Green Options

Conventional clay and silica-based kitty litters are not only burdens on landfills, but they come from strip mines (a very non-ecofriendly practice). Switch your cat over to some natural alternatives. These natural based litters are biodegradable, reduce odor and have less dust, which means less irritation for your cat’s lungs (and your lungs too.)

In her article on greening pets, GO’s Kelli Best-Oliver suggests a wheat based litter

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If you steer clear of Styrofoam, crave non-disposable cutlery, and believe that beer in plastic cups is a discredit to your pursuit of fizzy-cool hoppiness, never fear. Become a garbage-free gourmand, and even improve your city with a daily dose of activism.

Why avoid disposables? Try getting an Italian to enjoy his espresso from the ridged lip of a Styrofoam cup and he’ll tell you all about the importance of real cups

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Yes. You should pick it up. Even if no one is around. Bag it. Scoop it. Compost it. Whatever you do, please clean up that dog poop.

Leaving dog-doo on the ground is a big no-no, especially if you live within the vicinity of others. Aside from the courtesy factor, left behind 'gifts' can cause the spread of diseases and bacteria including tapeworm, roundworm, cryptosporidium, and e.coli. These can

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The U.S. is the world's leader in garbage generation with each American averaging about 4.5 pounds of garbage per day. Do the math and that adds up to a heck of a lot of waste. Try to reduce the amount of garbage you throw away each week by simply thinking before you toss it.

Create your garbage inventory. It may sound a little silly, but knowing how much and

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The plastic bag's stranglehold on American stores around the country just received its first blow. In what will be a first for the nation if fully passed, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors today voted 10-1 to prohibit petroleum-based checkout bags in large markets and pharmacies.

Such a move would usher in the use of eco-friendly alternatives; biodegradable plastic or recycled paper bags. The legislation (which still needs one more vote to pass) would take

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I hate cleaning. Hate it. I also hate the nasty chemical smell that can come with it. In fact, cleaning products are some of the most toxic materials in your home. Not only do they pose a health hazard, but many of them contain petrochemicals that are harmful to the environment. So what to do to keep your house clean AND earth-friendly? As much as I hate cleaning, I

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We've got a couple of good questions that have shown up in the Discussion Forum over the past day:

1) GO member attacat asks about using biodegradable trash bags/bin liners:

The bin liners that are commonly used are made of synthetic polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene, and these are not considered biodegradable. Eventually, these plastics will break down, but only after being submitted to decades of heat and light.

Green Your Office proposes a new technology

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