When I research and write about green companies and products for this site, I try to pay attention to the each company’s environmental and human rights policies, look up sourcing information on the materials used to make products, and concern myself with the entire life cycle of a “green” product – from conception to delivery. In doing so, I’ve certainly thrown out some “eco” products that weren’t all that green upon further examination.

I’ve been reading more and more recently about the “Zero Waste” movement. Zero waste is a concept whereas all of the materials required to manufacture products are used in various ways. In doing so, the externalities of the manufacturing process are significantly reduced, waste is removed from the manufacturing process, and new goods are created using materials that would otherwise be tossed into a landfill or incinerator. By creating zero waste products and working within a zero waste manufacturing system, companies can ensure they are participating in the highest form of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” possible.

If you’re interested in finding clothing that’s been produced using the Zero Waste mentality, there are a few cutting edge designers and organizations out there in whom you might be interested. London-based designer Mark Liu rolled over his Singularity Point Collection at the London Fashion Week in February of this year. By employing a unique cutting technique, Liu saves over 15% of the fabric needed to create his designs, and therefore reduce the amount of fabric needed and waste produced in the manufacture of his high-end clothing line. Liu’s fashions aren’t cheap (they fall into the – “if you have to ask you probably can’t afford it” price range), but are fun, eco-friendly and very sexy!

Another of these cutting edge Zero Waste designers is Caroline Priebe of the 5 in 1 Studio in Brooklyn , NY. Priebe designs under the Uluru label, and works in cashmeres, silks and hemp fabrics. When creating pieces, Priebe saves every scrap of fabrics and “upcycles” all of the previous years’ scrap remnants into the details and finishings on her new garments. By ensuring that every possible piece of fabric is used in some way, shape or form, Priebe is able to bring her Zero Waste collections to market. I like the $200 Cashmere Dress (on the left). It’s made with 100% cashmere and finished with a black silk scarf that was most likely salvaged from the trash!

The Zero Waste philosophy of fashion design is still in its infancy, and the cost of these products reflect the fact that this may become the next big thing for high-end fashionistas. Like most fashion trends, Zero Waste clothing will probably come down in price over the next few years – and like most things – is most affordable if you can make create your own personal Zero Waste line! I’ve listed a few sites below if you’re interested in learning more about this emerging trend and finding out about other designers who are turning their minds to reducing waste and designing the most eco-friendly clothing possible!

Zero Waste – The Newest Eco-Fashion from Planet Green

Zero Waste Designers by Laurel House of White Apricot

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If you’re looking for the nation’s official policy on how to dispose of all those old pills littering your medicine cabinet, you might turn to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Established in 1998, this office’s principle purpose is to determine the policies, priorities, and objectives of the nation’s drug control program; the handing and disposal of prescription drugs falls under that broad umbrella.

The official recommendations published by the federal government include 3 options. You can flush your pills down the toilets ( if directed to do so by the drug’s label), you can call your county or city household trash and recycling services, and ask if they have a community drug reclamation program, or you can follow their instructions to throw away pills in the garbage.

To throw away your drugs, the fact sheet states that you should place your old pills in a sealable container (like a Tupperware container with a lid), add an undesirable substance such as coffee grounds or kitty litter, and place the container in the bottom of your trash barrel – making sure that it’s out of sight and doesn’t contain any information about you or the medications contained therein. The video above was produced by the office to assist people in understanding the drug disposal process.

I was a little disappointed with the information provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy – they didn’t provide any background information on why drugs need to be disposed of in these manners, nor did they address the environmental implications of disposing of drugs improperly.? I was also dismayed that they didn’t provide a list of state, country or local offices that run drug take-back programs, websites directing people to learn more, or links back to the EPA’s research on the matter.

To learn more, I visited the EPA’s website and found a section focused on educating people about the harm caused by Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCP) to the environment and people. The EPA is quick to point out that PPCPs are turning out in increasing amounts in our water supply, but they’re not so forthcoming when it comes to linking PPCPs and harm to human health. The EPA does stress however, that placing PPCPs into the sewage system (via flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the sink) does have uncertain risks.

The nation’s water treatment system is not equip to handle the removal of PPCPs, and any contamanents placed into the system have the potential to disrupt the overall health of our water treatment and processing facilitites. At the same time, there has been scant evidence suggesting the increased concentration of antibiodics in our water system has caused some antibiodic-resisdent disease strains in aquatic organisms.

Since the concentrations of drugs in our drinking water remains low however, the public and environmental health impact of dumped drugs is not yet fully known. So while it’s troubling to think about throwing medicine in the garbage, there’s little research out there suggesting that doing so could cause environmental harm. My concern on this matter is that landfills leak and pollute ground water; since there’s little in the way of established research on this matter however, the best course of action today is to follow the government’s advice.

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Clearly, it was a big deal…

In the 24-hours since I decided to pick up everything I own, clean it all, and put it all in new places, I’ve come to realize the following:

1. If your floors are uneven and make your furniture wobble, you can use the cardboard from old shoe boxes as coasters. I like to cut the tops off of boxes (since the tops are thicker than the boxes), and add layers to steady my furniture exactly as needed.

2. Fondue forks can be used to support floppy plants. You can also use chopsticks, old silverware, and sticks (you know – the kind you find on trees).

3. Old bookshelves (not the cases, but the actual shelves) are great for creating flat surfaces. Even if I toss an old bookcase, I always keep the shelves. I have one old bookshelf underneath the legs on one side of my desk (the floors in this place are really uneven), and have used another as a makeshift table top.

4. Old folders can last forever. To spruce them up (and hide random doddles, musings and notes), I taped photographs and cool cards on their covers, than filled them up with my project notes.

5. Pint glasses make excellent pen holders. So do coffee mugs, mason jars and vases. Really, is there ever any reason to buy a pen holder…

6. Reusable shopping bags (the kind we should all be using for groceries and other goods) are great for storing recyclables. They have the added benefit that, when full, you just pick them up and dump their contents into your outdoor bins. And if the bags get sticky or smelly, you can always throw them into the wash.

7. Instead of buying new pots for your plants, turn vases, bowls and ceramic dishes into cool planters. If you need to put your plants on trays, use old plates and platters to catch the runoff.

8. With a little imagination, you can transform almost anything. Instead of tossing a shoddy filing cabinet (purchased at Staples and made of corrugated cardboard), I covered it with a table cloth and turned it into an end table.

9. If you have walls to cover and are lacking in the art department, hang up maps of your favorite places. If maps don’t suit your tastes, you might consider using album covers (vinyl album covers that is), pictures from old calendars, and postcards instead.

10. When lovingly cared for and well maintained, antique, hand-me-down and used furniture will last indefinitely. My desk chair, filing cabinet (turned end table) and mattress are the only “new” pieces of furniture I own – everything else has been passed down or somehow scavenged. I have 2 comfortable hand-me-down couches, bookcases from yard sales and a dresser bequeathed to my parents 40 years ago – and all of it works. And while nothing really “matches,” when put together, everything basically works…

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I would love to go out and buy pre-made coasters to fit beneath my desk, pot all of my plants in new planters, and find a desk, bookcases and end tables that all match… I think we all feel this way sometimes, but the point is that we all need to start letting those feelings pass without rushing out and snatching up more stuff.

Look around your house – chances are good that you already own most of what you need – it may just be that you have to think about using what you own in different ways. I’d love to hear your tips on reusing household items, and welcome tips on how you ruse goods to reduce consumption.

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My list of green sins include:

1) I own a van. This in and of itself is not really a green sin if I was using it for what it was designed for. Carrying more than 4 people a good distance and reducing everyone’s carbon footprint. However, I usually am the only person in the van at any time and I only do short trips around the city. This could easily be accomplished with a smaller car or even by moped. In fact, the van was bought with the idea that a much larger family would be using it but life throws you a curve ball sometimes. I know I should get something smaller, I know it is too big for my needs, and I know the price to fill the take is pushing $70 now and will be well close to $100 by the end of the year. But people have odd attachments to vehicles. I love driving the van and the extra space has come in handy for multi-state moves and hauling big things. I should part with it but I can’t bring myself to do it.

2) I eat out way too much. When you think about all the things that go into eating out and how much energy is wasted just to provide me a “cheap” and quick meal it really doesn’t play into the idea of being green. From the gas emissions, to the electricity, to the packaging, to the huge waste generated, our fast food restaurants need to do more in terms of helping the planet and not destroying it. One good example of this is our local McDonalds this week switched back to styrofoam cups because they are cheaper for the owner. The plastic cups were actually a greener choice because while they use more oil based products, they were completely recyclable. But on the whole, I am encouraging this bad behavior by giving them more money so I don’t have to cook.

3) Big Box Stores get my money more than local farmers. Vermont has a very high number of local farmers who produce milk, corn, beef, and other products that are better for me and i know it. But convenience has me going to the local supermarket and buying processed food from who knows where over local produce. Several people have started eating only local products and have termed themselves as “Localvores“. While I can’t say I am totally comfortable with that I know I should be buying my meat from the local butcher and getting corn and other products from the produce stand. Cost and extra chores is the only thing stopping me.

4) Some things I am not willing to deal with in the name of conservation. For example, I hate being hot and I use air conditioning. Even tho this is one of the more northern states and I should be able to deal with just using fans I still click on the AC in the house. I also have no problem with filling up the van with a tank of gas and going for a drive. It is wasteful and increases my dependency on oil.

There are some good things to go with the bad. I telecommute so I have eliminated the 1.5 hours I used to spend in the van going back and forth to work. I recycle constantly because our community massively supports it. When I bought a washer and dryer, we went to Recycle North and CraigsList to buy used appliances.

The idea here is even if you do something small like turning off the lights when you leave a room, it will have a much larger impact than you realize. Also, not everyone will be Super Green and do everything. Just do your part and change the things you can. Every little bit helps.

Some eco-friendly gadgets are solar powered, wind powered, or powered using kinetic energy. Gadgets are also being developed with more efficient processors, longer battery lives (which reduces the time needed to plug in and power up), and increased durability (for longer lives). When making your purchasing decisions however, keep in mind that the greenest route is also the one that doesn’t involve your actually buying anything! While green gadgets are an excellent step towards lower carbon emissions, you make the most impact when you choose not to make that purchase at all.

There will always be a need for certain gadgets, so make sure you choose wisely when you’re ready to make your purchase. Try to stay clear of totally useless or unnecessary consumer goods. Do you really need a Canine Treadmill? Will your life be that much more complete with a Cooper Cooler to chill your beverages on the spot, or are there other appliances in your life that can take care of that job? And honestly, how many crimping irons, curling irons, hair dryers and other power-hungry hair gadgets does one really need? The same holds true for the number of televisions, cable boxes, video game consoles, DVD/Blu-ray players, cell phones, MP3 players, blenders, and bread ovens in a given house – do you really need all that you have?

Next time you’re thinking about buying a new gadget, first consider whether you really need it or if you simply want it before making your purchase. If it turns out to be one of those gadgets you just can’t live without, make sure you buy green when you can, unplug it when it’s not in use, and use recycle the packaging materials if possible. To learn more about the impact your gadgets have on the environment, check out these recent articles:

Today’s New Gadget Gift Could be Tomorrow’s eWaste by Jordana Huber in Canada.com.

Home Electronics Significantly Impact Electricity Costs and Carbon Footprint by Dave Lewis of National Semiconductor on Green Supply Lin.

Green Gadgets on Green Inc., the New York Times environmental blog.

Finally, check out green-focused media outlets, blogs and consumer goods companies before buying any new green gadgets. Companies like Popular Mechanics are good sources of information when you’re looking to buy any kind of electronics equipment. Their recent article, Top 4 Eco-Friendly Gadgets Coming This Year by Seth Porges profiles the best green gadget’s from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.? TerraPass sells eco-friendly gadgets and chargers in their online store, and sites like EnviroGadget always have the latest news on eco-gadgets for people interested in cutting-edge consumer goods.

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The mall was a bad idea (isn’t it always…) – the coats were all overpriced ($400 – $700 for “brand name” wool overcoats manufactured in countries like Bangladesh and China), unflattering and ugly, and poorly made. After trying on 2 or 3, I knew my new coat wasn’t at Macy’s, but I noticed something else as well… the coats all smelled like formaldehyde! Yeah – no. My mom and I were out of there as soon as we both realized what the smell was, and we both realized the need to stop supporting companies that don’t manufacture sustainable goods.

