Eco-friendly Halloween Costumes & Crafts

Today’s blog comes our Hotline Assistant, Ani and it’s just in time for this weekend’s festivities! If you’re in need of some DIY inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more about our favorite Halloween costume and decoration ideas that keep the earth in mind! 

“What are you going to dress up as for Halloween?” …that is the big question this month. The one time in the year when you can be Superman and no one would question it! Instead of purchasing a costume (that you might see someone else wearing at a party), tap into your creative side and make your own costume! Here are a few of our favorite DIY costumes that our staff have done over the years!

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Our staff members take Halloween seriously. Best part? We use what we already have in our closets to help reduce waste!

Speaking of parties…thinking of throwing a spooky bash? Here are some  eco-friendly Halloween decoration ideas to get you started:

These simple DIY decorations are made out of cardboard tubes (yes from the toilet paper rolls) and construction paper. For a full tutorial click HERE

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Cardboard Tube Creatures are fun, festive, and best of all? Reusable & recyclable!

Check out these decorative pieces made out of wine bottles! All you need is some spray paint and glitter (optional). Click HERE for the full tutorial.

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DIY Halloween wine bottles are easy to put together with a little creativity and paint!

Spook some people with your creativity! Before you toss your aluminum cans into the recycling bin, give them a second life as Frankenstein tin cans! Add a couple wine corks to the sides for bolts, googly eyes, and you’re set! Check out the steps for this DIY project click HERE.

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Frankenstein tin cans are easy to store with your other holiday decor or toss them in the recycling bin (after removing the corks & googly eyes).

When November 1st comes around, remember to store your creations for next year or recycle them in your curbside blue bin. For more DIY Halloween decoration ideas follow us on Pinterest, you will also find some scary-good costume ideas. Don’t forget that the best thing about Halloween is making your costume! Check out our Affordable and Eco-Friendly Halloween Costume blog for inspiration. Also, be sure to share your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram, we’d love to see them! Happy Halloween gals and ghouls!

Brittany’s Green Routine

Brittany green routine pic

Being environmentally-conscious doesn’t have to be confined to your blue bin. If you look closely, not so environmentally-friendly materials, such as micro-plastics, are hidden in everyday products. Follow Brittany’s Green Routine to learn how you can reduce waste, phase out hidden plastics and simplify your health and beauty routine! And check out our Pinterest boards for even more DIY inspiration!

 

routine definition
Routine (noun). – A sequence of actions regularly followed.

Everyone has routines and once you start, they are pretty hard to break. Since working at I Love A Clean San Diego, I’ve been inspired to be more eco-friendly in my day-to-day life, but I didn’t know where do start. Then I realized I could start by having what I now call my “green routine”. What is a green routine you might ask? A green routine is a type routine you create which benefits the environment. I realized I could save money while also being eco-friendly by creating some beauty products with ingredients I already have in my house.  For this week’s blog, I wanted to change it up and share some of my favorite DIY recipes I incorporate in my daily green routine!

Original-Lip-Scrub-with-textBrown Sugar & Honey Lip Scrub: Need to get rid of chapped lips? This is my favorite lip scrub

What you’ll need:

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of honey

Mix them together, lather your lips with the scrub, rinse with warm water, and pucker up! Your lips will feel moisturized, soft, and not to mention, this scrub is tasty!

Honey, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Face Mask: This mask is perfect for when you experience breakouts or are looking to brighten up your skin tone! You can use this has a spot treatment or as a mask. Honey is not only hydrating, but it helps soothe inflammation as well as fight against bacteria – that’s why it’s great for so many things! For sensitive skin I recommend leaving this on for 2-3 minutes.

What you’ll need:

cinnamon face mask
1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, 2 teaspoons of honey

Coconut Oil: Plain and simple, a jar of this does wonders and is extremely moisturizing.  Not only is this something I cook with but I use it for a variety of things which cuts down the number of products I use and minimizes the waste I create.

