Aveda has a brand new Caps Recycling Program. Aveda is working with their network of salons and stores, in partnership with community schools, to build a program that recycles those pesky caps we keep tossing out.

How it works: Plastic bottle caps will be collected at stores and schools and then sent by Aveda to a recycling company so that the caps can be made into new caps and containers.

What type of caps does Aveda collect?: The program will take caps that are rigid polypropylene plastic. This is also known as sometimes called plastic #5. In fact, if you’re lucky you can spot a 5 marked on said plastic – but not always. You can also tell if a cap is #5 because it’ll twist onto a bottle with a threaded neck. Examples: “Caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter.”

NOT recyclable are things like non-rigid plastic lids yogurt lids, tub lids (margarine, cottage cheese), and screw on lids that are not rigid) and pharmaceutical lids.

To get involved:

• Take your lids to an Aveda near you.
• Parents can learn more here.
• Teachers can learn more here.
• Contact capcollection@aveda.com if you’d like to enroll your school in the program.

Also note that Whole Foods + Preserve offer a cap recycling program as well.

[image via Aveda]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Want to see a video of the bag with Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson (pictured right), partners in the FEED 100 Bag project? Then, go to ecorazzi!

Some info on the FEED 100 Bag:

•Organic cotton with three pockets inside
•Comes folded up in a burlap “purse” with a zipper closure
•Once unzipped, the burlap serves as a sturdy bottom for the bag
•Easy to fold back up for storage

Why is this bag important? A meal provided at school is often the only meal a child in Rwanda may receive all day. Some children in Rwanda eat mud mixed with sugar to help curb hunger.

Watch the FEED 100 video below for more details:

Image of Lauren and Ellen from Newscom. Used with permission.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

I agree that organics are insanely high when compared to conventional, but we’ve talked about this before, and your family can eat organic; maybe not on the cheap, but organic foods can be surprisingly affordable using some basic tactics.

1. Don’t shop at Whole Foods. I wish I had a nickel for each “Whole Foods is too expensive” reference I see in organic food articles. Well then, don’t shop there. Currently, they’ve created (or tried to) somewhat of a monopoly on organics and natural foods. I’m not saying ban them, but don’t buy there if you can get it cheaper elsewhere.

For example, in my city, at least five other stores carry organics, many their own USDA certified store brand of organics. These usually cost a fraction of what Whole Foods organics cost. Check around your local stores to see what’s out there.

2. Only buy the organics you need. For instance, cereal comes low on the found pesticide level, you can buy conventional and save a few dollars. Save your cash for organics that actually matter, like apples, cheese, butter, eggs, bell peppers, soy, and so fourth.

3. Eat less meat. Honestly, you should only buy organic meat, which can get expensive, but conventional meat is a big baddie. Eat less, save more.

4. If you’ve got the space, grow some of your own organic food.

5. Buy in season. There’s a reason out of season foods cost more; shipping costs and demand vs. availability. Buying in season saves transport energy and costs less. You don’t need melon year round.

6. Save money elsewhere. For example if you make my Homemade Sugar Body Scrub instead of buying a $25 jar of body scrub, that’s money saved for food which your family needs. You can also do things like sign up for a Weatherization Assistance Programor use less AC and save money that way.

7. Don’t buy junk. Seriously, if you’re buying chips and soda, I don’t even want to hear any. “Organic foods are too expensive” whining. Beans, veggies, and rice can be tasty fun – I swear.

8. Cook it yourself. Cooking a veggie pot pie vs. buying frozen will save you money, lots. In the long run, you can master cooking your own soups, chili, breads, cookies, and more. Believe me, you’ll get faster as you learn (if I can you can).

9. Don’t spend money because you’re tricked. Get to know your labels. In some cases buying a food (or other item) labeled “organic” may mean you’re only getting a food that’s 40% organic. People will say anything to get you to spend more, but it’s not always worth it. For example, you can’t even buy organic fish – did you know that? There’s no standards for organic fish, so don’t waste your money.

For more on labels read:

• Leaping Bunny Eco Symbol
• VeriFlora Eco Symbol
• Green-e Eco Symbol
• USDA Organic

10. Look online. Sometimes bulk ordering organics online can save you money. Sometimes! Check prices, also, you’ll have to contend with the fact of transport energy; but hey, you didn’t have to drive to the store, so bonus.

Places to check:

• Diamond Organics
• Amazon
• True Foods Market
• Organic Kingdom
• See a bigger list here – some links are dead, some not.
• Check your yellow pages. Some organic food delivery services are locally based.

11. Visit your local farmers market at the end of the day, when folks are looking to sell stuff no matter what.

What other ways can you think of to save on organics?

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[Store brand O Organics, image via Safeway - one of the local stores in my area carrying lower cost organics]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

I’ve noticed that organic olive oil in many stores can get pricey, but I was happy to see Whole Foods offering a 33.8 fl oz bottle of organic olive oil for only $9.99. It’s part of their 365 Organic Everyday Value. It was on sale, but the regular price isn’t much more than $9.99 anyway.

Whole Foods also offers coffee, tea, flour and several more products in their 365 Organic line. Too bad I don’t live closer to them, but I go when I can.

What organic foods are most important to you?

Coffee lovers, please enter our contest for a chance to win one pound of free Rainforest Alliance coffee from Zabar’s. To enter, go to the contest post and leave a comment before midnight on April 21.

Photo via Peggy Rowland.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

First I show you a cute bag, then I tell you it’s only available at Whole Foods stores in northern New Jersey, New York and southern Connecticut until the end of April.

But hey, if you live there, you can help out MillionTreesNYC, a citywide effort to plant and care for one million new trees across the five boroughs over the next 10 years. NYC & Company (New York’s tourism organization) teamed up with Whole Foods to bring these cheery, functional and earth-friendly bags into being. And Mayor Bloomberg declared April 2008 MillionTreesNYC month.

For each limited-edition, 100% organic cotton bag sold for $11.99 in April, Whole Foods will donate $1 to MillionTreesNYC.

And in case you haven’t heard yet, Whole Foods is eliminating all plastic bags from their stores by Earth Day, April 22. Customers who don’t bring their own bags will be offered a recycled paper bag with encouragement to bring reusable bags in the future.

Bag photo courtesy of NYC & Company.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

After all, retailers like Whole Foods are banning plastic bags in their stores. Here’s a post I did about the Whole Foods plastic bag ban at my other blog.

If you need some reusable shopping bags, visit these great, groovin resources — ReusableBags.com and Envirosax.

Plastic bag in tree photo from flickr.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family