Lifestyle

CDs and DVDs are typically made from a combination of mixed metals - aluminum, gold, silver and nickel with petroleum-derived plastics and a combination of dyes. What does this mean to you? The blend of these materials make them almost impossible to recycle.

Glancing down a grocery aisle, bottled water looks so tempting. The beautiful graphics of green trees, exotic water from Fiji or France... it looks so healthy. It's easy to be duped by this misleading advertising. Growing up the Philly suburbs, I never bought water. Luckily, our tap was clean and my Dad didn't get the point in buying a typically free product. (Who knew Dad's crazy protest was actually helping the environment? ) The bottled water industry is an environmental termite. When you're drinking a bottle of water, you're consuming approximately 1/2 of that bottle in oil - talk about hurting your Carbon Footprint! Why is bottled water so bad?

Carpools are catching on quite rapidly due to inflated gas prices. Make sure to reach out to others when driving to work, school, and vacations. You'll save gas, reduce your carbon footprint, and have a buddy to ease any road rage or traffic pains.

As I'm taking 10 glorious days to rejuvenate from my normally hectic schedule, I can't escape my green observations & habits. Being green is a part of my lifestyle, and I have "green guilt" if I knowingly do something un-green... Whether I'm on the beach, in our beachhouse, or going for a run. In the past few days, I've learned some lessons from my new-found friends in Avalon, NJ, I'd like to share:

Many of us are gearing up for the long holiday weekend away. So it seems like a good time to review how we can put our best green effort forward when away from home, where it's often more challenging to do so. Whether you're hitting the beach, camping or visiting old friends, it's easy to let go of your good green habits when you have a change of scenery. Just like our eating & drinking habits change on vacation, so can our eco-friendly intentions. Here's some things to keep in mind to lessen your carbon footprint this weekend or whenever you're away from home:

With labor day coming up soon, many of you will be vacationing on the beach for one last hurrah. Make sure to pick up any trash or recyclables that you may have with you (or from nearby beachgoers) in the proper bin.

When filling up your car with that black gold, don’t keep filling once the pump stops.  The gasoline can go right back into the station’s pump , and the more harmful vapors settle at the top of your tank – leaking more pollutants into...

Most people are unsure how much energy their household actually uses. Schedule an energy audit to learn more about your energy habits.  Chances are you’ll be motivated to make changes to lessen energy consumption & cut costs. Many utility companies perform energy...

Like many women (and some dudes), I make a decent amount of hair, cosmetic and skincare purchases. I try to choose products that are made from recycled goods or from natural ingredients. It can be difficult to make the ‘green choice’ when staring at seemingly endless options at the store. But if you familiarize yourself with some of the greener cosmetic companies, you’ll find there’s a good array of affordable, environmentally conscious selections out there. Here's the rundown on a few of my favorite eco-friendly cosmetic lines: