Got2BeGreen

Ideal Bites Top 8 Plastics Recycling Tips

2009-11-08T18:21:47Z

Decoding Plastic Recycling from Ideal Bite
(Plas)tic-Tac-Toe

Plotting your plastic recyclables’ next move? O, well, let us help you plan their X-it with our walk-through of the different kinds (check the Plastic Identification Code - the number in the little arrow symbol on the bottom of the container), which ones are safer for you in the first place, which are usually recyclable, and which ones aren’t so much. Then check with your local recycling facility to see what types of plastics it accepts. Game on.

1. We’re #1.

Plastics labeled #1 are PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) and fall into the safer plastics category, since they’re not known to leach any toxic by-products (such as BPA, which is linked to cancer). Disposable water bottles, peanut butter jars, and TV dinner trays are typically made of PET. These can usually go in the recycling bin no problem.

2. Takes 2 to tango.

The #2 plastics are made of HDPE (high-density polyethylene), which also has a low leaching risk. These include butter tubs, milk and juice jugs, household cleaner containers, and shampoo bottles, and you can usually toss them straight in your curbside recycling bin.

3. The 3 Rs.

Poor #3 plastic - it’s in the not-so-recyclable and not-so-safe category. This type’s PVC (polyvinyl chloride), and it’s arguably the worst plastic for the planet and you. It can emit mercury, phthalates, and dioxins, which can cause reproductive abnormalities; and it’s also usually not recyclable, so try to avoid it when possible. You’ll often encounter it in cooking oil bottles, food packaging, and plastic wrap.

4. Free 4 all.

LDPE (low-density polyethylene) makes up our #4-labeled plastics. These include plastic grocery bags, produce bags, and food wrap, and the good news is that it has a low risk of leaching. Many curbside recycling programs will take your #4s, but if yours doesn’t, see if your local grocery store will at least accept your plastic bags (if you’re not already bringing your own).

5. Gimme 5.

Clap it up for #5 plastics - made of PP (polypropylene) - which include yogurt containers, straws, and syrup and ketchup bottles. You can usually toss these straight in the recycling bin, and they’re not likely to release toxic chemicals into whatever they’re containing.

6. Let’s talk about 6, baby.

This one’s a mixed bag. Made of PS (polystyrene), these plastics include stuff like egg cartons and Styrofoam, which can release styrene, a possible carcinogen, when heated. Thankfully, you can recycle some Styrofoam, like those little packing peanuts - reuse them by taking them back to a shipping company that accepts them in your area or just by packaging them in another box yourself.

7. Stairway to 7.

The #7 plastics fall into the somewhat ambiguous “other” category - some are safe, but others can contain BPA. With these plastics - which include things like gallon-size water bottles, baby bottles, compostable plastics (nontoxic and break down as fast as paper), and biodegradable plastics - it really just depends. Check out Earth 911 and enter your zip to find out where to send this stuff in your area.

8. Lid ‘er rip.

The caps on a lot of containers are made of a different plastic than the container itself. And many recycling centers won’t accept the caps and lids, since they’re too small and can fall through or jam recycling equipment. The bright side: Aveda stores have a great take-back program for twist-on caps, which turns them into - what else? - new bottle caps. (Or for bonus points: Get in touch with your craftier side to reuse these babies.)

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The “Connected Home”

2009-11-06T19:53:08Z

Research from connected home provider Intamac shows people want to conserve energy to save money rather than stop global warming.

Consumers in North America and the UK admit the main reason they want to conserve energy in the home is to save money rather than reduce the effects of global warming. This is according to research carried out by UK-based Intamac Systems Ltd, a leading global provider of home monitoring and control systems.

Intamac surveyed consumers across North America and the UK on their knowledge of the ‘connected home’ and what they’d like to control in their home and why. The research shows that the main reason consumers want to monitor and control their energy settings in the house isn’t to reduce harm to the environment but to save money.

