Not Biden related - but -

[jillan]

http://www.reynoldsrecycled.com/index.html

Happy to share with my Biden buddies :)

Consider it an earth day present from me to you.

[Muttocracy]

1. saw a coupon for that in this weekend's paper

I was confused because I thought aluminum foil already had a really high recycled content - will have to check.

I am wary of the "greenwashing" of products - everybody cashing in on trying to look environmentally correct.

Recycling aluminum is hugely important, though. Bauxite mining is nasty and it takes a huge amount of energy to derive Al from it compared to recycling. And I like using Al foil because it's recyclable, and 'cause some plastics scare me.

[jillan]

2. You saw a coupon in the paper? Ha - here I thought I was on to something.

You probably right, alot of companies are trying to make themselves look good by calling themselves green.

[Muttocracy]

3. oh, it wasn't a free offer - just some $$ off. nt

[PatSeg]

4. I was thinking along the same lines

recently as I watched some GREEN commercials. I don't trust these companies. They only do the right thing when its to their advantage.

[CrispyQ]

5. I hate the new Clorox 'green' products.

I haven't tried them, but Clorox? :eyes:

I worry about organics, too. I hate to be suspicious, but I don't trust giant food companies. Organics brands are popping up everywhere. Are they really organic? Or just high priced knockoffs of conventional food?

[AspenRose]

7. I think during the * administration they changed the standards on organic

(read: lowered the standards) so the big corporations could jump on the "organic" bandwagon and take advantage.

[Muttocracy]

8. I don't think there were USDA organic standards until 2002 but yes

they can certainly be met by large corporations (see my other post above)

[Muttocracy]

9. The word "organic" for food does have a legal definition now

USDA Certified Organic does have a legal meaning that requires certification in order to have the logo on the packaging. Some other states and trade groups had standards prior to that (on edit - I think Oregon Tilth was/is one?). Words like "natural" and "green" mean nothing.

"organic" is an unfortunate word because it can mean "natural" when used in a literary way (e.g., arising organically in a discussion), and "organic chemistry" is chemistry of hydrocarbons including everything from biochemistry to petroleum.

For agriculture, in short, it means the crop was grown without synthetic (man-made) pesticides (doesn't mean no pesticides), and without synthetic (man-made, e.g., ammonium nitrate pellet) fertilizers.

Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma is a great read (I plowed through it in a few days) and he researches a lot about modern agriculture including "big organic". A very small number of companies (Cascadian, Organic Valley, etc.) control a big share of organic production in the U.S.

As much as I feel like I can afford it, I try to buy organic or IPM or local. It's hard to find a combo of all 3. I worry more about it on fruits/veggies with thin skins, etc.

(IPM = integrated pest management, which works toward minimal use of pesticides, using less-toxic compounds, prevention, natural predators to control insects, etc. Most but not all organic uses IPM. (on edit, IPM does overlap with conventional (non-organic agriculture - how I hate that "conventional" = pesticides when my grandparents sure didn't use pesticides on their crops) IPM doesn't really have a branding scheme though because it's a system of doing things, not really standards, though Wegman's labels some of their produce IPM.)

USDA info -
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004446&acct=nopgeninfo

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004443&acct=nopgeninfo

[Muttocracy]

10. wiki has a long entry, haven't read the whole thing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_certification

[jillan]

11. I use all homemade cleaners and they are all green.

I rarely use paper towels either.

You don't need to buy that stuff - it's a rip off!

Glass cleaner - 1/4 rubbing alchohol/ 1/3 vinegar and the rest h20 in a spray bottle.
just shake it up before using. Use this on my counters too. The alcohol kills germs too.

Grease? 1/4 apple cider vinegar, the rest h20 in a spray bottle.
(I also use that mixture on my floors, including my wood floors - shiny clean)

Takes about $5 to make both of those - with the biggest expense being the spray bottles.

Oh and I use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.

Sorry Clorox!

[Muttocracy]

14. Good for you! And thanks for those tips

My main housekeeping problem is laziness, not needing stronger chemicals! :rofl:

I get laundry soap and dish soap from Seventh Generation (I could probably drink the stuff and it wouldn't hurt me), does just fine for me. I use vinegar or baking soda for lots of stuff (vinegar for hard water stains especially). Bon Ami is a commercial product my grandmothers used - it's pretty mild and doesn't scratch like Ajax/Comet do.

I'm amazed at what rubbing alcohol can do. I really need to clean my car windows (doggie noseprints) and I bet that will do the trick. I think I have a bottle of Windex-type cleaner left that I've only used when I've moved out of apartments and on my car, but when that's gone I'll make your recipe!

A few years ago I cut up some old flannel sheets into rags and they've lasted surprisingly long. They go in with the muddy dog paw loads of laundry so it's really no extra energy cleaning them either.

[jillan]

15. My little concoction works great on windows -

I got the recipe from hgtv - they are trying to cash in on the whole green thing too.
That's where I got the apple cider recipe too.

You just have to use one cloth to wipe, and another to dry.

I'm the same as you when it comes to housework - jeez. I wish I was one of those people that loved cleaning...haha...maybe in my next life.

[Muttocracy]

6. Happy Earth Day Jillian!

:hi:

[jillan]

12. My fish died on Earth Day :(

It was horrible...I loved my little fishy.

[Muttocracy]

13. Ack! :-(

I'm sorry

:hug: