definition that allows customers to be certain what they are buying actually leads to better outcomes. Or is "green" fashion just another marketing ploy to make people feel good about what they are purchasing?

A: Suzanne D'Amato: Wow -- you've asked enough to take up the rest of this chat! Let's see how far I can get:

I don't know that there is one generally accepted definition of green; the Web site Hautegreen.com lists several common "sustainability criteria" you might find interesting -- it runs the gamut, including everything from using materials that are recycled or recyclable to using alternative energy such as solar power in the manufacturing process. "Green" is sort of an umbrella term in that sense -- it's meant to encompass all manner of socially and/or environmentally responsible practices…..

For the full article, click here

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/08/03/DI2006080301186.html

Organic Networks (and cocktails!)

I stumbled across greendrinks.org today and thought it was pretty impressive; as an organic social network that is active in over 241 cities worldwide! Everyone is meeting up over drinks (we like) and they are meeting up as active participants in the environment (classifying this as a win-win!)

About greendrinks.org:

Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.

We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just say, "are you green?" and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there.It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network.

These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It's a force for the good and we'd like to help it spread to other cities. Contact your local node to get the latest info about coming along.

You can also email edwin [at] greendrinks [dot] org if you want some tips on how to set up Green Drinks in your City.

CHEERS!

Excessive shipping and packaging? Another mail problem indeed.

In the interest of bringing environmentally un-sustainable practices to light- and *especially* when they have to do with mail- all of us at GreenDimes were slapped upside our go-green noggins this morning when our CEO walked into the office disheveled and carrying a medium UPS express box under each arm.  It wasn’t so much the overflowing boxes that caught our attention as the disgusted expression on his face that let us know something was up.

                It seems that Pankaj had ordered 2 gift certificates online from a very well-known woman’s retailer for the lucky woman in his life- innocent enough, right? What he hadn’t signed up for was the sheer amount of packaging waste that showed up on his doorstep a few days later.

                The two certificates were sent separately- each in it’s own envelope. Which was then wrapped in sheets and sheets of tissue paper. Which was placed in a gift box. Which also had a letter taped to the outside explaining the gift. Which was then placed in a box to ship. And each certificate (that could have arrived in a single envelope, mind you) shipped separately- even though he had checked out with 2 certificates in the same online shopping cart.

                With the tremendous success GreenDimes continues to have, there are always little reminders all of the work we have in front of us. I’m sure this packaging nightmare comes as little surprise to most of you- but what we can do is focus on change. We are here to make our voices heard in the residential postal mail industry and we are not going away. We have many struggles to win. This one has been duly noted and added to the list.

Cheers,

Kendra

www.greendimes.com

Declare your Independence from Junk Mail! (And some other green tips)

The Fourth of July celebration in the US dates back to our 1776 Declaration of Independence from Great Britian- but in today’s world, the celebration means something very different to most Americans. It means hamburgers and hotdogs, fireworks and sparklers, chilled beer and wine, friends and family. It means sun, surf and sand. And it means traveling, gas, carbon emissions, oh my!

So this Fourth of July, it is time to declare your independence from our environmentally harmful lifestyles. Here are a handful of tips to make your Fourth of July celebration red, white and *green*:

·         If you are hosting a BBQ, use your household serving pieces, plates, and silverware. This will mean slightly more dishes- but quite a bit less waste.

·         If you are going to a party, bring your own cup. There are sure to be refreshments flowing all day… not only will this mean you use many less plastic cups, you’ll also know exactly which one is yours all day!

·         Buy local foods for your gathering. Whether it is just you and your spouse or a back-yard full of friends and family, it is important to try to buy your food locally. There is still time to hit up your farmers market or local grocery to find local meats and veggies.

·         Don’t forget to recycle all of the paper, plastic and cans from your day!

·         Turn off your air conditioning and cool down by jumping in the neighborhood swimming pool or lake. It will be way more fun staying cool in the pool than sitting on your couch!

·         Don’t feel the need to travel to your Fourth of July celebration- who likes sitting in traffic anyhow? Set up a slip-n-slide in your own front yard and enjoy the comforts of home.

And last but most certainly not least- you can declare your independence from junk mail all year long for just a dime-a-day with GreenDimes! But you knew that already, didn’t you?

Happy Fourth of July GreenDimers, have a great holiday!

Kendra

www.greendimes.com