From our horrible experience at Macy’s, my mom and I headed over to REI – I had wanted an overcoat but decided to go with a ski coat instead. My new North Face jacket was designed in a LEED-Certified building that’s powered by 100% renewable energy, and sold by a cooperatively-owned company that takes environmental concerns into consideration when buying products and working with vendors. In an effort to help others out there who may be looking for outwear and winter gear, I’ve compiled a list of eco-committed companies who make great coats that DON’T smell like formaldehyde when they’re unpacked and tried on.

Patagonia - Patagonia’s commitment to the environment is evident when you visit their home page – instead of having an environmental policy that’s buried in the “About Us” section of the site, Patagonia advertises their environmental policies in the site’s navigation bar, and directs users to learn more about how their company is “leading the examined life.”

Patagonia has developed an online tool that I’ve been searching for, but had yet to find until I checked out the company’s environmental policies. Dubbed the “Footprint Chronicles,” Patagonia has built an interactive site where you can track the environmental impact of Patagonia products – from design through delivery. I have always wanted to know the carbon footprint of bumper stickers and t-shirts, and while I can’t track the exact carbon footprint of a “Visualize Whirled Peas” bumper sticker, I can track the movement of Patagonia t-shirts and know that each one produces 3.5 pounds of CO_2. In addition to tracking their products as they move across the world, Patagonia includes commentary on each of the products they track, and points out the positive and negative impacts generated by each item.

In researching all kinds of companies and looking over their eco-policies, I would have to say that Patagonia ranks pretty high in terms of their commitment and actions related to reducing their environmental impact. Look for shoes, clothing, outwear, and backpacks on their site and feel confident that Patagonia is looking out for the Earth and spending their profits wisely.

REI - OK, before I get started with REI, let me just disclose that I am a partial owner of the company, and have been since about 1990. REI is a cooperatively run company, and members are invited to vote on the Board of Directors (who are responsible for the overall direction of the affairs and the performance of REI), examine the company’s financial statements, and share in company profits in the form of annual dividends.

With that said, I can honestly say I feel good about the fact that I’ve held an REI membership for so long – the company is committed to environmental stewardship and gives serious thought to how they manufacture, source, package, distribute and sell their products. REI has developed a strategic focus in planning for the future, and in doing so has identified 5 environmental-+ priorities in which they want to create change: greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, green building, paper sourcing, reducing waste and recycling, and responsible product stewardship. You can read the company’s Environmental Stewardship Report to learn exactly how REI is cutting their greenhouse gas emissions, reducing their reliance on paper, eliminating waste, building greener retail facilities, and designing ecoSensitive gear.

In terms of immediate benefits to consumers, REI has started the ecoSensitive Label – clothing and gear made using eco-friendly fabrics and materials that include bamboo, organic cotton, organic wool, Polylactic acid (PLA) – a biodegradable and recyclable polymer, recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – an easily reclaimed and re-purposed recyclable type of plastic, as well as post-industrial recycled polyester from Polartec.

The North Face - A dedicated ski gear company, The North Face is named after the coldest side of a mountain, and sells clothing designed to keep people warm in the coldest of places. As with much of what the company does, The North Face approaches sustainability as a journey, and has been developing and tweaking their technologies over time to create the most sustainable products possible.

With LEED-Certified headquarters in Quebec, and renewable energy powering their North American operations, The North Face has identified 4 key areas where they are committed to focusing their eco-energies: the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; the design of innovative and sustainable products; the elimination of waste in operations; and the encouragement of employees and customers to “Live the Brand” (I am not sure what this means, but I am guessing it is related to volunteering and giving back to the community/the environment in the name of North Face).

While I found plenty of information about the technologies The North Face uses in designing their products, the R&D section of their site didn’t specifically call out any environmental benefits realized by these practices. From looking over the corporate website, I get the impression that they don’t have anyone updating the environmental policies being put into place by the company – their page on sustainability was last updated in May, and while I know that my coat has tags explaining the various eco-policies used in its design, there was nothing like that on the site. If you’re looking for the warmest gear around, check out North Face products and don’t be shy about asking sales people or telephone representatives to explain the eco-benefits of your purchase.

Marmot – Founded in 1974 by UCSC grad students working in Alaska, Marmot is a premiere manufacturer of clothing, outerwear, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and other outdoor gear for men, women and children. With a Code of Ethics to outline their sustainability practices, Marmot has built eco-practices into the foundation of how the company does business. The Marmot Code of Ethics applies to “every employee, executive officer, agent, representative, consultant, and intern of Marmot Mountain LLC, and…directs the conduct between any employee and our customers, distributors, competitors, vendors, and contractors.”

