Recycling Time...

Today I recycled two large trash bags bursting full of plastics and one large garbage bag of shredded paper and junk mail. I have been trying my best to cut down on the amount of garbage that I go through. And so far its been working. In the last month and a half I have recycled seven large garbage bags, full of plastics and papers, and only put three garbage bags in the trash. I think that a lot of people forget that all that paper board packaging material that is used on just about everything at the grocery store can be recycled. This alone cuts back a heap of trash. And remember, even if your neighborhood does not have a recycling program you can always find one of these containers Think out side of the box, go out of your way. Keep as much out of the landfills as you can. And remember blog about your recycling Here. The more people we have talking about this and sharing what they are doing to help, the more people will want to be apart of this. Clean My city.

Read more...

snow solution

Choosing a snowblower can sometimes be a daunting task, especially if you live in the midwest and are concerned about the environment. An excellent solution is an electric snowblower. I received one several years ago as a gift (along with a 90 foot power cord) and it has been a blessing. Electric snowblowers require minimal maintenance - I've actually had no maintenance for mine, no gas, less space, and most importantly, they reduce pollution.
Mother Earth News published an article with further details - you can read it here: Mother Earth News - Snowy Solutions.

Read more...

Travelling Gnomes, A reality...

If you ever saw the movie Amélie then You are aware of the Traveling Gnome story.

The travelling gnome prank is a popular method of returning a garden gnome "to the wild". It involves stealing a gnome, taking it on a trip around the world (usually passing it from person to person), and photographing it at famous landmarks, with the photos being returned to the owner. Sometimes the gnome returns with a wife and children.

The tradition was first recorded in Australia in the 1980s. Although not definitive, the following blurb appeared in the Regular Shorts feature of the Sydney Morning Herald of September 24, 1986: 'AN EASTERN suburbs gnome-owner was distressed when she discovered her gnome had been stolen at the weekend. A note was found in its place: "Dear mum, couldn't stand the solitude any longer. Gone off to see the world. Don't be worried, I'll be back soon. Love Bilbo xxx."
wiki

Well the Gnome has showed up again and this time it is for the good of all of planet earth, The gnomes come bringing words of enviro news. They showed up in the Clean My City Flickr group.



And this is the message that they bring. GnomeDiaries

Some cool stuff. Spread the word.

Read more...

eco- friendly choices: napkins - paper or cloth?

Recently, I was told that one of my local home supply stores was closing. It's always sad to see a favorite shop shut down. There are a few things that I do still need around my home, so I decided to pay a visit and see if any necessities might be on sale.

I had been planning, over the last few months, to find some cloth napkins to help replace my use of paper napkins. While cloth napkins need to be laundered, they don't use up unrenewable resources such as trees and can be reused many times. Remember, trees need many years of growth before they can be harvested for use. Also, unless you purchase recycled paper napkins, typical napkins or paper towels contain bleach and chemicals. So, in an effort to fulfill my plan, I purchased 30 cloth napkins which were on sale. I now have enough cloth napkins to get through at least a week and if I ever have guests over, I should have plenty for everyone to use. The cloth napkins I purchased are an army green color - a little bit neutral, but with just a hint of color. In the future, if needed, I can add to my cloth napkin collection with a pattern or another color.

If you're handy with a sewing machine, you can also make some nifty cloth napkins by cutting square-foot pieces of cloth and sewing the seams. You can embellish your napkins or even make small 5"x5" cocktail napkins/coasters for parties. I know this is a small step, but I do believe that every little bit helps - and in this case, we are helping keep hundreds of napkins out of the landfill saving many beautiful trees.

Read more...

1st Month was a Success...

Clean My City has now been online for one month, and what a good start it was. Over 400 unique visitors stopped by the site. The majority of visitors spent over ten minutes on the site, which is great. The Community section is growing as well, slowly but still gaining members. Remember, the point is to spread as many good ideas about helping our cities and helping our planet get and stay clean. So if you have an idea share it with us.

Here are some photos from our Flickr group:






Thank you to everyone that is participating and to everyone who has stopped by and visited the site. Clean My city is a work in progress and if you have any ideas on how to get the word out to a larger audience feel free to drop me a line.

Read more...