#17

So the holidays are over and you’ve got a pile of greetings and gift cards, on display and collecting dust in a corner of the living room. But they’ve got to come down eventually, and unfortunately most will find their way into the rubbish bin.

Of course you, diligent Bonzai readers, would never trash that precious card stock, I’m sure. We’re all recyclers here, are we not?

But what about doing one better? Instead of tossing them in with the newspapers and tomato tins, why not hold on to them for later use? Simply remove that pretty (and valuable) front! (leaving the back, inscribed with your relative’s well wishes, to recycle) Now you have a brand new post card, a clever thank-you note, or a lovely gift tag!

You can also wrap a gift in simple brown paper (re-use a paper grocery bag), then tape the recycled card front to it, to add a festive image.

So save your holiday cards for the next years festivities! But don’t forget to save other cards throughout the year – this works equally well for Valentines, birthdays, and beyond!

BONZAI!

#16

We’re coming up on December madness, and that means serious travel season in many parts of the world. But with airlines being so . . . *ahem* . . . not nice, a lot of us are opting to drive to our holiday destinations. Here’s a few tips on how to maximize mileage in the coming month – and beyond.

First, get rid of any extra baggage! Tools in the trunk, flotsam and jetsam hiding under the seats . . . I even have an iron in the back of my car (long story). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, each extra 100 pounds will reduce gas mileage by 1-2%. And it adds up fast! So clear out.

Then, before you leave for your trip you’ll need to check your tires. We’ve all heard it before, but seriously guys! If everyone kept their tires properly inflated, we would reduce consumption by millions of barrels per year – like, no need to drill in ANWR! So put that funky little tool in your glovebox to good use!

Next you’ll need to take a trip down to your local auto specialist. If your air filter is reusable, you need to clean it; if its replaceable, you need a new one. Dirty filters muck up the air/gas ratio which compromises combustion. You should aim to address the air filter every 12,000 miles or so.

And finally, drive right on the road – especially in stop ‘n go traffic. That means: slow, constant acceleration, which will cut your fuel consumption by ~20%. That’s a lot of savings, so keep the pedal OFF the metal, eh!?

Safe traveling my dears, and happy holiday season!

BONZAI!

#15

Autumn is my favorite season for many reasons, not the least of which is the leaves. Yellowing, darkening into crimson tree-toppers, and then finally . . . falling.

If you’ve got these seasonal scallywags littering your lawn, please use a rake to tidy them up. Aside from being a terrible noise nuisance, those gas-powered leaf blowers spit out as many toxic emissions in an hour as a car would by driving for 350 miles! And all of it right into your airspace.

So once you’ve got your leaves all piled, what will you do with them? Burning them is a no-no, as it creates massive air pollution and poses the risk of igniting a wild fire. But throwing them in the trash will just contributes to a landfill. So what to do?

If you garden, you can use them! Leaves make a great mulch or winter cover. Just spread a thick layer over all your dormant beds. Or, go over them with a mulching mower to cut them up real tiny-like. Then sprinkle those clippings across the grass, as ‘lawn feed’.

Of course, you could always toss the leaves directly into your compost bin. Still not composting? Many cities will pick up yard waste along with trash and recycling, since they use it in parks and city projects (as well as resale). So give your local government a call to find out if there are programs available.

BONZAI!

#14

Alright guys, lets talk about coffee.

If you grab your joe on the go, remember to bring your own reusable mug. Millions of plastic and paper cups are trashed each year, and totally unnecessarily. For extra insurance, stow a lidded metal mug or glass jar in your glove box for emergency caffeine fixes. I even have a friend who habitually carries a ceramic cup in her purse, everywhere she goes!

If you brew at home, make sure your equipment is eco-friendly. For example coffee filters are bleached with a chemical called dioxin, an environmental toxin and carcinogen. Choose unbleached paper, cloth, or metal mesh coffee filters instead, to keep yourself and your planet dioxin free.