In defining their goal of reducing their negative impact on the environment and creating a company that will be sustainable for years to come, Marmot has declared a corporate ethic that seems to guide how the company makes business decisions, designs products and selects vendors and partners with whom they will work. You can also read about the small steps the company (and their employees) is taking to clean up the planet and do their part for the environment.

Many products produced by Marmot (and the other companies listed here) are made from GORE-TEX fabrics; if you want to learn more about the environmental stewardship of GORE-TEX Fabrics, you check out the W.L. Gore & Associates Environmental Statement.

You can find other gear companies that are doing their part below:

Keen Footwear – Learn about how Keen is rethinking their product design on their Hybrid.Think page.

Columbia Sportswear – Find out how Columbia gives back to environmental organizations.

Timberland – Read about New Hampshire-based Timberland’s Environmental Stewardship.

Mountain Hardware – Learn how Mountain Hardware is funding eco-organizations.

Merrell - See which eco-based companies Merrell has been supporting.

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Even though I have been recycling since I was a little girl, I am sometimes still amazed by the amount of time and energy that goes into processing my own household waste. When I was little, recycling was a family activity – we would sort glass and aluminum, crush cans and bundle newspapers on Saturday mornings, than load everything into our Datsun 510 and deliver it to the University of Maryland’s recycling center. Taking care of the recycling was just a part of life – something I didn’t think much about, but instead simply did.

Today, recycling seems much more complicated than back in the early 80’s. I live in a small apartment that has a living room/dining room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. There are trash recepticals in each room, and when I actually take the time to empty them and sort through my trash, I’m always shocked by how long it takes me to finish the task. Now, I will admit that I could process my waste more frequently, (thereby cutting down on the sheer volume of garbage I ever need to process at once), but that’s just not how I do things. Instead of taking out the trash once a week, I wait until the stack of paper behind my desk is overflowing, and the plastic bottles are overflowing their bins in my living room.

When I do finally process my trash, it takes time to sort through my desk garbage and separate the sensitive documents that need to be shred from the used envelopes, offers for gym memberships and well-read magazines. Once everything is sorted, I typically have a large paper shopping bag (today’s bag probably weighs 10 pounds) full of newspapers, magazines, advertisements and other recyclables. My shredder gets a small stack of sensitive documents, and there’s usually a plastic shopping bag worth of pure garbage left over.

Once that’s done, I pull out the paper recycling from the bathroom and bedroom trash containers, find any shampoo bottles that have made their way into the garbage can, and than set to work on sorting the other recyclables. My city recycles paper, cardboard, several types of plastic, glass and aluminum. I take this kind of recycling out every few weeks (as compared to the paper which I sort through every few months), and will normally dispose of 30-40 plastic bottles, 5 or 6 glass containers, and a milk crate full of cardboard.

The kitchen garbage tends to be straightforward, mostly because I don’t throw recyclables into that bin, and I don’t compost my food waste. I thought about composting, but I live in the city, have no yard, cook little, and don’t know what I would do with the waste in a full kitchen compost crock. The kitchen garbage goes out every two weeks or so, and is most difficult to deal with when I’ve cleaned out the fridge and had to toss out rotten food.

It would be easier to simply stick all of my solid waste into large black plastic bags and dump it in the garbage, but sorting through my garbage is helpful. By being forced to look through the remnants of my consumption, I am forced to acknowledge how much I use, and to think about the impact my purchases have on my community, my country and my planet. In her book, Garbage Land, Elizabeth Royte writes about sorting through her trash for a year, and recording all she threw away as part of an experiment she took on to track her consumption. While I don’t go nearly as far as Royte, I do try to look at what I throw away and ask myself if I could be doing a better job at reducing my own consumption.

Like almost everyone out there, I certainly could do better – and I’m trying. There are fewer plastic water bottles in my recycling bin than there have been in the past, I am making an effort to eat all of the groceries I purchase before they rot, and I’m taking steps to cut down on the number of bills that arrive in my mailbox. Changing your lifestyle to reduce what you purchase, reuse what you can, and recycle everything possible is a process that takes time and energy, and isn’t always fun. There are certainly things I might have enjoyed doing more today, but the paper behind my desk overwhelmed all else, so today became the day I had to take out the trash. It’s still just a part of life, but now I understand much more clearly how my actions (or inactions) impact the world around me.

