Recently in Being Green Category

blog7/18: Eco-Wedding

tip of the day
So you got engaged on Valentine's Day: think an eco-wedding means exchanging vows in burlap and then singing folk songs around a campfire?
the bite
No way - you should do it up however you want. Just use your wedding as an opportunity to support local businesses, give to your favorite organizations, and to utilize recycled and recyclable goods - from dresses to diamonds.
the benefits
  • Extend your happiness to others. Even the most traditional wedding brings opportunities for reuse/recycling. Arrange for reception leftovers to go to food banks and flowers to be dropped off at hospitals or rest homes.
  • Be good to your inlaws. Though it is a myth that uncooked rice damages birds, these little pebbles present a serious slipping hazard. Tossing bird feed is an equally fun and safter substitute for rice.
  • Close to 40% of the waste in US landfills is paper. Try invitations printed on recycled or bamboo paper and send your "Save the Dates" electronically.
  • Consider recycled gold and cruelty-free diamonds. Ecologically-friendly, socially-responsible, and recycled jewelry positively impact the environment, the economy, and the health of miners.
personally speaking
While Jen is going to get married on horseback, Heather is running off to Vegas when the time comes. (Our mothers are composing concerned emails while you read this.)
wanna try?
  • Organic Weddings - help with planning all aspects of an ecologically-conscious wedding.
  • Brides Against Breast Cancer - the charity sells once-worn gowns and uses the proceeds to grant wishes to breast cancer patients nationwide.
  • The Glass Slipper Project - get the bridesmaids in on the action by donating to a program that distributes formal dresses to high-school students unable to afford prom attire.
  • I Do Foundation - create a wedding registry with partner stores and up to 8% of gift purchases will be donated to your favorite charity.
  • greenKarat - one of the largest online retailers of environmentally and socially conscious jewelry.
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blog7/17: Eco-Limo

tip of the day
Did your invite to the Oscars mysteriously get lost in the mail?
the bite
Not again. But whether you're attending or just heading to a local party, you can arrive in style using an eco-limo service. (Yeah, yeah, we know public transportation is more eco, but you won't see George Clooney rolling up in a bus anytime soon.)
the benefits
  • Red-carpet readiness. Get where you're going in a hot new hybrid or a converted alternative-fuel luxury vehicle.
  • Winning best actor in an environmental role. Example: Natural gas creates 20%-30% less CO2 than gasoline.
  • Prices that noncelebs can afford. Eco-limos cost $20-$85 per hour - similar to typical car service pricing.
personally speaking
We just want to say thank you to all of our fans - without you, we never woulda made it this far [insert air kisses here]!
wanna try?
  • Eco-Limo - get around LA, SF, or DC in one of seven car options, including a Lexus 400h or Mercedes E320 ($45-$85/hr).
  • Elite Green Car - chauffeurs you around Atlanta in a Lexus RX 400 ($56/hr).
  • Green Limousine - a biodiesel Ford Excursion helps you hit the slopes in CO ($70-$80/hr).
  • Green Car Limo - tSF and Monterey, CA service, mostly stocked with Camrys and Priuses ($60/hr).
  • LimoGreen - runs a NYC-area fleet of natural gas-powered Lincoln Towncars ($55/hr).
  • Bauer's Limousine - green corporate service in NorCal, including electric buses (prices vary).
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blog7/16: Modal Fabric

tip of the day
Why are everyone's eyes glued to the runway?
the bite
Nope, we're not talkin' Gisele. Modal is an up-and-coming bio-based fabric that's making a splash in designs from couturiers to chain stores. Get fierce with our top picks.
the benefits
  • Posing less of an eco-threat. Modal is spun from beech-tree fiber, without the pesticides used on cotton, and without oil, which is used to make synthetics such as polyester.
  • Catwalk-readier than cotton. Modal's a soft, sleek fabric (think rayon) that doesn't pill, and is more shrink- and fade-resistant than cotton.
personally speaking
Heather bought a hot little brown modal dress last year; it hangs in her closet as a reminder that she's not allowed to skip yoga under any circumstances.
wanna try?
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blog6/25 Tip: Hair Products

