The Green Toilet

Green Roof Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:02:00 +0000

I've taken a brief hiatus from writing in this blog because of grad school (I'm studying Urban and Environmental Planning). However, the good news is that grad school has exposed me to all sorts of great new ideas involving water and waste - topics very relevant to the Green Toilet.

While my hiatus continues until I finish school, I wanted to leave you with a short movie that another classmate and I made for our class on sustainable communities. It is about the benefits of green roofs and why students think our school (the Architecture School at the University of Virginia) should have one.

Light up your Bathroom - LED, CFL or Incandescent?

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:03:00 +0000

What kind of lighting is best for your bathroom? You have the choice between purchasing a Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL), a Light-Emitting Diode Light Bulb (LED) and a normal Incandescent Light Bulb. There are a number of different categories you should consider before making a decision – check out their rankings below:

Best Light Quality

Incandescent – the obvious winner. Yellow, warm light is much preferred!
Two way second place/last place tie. LED bulbs (which are used to light up the computer screen you are reading this on) are slightly dimmer and have a daylight quality to them. They tend to stream light in one direction so you’ll end up with dark spaces in your room. CFL bulbs – people say the lighting isn’t that bad. Maybe it’s something you have to get used to but I can’t stand it in a small space.

Environmentally Friendly

LED bulbs are by far the most environmentally friendly. They use the least amount of electricity, they last the longest and they do not contain hazardous materials. If you’re willing to sacrifice on light quality and spend more upfront, choose this bulb.
Incandescent bulbs use the most electricity and fill up the landfills more quickly than the LED and CFL bulbs. If you’re going to use these bulbs, make sure to turn off your lights when you’re not using them or try to make use of natural light from windows. And don't forget to recycle them.
CFL bulbs each contain about 5mg of mercury. You should use CFL bulbs only if you plan to recycle them (drop them off at IKEA or check out Earth 911 for a list of local drop-off locations). When these bulbs break in your home or in a garbage bin, mercury (which is very toxic to the environment and your health) is released. As more and more people jump on Al Gore’s CFL bandwagon, more and more mercury will be released into the environment. Check out NPR's story “CFL Bulbs Have One Hitch: Toxic Mercury” for more information.

Longest Life – The lifetime of a light bulb in the bathroom may be slightly shorter because of moisture, but here’s the standard for these bulbs.

LED – 50,000 to 60,000 hour
CFL – 10,000 hours
Incandescent – 1,000 to 1,500 hours

Lowest Electricity Bill – Check out the Light Bulb Comparison Spreadsheet from Product Dose for an in depth comparison.

LED – these bulbs use slightly less watts of energy than the CFL bulbs. You’ll see the biggest impact in your bill in high energy cost areas.
CFL – according to the EPA these bulbs use 75% less energy than the common Incandescent bulbs.
Incandescent – the energy hog of the light bulb family.

Upfront Costs

Incandescent – as cheap as they get.
CFL – midrange price – often about $10 per bulb.
LED – most expensive initially - usually $30+ per bulb (but this investment will pay off). Check out the C. Crane website to compare prices of different LED models.

Lifetime Cost

LED and CFL – with their long life and low electricity use, these bulbs will save you money in the long term.
Incandescent – over a course of a year, these bulbs can cost you hundreds more than the LED and CFL bulbs.

The choice is up to you. Which ever you chose, just remember to turn off your lights and recycle your light bulbs!

So Why Is Toilet Paper White Anyway?

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:30:00 +0000

I recently wrote an email to Kimberly Clark (famous for their paper products including Kleenex, Scott, Viva and Cottonelle) and asked why they bleach their toilet paper white. Their customer support explained that bleaching is not only for aesthetic purposes – it also removes the lignin or glue from the wood. The removal of lignin helps improve the strength, feel and shelf life of their tissue and paper.

Unfortunately, most paper mills and companies like Kimberly Clark use chlorine to bleach their toilet paper. The chlorine bleaching process creates many incredibly toxic by-products including dioxins which end up in our water systems and soils.

Humans are most often exposed to these chemicals by eating contaminated food (e.g. fish), drinking contaminated water, or by working at companies that produce dioxins (e.g. paper mills). It is believe that populations exposed to high levels of dioxins have increased risks of birth defects, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. You can learn more about studies on dioxins at the Nation Institute of Health.

I also wrote an email to Seventh Generation and asked why they whiten their toilet paper and why they, in contrast to Kimberly Clark, bleach without chlorine. Here’s Seventh Generation’s response from the Director of Contract Manufacturing:

"Our tissue products are whitened using processes that are chlorine free. Hydrogen peroxide and/or sodium hydrosulfate are typically used to whiten. Because our tissue products are made from 100% recycled feedstock, this lignin (glue) is not an issue for us. It has already been removed. The whitening process helps provide a tissue with consistent look and feel.

Although I tend to agree directionally with the statement about the lignin and its potential undesired impacts on tissue characteristics, I don’t necessarily agree that chlorine containing substances are the best overall methods for bleaching wood pulp when considering the potential adverse impact on the environment in which we live. Furthermore, I am not necessarily agreeing so readily that bleaching is absolutely necessary in order to make a tissue product that can meet consumer’s expectations. As a matter of fact, we offer an unbleached version of paper towels and napkins which tend to be well accepted by the Seventh generation customer. So, I am suggesting that even if bleaching result in somewhat better tissue characteristics, the value added may not be worth it if all aspects of the situation are being considered."

As Seventh Generation mentions, there are alternatives to the chlorine bleaching processes. Here are your more eco-friendly options when it comes to toilet paper:

Unbleached: Completely natural – no bleach added. May not be a winner on softness or comfort.

Processed Chlorine Free (PCF): Recycled paper bleached with oxygen, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide. Examples brands of PCF toilet paper: Seventh Generation, Green Forest, Planet, 365 Whole Foods, Earth First. See the NRDC’s toilet paper comparison chart.

Totally Chlorine Free (TCF): Non-recycled paper bleached with oxygen, ozone, or hydrogen.

That was the good, now here’s the bad (and the ugly):

Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF): Paper bleached with chlorine dioxide. This process releases fewer dioxins than bleaching with chlorine gas, but it is still is harmful to the environment. Examples brands of ECF toilet paper: Charmin, Quilted Northern, Cottonelle, Angle Soft, Kleenex, Safeway Select

Chlorine Gas: Dioxins galore!

So the next time you're purchasing toilet paper, try out paper that is chlorine free. It's better for the environment and still white and soft.

Where Does All That Water Go?

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 19:06:00 +0000

What happens to the water you flush down the toilet? What about the water that goes down the drain when you shower or wash your hands? These are questions that I never gave much thought to before I became interested in greening up bathrooms. But Wikipedia and the USGS have helped educate me. I’m hoping to take a trip to a water treatment center to verify all of this, but in the mean time, here’s a simplified look at what happens to the water we use:

Water from the sink, shower, toilet, and so on (now contaminated with chemicals and waste) goes down the drain and heads for either a wastewater/sewage treatment plant or a septic tank. I’m going to focus on the sewage treatment plant in this post.
At the treatment plant, water goes through a primary or mechanical treatment where 60% of suspended solids are removed. Machines remove large objects including human waste, sand, gravel, rocks, oils, greases, rags, fruit, cans, and other objects that could clog or damage the equipment. These solids are usually sent to a landfill.
The remaining liquid goes through a secondary treatment where aerobic bacteria breaks down soap, detergent, human waste and food waste. The bacteria consume the organic components and combine the less soluble parts into blocks called floc (which are removed).
Finally, the water goes through a tertiary treatment where it is filtered and disinfected so it can be released back into the environment. Here are some common steps taken during this stage of treatment:

Nitrogen and phosphorus are removed (if necessary) to prevent algae blooms (where algae acts like cancer - it multiplies, uses all of the oxygen in the water, releases toxins and kill animals).
Treatment facilities disinfect with chlorine, ozone, or ultraviolet light to reduce the number of microorganisms in the water. Chlorine is commonly used because of its low cost, however, it can be toxic to the environment and aquatic life. Ozone is much safer but expensive. UV light is safer but high in maintenance and not always as effective.

The treated water (or effluent quality water) is released back into the environment via streams, rivers, lakes, ground, etc.

As you can imagine water treatment plants use large amounts of energy to clean water. Unfortunately, most of the water that goes into these treatment plants comes from excessive water use and didn’t need to go down the drain in the first place.

If we can all reduce our water usage in the bathroom by brushing our teeth without the water running, by taking shorter showers, by adding water displacement devices to our toilet tanks, or by purchasing other water saving products, we can significantly cut down the amount of energy we use to clean water at water treatment plants.

The Story of Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:55:00 +0000

To continue with the landfill, recycling and composting themes, I wanted to add a quick link to a video a friend of mine told me about. It's a 20 minute video called The Story of Stuff and is about our patterns of consumption - where our products come from and where they end up. Although the video doesn't discuss consumerism in the bathroom (that's my job!), it is still full of interesting facts and is worth a view.

Composting and Recycling ... In The Bathroom!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:44:00 +0000

Now that you have a basic understanding of how a landfill works from my last post, why not apply the practice of recycling and composting in your bathroom? Add a small bucket (or two) next to your bathroom trash bin and set it aside for plastic (numbers 1, 2 and 6) and paper products and other recyclables. If you’re interested in composting you can compost the following bathroom items:

Cotton swabs
Hair from your brush
Lint
Plant trimmings
Soap scraps
Paper products (e.g. paper towel, toilet paper*, kleenex, cardboard rolls. *you should definitely flush your toilet paper down the toilet. It breaks down relatively easily in water, but if you use it to blow your nose or blot your face, you can dispose of it in the compost bin if you'd like)

Recycling allows us to reuse material. Composting allows us to produce rich and fertile soil (called humus) in a cost-effective way for use in vegetable, fruit and flower gardens. Many cities and townships like San Francisco are trying to encourage recycling and composting and offer free or discounted pick-ups of your blue (recycled) and green (compost) bins. If you’re interested in learning more about getting your compost and recycled waste picked up at your home, check out the EPA's "Where You Live" composting map and recycling map.

If you live in an apartment building, ask your landlord to provide your complex with this service. My apartment complex recycles but does not compost so I recently wrote the following short and simple letter to my landlord in the hopes of changing this. Feel free to send the same letter to your landlord (or even to your office building).

As a tenant at your apartment complex, I was wondering if you would consider getting our apartment a composting bin. The green carts are picked up at no additional charge and could greatly reduce our building's garbage volume every week. Let me know what we can do to make this happen. Thank you.

I also attached a link to a local composting service. And guess what? The next day I received an enthusiastic reply from my landlord that said they had ordered a composting bin for my apartment. The green bin was delivered the next day! Being green is very trendy these days. Your landlord may jump all over the composting and recycling idea if you express interest.

One more composting tip. If you plan to compost, you will need to use a compostable trash bag liner. You should be able to find these liners at Whole Foods, some Walgreens, and possibly your local hardware store. Try BioBag - their bags are 100% biodegradable.

Landfills 101: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:01:00 +0000

Paper or plastic? Which do you prefer? Which do you think is better for the environment? Unfortunately there have not been many studies on the subject, but most people think paper is the lesser evil because if it were to end up in a landfill it would degrade more quickly than plastic. But this isn’t true! Biodegradable wastes are only able to breakdown into harmless substances under normal environmental conditions. There is nothing normal or natural about a landfill.

I recently heard a discussion on NPR's KQED where scientists visited a landfill to sample its contents. They found perfectly preserved guacamole and lettuce from the 1970’s! Ugh. Think of all those food scraps you’ve thrown away in the past 30 years – they are still there. Landfills tightly seal in waste to protect the outside environment from contamination (thank goodness!) but, as a result, any biodegradation that does take place happens very slowly. In the absence of oxygen and moisture, bacteria must degrade landfill waste through anaerobic digestion which releases methane gas and carbon dioxide (which must be controlled and regulated by the landfill because of its explosive nature).

According to the EPA, in 2006 Americans generated 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day. This equates to 251 million tons of waste every year. 32.5% (or 82 million tons) of this waste was recycled or composted and 12.5% is burned. That means 55% of our waste goes directly to landfills. Much of that waste can and should be composted or recycled. For example, in 2000 only 2.6% of food waste was composted. You can help by composting and recycling in both your bathroom and kitchen.

I’m hoping to take a field trip to a Bay Area landfill and will report back on it as soon as I go. In the mean time, both the Environmental Protection Agency and How Stuff Works are great resources for learning more about our landfill and municipal solid waste systems. I believe understanding what happens to our trash after we dispose of it is an important step in reducing our waste and our consumerist habits. So think twice when you throw things in the trash, and the next time you’re at a store, don’t choose paper or plastic. Bring a cloth bag instead.