One last note – if you’re interested in what happens to your garbage after you leave it on the curb, check out Garbage Land. It’s an interesting read and Royte does a great job picking apart the complex after life of our garbage.

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All bad reasons considering how many trees I’ve most likely been responsible for chopping down since I was issued my first credit card – the Discover Card – as a freshman at the University of Delaware.

I was, in part, motivated to sign up for paperless billing this month when I received my AT&T Universal Card statement in the mail. For the past 2 years I’ve not made a single purchase with this card – I simply pay the bill every month in a desperate attempt to reduce my personal debt-load. I shut the card down a few years back when they tried to raise my interest rate – 22% was a little rich for my blood!

This means that there is no detailed statement to check each month – I simply look at what’s due, check the interest payment and pay the bill electronically. The statement gets filed away in my heavy-duty metal filing cabinet full of folders that are full of similar statements. When I got the bill this month however, something on the envelope caught my eye.

By signing up for paperless billing, AT&T (owned by Citi) will plant a tree on my behalf! OK, so just this moment I went ahead and enrolled in paperless billing – and for whatever reason, it was emotionally difficult, yet very easy to do so. I’m still not sure why it is so hard for me to make the transition from receiving a piece of paper in the mail that I look at once and file away forever, but it is. And, if it’s difficult for ME to do this, I can’t imagine how hard it will be to get EVERYONE to do the same thing.

So I want to use this post to really encourage people to drop their old ways and start taking baby steps toward a more environmentally-friendly existence. If you can change all of your bills into paperless statements, not only will you save paper and all that it takes to make, transport and recycle that paper, you may also have the change to get a tree planted on your behalf or save money on your next credit card balance (some companies give you a $5 or $10 credit for going paperless).

Since every little bit helps in our efforts at conservation, recycling and general environmental activism, I hope you’ll take this chance to make a difference in the world and stop the influx of paper into your life.

• Pick up after the drunks. When people drink outside, they tend to leave their beer bottles, cans, cigarette butts and other garbage behind. Figure out where the kids in your city like to go to party, and pick up the trash they leave behind. Since people tend to party in secluded spots (in the woods, underneath bridges, by remote beaches), you may have to do a little legwork to track down the trash. Once you do though, you’ll most likely find plenty of garbage and recyclables. After you pick up all of the junk, let your city government know how much garbage you removed from the spot, and see if they might consider installing a garbage can so it doesn’t happen again.

• Clean up your beach and waterways. If you live near the coast, you probably know how much garbage gets washed up on the beach – ditto for rivers, creeks and streams. After the winter ice has retreated and before the spring foliage has grown back up, it’s easy to find all kinds of garbage washed up on beaches and alongside other waterways. Grab your boots and garbage bags and head toward the shoreline to pick up all of the garbage tangled alongside the shore. By cleaning up your waterways, you help prevent the garbage from damaging fragile ecosystems and also from getting washed back out to sea.

• Turn an empty lot into a garden. All cities have strange empty spaces tucked between buildings that could use a little beautification. If your neighborhood has an empty lot that’s filling up with broken glass, garbage and weeds, think about cleaning it up. You may need the permission of the lot owner, so make sure you contact them or talk to your city government before getting started. Once you’ve found a lot, you can do simple things that will make a tremendous difference in your community. Simple things that make all of the difference include: removing all of the garbage, planting flowers, building a small path from flat stones, creating art to go in the garden, putting up a bird feeder or wind chimes, and installing a small, portable bench so people can sit and enjoy the space.

• Work in someone else’s garden. Non-profit organizations, such as museums or historical centers often have gardens, and often need help maintaining them. Since most non-profits work on tight budgets, garden maintenance can sometimes get squeezed when times are tough. Because of this, some non-profits have volunteer gardening events where community members are asked to come in and help clean out beds, trim back bushes, and prepare the grounds for spring and summer visitors. Greening a community organization’s grounds is a great way to make your city a greener place for residents and visitors alike.

