Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Want to limit the eco-impact from your gift-giving this year? Instead of the typical gift ideas, give an 'experience' gift. Movies, concerts, restaurants, massages or cooking classes all are thoughtful alternatives of the typical stocking stuffers. Another bonus: You can pick something you & the recipient both enjoy to spend time together!

My friends, co-workers & family know I co-write "Green Philly Blog" and ask for green advice. While I often can assist, I occasionally don't even know the answer... (Sorry to expose that fact.) As Beth & I have mentioned before, the green route isn't always crystal-clear - especially with green imposters. When I was asked about eco-friendliness of toilet paper, I had to do a little research. My old roomie & I were meant to be: As one visiting friend pointed out, we were huge fans of 1-ply toilet paper - not always found at mid-20, chick apartments. However, it turns out this mutual love of 1-ply is quite eco-friendly. Want to know what to look for in TP purchases? Experts recommend:

Introducing : Philadelphia Recycling Rewards Last week, Mayor Michael Nutter announced the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program that will be citywide by July 2010. Philadelphia Recycling Rewards is a partnership between the Streets Department & RecycleBank that allows residents to earn points for discounts, full-value gift cards or charitable contributions at participating merchants and non-profits. Previous RecycleBank's partnerships have proven to increase recycling efforts & aid the local economy. According to Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, this program is Philly's biggest Greenworks initiative to date in helping the City become the Greenest City in America. Philadelphia is now the largest City in the US to reward residents for recycling efforts. The program is anticipated to bring the City’s recycling diversion rate- the amount of recyclable materials that are diverted away from landfills—to record levels. $$ talks - Every ton of waste diverted from landfills saves the city about $65. City residents will be notified when Philadelphia Recycling Rewards will launch:

Eco-friendly products have flooded the market - which is great to see! Unfortunately, you have to be aware of possible impostors - some supposedly green products have a more damaging carbon footprint than a simpler, non-green branded product. How can you tell if a product is really green or if it's just marketing? This Sincerely Sustainable blog post shows the ANDREA air filter as a green imposter. While the intentions of ANDREA are good - transforming plants into air cleaners - there's a huge carbon footprint from creating this gadget (between sourcing, transportation and creating the manufacture and sale). A better alternative than ANDREA? Mother nature's "houseplant" - A novel concept, and it costs about $197 less than the $200 price tag. Other 'green' marketing scams & questionable companies include:

Every day we're exposed to tons of chemicals - whether in our food, in products we're using, and putting in OR on our bodies. Gross to think about, right? Luckily, you don't have to worry about your nails being toxic - A green innovation has landed right in Philadelphia! Tierra Mia Organic Nail Spa is the nation’s first truly organic nail spa located at 328 South 17th street in Rittenhouse. Reinventing the traditional nail experience, Tierra Mia Organic Nail Spa is

Interested in perusing a different and playful fashion display? Philadelphia's Moore College of Art & Design is currently displaying their Jumpstart Fashion Exhibit, selected pieces from their 14th annual Runway Show that ran at the end of September. Moore partnered with Penn's Veterinary School for the 'Fashion Faux Paw' theme to be creative and keep our four-legged friends out of our attire. Junior & senior students used recycled & reused "lying around unused" materials such as toothpicks, nails, sponges, bobby pins, Brillo pads, dusters, mops, plastic bags and cotton balls to create an intriguing collection of vests, skirts, leg warmers, and more. Another cool aspect of this exhibit is

Need to get your green on to balance all the red Phillies Phever going around? (Interestingly enough, the city of Philly is removing Solar-powered trashcans from center city and temporarily replacing them in riot anticipation.) Upcoming Green Events in the Philly area include:

Good news: Green buildings help workers become more productive! Workplace and employers can enjoy reduced sick time and increased productivity when they move to LEED or Energy Star labeled buildings. Why are the 'non-green' buildings so bad? Chemical contaminants, inadequate ventilation and other problems can lead to Sick Building Syndrome and other health concerns... Could be why you're dreading Monday morning! According to the study featured in the Journal of Sustainable Real Estate,

Need some green in your life to go along with the Red Phils Phever?!? Here's a roundup of upcoming eco-friendly events in Philly: