Avoid processed foods: If you needed any more reasons to resist pre-packaged foods: It takes 10 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of processed food. Similarly, producing frozen food requires about 10 times more energy than making fresh food does.
Buy locally produced products: The average food item travels 1,200 miles to get to your plate. While recent studies say purchasing locally is hardly a silver bullet—it’s four times more carbon efficient to purchase locally.
Cut back on or even greatly reduce the meat: It may be hard to believe, but livestock produces more green-house gases than the world’s entire transportation industry does. If every American gave up meat just one day a week, it would be the equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road. Eliminating your meat consumption completely is comparable to trading in an SUV for a hybrid.
Shop smarter: Americans could stand to adopt the quality-not-quantity approach to shopping. The fact is, if everyone in the world consumed like an American, we would need five Earths to sustain us.
Fix leaks in your heating and air conditioning: Patching leaks in your heating and cooling systems — in the ductwork, windows, and insulation — is the most effective way to reduce your home’s carbon footprint. If that’s too much work, there some easy ways to reduce energy consumption: simply install carbon-fluorescent or LED light bulbs (they use 60 percent less electricity); or buy smart power strips and switch them off when you aren’t using your appliances can save you up to $20 per month on your electric bill, and a huge chunk of CO2.
Carpool: There are approximately 160 million workers in the US, and the average car emits one pound of CO2 per mile. So if every worker drove even 10 fewer miles per week, they would reduce CO2 emissions by a whopping 80 billion plus pounds per year.
Move to town: The average American citizen is about twice as green in a high-density area. For example, each San Francisco resident produces about 11.2 tons of CO2 per year, compared with the 24.5 tons American average. Cities with better public transportation are even more efficient: New Yorkers are down to 7.1 tons per person.
Tags: Avoid processed foods, Buy locally produced products, carbon-fluorescent, green-house gases, LED light bulbs, Patching leaks
You or someone in your family probably received something with a microchip in it as a holiday gift. That means that you’ll probably be getting rid of your older electronics – like that old laptop, cell phone, camera, or GPS device very soon. But remember that most electronic gadgetry can and should be recycled. Just be sure to dispose of that gear responsibly.
With that in mind, here is some advice on how to recycle your unwanted or no longer needed electronics. And it’s all good advice:
- Start with the manufacturer – Most equipment makers now have “take back” programs, many of which are free. The retail outlet where you originally bought the item may also offer a recycling plan. Some retail outlets, such as Best Buy, will take any electronics regardless of where it was purchased. Also, many cities and other local municipalities now operate recycling programs as well.
- Recyclers beware; not all recyclers are created equal – Some outfits don’t recycle products. Instead they ship them to third-world countries where they are scrapped and melted down, often creating a problem worse than just dumping it all in a landfill. Ask your recycler what they do with recycled electronic gadgets.
- Donation is even better than recycling – If your equipment is still in working order, there’s no reason to recycle it. There are many charitable groups that will put it to good use.
- Erase personal data – It’s critical that you fully erase and scrub any hard drives, memory cards, and cell phone memory cards before you donate or scrap it. Used gear electronic is a common source for the information used for identity theft. Protect yourself.
- Start green – Many new electronics devices are using recycled or biodegradable materials when they are initially produced, making them more attractive for the environmentally conscious. When it comes time to purchase new electronics, consider these more environmentally-friendly products.
Tags: electronics, recycle
While no beauty products can truly be 100% green or have a zero carbon footprint, there are beauty products available on the market that are formulated and packaged to minimize their impact on the environment.
Green beauty products are those that have been made with natural, organic, sustainable or renewable resources. Beauty products can also be considered green if they are vegan, made without animal testing or packaged in green materials like recyclable, biodegradable or compostable products.
A green beauty product is one that has been made while meeting green standards at every stage: from growth, through manufacturing and processing right down to how the products are stored and packaged. Even the energy used can be taken into consideration for a green product. The best green beauty product is one that leaves behind the smallest carbon footprint, which means it has a minimal environmental impact.
If a product is truly green, it should have been produced with the environment and your health in mind. However, the term “green” is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA will certify cosmetic products that are made with organic ingredients.
If a product is made with 95% or more organic ingredients, it will carry a USDA organic symbol. If it includes more than 70% organic ingredients, the label will say that the product was “made with organic ingredients.”
(Note: “organic” and “green” isn’t the same thing. A product that is labeled organic was not created with any manmade products, such as fertilizers. When it comes to being green, you should consider things such as how the beauty product was made and the amount of packaging used.
