Stories

  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!)

It's 5 days before Christmas and I can practically smell the excitement in the air. For some of us that anticipation may be commingled with final frenetic shopping. No matter, if you're still on the hunt for that last-minute sustainable gift idea Zipcar zipcertificates may be your answer. Have a young adult on your list? Research shows 18-34 year olds (the Millenials) are increasingly forgoing car ownership and adopting alternative means of transportation such as car-sharing services like Zipcar. In a Zipcar study, 78% of Millennial respondents said car ownership is difficult due to high cost of gas, parking and maintenance. Philadelphia provides good sources of public transportation but sometimes a car is just necessary for those major shopping hauls. family visits, or impromptu road trips. A Zipcertificate starts at $50.

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:

It's dessert season, and today you are in for a treat. These vegan chocolate coconut bars would make a great addition to any holiday menu. Or, you could even gift them to any worthy sweet-tooth in your life. This recipe is reposted from  our guest blogger, the lovely Mara Tyler who runs Cheap & Simple Vegan, and is also the managing editor of Healthy Bitch Daily. I was craving some coconut. And some chocolate. And cookies. The result? Something I don’t even think I can describe well enough to tell you how good they are. They’re like a brownie-cookie bar-gift from heaven. I could eat these for my last meal. Click through for the recipe!

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:

The bad news: Philadelphia was named the most stressed city for women in Self magazine's December issue. The good news: we have eco-friendly ways to relax and de-stress! Self cites an average 32 minute one-way commute and a 12% unemployment rate as some of the reasons for Philly topping the list. Ladies, you deserve better!Stress is a fact of life and some of the factors that contribute to the feeling can't be helped; But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be taking steps to relax. Of course it's also the holiday season - a time that lends itself to feeling frazzled and fried. Whether you can get your R & R in now or in January these tips will help. Click through for 5 ways to de-stress (and help get Philly off that downer list):