Bathroom Water Usage Calculator

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 02:35:00 +0000

I recently ran across a nifty water usage calculator on the U.S. Geological Survey website. To find out how many gallons of water you use in the bathroom every day enter the number of times you flush the toilet, wash your hands, brush your teeth, and take a shower on a daily basis into the appropriate cells. Leave the dishwasher and laundry machine cells at zero if you want to look at just your water usage in the bathroom.

Showers: Money & Fresh Water Down The Drain

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:00:00 +0000

Do you know how many gallons of fresh water you use in the shower every day? How about every year? Most likely it's much more than you realize. Being aware of the amount of water you use in the shower is important. With awareness you'll be more likely to reduce your daily water usage and as a result you'll reduce your water and energy bill and also do the planet some good.

How Much Water Do Showers Use?
On average 30% of household water is used in the shower. Homes built in the U.S. before 1992 have showerheads that use between 5 and 7 gallons per minute (GPM) or between 15 and 20 liters per minute (LPM). In 1992, however, the U.S. government began mandating that new buildings install low-flow showerheads that have a 2.5 GPM or less.

Check your showerhead to find out your shower's water flow per minute. If your showerhead uses more than 2.5 gallons per minute (or more than 9 LPM) you may want to seriously consider replacing your showerhead. If you already own a low flow showerhead and are due for a replacement, you can find high quality showerheads that use even less water than 2.5 GPM.

What Are You Saving?
Using less water will not only reduce your water bill but it will also lower your energy expenses (because you are heating less water). You'll also be doing the planet a favor by saving water and reducing greenhouse gases.

By switching to a showerhead with a lower water flow a family of four can save hundreds of dollars every year. Check out this shower calculator to determine your savings. Fill in your household statistics and try adjusting the showerhead GPM to see how much you could save if you purchased a showerhead with a lower GPM.

Types of Low Flow Showerheads
• Aerated showerheads mix water and air together which reduces the amount of water used and helps maintain water pressure. Even though the flow of water is lower, the air mixture will make the shower feel more like a high pressure shower.
• Non-aerated showerheads, on the other hand, pulsate individual streams of water. The water pressure of these showerheads is equally as strong. If you are partial to massage showerheads, the non-aerated showerhead is best for you.

Be on the lookout for showerheads that offer shut-off or pause buttons. This will allow you to stop the water while you are lathering up or shampooing and resume the water at the same temperature when you are ready to continue.

Eco-Friendly Showerhead Brands
Low GPM/LPM showerheads do not need to sacrifice your shower experience. Here is a compilation of eco-friendly showerheads that have gotten positive reviews and use less than 2.5 GPM (or 9 LPM). If you recommend any other brands or have some opinions about the brands listed below please add a comment or write me an email.

Bricor Showerhead - 1.25 GPM or less, vacuum water flow technology that creates a powerful shower stream at a very low flow rate
Real Goods Showerhead – 1.2 to 1.4 GPM, $12, pause feature
Oxygenic Showerhead - 1.5 GPM, $30 to $90, oxygen injected, good for the skin, high velocity water flow, good for homes with low water pressure
Economy Jet Stream Showerhead - 1.5 GPM, $35, from 15 to 120 PSI
Luxory Jet Stream Showerhead -1.5 GPM, $70, from 15 to 120 PSI
Neco Showerhead - 7 LPM, $150
Neco Handheld - 9 LPM, $75
Speakman’s LEED Standard Eco Friendly Showerheads - 2.0 GPM/7.6 LPM or 1.75GPM/6.6 LPM or 1.5 GPM or 5.7LPM, $42
Earth Massage Showerhead - 2 GPM, $16
The Roadrunner Showerstart Showerhead- 1.59 GPM, $39, built-in temperature monitor. We often waste gallons of water as we're waiting for the shower to warm up. To reduce the waste of hot water, this showerhead will stop the water flow when the water gets hot. When the shower stops, your shower is ready for you. Resume the water flow by flicking a small switch and shower as usual.

Check out this Consumer Report to learn more about other low flow showerheads.

More Tips
It’s easy to daze off while you’re in the shower. Don’t let time pass so quickly - try using a timer to monitor how much time you’re spending in the shower. Use a timer that you already own or check out Neco's Sand Shower Timer and Digital Shower Timer. Limit yourself to a certain amount of time in the shower every week.

