This holiday week (for those of us in the US) think twice before disposing of waste before and after your event. You could be saving yourself some work in the garden come springtime if you start thinking ahead and start composting now!
You don't need a fancy gadget or special container to start composting -- just a space you can cover and maintain warmth and moisture with plenty of worms to start creating the best fertilizer for your spring plants. And what space would be better than your most-likely empty raised garden bed?
Even if you live in colder climates, you can utilize your already-constructed raised garden bed to begin a compost pile to use in the spring. All you'll need is something to cover it, and for good measure maybe a few worms to help the process along.
It happens to the best of us -- we go to hang our holiday lights only to find that they no longer work. Trying to find the burned-out bulb or shorted fuse is time consuming and frustrating, and often times strands of incandescent lights just go bad after a few uses.
So what do you do with your old holiday lights? Before you drop them into your trashcan and forget about them, consider recycling them instead. Not only will this keep electronic waste out of the landfill, but old holiday light strands can typically be ground down to particles that are divided by type (usually pvc, glass and copper) and used in other applications.
Not sure where to get started? Check with your city, town or municipality for recycling guidelines in locations. If you're in the Chicago area, for example, Naperville offers four light recycling locations in partnership with Elgin Recycling. A complete list can be found here, courtesy of the Naperville Sun.
Insulation may be on your mind now that the temperatures are dropping. Keeping your home well-insulated isn't only key in preserving your home's climate control, but can also help reduce energy costs by preventing energy leaks.
Traditional insulation, however, isn't the most eco-friendly of materials. If you'd prefer a greener option, try some of these options as discussed by This Old House.
*Cellulose, made of shredded newspapers and fire retardant. Cellulose is applied while damp and, when dry, works just as well as fiberglass.
*Cotton, which is an ideal insulation for floors and walls. Cotton insulation can be made from a variety of materials, including denim and other recycled cotton.
*Sheep's wool, a great natural alternative for insulation. According to This Old House, the sheep wool is fluffed and treated with pest control additives before being applied as insulation.
It's finally happened. The green building movement now has a retailer to call its own, Treehouse.
Treehouse opened last week in Austin, TX and is the country's first home improvement center that will sell only sustainable and healthy-living products.
TreeHouse will carry a wide range of carefully selected merchandise including paint, floor and wall coverings, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, cleaning supplies,storage and organization options, solar power products plus a wide range of smart-home technology solutions that will allow customers to run their houses or businesses more efficiently.