“In the UK only 28% of respondents said their priority for remotely monitoring and controlling water and electricity/gas settings in the home is to save the environment. Interestingly, there were even fewer people in North America with a green conscience - just 26%,” said Kevin Meagher, founder and CEO of Intamac. “Their main priority across both regions is to save money, with a few people claiming safety in the home - for example preventing risk or damage from water leaks or fire hazards - as a third factor of choice.”

With global warming still a key issue in both North America and the UK, consumers need to recognize that conserving energy can have both financial and environmental advantages. The key is to provide an easy way of
“It’s a sure sign of the times. Consumers are having to prioritize on their spending and while saving the environment is obviously important, personal finances are at the top of the list,” explained Meagher. “This isn’t likely to change anytime soon if the predicted increase in domestic energy prices is anything to go by. We’ve learned that the best way to help the environment is to help the consumer which is who we’ve designed our new web-based smart energy monitoring service for. Linked directly to an in-home display, it’ll show the consumer where in the house they can save energy and so help reduce their monthly bills.

“Cutting energy costs has many benefits to the consumer and the environment. For the consumer to take it seriously all that’s needed is a simple way of monitoring energy consumption to help identify a way to cut usage levels and so reduce bills,” he concluded.

About Intamac Systems
Intamac Systems is the market leader in the field of internet-accessed monitoring and control. Founded in 2000, and based in Northampton UK, the company has developed an internet-based platform and communications infrastructure enabling systems and appliances to be networked using the internet. As the ‘digital home’ and business environments become increasingly automated, Intamac is providing global companies and their customers with a range of powerful new services, and the ability to monitor and control their properties remotely from the internet or mobile phone.

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Social Retailer Jade’s ToyBox and Boutique E-Retailer ZABA Partner for a NYC Holiday Pop-Up Shop

2009-11-05T21:46:41Z

A Portion of the Proceeds go to Charities that Benefit Kids

NEW YORK - Nov. 5, 2009 - This holiday season, don’t just give, GIVE BACK! That’s what two online retailers are doing as they focus on helping others while putting ‘family’ first this holiday. Starting this weekend, Jade’s ToyBox and ZABA are opening a special holiday store filled with a great selection of eco-friendly toys, unique clothes, and family activities weekly throughout the holiday season. A portion of proceeds from the holiday store will be donated to support children’s charities, including DKMS Americas, whose mission is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors for leukemia patients. The grand opening of the store, located at 25 North Moore Street at Varick Street in TriBeCa is this weekend, November 7-8, 2009.

“We’re determined to lose the chaos that often comes with the holiday season, and we’re asking people to stop and consider what they REALLY want this holiday. Children’s literature is a great way to be reminded of what matters in this world, so we’re taking cues from our kid’s books, like The Giving Tree and The Gift of Nothing. Two must reads this holiday, no matter what your age,” says, Angelique LeDoux, founder and president of Jade’s ToyBox. “Everyone is so busy during the holidays and we want to help families take time out and create new holiday traditions that may last a lifetime.”

The special Holiday Store will be open through Christmas Eve weekdays and Saturdays from 10 am -7 pm, Sundays from 11 am -5 pm, with special hours on Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas Eve. Check Jade’s ToyBox.com and Zaba.com for more information and weekly special events. Fun free and a few unique paid family activities at the special holiday store include:

A Rare Opportunity for your Child to be Photographed with the 20×24 Polaroid Camera - One of only six such cameras in the world, the 20″ x 24″ Polaroid camera produces large format instant photos and will be available for a fee.

Storytime for Charity - Parents are invited to sponsor storytime by making a suggested donation of $20, all of which goes to charity! Simply bring in your child’s favorite book or let us choose the story and use your child’s name as the character of the book. Special guests will be on-hand to read, including Santa, and each free storytime is followed by a hands-on craft activity

Weekly Holiday Craft Workshops - Using recycled materials, the whole family can get involved in fun holiday crafts

Free Santa Portraits - Visits by Old St. Nick and a free photo. Bring your camera!