Finally, try playing a mind trick on yourself. Imagine that the water coming out of your showerhead is actually money. Or imagine that it’s transparent gold. Don’t let all that money go down the drain!

Stocking Stuffers and Discounts

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 04:30:00 +0000

Two exciting announcements!

1) Preserve (also know as Recycline) is providing a 15% online discount to Green Toilet readers through January 31st. Preserve creates products from discarded yogurt containers – they sell toothbrushes, toothpicks, razors, and more which can make great stocking stuffers. As an additional bonus the packaging of the toothbrush can be used as a traveling case. To get your discount go to their online store and enter "Green Toilet" for the promotion code.

2) Planet, Inc is willing to send you a sample of their biodegradable All Purpose Spray. Send me your address by the end of this month if you’re interested.

Thanks very much to Preserve and Planet, Inc!

12 Tips To Make Your Bathroom More Eco-Friendly

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:55:00 +0000

Try out a few of the ideas below to help lighten your ecological footprint. The tips highlighted in green will refer you back to earlier blog posts that offer specific product suggestions and details on the benefits of making such changes.

Paper Products
1) Toilet Paper and Paper Towel - Use chlorine-free recycled paper products with high post-consumer content. Businesses should consider investing in an automated hand-dryer.
2) The Trash – Buy biodegradable trash bags. If there is space, have two trash bins, one for recyclable paper products and another for feminine products and other wastes.

Water
3) Toilet – If you do not already own a low flush toilet install a water displacement device (try adding a half-gallon plastic bottle filled with sand to your toilet’s tank). Consider purchasing a dual flush toilet or a waterless, composting toilet.
4) Sink – Install a faucet attachment to either lower the gallon per minute flow or to convert your faucet into an automatic faucet that is sensor activated.
5) Shower – Choose a water-efficient showerhead that has a low gallon per minute flow.

Health
6) Cleaning Products – Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products such as Method, Seventh Generation and Planet. For hand soap, check out Just Soap’s natural, biodegradable soaps that are blended by human-powered bicycles.
7) Air Ventilation – Keep your indoor air quality at a healthy level by making sure your bathroom fan is fully functioning.

Lighting
8) Light Bulbs – Natural lighting is always best but if that’s not an option, light your bathroom with LED lights. They last long, use less energy (even less than compact fluorescent light bulbs), and save you money.

Materials
9) Paint - Use low or zero-VOC paint to reduce indoor air pollution.
10) Rugs - Add to the comfort of your bathroom and purchase a rug made from bamboo, a fast growing, viable alternative to wood.

Connection to Nature
11) Plants – Nice for aesthetics and helps connect people back to nature (bromeliads, philodendrons, orchids, ferns)
12) Reminder Sign – Post a sign to remind people who use your bathroom to conserve water and paper resources.

Plants - The Natural Air Filter

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:22:00 +0000

Add a plant to your bathroom to help filter the air of harmful VOC's (volatile organic compounds) such as benzene and other pollutants like formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and carbon monoxide that cause eye and throat irritation, headaches and nausea (a.k.a. sick building syndrome) and are suspected of causing cancer. VOC's are emitted by many household products including carpets, furniture, printers, paints, and cleaning products. Many years ago NASA conducted a 2-year study on indoor air quality and found that plants are incredibly effective at absorbing these contaminants from the air. Check out NASA's list of recommended air-purifying house plants.

As for choosing a plant to put in your bathroom, you need a plant that can handle moisture and survive with little light. I talked to my plant expert friend, Eric Klein, and he recommends buying a bromeliad for your bathroom. Bromeliads are native to tropical rain forests and needless to say thrive in humidity and dark spaces. According to Eric philodendrons, orchids, and some varieties of the fern could also work well in the bathroom. If you're looking for a specific plant recommendation check out apartment therapy's list of top ten bathroom plants.

In addition to their health benefits, plants also make bathrooms more aesthetically pleasing and help connect us back to nature. With nature on your mind, you'll be more mindful of the resources you're using - at least while you're in the bathroom!

Improve The Air You Breathe

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:28:00 +0000

According to the EPA Americans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. Unfortunately, the quality of this indoor air can actually be more polluted than the outside air and cause health problems including headaches, dizziness, irritation, asthma, and other allergy-like symptoms.