  • Skin Moisturizer: After a good (plastic-free) skin exfoliant, I take a dab to keep my skin smelling great and soft. A little goes a long way!
  • Hair treatments: I’m notorious for using heat products on my hair, so every once and a while I like to give my hair a little bit of love. After washing and conditioning my hair, I rub coconut oil through the ends of my hair to prevent breakage. You could also use coconut oil as a hair mask and rubbing the oil on your scalp helps with dandruff. I recommend keeping the oil in your hair for around ten minutes then rinsing.Coconut Oil
  • Lip moisturizer: Instead of using chapstick before bed, I use coconut oil, sometimes with a dab of honey, as a replacement. Be sure to pair it with the brown sugar lip scrub mentioned above!
  • Makeup remover: This is something I would normally spend a lot of money on. Instead, I take a small amount with my fingertips and rub it on the areas of my face until it melts. Then I take a wash cloth to wipe it off with warm water. That’s it!

And Guys, don’t worry, we have a recipe for you this year’s No Shave November too! This recipe sent to us by Alexandra Engel to help keep your beards fresh and clean. Blend together, rub through your beard, and rinse.

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A little beard oil goes a long way! *Flowers will not grow out of your beard after using this recipe.*
  • 3 fl. oz. Sweet Almond oil
  • 25 oz. Vitamin E oil
  • 25 oz. Argan oil
  • 30 drops Tea tree essential oil – prevents ingrown hairs and fights breakouts
  • 30 drops Rosemary essential oil – stimulates hair growth
  • ~20 drops Spruce essential oil (optional)
  • ~20 drops Pine essential oil (optional)
  • ~20 drops Cypress essential oil – astringent and antiseptic for oily skin.
  • ~20 drops Bergamot essential oil – antibiotic and deodorizing.

I hope you enjoy my favorite green routine recipes as much as I do. Not only are you saving green bills but you are also helping to keep the environment clean by eliminating micro plastics and cutting down on waste!  For more fun DIY beauty tips, crafts, and green living tips, be sure to check out I Love A Clean San Diego’s Pinterest boards! 

 

Brittany’s litter-free beach day guide

Brittany FischerToday’s blog comes from our administrative assistant, Brittany! San Diego native, born and raised, Brittany it goes without saying that she loves our beaches and 4th of July. To get you jazzed for the long holiday weekend ahead, she has put together some of her favorite waste-free tips for a day at the beach!

 

 

Looking for something fun to do for the upcoming patriotic holiday? Why go anywhere else when you live in a city full of beautiful beaches! The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holiday’s to spend at any beach in San Diego. With so many people at our beaches, there is one thing that tends to be left behind and that’s trash. This 4th of July, Clean Beach Coalition will have large trash and recycling bins located at Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay, and Pacific Beach to give every beachgoer a chance to continue to keep the beach sparkling clean!  Last year alone, the CBC bins collected 96,860 lbs of trash and 2.8 MILLION pounds in the last 8 years. Pretty impressive, right? In order to prevent more trash from ending up on our beaches this holiday, I wanted to share some of my favorite things to pack in order to stay green while still rocking red, white, and blue!

CBC bins
Keep an eye out for our huge trash and recycling bins. They’ll be hard to miss so be sure to put them to good use!

The key to staying green is to pack up all your reusable items to prevent any trash! Here is my easy to follow step-by-step guide to a waste-free weekend!

  1. For starters, instead of using a Styrofoam cooler, bring a more durable reusable cooler. Not only will it last you years, it prevents any Styrofoam pieces from ending up on our beaches and the Pacific Ocean where it will never biodegrade.

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    Plastic pieces are easily mistaken for food by marine animals causing serious health issues. Here are pieces mixed in with sea kelp recently found at a cleanup.
  2. When packing up your goodies, try using reusable containers to transferring and reusable silverware! Here are a couple of my personal favorite snacks to bring to my Fourth of July beach festivities:

Fourth of July Rice Crispies Treats are a favorite of mine. Not only are they easy to make, but you can put them in a reusable container and be set to go! Check out the recipe here!

Fruit Kabobs! All you need are some wooden skewers, strawberries, bananas, and blueberries and you have an ecofriendly, patriotic snack!

plastic free treats
Fruit kabobs are the perfect plastic-free treat! Although the skewers will eventually go in the trash, wood will naturally biodegrade with time, unlike plastic.

 

3. Feeling thirsty? Fill up a reusable water bottle and bring it with you! Did you know American’s throw away 35 billion water bottles a year? It’s important to reduce bringing plastics to our beaches because once plastic enters the ocean, it is extremely difficult to clean up. Don’t have a reusable water bottle? Check out some of ILACSD’s reusable water bottles online!

patriotic water bottle
Brittany always carries her reusable water bottle wherever she goes whether it’s the beach, a park or work. Check out our merchandise to get you own ILACSD gear to sport around town!

4. Don’t have anything to pack up the rest of your goods? Use a tote bag! My favorite tote bag can be washed and reused over and over again. Do your best to not bring plastic bags to the beach, not only are they not recyclable but if blown into the ocean, marine mammals can accidentally mistake them for food.

Still not ready to end your beach time this weekend? Come show your patriotism in a new way with I Love A Clean San Diego on July 5th for the Morning After Mess Cleanup. From 8-11am we will clean up the excess trash left behind on Mission Beach from the holiday celebrations. Plus, the first 400 volunteers will receive a free tee from REI!

Whether you decide to stay in San Diego this 4th of July Weekend or travel elsewhere, please enjoy the scene, but keep it clean. Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July!

 

 

 

ILACSD Brides Dish Eco-Wedding Tips

Today’s blog comes from our recent newlyweds and bride-to-be on our staff, Natalie Roberts DeCarli, Emily Nelson, and soon to be Sarah Lott Buchholz. With so many people getting married or a part of a wedding this summer, we wanted to pass along our wedding planning knowledge to all of you! Read on to learn about how to plan a wedding with the earth in mind!  

Weddings – what a whirlwind of excitement, fun, and –  dare I say it – PLANNING. With so many choices and add-ons, it’s easy to overwhelm our brides, our wallets, and our landfills. Luckily, there’s a plethora of eco-conscious wedding tips. Here’s a few that are ILACSD bride tested and approved!

Emily Invite FrontFinal
ILACSD Environmental Educator, Emily and her now husband, Stan. Congrats, newlyweds!

Invitations & RSVPs: Evites and invitations made from recycled post-consumer material are definitely  the most environmentally friendly options. To go one step further, design your invitation as a timeless keepsake. Emily designed her invitation with that thought in mind; on one side there was a picture of the happy couple, and on the other side were the wedding details. That way, guests can display it in a frame or on their fridge along with other photos.

sarah's invitation - editted
Sarah created a custom profile and hyperlink to make RSVPs easy to manage and waste-free at rsvpify.com.

To manage RSVPs, Sarah found an easy to use online option called, rsvpify.com, where she created a customized profile and hyperlink for guests to access. Afterwards, she simply listed the hyperlink along with her phone number on the invitation instead of using mailed paper RSVPs. Plus, the website has a seating chart option. Time, money, and resources saved! 

emily's plates
Check out VerTerra plates! They are plates made from palm fronds that have already fallen to the ground.

Meal time! When in doubt, choose reusables.  Often times you pay a little extra, but in the long run, it’s the most eco-friendly option.

Eco alternative: Plates made from biodegradable materials instead of plastic! A great option that Emily found, called VerTerra plates, are plates made from palm fronds that have already fallen to the ground.