Pop-Up Holiday Card, Book and Ornament Making Workshops- Author Esther K. Smith, author of “How To Make Books” and “Magic Books and Paper Toys” will lead this “parents only” workshop for creative holiday crafts that you can teach your kids

Free Santa letter writing workshops - Featuring stories followed by a letter-writing workshop where kids create their letters for Santa and mail it to the North Pole

“Me, Myself & I” Photo Portraits - Not your typical holiday photo, noted New York photographer Donna Alerico will be creating works of art for the holidays

Create Holiday Photo Books with Magazine Picture Editors. Take those piles of photos out of the box and get inspired to make digital and handmade albums. Led by picture editors Donna Cohen and Angelique LeDoux

About DKMS Americas
The DKMS mission is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors for leukemia patients. More than 18,500 DKMS donors have helped save lives by donating their bone marrow. DKMS is the largest and most experienced bone marrow donor center in the world with over 2 million registered donors. More information about DKMS can be found here.

About ZABA
ZABA was born with the inspiration that “Simplicity is Best” by sisters Ania and Gosia, creating a boutique that is unpretentious, with a child friendly design layout. Shopping at Zaba brings joy to all, with brands whose lines tell a story - one that is youthful and entertaining to clients. Tapping into a growing Organic market, ZABA features designs that stay true to their concept of simplicity. ZABA also features a selection of gift items for every occasion, from toys to accessories. More information about ZABA is available here.

About Jade’s ToyBox
Jade’s ToyBox is an online social retailer offering parents educational and eco-friendly products for their young children, while donating a portion of proceeds to charities that benefit kids. Their unique products, called Concept Boxes include a carefully vetted selection of eco-friendly toys, books and games pre-packaged to teach specific concepts to young children. More information is available at the Jade’s ToyBox retail store.

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Conserve My State

2009-11-04T19:13:42Z

Tennessee has started what could prove to be a great new program, as far as the environment is concerned. It’s a Middle Tennessee initiative called Conserve My Land. Its goal is to “encourage farmland preservation on the urban fringe” and also to promote practices which not only maintain, but also improve the quality of the local water supply. What they want to show Tennessee farmers is that better water leads to healthier land and healthier land leads to healthier animals and healthier crops.

A staggering 2 acres of healthy land a day is lost to urbanization and development. Williamson County has lost a fifth of its farmland in as many years. ConserveMyLand.org wants to show landowners how to protect their land for future generations and preserve our much needed healthy rural areas, by instructing them in the use of tools like conservation easement agreements, and other conservation measures.

By making it easier for farmers to find assistance without having to contact multiple government agencies for information and assistance, they hope to make the process easier on everyone, including the resource-challenged agencies. They even offer a Conservation Planning Tool, to help landowners figure out just how much work needs to be done and some possible solutions to their problems, to get them moving in the right direction.

ConserveMyLand.org offers case studies and details on financial incentives, to help farmers and landowners make an informed decision about conservation of their property.

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Enviro Expo 2009

2009-11-03T19:30:07Z

On November 14 and 15, the Georgia World Congress Center is holding Enviro Expo USA, Atlanta’s premiere green exhibition of the top environmental products, technologies, businesses and services. Best part of all: IT’S FREE!

Sponsors of the second annual Enviro Expo USA include Atlanta Audi dealers, Coca-Cola Recycling, Royal Bank of Canada, Best Buy, IKEA and Lube of Atlanta. According to the official website, visitors will be able to test-drive the new Audi TDI!
As if that’s not reason enough to go, 929 Dave FM is also having a contest – the Ultimate Green Life Giveaway – featuring tons of organic and sustainable products and services, including $5000 in cash to go towards greening your life! You can register once a day at their website - - and they will announce the winner live at the Expo on November 14.

For more information on the expo and the companies represented there, visit the website

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