However, your indoor air quality (IAQ) can be improved not only by choosing non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products (see previous blog posting), but also by keeping your bathroom well ventilated. A properly working bathroom fan will help control moisture, prevent the growth of mold and mildew (which aggravate asthma and allergies), and remove unpleasant odors and other pollutants.

If you’re looking to purchase a new fan check out ENERGY STAR’s bathroom ventilation fan. It has a built-in light, uses 70% less energy than standard fans and is relatively quiet. This is an especially great product for small businesses whose fans are continually running. It can help save up to $75 each year – visit ENERGY STAR’s website to read about success stories.

Stop the Spread of Germs

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:13:00 +0000

Quick tip for business owners: Make sure your bathroom has a hook for people to hang their purses or coats. If this isn’t available people will set their possessions on the ground without considering/realizing how dirty the floor is. A simple hook will cut down on the spread of germs and will keep your customers healthy and returning to your store or restaurant.

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub – Responsible Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:59:00 +0000

Bathrooms are full of germs! That’s why they are an important space to keep clean. Unfortunately many of the cleaning products we use contain toxic chemicals which have unknown health consequences and pollute the environment when they are manufactured and disposed of.

So what can you do to protect your health and the environment? Choose trusted, non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products like Method, Seventh Generation, Planet. I’ve used all of these products and have been satisfied with their cleaning ability. You can buy them from many locations including Whole Foods and Target. Their cost is usually slightly more expensive than regular (and toxic) cleaning products.

A note about what it means to be biodegradable. When disposed of a biodegradable product will break down safely and relatively quickly into simple substances like carbon dioxide, basic minerals and water. These natural materials then integrate back into the environment.

If you’re considering any other type of cleaning product, check that the product has been certified by Green Seal or Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). This will ensure that the product you are choosing has been scientifically analyzed and identified as environmentally responsible. If you know of any other well respected green certification companies add a comment.

If you’d rather not spend the additional money on these cleaning products, why not make your own? Check out EarthEasy’s great list of homemade cleaning recipes that (generally) use safe, natural ingredients.

Here are some bathroom related cleaning recipes directly from their website:

All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc.

Air Freshener: Set out a dish of baking soda or vinegar with lemon juice to absorb odors. Having plants in the bathroom can also help reduce odors.

Bathroom Mold: Mold in bathroom tile grout is a common problem and can be a health concern. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.

Drain Cleaner: Pour about 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, then 1/2 cup vinegar. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clear residue. Caution: only use this method with metal plumbing. Plastic pipes can melt if excess boiling water is used. Also, do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener--the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into basin and let it set for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse. A mixture of borax (2 parts) and lemon juice (one part) will also work.

Tub and Tile Cleaner: For simple cleaning, rub in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinse with fresh water. For tougher jobs, wipe surfaces with vinegar first and follow with baking soda as a scouring powder. (Vinegar can break down tile grout, so use sparingly.)

It's Just Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:54:00 +0000

Just Soap makes biodegradable, handmade soap that is blended by bicycle. After all the ingredients are brought together, a human-powered bicycle efficiently does all of the mixing working until the ingredients begin to thicken. The mixture is poured into wooden frames, then cut and left to cure for over 2 months.

Because the mixing process is powered by bicycles, the production cost is low. As a result it’s only $3 per bar! It’s also packaged with recycled material.

Water Usage & The Sink

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:48:00 +0000

Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to all the clean water that goes down your drain when you wash your hands or brush your teeth? It unfortunately (and unnecessarily) ends up mixing with raw sewage and becomes contaminated. This newly contaminated liquid/sludge then makes its way to either a waste treatment plant or septic tank. We often forget that water is a precious resource that gives us life - try to stay mindful of where your water is going while running water – turn it off when your toothbrush or hands are not under the faucet.

How many gallons per minute (GPM) does your faucet release? You can usually find out by looking along the rim of your faucet where the water comes out. Sinks typically use about 2.2 gallons of water per minute and if you’re not careful you can easily use over 4 gallons every time you brush your teeth.