Bridal and wedding party accessories: Start by taking an inventory of what you already have. Emily found the perfect pair of heels to go with her wedding dress sitting in her closet! As for the wedding party, options like Union Station, make it easy for bridesmaids to rent a dress instead of purchasing one that they may never use again.

chalkboard exampleDécor: Tap into your networks! You never know who might have extra tables, easels, vases, etc. For example, Emily got silver dollar eucalyptus from a neighbor that has a tree in their backyard. Plus, at ILACSD, since several staff members are getting married in 2015, we plan on having an internal wedding décor exchange!

Avoid unnecessary printing: Chalk boards are great for wedding programs, menus, and seating charts, rather than printing items for each individual guest.  This not only saved our brides money on printing, but also greatly reduced paper usage at their weddings.  Plus, the chalk boards can be reused over and over again, for future parties and general home décor.

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Natalie enjoying her big day!

Favors: “We wanted something practical, meaningful, and would appeal to all our guests. Our solution? Seed packets! We offered a variety of flowers and herbs, leaving the guests free to select what they are most likely to plant, and displayed them in a flower box.” – Emily, Environmental Educator

 “After attending many weddings that gave each guest their own personalized wedding favor, we had a collection of  favors that we really didn’t need.  When looking into favors, we couldn’t really think of anything we felt people of all ages would want or need, so we decided to skip favors all together.  Plus, they often cost a few hundred dollars for a large wedding, and involve a lot of packaging for each individual item.” -Natalie, Senior Director of Operations

Check out other great alternatives on our pinterest board!

Post wedding: There are a lot of ways to donate, sell, or lend various wedding décor for reuse. Several websites including:

Plus, you might earn some money back while giving these items another life rather than taking up space in a closet or garage.

Goodwill or should we say Greenwill?

SONY DSCToday’s blog comes from our Hotline Assistant, Ani! As our Hotline Assistant, she is always on the hunt for great recycling resources to recommend to hotline callers as well as those who use our database, www.WasteFreeSD.org. Recently, she took a tour of Goodwill’s different locations to see exactly what the life of a donated item looks like. What if no one buys it? Where does it go? At the end of the tour, Ani was surprised to learn about all the different initiatives that Goodwill is taking to benefit the environment and keep items out of our landfills. Read on – we bet you’ll learn something new!

I had the great pleasure of going on a Goodwill Tour alongside city officials from Escondido, Oceanside, Poway, and Encinitas. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Goodwill goes above and beyond to find every donated item a home! 

My portion of the tour started at a local retail store where I witnessed Goodwill employees receiving donations on the back-end of the store. I saw how they carefully cleaned and priced items, this location alone receives donations from up to 150 donors a day! If you are looking to donate some unwanted items, find a Goodwill or second-hand store near you by searching our database, www.WasteFreeSD.org!

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Forget what you know about Goodwill – check out the Clairemont Retail Store’s trendy boutique style display!

I also learned about the rotation process. If an item does not get sold, it is relocated to another store in hopes that a special someone will notice its uniqueness and purchase it.

Our next stop was the Kearny Mesa Bookstore, a new location centered in a lively shopping center next to coffee shops and restaurants. There I learned that books are organized by genre and author to offer customers a better experience when browsing.

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Check out their E-business Warehouse and much more online!

The last 2 stops are where I learned just how dedicated Goodwill Industries is to diverting waste from the landfill. At their E-Business Warehouse donations are maximized by increasing their value online. Customers can browse through over 22,000 items listed online and bid on unique, lightly used items.

The last stop of the tour is a spot where donated items end up if they are not sold in any of their stores and are auctioned off in bulk. If not auctioned after several attempts, Goodwill AfterMarket separates the items, then recycles ALL donation items.

Do you have items that are well past their prime and can’t be used it their current state? Our database also has plenty of recycling resources for odd items including shoes, clothing, and more!

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Goodwill will take your single shoes and recycle them! Find a location near you at www.WasteFreeSD.org

It truly was an informative tour! Waste diversion is possible and Goodwill is contributing to San Diego’s zero waste plans in an immense way. Thanks for the great tour, Goodwill!

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Our knowledgeable tour guide (far right) along with all the tour attendees including city officials from Escondido, Oceanside, Poway and Encinitas!

