Beach Etiquette: Four Green Beach Tips

Remember This During Your Beach Vacation

Visiting the beach this summer?  The ocean is a precious resource and all natural resources deserve to be treated with respect.

Below are several green tips for beach etiquette to remember this summer season:

1) Pack light for beach excursions:

When going to the beach, some families or groups bring a huge meal, toys, games, and more.  Try to pack as light as possible when spending time at the beach so nothing is forgotten and subsequently left behind.  Food wrappers, napkins, and other small items can often be left behind and/ or blow away in the wind.

2) Collect garbage and deposit accordingly:

At the beach, food waste, recyclables, and general garbage are literally steps away from the ocean.  Collecting all waste to dispose of properly later is a huge help for the local ecosystem.

Three Dangers of Not Going Green

What Are The Challenges of Environmental Negligence?

Those who live a green life care about the environment and the effects of harmful chemicals and damaging practices on natural resources.

Past blog posts detail the positive outcomes of eco-friendly living.  This post will detail the opposite and highlight the areas of harm that directly stem from ignoring a green lifestyle.

1) Damage to Waterways, Lakes, and Other Bodies of Water

Harmful chemicals will eventually, due to rain, water pollution, or a direct dump of products or chemicals, enter water systems and negatively impact the water quality.  Not only does this effect the water, but the animals and plants in the water as well suffer health concerns and other dangers.

Paper or Plastic? Recycling Dos and Don'ts

Properly Organize Your Recycling Bin

For regular recycle-rs: the ability to organize the recycling bin is an important step in allowing resources the chance to get re-used.  Gathering and dumping recyclables into the recycling bin is inconvenient and can even result in negative consequences for the recycling process.  To recycle effectively

1) Newspapers are the first items you should load into your recycling bin.  If you have a stack of newspapers, put the entire contents on the bottom of the bin.  Not only will this help with organization, but it will weight down the bin and create a stable foundation for the rest of your recyclables.

2) Junk mail and light pamphlets should go in your recycling bin next, on top of the newspaper.  This loose paper should take up very little space in your bin.

Spring Cleaning 2016: Tips and Ideas

Clean in a Truly Green Way and Protect the Environment

Do you know the benefits of spring cleaning?  Taking time to go through a household and clean and organize is an extremely effective way to find clothes, decor, or other supplies that can be donated and re-purposed.  

However, not all cleaning supplies are good for the environment.  In fact, some cleaning products can infiltrate and severely damage grass, shrubbery, and waterways. 

In order to avoid harmful chemicals, it is possible to purchase green cleaners.  It is also easy and economical to create efficient cleaners from everyday supplies...

Some common supplies you can easily make effective cleaners from include:

• Distilled white vinegar (sold in the cooking section of most supermarkets),
• Baking soda,
• Olive oil,
• Microfiber cleaning cloths, and
• Newspaper

Enjoy Biking? Participate in Bike To Work Day! #BTWD

Bike To Work Day is a Great Holiday to Promote Green Living

The annual Bike to Work Day event will take place this year on Friday, May 20 across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.  For first time event riders, Bike to Work Day began in 2001 as a way to encourage commuters to ride their bicycle to work, when applicable, instead of simply driving in a car.  This event is organized by Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

The Benefits:

A main reason for Bike to Work Day stems from the environmental benefits of biking.  Cars, trucks, and motorized transportation create excess air pollutants that damage the ozone layer.  Biking creates no pollutants and is an effective and reliable form of transportation.

In addition to the green benefits, biking is cheaper than driving and also a healthier form of transportation.