Regardless of whether you drink out or drink in, make sure your business is going to a company that shares your ethical priorities. Look for earth-friendly organic, eco-friendly ‘shade grown’, and socially responsible fair trade coffees.

BONZAI!

Lucky Number 13!

So, now that we’ve cut out the toxins by making our own dishwasher detergent, it’s time to consider the energy we’re expending.

Did you know that most dishwashers have an automated drying function built into the cycle? Yes, to be clear: your dishwasher is using energy to move hot air around, in order to dry your dishes a little faster.

Sounds silly when you say it that way, right? So why not make a habit of switching off the drying function (or stopping the dishwasher manually if your model is set up that way). Just crack the door open and let the dishes air dry. You’ll save over 10% of the energy used in each load.

BONZAI!

#12
If it’s yellow, you can let it stay
If it’s brown, you should flush it away
This is the song I like to hear
To save over 1,200 gallons of water a year!

’nuff said, amiright?

BONZAI!

#11 We can all agree on the profound importance of recycling, right? For example, if each US resident would recycle 1 newspaper / week, we could save 36 million trees. How’s that for profound??

I think it’s safe to assume you readers are avid recyclers. (right?!?)

But what about the flipside? Recycling won’t mean a thing if there’s no use for recycled paper. It’s up to consumers (us!) to speak with our dollars and create a demand for post-consumer products. This does double duty environmentalism, as it saves both resources and energy. For example, newspaper made from recycled newsprint only requires half the energy input!

When buying recycled writing and printer paper, try to find the highest post-consumer content. 30% is a good ratio to aim for. Make sure the product is made without chlorine, as this toxin is a major pollutant. Also seek out sustainable fibers such as bamboo.

BONZAI!

#10 Other than their intrinsic aesthetic value, there’s a really good reason to keep live plants around your home and office. According to NASA funded research, green plants will remove pollutants from stale, indoor air. I know I feel a sense of serenity when I’m sharing my space with some flora – could it be that I’m literally breathing a little easier?

Various plants may be better at binding various gasses, but it’s believed that any foliage is preferable to none at all. For example, the flowers Chrysanthemums and Gerber Daisies are best for binding benzine. Spider Planta, Philodendrons, and Pothos, are especially apt at absorbing formaldehyde. Ficus, Ivy, and Aloe Vera are also excellent air filters.

So get yourself some green stuff. NASA says so!

BONZAI!

#9 You know what thrills me more than it rightfully should? Brand new, freshly sharpened, perfectly pointy pencils. HA!

In college, the first day of class was always my favorite – lining up my new notepad, cracking the spine on whatever tome of a textbook, and all that hope and potential harnessed in a brand new, at-the-ready yellow #2.

So I just had to share this fabulous find, for the geeky and graphical among us. Tree Smart is a little green business that uses old newspapers to make little green pencils (literally!), without any mulching or toxins in the process. Starting with the graphite core, newspaper is wrapped around and around and sealed with adhesive. The binder dries as hard as wood so these pencils sharpen just like normal!

BONZAI!

#8 So, we’ve all agreed that wasting paper is bad. We’ve canceled our newspaper subscription and we recycle all our mail and our ‘brown bag’ lunch comes in a canister. But unfortunately, 90% of our households are still reliant on one of the worst wasters of this limited resource: napkins.

It’s time to end it, guys! Paper towels and their ilk account for 3,000 tons of landfill waste each year. That’s millions of trees – trashed. Is it really worth the perceived convenience?

Instead of traditional paper products, try using dishrags around the kitchen. Rip up old towels for dirty cleaning jobs. Dine in style with cotton napkins. Stash a hankie in your satchel (or your back pocket, for fashion and for function!) so you won’t ever get caught unawares. Add a small cloth to your packed lunches (or your kids’), and keep a supply in the glovebox, too. It’s so easy to cut out unnecessary paper, and once it’s habitual, you’ll wonder why it took you so long.

And just in case you’re wondering, it takes less than half the energy of paper production, to fabricate and then re-clean a cloth towel over its lifetime.

BONZAI!