• Convince your city or town government to change their ways. While getting city hall to replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs may not be as easy as picking up garbage on the beach, things like this still need to be done! If you live in a small town or city, it’s generally easy to get your voice heard by attending meetings, making phone calls and writing letters to your city council members. Pick an issue – recycling efforts, alternative fuel for city vehicles, light bulbs – and do the research on how making your suggested changes will positively impact the city. Make sure you include financial projections if your suggestion will cost the city more than it already spends, and outline how the benefits of your suggestion will outweigh the costs. Be persistent and consistent – show up, shake hands and get your ideas out to the members of your community. The beauty of living in a democracy is that you do have a voice and you can make a difference if you use it.

Do you have other ideas for green projects that can be done in communities? I’d love to hear what other people are doing to make their neighborhoods greener places to live, and I invite your comments and suggestions!

So here it is, my list of green sins:

1. I drive upwards of 500 miles a week. And while I try to limit my driving to commuting, necessary errands and visits to friends/ for my personal life, I sometimes make unnecessary trips. There’s a bus from downtown Portsmouth out to Newington (about 5 miles). I like to go to the bookstore out that way on occasion, but I have to admit that I never take the bus. Likewise, I visit my doctor in Boston every couple of months, but rarely ride the MBTA Commuter Rail to do so.

2. I don’t recycle at work. My workplace does not have a recycling program in place, and I’ve not made any inroads into establishing one. My best friend has been working on a hardcore recycling program for her workplace (and she works in the biotech industry, which makes it particularly difficult to do this kind of thing because of all of the biohazard requirements they have to follow), and I can’t even find out if we can get paper recycling bins for underneath our desks. And while I do try and bring my recyclable bottles home with me and toss them in the recycling bin here, I don’t always succeed in my efforts.

3. I throw away food. This one kills me. What tends to happen is that I go to the grocery store with high ideals and purchase enough produce to last me two weeks. Upon arriving home, I cut up the veggies and store everything in my fridge for easy consumption later. Over the course of the week however, I just won’t eat the food that’s in my fridge. Sometimes I eat out, sometimes I eat with friends, and sometimes I simply don’t eat. At the end of the two weeks, I’ll go to clean out my fridge and make room for new food, and end up throwing what had been perfectly good green peppers and broccoli into the garbage.

4. On the weekends I go out and leave the radio on in my apartment. Don’t ask me why – because I seriously don’t know why I do this, I just do.

5. I occasionally forget my mug when I get coffee at the local coffee joint. When I do forget my mug, I don’t always recycle the plastic cups that hold my iced Java – though I will say that I do make a good effort to recycle these, except of course when I’m at work. The fact that I buy my coffee pre-made from the local coffee joint isn’t so great either, though I almost always grab my morning elixir from locally owned and operated shops – Breaking New Grounds and Popovers on the Square, both in downtown Portsmouth.

6. Sometimes I get my coffee at Dunkin Donuts.

7. When it’s hot outside (really hot), I love to drive around with my windows open and the air conditioning on!

8. I still purchase synthetic clothing that’s made in countries like China, Malaysia, and Thailand. It’s not that I want to purchase these kinds of clothing, it just so happens that I can’t really afford organic cotton and hemp clothes that are hand-made in the USA. In my favor, I never throw out any clothes, I recycle and reuse them or donate my old outfits to charity.

9. Although I do buy a great deal of organic and locally produced foods, sometimes I can’t afford to do so. Some of the organic food that I do buy comes in individual servings (Amy’s Kitchen is my biggest sin on this front), and some of the organic food is mass-produced in California, than shipped to New Hampshire for my consumption (again with Amy’s Organics).

10. My favorite drink is Polar Seltzer Water – which comes in 1 liter plastic bottles and which I can drink 2 of each day when given the chance. I also buy Vitamin Water, Tazo Tea and Poland Spring Sparkling Water every once in a while. I do however, recycle all of the bottles.

With the publication of this list, I am going to try and make some real changes in my life and start acting more responsibly. Green guilt isn’t a good thing to carry around, though it can be used as a motivating factor. Let me know about your green guilt – what kinds of environmentally-distressing things are you still doing? What holds you back when you think about all of the good things you’re doing to make this planet a greener place?

I promise that I’ll report back soon and let you all know what kinds of changes I’ve made and what I can cross off this list of green guilt!