Do you have items at your home or office that are in need of a new home or perhaps need just a little T.L.C? Check out our online recycling and repair databases, WasteFreeSD.org and RepairSD.org, to find landfill alternatives near you!

 

A Rind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Erika-teamToday’s blog comes from our Education Manager, Erika. Earlier this year, Erika took it upon herself to find new ways to reduce the amount of waste she creates each day – she signed up for a composting course! Now that she is on her way to becoming a Master Composter, she wants to share what she has learned in hopes of inspiring you to take a composting course near you! Read on to learn more about how food waste impacts our landfills and how you can become a skilled composter as well! 

A rind is a terrible thing to waste, so do something! Join the Master Composters!

Here at I Love A Clean San Diego, many of my coworkers and I feel strongly about waste reduction. In the past few years, I have seen my own transition from using some disposable items in my life. An example being bringing my stainless steel pint glass to the Adventure Run last week, so that I wouldn’t have to use a disposable plastic cup for that IPA at the end of the race. While I have been able to carry my bamboo cutlery and stainless steel straw around, I noticed that I was still creating quite a bit of waste – food waste. In San Diego, we lead the country in per capita waste, with disposing about 1.3 million pounds in 2012. Of that trash, a 2012-2013 study showed that food represented the most prevalent material composed in our landfill, accounting for 15% of the total waste stream. In residential waste, that percentage increased to 18%. After learning these startling statistics, I realized there is so much more that I can do with regard to waste reduction. So, with waste in my mind, I signed up for a Master Composting class.composting blog - 1 SMW chart - composting blog 2

Hands on learning is always best!
Hands on learning is always best!

Last October, my friend, @girlforaccleanworld, and I joined with a dozen other composting inquirists, skeptics, novices, and enthusiasts to begin our composting journey to potential Mastery. At first, I was quite anxious. I previously had a horrific experience with a vermicompost, resulting in [read quickly] maggots and other vermin. Needless to say, I was apprehensive but determined to further reduce my waste through composting. The great thing about the course is that there is such a great variety in reasons why people compost – from professional development, to reducing waste, to ameliorating compost gone wrong, to education – there were people from all walks of life.
Another great thing about the course is its hands on approach. On the first day, we were already getting our hands dirty, layering greens (food scrapes, grass clippings, etc.) and browns (cardboard, paper, other wood products). Each week, we measured the temperature and moisture of the bin, turned it, and looked for grubs – ok, that might have just been me. I was captivated by how clean everything was and how quickly different items could degrade. While I learned a lot in the class, the take home for me was:
• Anything and everything (natural) will eventually turn to compost, it just is a matter of time.
• You can be active or passive, it will still turn to compost
• Compost does not smell – if it smells, give it a turn, it needs to breath
• Composting doesn’t need a ton of space, especially vermicomposting

Vermicomposting

Since completion, I have been working toward 30 hours community composting service to become an official Master. I have become more conscious of my grocery shopping, as to not buy more than I need, and have been able to help people out with their composting woes. I would highly recommend the class to anyone. For more information visit http://www.thelivingcoast.org/programs/composting-programs/. There is also a 5 week long composting workshop available through the Solana Center that starts on April 11th. For additional information please click here.

Let’s work together to minimize our food waste! Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for helpful tips and tricks about how to reduce waste in your life!

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Photo Credit: @girlforaccleanworld. Thanks for allowing us to use these great photos!

 

Trendy Ways to Keep Clothing Out of Landfills

amanda-2-photoshopToday’s blog comes form Amanda, ILACSD’s Hotline Manager, and she is here to show you how to reduce your use and reuse your clothing. You may even make a buck doing it! Read on to learn more about how this new trend not only benefits your wallet, it conserves our planet.

Did you know what the average American throws away 65 pounds of clothing each year?  Recent reports show the steady decline of available space in our landfills and the majority of municipal solid waste can be diverted through recycling and reuse, and that includes textiles. Thus, we want to redirect our clothing and give it another life before it heads to its final resting place at the landfill. Buying and selling used clothing help to reduce the heavy burden on our local landfills, and it allows you to do your part in reducing your use of our finite resources on our planet.textiles 2

Thanks in part to Macklemore’s hit “Thrift Shop”, buying used clothing has become one of the latest fashion trends. There are now many options beyond your local thrift store to buy and sell used clothing and other accessories – allowing shoppers to find one-of-a-kind pieces.  Plus, you can have the peace of mind your favorite top or dress found a new home and you free up some space for some new-to-you treasures! To get started, visit www.WasteFreeSD.org and search “Thrift Stores” to find a variety of stores that buy and/or sell used-clothing near you! Here are some of our favorite used-clothing vendors:

Buffalo Exchange buys, sells, and trades gently used clothing, shoes and accessories. In San Diego, Buffalo Exchange has stores in Pacific Beach and Hillcrest.  Before coming in to sell clothing for the first time, Buffalo Exchange recommends calling ahead to see what items the store is looking for at that time. Buffalo Exchange is also a donation point for authentic fur apparel. Items  made of fur are donated to their Coats for Cubs program  where the items are then sent to rehabilitation organizations around the U.S. to provide a natural environment for rescued animals. We certainly don’t endorse purchasing authentic fur apparel, but it’s great to know that there is a positive way to repurpose those. Don’t forget to bring your reusable bag to Buffalo Apparel, because when you refuse a plastic bag, they give you a token to place into the nonprofit container of your choice, and they will make a donation just because you brought your own reusable bag!

Buffalo exchange 1

Online thrift stores have also grown in popularity. They offer a wide variety of clothing for you to peruse and order from the comfort of your own home! ThredUP, for example, invites you to order a FREE Clean Out Bag online, stuff it with your unwanted items and then ship your clothing to be sold online. Any items that are not in a reusable condition go to their charitable partners or textile recyclers.

Clean out - cash in

Vinted is another website and convenient smartphone app. You take pictures of the items you want to sell, list what condition it is in, and correspond directly with the buyer. Vinted handles the financial transaction for you, and you ship the items yourself to the buyer.

vinted 1

Acting locally is always best when it comes to reusing clothing you’ve grown tired of. Gather together a group of your best friends and have a clothing swap night! Emily, one of our environmental educators, recently hosted one at her church and it was a hit! Approximately 10 people attended and walked away with at least 5 new items – all for FREE! The remaining 143 items, a combination of shoes, accessories and clothes, were donated to the church’s clothing closet. Just because you are tired of your floral pink blouse doesn’t mean your friend is! This not only helps to reuse clothing, it reduces the need for greenhouse gases created in shipping clothing around the country.

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Finally, if you just can’t seem to part with some sentimental pieces of clothing, repurposing is always a great option! If you have an old sweater that has seen better days, turn it into a cute scarf or even a reusable cozy for your coffee cup.  Old t-shirts can also be turned into dog toys, bags or even a rug. The ideas are limitless!

sweater coffee cozy

You can find all of these great ideas and more on I Love a Clean San Diego’s Pinterest page! And don’t forget to check out www.WasteFreeSD.org and www.RepairSD.org to find other recycling and repair services near you!

Cupid’s Cleanup and other Green Valentine’s Day ideas!

SONY DSCHave you found it increasingly difficult to be creative each Valentine’s Day? Well, you’re in luck! Today’s blog comes from our Marketing Coordinator, Sarah, who has put together some great eco-friendly, Valentine’s Day-themed ideas! Read on to learn how to celebrate with the environment in mind!

Celebrate your love for the environment at Cupid’s Cleanup!

Switch up your dinner and a movie routine! We want you to join us on Sunday, February 15th for a street-sweep cleanup and Valentine’s Day-themed mixer hosted by AleSmith Brewing Company! Complimentary beer tasters will be on-hand for adult volunteers as a “thank you” for your hard work and to celebrate our love for a cleaner community. This is also a great way to connect with like-minded singles, couples or even new friends. Take Ken and Julie for example!

