Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Rebecca asks on our Facebook Wall: After collecting enough rubber bands to form a bouncy ball, what should you do. Here's a few ideas of where to recycle rubber bands:

Why environmentalists should shut up about "green" & make sustainability the status quo “You’ll be so mad at me,” my friend started our conversation. “I forgot my reusable bag in the car so had to take 3 plastic ones. Double bagged.” “Oh no!” I replied. Although I was slightly disappointed, I tried disguising my inner judgement. “I’m just not green like you.” By our conversation, you’d think I was born designated into this ‘eco-lover’ lifestyle. Just how I was born into a loud and Eastern-European-Irish mutt and whiskey-loving family. Was caring about the earth a genetic combination I was cursed into, just like my abnormally tiny eyes and obnoxiously loud laugh? (Find out more about why we should stop calling it 'green').

Ah, the holidays of gift giving have come and gone. We drank champagne at Midnight with loved ones and perhaps watched questionable men in dresses dance and sing on New Years Day. Now what? (Find out more, after the jump.)

Happy New Year! As I stated on MNN, one of my new years resolution is to help pass Philadelphia reduce plastic bags. It's easy: we want common sense legislation to encourage reusable bags and discourage single bag use. How can you help and get involved to reduce plastic bags?

Our Twitter friends at The Hub asked: @greenphillyblog we've just navigated a move&have a lot of bubble wrap! Where can we recycle it? #Philly — The Hub(@thehubtalks) December 11, 2012 Whether you've just moved (as well) or received some gifts wrapped in bubble wrap over the holiday season, packaging may be unavoidable. What can you do with bubble wrap after you're finished with it? (Find out, after the jump!)

Happy New Years Eve! 2012 has been quite eventful for Philadelphia, especially with these 6 Philly green initiatives. Green Philly Blog's year was full of furthering sustainability, both online and off. We hosted a Philly Spring Cleanup Day Site in Northern Liberties, removing many pounds of trash and debris from a shared sports park. We were thrilled at the turnout and plan on increasing cleanups for 2013 due to the success. Our “Ban the Bag” day

Ever see those commercials for 'microbeads', created to massage and exfoliate your body or face? They're typically purple or a color in a clear cosmetic gel and advertised to be AMAZING? (Find out more, after the jump!)

Avoiding more of those climate change movies because you already recycle and bring your own coffee cup to Wawa? Sick of those eco propaganda "art forms" guilting you for how much "we" Americans waste each year? Good news: Chasing Ice is a different type of Climate Change movie. It never talks about what you're doing wrong, what's really in your food or what you're not recycling. Instead, Chasing Ice shows you the result. Last week, (Find out more, after the jump!)

How can you take those dying Christmas trees with all the pine needles and turn them into a greener 2nd life? We have good news for our Where Can I Wednesday column: there are a LOT of choices this holiday season! (Find out a full list of locations by neighborhood and guidelines to recycle those Christmas trees, after the jump!)