Green Sink Products & Ideas

1) Faucet Attachments: easy ways to reduce your sink's GPM
a. Attach the Sink Faucet Aerator to your sink to reduce your GPM to 0.50. You just twist it onto your faucet. It only costs $1.50.
b. The EZ Faucet sink attachment is a touch-free infrared sensor faucet adaptor. Your sink will turn on and off automatically when an object triggers the sensor. And as a nice side bonus it helps reduce germs from spreading. Cost is $60. But it will eventually pay for itself because this is a great way to reduce your water bill! Or consider the Miscea touch-free sink which can release soap as you wash.
c. Conserve energy and water with the Solis Faucet, a sensor activated, solar-powered faucet that uses 0.50 gallons per minute.

2) Toilet Lid Sink: Use the clean water from the tank in your toilet to wash your hands. This space saving product from Gaiam has a built in soap dish and an automatic shut off system. Installation is easy and the cost is $90. It’s a pretty neat product and will certainly become a popular conversation topic if you get one.

3) Check for leaks: If you’re not careful a leaky faucet can easily waste 20 gallons of water per day. Keep your sink maintained and make sure your washers are nice and tight.

Water Usage & The Toilet

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:13:00 +0000

According to the United States Geological Survey, each person uses approximately 80 to 100 gallons of water at home per day. Surprisingly, the largest use of household water goes to flush the toilet. On average individuals flush toilets 5 times per day and this can add up to over 25% of total water use in the home. Older toilets use between 3 and 5 gallons of clean water per flush while newer toilets (1992 and later) can use around 1.6 gallons per flush. You can check to see how much your toilet uses by lifting off the toilet tank and checking the GPF (gallons per flush).

Toilet Tidbits from IdeaBites.com
•Americans flush 4.8 billion gallons of water down the toilet every day. Pre-1950, toilets used 7+ gallons per flush; by 1980, it was 3.5. By law, new toilets use 1.6 gallons or less.
•Replacing an old toilet with a new low-flow john gives water bill savings of $46/year - you'll make back the cash in 5 years.

Toilet Products
Consider using one of the following water saving techniques or new toilet products in your bathroom. You’ll be saving money, energy, the environment, and you’ll be addressing water shortage concerns.

1) Water saving devices: cheap ways to convert any toilet to a low flush toilet.
a. Water Displacement Device – buy a water displacement bag from your local hardware store or add a half-gallon plastic bottle filled with sand or pebbles to your toilet tank. This will save you at least a half-gallon per flush and the savings will quickly add up. Note that this tip is not recommended for low flush 1.6 gallon toilets.
b. Toilet Tank Flapper Flush Device – cut down water use by 50% every time you flush. The device costs only $5 and is recommended for 3.5 gallon toilets.
c. Fill Cycle Diverter – saves 1/2 gallon of water per flush and costs $1. Both the tank and the bowl of a toilet need to be refilled when a toilet is flushed. On many toilet designs, the bowl will fill sooner than the tank, and, as a result, water will continue to run into the bowl until the tank is full. This wastes water. The fill cycle diverter is designed to direct more water to the tank and less to the bowl during refill so both the tank and the bowl finish filling at the same time.

2) Check for leaks: Add 10 drops of food coloring to your toilet tank and wait 10 minutes. If the color appears in the bowl, your toilet has a leak.

3) Low flush toilets: Toilets in the US are now required by law to use 1.6 gallons per flush or less (and fortunately the American Water Works Research Association has found that additional flushes are not needed to flush these low flush toilets). You can check out reviews of low flush toilets by plumber Terry Love. His favorite is the UltraMax by Toto.

4) Dual flush toilets: If you’ve ever been to Europe you’ve certainly used a dual flush toilet. These toilets can help save even more water than the low flush toilet with their two button system – one button uses 1.6 gallons and the other uses 0.8 gallons (for “number 1”). Check out the Caroma Dual Flush Toilet.

5) Waterless, composting toilet: Composting toilets can be both clean and sanitary. As an additional benefit they make free, homemade fertilizer for your garden! Check out the Envirolet composting toilet. I'll be adding a post focused on composting toilets in the near future.

6) Greywater systems: Use water from your sink or shower to flush your toilet. This bullet also deserves its own post (which you can expect soon) but for now check out this article posted on Treehugger.com that reviews a product called The Aqus.

What Does Your Toothbrush Have In Common With A Yogurt Container?

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 00:35:00 +0000

This question isn't actually that random. At SF's GreenFest this weekend I discovered a recycled toothbrush made from recycled yogurt containers (mostly from Stonyfield Farm). What a neat idea! The product is called Preserve and you can pick them up at Whole Foods. At the festival it cost me $2.50 which seems to be a reasonable price.