In 2007, Ken and Julie met for the first time at Cupid’s Cleanup…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1WQcKG-g-M]

Fast forward to 2015, they are happily married with two children, ages 2 and 4 years old! They have since moved to Oregon, and continue to protect our environment by instilling environmental values in their children who, by the way, already enjoy putting trash in its place!

Although they won’t be joining us at this year’s event, Julie shared these kind words with us…

“We have not forgotten about you (ILACSD) or where we met.”

Cupids Cleanup - Ken & Julie

For more information about how to get involved with Cupid’s Cleanup please click here or email Lexi at lambrogi@cleansd.org!

If you cannot join us for Cupid’s cleanup, here are some other festive Valentine’s Day-themed eco-tips!

Candy

Let loose, get your valentine some sweets! Instead of the cliché heart-shaped box of candies, head over to the bulk section and fill up reusable glass jars with more variety and less waste!

Fish in the sea - pinterest

Flowers

Instead of buying flowers that are going to wilt and die within a week, choose a sustainable and earth-friendly drought tolerant plant! Here are a few of our favorites:

Recon Native Plants has a variety of affordable native plants!
Recon Native Plants has a variety of affordable native plants!

 

Succulent planter available on Etsy!
Succulent planter available on Etsy!

 

If you do decide to go with a dozen roses, remember they are compostable!

Skip the card – give with purpose

Although most cards are recyclable, why not give a gift with a purpose? If you have children, this link is especially good for low waste, kid-friendly Valentine’s Day gifts!

upcycled crayons valentines

These are just a few of our ideas – share your earth-friendly Valentine’s Day ideas in the comments below!

 

 

Make the Season Bright with These Eco Holiday Tips!

Today’s festive holiday guide comes from one of ILACSD’s Program Assistants, Emily! She has done a lot of research to bring you the best of eco-friendly holiday ideas, including everything from party planning to gift wrap! But first, let’s start off with a eco-inspired holiday poem! 

T’was three weeks before Christmas and all through the scene

People were wond’ring how to make Christmas green.

 

From Red Solo cups used up at a party

To the tin foil covering fudge for Uncle Marty,

 

Many holiday items end up in the trash,

Increasing the heap in our landfill stash.

 

The plastics! The glass! The tinsel! The paper!

Oh, the waste piles higher than a city skyscraper!

 

As they pondered wrapped gifts topped in bright, shiny bows,

They knew there must be a way to reduce how much is disposed.

 

When what to their wondering eyes did appear

But a helpful blog post written by eight tiny reindeer.

 

As you head out to shop, to craft and create,

Rejoice in the choices now there on your plate.

 

Keep the land clean from Del Mar to Borrego

Because no gift is greater than a clean San Diego!

Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday Season

  • Fast Facts
    • Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the average San Diegan throws away between 3 and 10 extra bags of trash.
    • Recycle these items: Aluminum pie tins, empty aerosol cans (like whipped cream), wine and cider bottles, cardboard boxes, and paper packaging can all be recycled. For any question on what can be placed in the blue curbside bin, click here.
  • Gift Wrapping
    • Recycle all non-metallic wrapping paper and any paper-based ribbon.
    • Go paperless! Wrap gifts in items like towels, t-shirts, or pillowcases.
    • Use your child’s grade school artwork to create unique wrapping paper.
    • Create gift tags from wrapping paper scraps or last year’s greeting cards.

