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

THE GAME OF SWAP

Exchanging ‘stuff’ is one of the most traditional engagements that man has involved himself with; the English traded spices and tea with the Indians, the Kula tribe of the Trobriand Islands gave shell necklaces to admired and respected folk in their tribes, young American boys abandoned tired baseball cards for cooler players and in some households – even wives! We get bored of what we have, choose something with more meaning, require more value or simply want to replace a possession because it is no longer needed.

Ebay caught onto this basic instinct but produced a marketplace where these ideas translated into the application of each seller to name their price and make money – afterall, this is the modern age and everything seems to have a price.  Yet access was given to an individual to decide how much value they placed on an item, rendering a primary example of how the digital arena is empowering individuals to be the purveyors of their own consumption exchange. 

Whatsmineisyours began as a reaction to the disposable fashion world existing today where consumers are continuously giving up items they have short relationships with.  Kick-started by fashionista, Judy Berger, her site still offers the buy-and-sell function, but goes one step further - you uncover clothes and furniture at a similar value and rather than dump it, swap it.  Donating a Marc Jacobs handbag to a woman in India is ridiculous and you’re only going to go out to spend more - this way you can fulfill the greedy shopper in you but recycle the goods.

Takes the idea of fair trade into another dynamic, don't you think?

38 billion plastic bottles in the bin

The crusades of celebrities to stay on trend was mocked at its most ridiculous when we saw the shift of Paris Hilton clutching the prettiness of a Fiji plastic bottle of water, and later boycotting any establishments who served the stuff, because well, Britney, Linsdey and the rest of the gang were trying it on for size.  In America, tap water is given out free at every diner, cafe and restaurant.  In Britain, on asking, you are snubbed, much the way a cat looks at a dog. 

This wave is hitting restaurant owners like Richard O’Rourke at Gastor’s food hall in England who has said he has not sold a single plastic bottle since opening over 6 months ago.  They invested in a £5000 ($10,000)  system to filter tap water into glass bottles producing fresh and preservative free water.  Having saved up to 17, 686 half litre plastic bottles, a ton and a half of carbon emissions from transportation and 1,474 packaging containers, bottles are served in glass bottles featuring the Gastor logo and been received extremely well by the public.

Cindy Crawford has just involved herself in a collaboration with PUR  Water Filtration Systems for a similar endeavour by designing a reusable water bottle for the company which could allow us to eliminate up to 3,200 plastic water bottles each year.

"Environmental issues are on the top of everyone's mind, including my own," says Cindy. "As a mom, I'm particularly concerned because I want my kids to grow up in a healthier environment. I filter my tap water with PUR.  It's a really simple yet impactful way to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic my family uses while also ensuring that we always have access to clean, great-tasting drinking water."

According to Fast Company, more than up to 38 billion plastic water bottles are discarded every year.  Cindy’s efforts with PUR to design the limited-edition water bottles which sport the phrase ‘Thirsty for Change’ is a clear reaction against such numbers

All proceeds for the campaign will go to Procter & Gamble’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program which helps to reduce water related disease in many developing countries.

Read more about water filtration from Thirsty for Change

SHRED IT TO THE EARTH

In the worlds of corporate corruption where suited men hide under cherry wood desks whilst shredding evidence of their thievery and greed, there lies a large gap in the market for selling on said shredded paper.  Mulch and shredded junk mail have similar properties – they are both made up of bits of trees.

Therefore in gazillions of the offices which clutter our business centers, there exist infinite opportunities to not just recycle reams of used paper, but to shred them and turn them into compost for gardens. Most ink is soy based for economic reasons, resting no risk for toxic poisonings when planting edible seeds in the compost - that being said, better to test this new way of creating compost for plants and flowers only.  Glossy magazines are entirely off the option list as they are not only unshreddable but can contain traces of contaminated inks.

More tips on making compost
How to really make compost

RAISE THE ROOF

As urban cities grow towards the sky, at times ambushing community property in favor of cookie cutter condominiums and show-off corporate structures, a new trend of the garden variety is sweeping across cities in the US – Green roofs.  They are appearing on million square spaces in places like Whole Foods, Vancouver International Airport and W hotels.

CNN Money has revealed that green roofs are growing at up to 125 % a year.  Companies such as G-Sky have recognized the gap in the market and are promoting themselves as the expert vendors to provide this innovative service.  Buildings have not just roof terraces but the four walls which surround them, allowing for increased available space to cover with plants such as sedum and prairie grass.  Added advantages include lower heating and air conditioning costs for the buildings thus not only releasing CO2 into the environment but keeping change in corporate pockets,at times only way they ever consider environmental practices.

Read Sidra Durst’s full article here

LEAN, GREEN, GETTING HEALTHY SCHEME

Breaking bread at a table full of strangers will have you cruising home with a new set of phone numbers for brunch get-togethers in the coming weeks. 

Yet with Winter having lost the battle to Spring’s bountiful arrival, there is chatter about getting healthy and losing inches on the hips you’ve found happened from persistent hibernating.

The Daily Green has outlined a 30 day guide to improving the ‘Greeness’ in your diet and they kick-start the daunting prospect for the unruly who are hesitant to partake with (DRUM ROLL PLEASE) – pouring a glass of organic wine.  The key to changing your dietary habits is not just cutting out the sugars and fats but improving the quality of your intake of various foods.  They request you to rejoice in this new stage of organic eating by sipping on wine that was grown without pesticides, using grapes grown on an organic farm and to embrace the foods which are sustainable for the planet and for your body.

Other steps listed include purging your pantry of bad foods, buying the best olive oil to cook with, facing the fact that artificial sweeteners are bad and renting ‘Fast Food Nation’ as a reminder of the effects of lazy eating.

View the full guide here