Is there a lot of packaging? Ask yourself: is there extra or unnecessary packaging? Is the packaging recyclable or biodegradable? Does the package have the recycling logo on the package? (Three arrows that make a triangle.)
A major element of green living is being aware of which ingredients are in a product. If you aren’t familiar with an ingredient, you might not want to buy the item.
On the other hand, just because a product has some natural ingredients doesn’t mean that everything else in the product is organic or has been produced in a way that cuts down on waste. Consider the transportation that went into bringing your product to store shelves. If you buy a product made locally or from a local distributor, you’ll help support the local economy and cut down on fuel consumption, even if it is by a small amount.
Choosing green beauty products may require bargaining with yourself on occasion. Your favorite shampoo may be off limits may have extra packaging or contain some inorganic ingredients.
Choosing green beauty products may also require changing your beauty routine. Some product lines offer recycling programs that let you bring back items for refills or give a free goodie when you make a return.
You can also change your habits. A shorter shower that’s just long enough to let you incorporate all your beauty routine will help conserve water. As will turning off the faucet while you scrub your face or brush your teeth is a little step that makes a difference.
Perhaps the best way to go green with your beauty routine is to use fewer products in general. You might not need several hair gels or hand moisturizers. Less is more, especially when you’re talking about carbon footprints.
Beautiful skin is a sign of good health. It is viewed as an asset by most people. Beautiful skin is a coveted possession that can affect your personality and even success in life. Some of us are lucky to have beautiful skin features naturally. But most of us must work hard to retouch the scars, cure blemishes and acne and remove uneven pigmentations.
But with latest developments in the field of skin care anybody can achieve a healthier looking skin these days. A few easy and simple steps can make a mediocre skin gleam and shine. A regular and suitable skincare regimen can do magic for most people. It requires regularity and patience in turn.
Until recently, people believed that cosmetic surgery was the best way to get healthy and glowing skin. Fortunately, people now understand the power of all-natural skin care products and are turning to nature for facial skin care products and skin care regimens. However, the term “green” is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) – leaving the industry open to greenwashing but by some companies that make false or misleading green claims.
That’s why All Around The Town Massage and Wellness Spa has offers only all-natural beauty products. After a long and thorough search we discovered a beauty products company that shares our commitment to the environment – a company that is committed to:
- Responsible harvesting of botanical ingredients (harvest and replenish)
- Never utilizing endangered plant species in its products
- Never using animal derived ingredients or animal by-products and are never tested on animals
- Optimizing packaging and product design to use less materials
- Using renewable sources for all of paper packaging
- Printing with soy-based inks wherever possible
- Ensuring distribution facilities have recycling programs for all incidental packaging and shipping supplies
All-natural facial skin care products have no side effects. These products are made from natural extracts. Such ingredients as shrubs, herbs, seeds, flowers, sandal wood, Asian papaya, jojoba, olive oil, aloe vera, coconut oil, turmeric, milk, fruits, lemon, and honey are commonly used in natural facial skin care products. Unlike chemical based artificial products, ingredients have the added benefit of being free from side effects – even if overused. That is why all-natural skin care solutions have taken the place of artificial cosmetics.
Neglecting your skin is next to impossible. Skin is the most exposed part of human body and it is subject to exposure to sunlight, pollutants, chemicals, dust, allergens and other harmful elements that can make the skin dramatically affect the health and look of your skin. Therefore, regularly practicing an effective all-natural skincare routine is a must these days.
Tags: massage, salt lake city, wellness center
Thank you for visiting us at All Around the Town Massage and Wellness Center Spa. Like you, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact and achieving sustainability. To show our commitment, All Around the Town Massage and Wellness Center Spa has joined forces with Green Locals and is proud to announce that we have become the first certified green massage and wellness spa in Utah.
We hope that you’ll become a Facebook Fan and that you will follow us on Twitter, where you can read our green tips and take advantage of our green Internet specials.
We appreciate your interest in what we are doing and for supporting our efforts to practice sustainability and make a real environmental impact.
Linda Worthington
Tags: massage, salt lake city, wellness center
A diverse range of massage and wellness techniques are offered including colon hydrotherapy and infrared sauna. Our professional and experienced staff will help you achieve a healthy and rejuvenated body, mind, and spirit. An assortment of fine healthcare, herbal, and beauty products are also available.
Tags: colonic, massage, salt lake city