tip of the day
Want naturally great hair?
the bite
We've all heard that question in TV commercials before. And it's possible - you really can keep your lovely locks looking lustrous with natural hair care and styling products. So take a look at labels and have a great hair day.
the benefits
Natural ingredients that enhance your hair's best qualities and work as effectively as conventional versions:
  • More garden than gasoline. Substitute mineral oil or petroleum-based products with almond, sunflower, and safflower oils, or cocoa butter and lanolin.
  • Instead of the common softening ingredient ethylene glycol (which has been classified as toxic in some government tests), soften your mane with natural humectants such as glycerin, honey, chamomile or sorbitol.
  • Replace your mousse made using DEA (when combined with other chemicals, a potential carcinogen) or triethanolamine (used to make chemical weapons) with one that includes natural foaming agents, like quillaja and yucca saponins or soapwort.
  • Tackle summertime hair woes by avoiding heat styling tools and products with alcohol or formaldehyde that strip hair of moisture.
personally speaking
After a day on the trails, Jen unwinds with a deep conditioning treatment - warmed coconut oil. She rubs it into her hair and scalp, wrapping it all in a warm towel and letting it sit for half an hour. All the while watching Will & Grace reruns and sipping wine, of course.
wanna try?
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blog6/24 Tip: Sustainable Furniture

tip of the day
When it comes to furniture, are you a conformist?
the bite
Then have fun at Ethan Allen. But if you want wood furniture that's a little more unique, look for artful pieces made from reclaimed (read: recycled) wood, you rebel-with-an-eco-cause, you.
the benefits
  • Preserving endangered trees. 50% of the world's forests are gone. Reclaimed wood furniture avoids using virgin wood from threatened tree species such as mahogany.
  • Less energy use. A lotta wood is shipped from thousands of miles away (example: some teak comes from 8,000 mi away in Phillipines). Our picks are from U.S. designers who typically source their wood locally.
  • Good news for nonconformists. Reclaimed wood pieces are one-of-a-kind, so you're not gonna see these beauts anywhere but your own place.
personally speaking
Jen is hiring a local MT furniture maker to whip up a custom, reclaimed-wood coffee table. It's setting her back $450, but she figures it'd cost that much for a nice hardwood one anyway.
wanna try?
  • Yelp - search for local antique and consignment shops using this yellow pages-like directory.
  • Alan Vogel Furniture - has studios in MT and WA state; specializes in rustic benches and tables.
  • Mi-Workshop - CA designer with a playful, simple aesthetic.
  • Moe Design Studio - NY designer who creates modern-ish pieces using reclaimed lumber. .
  • Staples Cabinet Makers - New England craftspeople who specialize in reclaimed-wood pieces.
  • Sustainable Furniture Council - if you aren't in any of the above locales, check out this listing of eco-conscious furniture makers.
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blog6/16 Tip: Hand Sanitizer

tip of the day
Are superbacteria something outta science fiction?
the bite
Take away the fiction part. While it seems like antibacterial cleansers would be more effective than plain, ol' soap, not-so-mad scientists have proven they aren't, and germs are getting stronger because we use so many antibiotics. Natural alts do the job minus the concerns.
the benefits
  • Getting just as clean. Germophobes rejoice: U of MI researchers reviewed 27 studies conducted between 1980 and 2006, and found that plain soaps are just as effective as those containing the antibacterial triclosan.
  • Not encouraging the monsters. Antibacterial soaps with triclosan can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics; our picks are naturally antibacterial.
personally speaking
Heather went to Burning Man 2007 armed with plenty of EO Hand Sanitizer - when you haven't taken a shower in four days, it's a must-have.
wanna try?
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blog6/29 Tip: Online Donations

