Articles Written by Julie Hancher

  Merry Christmas & Happy (Sustainable) Holidays from your friends at Green Philly Blog! Xo, Julie & Beth

Stores and marketers want to sell you crap. I know, because I'm a marketer. Don't buy into the gimmicks of "iPhone holders", solar-powered waving queens and a banana whip maker. (Um, we gave you a Banana Whip recipe. Just use your existing food processor or blender.) Single-use (or single purpose) products often times end up (Find out more, after the jump!)

Haul out the holly... and the wrapping paper... and the bows, party supplies, and tons of holiday-themed crap. Where can you recycle Christmas tree & menorah wrapping paper? What can you put in the recycle bin from your holiday loot (and what should you trash?) Don't worry, our merry readers: We have the answers for you in our holiday recycling guide. And the good news? Most of your gift materials can go full circle to be reincarnated. The Philadelphia Streets Department spelled out what you can do this holiday season for recycling gift supplies & more (and it's a LOT). Here's a guide for you:

We're trying to be the greenest city in the USA, but we still have a long way to go (although Philadelphia's starting to get a little bit of street cred. However, each year we see more and more progress in our city of sustainable love. Here's the top 6 green initiatives outta Philly that we're proud of from 2012:

Ever get frustrated when you see a water bottle (the horror!) in your friends trash can? This is pretty much my nightmare. (Find out how to help your friends without preaching, after the jump.)

Ready to kick off your holiday spirit this week? Join the Bicycle Coalition's Holiday Lights ride tomorrow night in South Philly! Bicyclists are encouraged to decorate their bikes with lights for a 2-wheeled traveling caravan. Over 80 people have already signed up for the ride which should be about 10 miles (but riders can peel off at any time as long as they tell their ride leader). After the ride, cyclists are invited to eat at the restaurant afterwards (with the best-holiday-decorated-biker getting a free meal!) Here's the official details:

Did you know that those "free" plastic bags are embedded in your grocery checkout bill? And that each plastic bag you use costs you an estimated $.17 in taxes? Whether you reuse, trash or recycle those plastic bags, you're still paying an estimated $85 dollars each year for the Philly Water Department to clean plastic bags out of our waterways. Plus, those plastic bags (like diamonds) are never ever (like ever) going away. Even in the landfill, they'll keep your takeout and old flowers perfectly preserved. And often times, they end up in the oceans, killing wildlife and littering our lands. The good news? The solution is a LOT easier than we think.

Burt's Bees just found their #1 Lip Balm Fan right here in Philadelphia - and we're giving 10 of our lucky readers a free lip balm to celebrate! It's easy to love this brand's story. Burt's Bees started in the 1991 by a beekeeper (Burt Shavitz) and Roxanne Quimby with the classic Beeswax Lip Balm 'recipe' originating from a farmer's almanac. Worried about hidden chemicals? (Find out more about Burt's Bees and how to enter to win a FREE lip balm, after the jump!)

Philadelphia, Bike Share is FINALLY coming to a block near you! Already popular in other cities 'round the world and one Philly residential building, a bike share program is in the works for our city. Mayor Michael Nutter & the administration are seeking