    Eco Gift Wrap
    Check out these gifts wrapped in brown grocery bags, newsprint, and t-shirt scraps, with tags from cereal boxes! http://makezine.com/craft/upcycled_gift_wrapping/)
  • Eco-friendly Gifts
    • Give a succulent in a pot made from reused items, such as decorated yogurt cups.
    • Choose reusables! Encourage friends and families to ditch disposables and choose reusables such as shopping bags, straws, mugs – the ideas are limitless!
    • Buy nuts, berries, and chocolates in bulk and present them in reused glass jars. Arrange them in a basket, giving two gifts in one. Check out these examples on Pinterest for inspiration!
    • Non-material gifts are essentially free of packaging and create stronger memories than giving the latest gadget. Consider zoo memberships, hang gliding lessons, a painting class, or gift cards to local camp sites.
      • One of my favorite gifts I’ve received falls into this category. My friend jokingly lamented that he couldn’t buy me a beluga whale (my favorite animal), so he made a donation in my name to the National Wildlife Foundation toward the cause of the beluga whale. I was impressed with how thoughtful and creative he had been.
Pine Cone Centerpieces
By not adding paint or glitter, these pinecone centerpieces can be composted once the holiday season has passed. http://www.familyholiday.net
  • Decorations
    • Decorating with natural items, such as cranberry and popcorn strings, leaves you the option of composting them post-holidays. Be sure to check out our Pinterest for other decor ideas!
  • Party Planning
    • If you know ahead of time who’s coming, print out old photos of each guest and tape them to glasses as “identifiers.” This encourages people to use the same cup throughout the event, and it’s fun to play, “Guess Whose Bad School Portrait That Is.”

 

 

 

 

For more ideas, like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Other sources:

http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/pdf/geninfo/news/091204HolidayTips.pdf

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/04/green-gift-guide_n_6261474.html

http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2014/10/2014-holiday-gift-guide.html

Help Kickoff Our Zero Waste Program!

Today’s blog comes from ILACSD’s Community Events Coordinator, Lexi! Lexi and Natalie, ILACSD’s Director of Community Events, have been working hard to get our Zero Waste cleanup program off the ground and this Saturday, December 6th, we need your help to kick it off! Read more below about our new Zero Waste program and why you should be a part of it!

Every year, I Love A Clean San Diego mobilizes tens of thousands of volunteers to conserve and enhance our local environment. We often provide plastic bags and disposable gloves to school groups, businesses, families and community groups so that they can pick up litter before it makes its way out to the Pacific Ocean, where it becomes a big problem for marine birds, fish and mammals.trash2

ILACSD is excited to take these environmental efforts one step further. In an effort to reduce our use of single-use plastics like bags and gloves, we’re launching a Zero Waste Cleanup program: you can now schedule your own zero waste cleanup event through our most popular volunteer program, Adopt-A-Beach.

Duke & Avery - BYB
Even our smallest supporters can make a large impact by choosing reusables such as work gloves and a bucket to collect litter!

Through the Adopt-A-Beach program, we provide volunteers with plastic bags and disposable gloves for free so that they can plan their own beach or canyon cleanup at any time. But thanks to our new zero waste cleanup option, you can eliminate single-use plastics from your event: we’ll lend you buckets, sturdy work gloves, and a cooler for volunteers to refill their reusable water bottles. Not only will you be removing harmful litter from our environment, but you’ll be reducing the resources needed for your cleanup project and not generating any additional waste!

Even when used for projects like picking up litter, single-use plastic bags are harmful for our environment. Plastic doesn’t break down naturally, so it lasts for a very long time. If these plastic bags end up as litter on our beaches, animals can mistake them for food.

To kick off this new program, we’ll be hosting a zero waste cleanup event this Saturday, December 6 from 10AM-12PM. Volunteers will meet at Cannon Park in Carlsbad and walk across the street to the beach to pick up litter—all with zero plastic bags and zero disposable gloves! We’re encouraging volunteers to bring their own reusable supplies, but we’ll bring extra work gloves and buckets as backups.

Simply sort trash and recyclables into different buckets, then dump the debris into the appropriate container. It’s that easy and it doesn’t generate extra waste!

Want to get involved with our zero waste cleanup efforts? Email Lexi at lambrogi@cleansd.org to find out more or to sign up for our Carlsbad event.