Or Go PAPERLESS!

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 00:10:00 +0000

Some of you may be feeling skeptical about the recycling process. If you are you should definitely do more research and please check out Wikipedia’s article on paper recycling to learn about the rationale behind it.

Or for the daring type you could try completely eliminating paper from your bathroom instead. I was at San Francisco's Green Fest this weekend and walked by a Bidet-O-Matic demonstration (fortunately, no people were involved). It's a cordless, non electric device that you can simply attach to your toilet. Now you don't need to use toilet paper anymore and (if you wish) you don't even have to wash your hands.

Paper Products: Toilet Paper & Paper Towel

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:38:00 +0000

Looking for an easy first step to make your bathroom more eco-friendly? Try replacing your toilet paper and paper towel (if you’re not using a cloth towel) with recycled paper. Look for products that meet the following criteria:

1. High post-consumer content (meaning recycled paper previously used by consumers). Look for products with 80% post-consumer content or higher.

2. Chlorine free bleaching process. Many companies bleach their paper products with chlorine to make their paper nice and white. This unfortunately releases harmful chemicals into the air and water which impacts the environment (including you)! Purchase products labeled with TCF (totally chlorine free), PCF (processed chlorine free) or ECF (elemental chlorine free).

Products To Try: Check out the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Shoppers Guide to Home Tissue Products. They’ve compared brands offering facial tissue, toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins.

I’ve recently switch to recycled toilet paper and plan to try out the brands listed in the NRDC’s guide (I’ll provide a review once I get through a few of them). I’m on my first pack of Seventh Generation toilet paper and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how soft it is! I used to be a regular user of Charmin and I had a hard time with the idea of giving it up. But I did and I have no regrets.

But Why Bother? Here’s how making this change will impact the environment, the people around you, and your wallet:

• Environmental Impact: The paper products we use in the bathroom on a daily basis are filling our landfills and destroying millions of trees and animal habitats. Using recycled products uses less energy and water and helps save trees. According to the NRDC if every household in the US replaced one 500 sheet roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (a.k.a. toilet paper made without recycled contents) with 100% recycled ones we could save 423,900 trees. And if we all replaced one roll of virgin fiber paper towel (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones we could save 544,000 trees.

• Social Impact: According to Seventh Generation, a company that specializes in creating non-toxic household products, “bleaching paper with chlorine creates dangerous toxins such as dioxins, furans and other organochlorines. Once loose in the environment, these chemicals accumulate in both people and animals. Hundreds of studies have shown a direct link between dioxin exposure and cancer, birth defects and developmental and reproductive disorders.” Message to you: Don’t expose your family, friends or customers to the harmful toxins that are potentially released by chlorine-bleached paper. Use chlorine-free products whenever possible.

• Economic Impact: Recycled toilet paper is NOT necessarily more expensive. I’ve seen 4-roll packs of recycled toilet paper cost anywhere between $1.99 and $4.00 depending on the brand and store. At Safeway 4 rolls of Quilted Northern will cost you $2.89. I’ll be doing more research here and provide you with a better comparison soon.

Can The Green Toilet Make A Difference?

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:12:00 +0000

A quote from Living Beyond Our Means, Natural Assets and Human Well-Being:

"The natural balance sheet we bequeath to future generations depends on choices made at every level and in every corner of the planet - from the head of a village in Bangladesh to a corporation board in a New York skyscraper; from international gatherings of finance ministers to consumers in a Brazilian furniture store."

To your bathroom!

The Green Toilet - Huh?

noreply@blogger.com (Maggie Melin) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:45:00 +0000

Welcome to The Green Toilet!

This blog is intended to give restaurants and households (and any buliding that contains a restroom) advice on how to how to create a more ecologically friendly bathroom. There are millions of toilets that are being used hundreds of times every day. Think of all the toilet paper and paper towels that go to waste! Think of all the clean water that goes down the drain to flush toilets and wash hands! Think of all of the chemicals used to clean toilets, counters, and floors!

There are little (and big) things that can be done to these restrooms to make them more sustainable and less harmful to the environment. If every restroom in the US followed a few standards the impact could be huge.

Stay tuned for quick and easy tips you can follow to make your bathroom more green.