tip of the day
Could you save the world with the click of your mouse?
the bite
With a little fancy finger work, Biters can help save the planet. Massage your index finger and click over to one of the web's many no-cost donation sites.
the benefits
  • New ad-supported websites let you click on ads to save the rainforest, fund AIDS research, purchase books for kids, and more.
  • Bored to death at work? Fuel extra minutes into saving the earth for an instant boredom killer.
  • It's freakin' free.
personally speaking
Before becoming master of all things technical at Ideal Bite, Brett had a job where he spent half his time IM'ing friends and reading tech blogs. Think of the rainforest he could've saved if this tip had existed back then!
wanna try?
Click to Donate
  • Charity Click Donation - they make it almost too easy. Donate to many sites at once using their bulk click donators.
  • CharityUSA - family of sites includes The Rainforest Site and The Breast Cancer Site.
  • Click2Donate - from Care2, click to conserve land, help kids and stop violence against women. Login to track your clicks over time.
  • Red Jellyfish - click to feed chimps and save the rainforest.
Email to Donate
  • Breast Cancer Mail - fund cancer research just by emailing.
  • Care2 - help different social justice and eco-charities with your free donation-linked email account.
  • PlanetSave - another free email service whose members have saved nearly 1 million sq ft of rainforest so far.
Search to Donate
  • Charity Cafe - 100% of ad profits are donated each time you search using the Ask.com search engine.
  • GoodSearch - 50% of their revenue goes to charity, with Yahoo!-generated search results.
  • GoodTree - personalize your homepage with weather, news and videos. They'll donate 50% of revenues each time you search using results compiled from Google, MSN Search and Yahoo!
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blog5/10 Tip: Green Investments

tip of the day
You're hip to a light green lifestyle, but are your investments?
the bite
Actions speak louder than words, but money speaks a helluva lot louder. Make a difference as you make money by investing your IRA and savings in socially responsible funds.
the benefits
  • SRI is hot. In the US alone, $2.3 trillion (1 in every 7dollars invested) are in socially responsible funds. During the past decade, SRI has grown 10% faster than traditional investment.
  • Many choices. Take your pick from community investment, social ventures, or SRI mutual funds.
  • Invest in a greener future. Give a slap on the back to socially and environmentally proactive companies that are finding solutions for tomorrow's problems today.
  • Profit big time. Many SRI funds actually out perform their peers and the S&P 500.
personally speaking
We are both investing in a very socially responsible fund. It's called Ideal Bite, you heard of it? (We wish we could accept your investments but the FTC would come after us).
wanna try?

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blog6/12 Tip: Volunteer At A Farm

tip of the day
Oink you craving some fuzzy love without the long-term commitment?
the bite
Say "cluck you" to euthanasia. Moo-ve your butt and volunteer at a farm sanctuary - a safe haven where homeless animals are protected and treated like the good, earthly neigh-bors they are.
the benefits
  • It's good for you. We already know that being around animals helps us live longer, and helping out at a farm for a day can be kinda fun, anyway.
  • Saving lives. Farm sanctuaries take in animals - such as retired racehorses, former lab rabbits, and livestock too sick to be sold for meat - and care for them (thanks to dedicated volunteers...like, maybe, you).
  • Something for the resume. Employers and college admissions boards take into account the fact that you're helping out in the community.
  • Picking favorites. Many farm sanctuaries specialize in certain animals, such as ducks, horses, and rabbits - so you can work with your faves.
personally speaking
When Jen lived in Ireland, a nearby farm sanctuary was flush with donkeys because they live up to 40 yr and often outlive their owners.
wanna try?
  • Farm Animal Shelters - directory of farm sanctuaries in 16 states.
  • Horsearama - lists almost 50 horse sanctuaries across the United States.
  • Farm Sanctuary - donate, or write a letter in support of humane treatment on farms.
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blog6/14 Tip: E-vites

tip of the day
Remember evites from way back when?
the bite
It was a different time. E-invitation sites offered boring greetings so impersonal, they sorta made you wanna kill a tree. The next gen of ecard sites help you get social without eliciting groans from everyone on your guest list.
the benefits
  • Getting down without cutting down trees. The biggest evite site, Evite.com, manages 450,000 invites monthly - just imagine if all those invites were on paper.
  • Party planning assistance. New sites help you organize guest lists, and some have cool features such as texting your invitees when it's time for them to head over.
  • More cash for piñatas. Paper invites can cost a few bucks apiece after postage. Our picks are (mostly) free.
personally speaking
Check the blog for a couple JibJab cards that feature the Bite team that - in our humble opinion - are absolutely hi-larious.
wanna try?
  • JibJab - cackle-worthy ecards that let you put your face atop animated characters (the first card's free, then you gotta pay).
  • MyPunchbowl - helps you choose the right date and a theme, and plan out all the deets (such as who's bringing the Jell-O fruit mold to your Battleship-playing night).
  • Pingg - sweet invite designs, plus it'll text-message invitees a reminder with the address a couple hours before the event.
  • Skobee - good for events that need input from different people, such as a road trip or multifamily getaway, since invites include built-in maps and a convo center where everyone can put in their two cents.
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