Recycle

In the summertime I get the urge to eat out more. The longer days and opportunity for al fresco dining (one of my favorite little pleasures in life) just make restaurants that much more enjoyable for me. I frequent establishments that boast the use of organic and local ingredients, along with lots of vegan and vegetarian hot spots. But, I also head to restaurants that aren't necessarily well known for any of these things. While dining I’m often on the lookout for how restaurants measure up in the eco-friendly department. Here are some practices that help keep businesses in the food industry greener. Don’t be shy - suggest some of these next time you’re at one of your favorite spots. Green restaurant practices:

It's Philly Beer Week Ya'll! Although I enjoy a good local brew, I'm also a huge fan of wine. Wine bottles are recyclable and you can find local and/or organic wines easily. But what should you do with those damn un-recyclable wine corks? Good news - there's a few options for you! Choose one of the following to do with your wine corks:

With my pending nuptials less than two months away (how did that happen?!) I've been thinking a lot about how to decrease waste at our wedding. Between the save-the-dates, invitations, programs, place cards etc. there's a lot of paper involved for just one day! Some in the green community suggest going completely electronic and sending e-vites in leui of wedding invitations. Why didn't I go this route?

Always a bridesmaid...never a bride. (sidenote: no idea what that saying actually means... or where it's from, actually but it's funny...) I always have a blast at my friends' & family's weddings. (In fact, I currently have a residence in weddingville.) Yet, I've been accumulating bridesmaid dresses that may not always fit me all that well. Recently I was contemplating what to do with some a few of the non-reusable dresses... to avoid Katherine Heigl's fate a la 27 Dresses. Thank goodness Newlymaid landed in my in-box. Find out what I found out after the jump!

Three things I love about Spring: The days are longer, the sun is brighter, and it’s (almost) flip flop weather. What else does Spring mean? Time to get your spring clean on and get your home feeling fresh and shiny. Here’s some tips on how to clean greener:

When Spring Cleaning I often have trouble deciding what should be donated, recycled or trashed. This easy flow chart will ease the process. Enjoy! Posted by Julie

Speaking of recycling your laptop, The City of Philadelphia and the Urban Affairs Coalition are currently hosting a unused, undamaged computers drive (2001 or newer; Pentium 4/Apple G4 or better) that will be refurbished and given to community organizations for internet access and computer training. From now until Monday January 17th, you can drop off your donated computer during normal business hours at (find out where, after the jump)

"Do you know of a green way to dispose of a laptop? Throw it in the Delaware river?" -Kevin@aol.com, Green Philly Blog Reader Well Kevin, although the Delaware may be toxic, it definitely won't help Philadelphia get greener this year. Actually, disposing a laptop in a river OR landfill are both terrible options - it's just as outdated as your AOL email address. But here's some green tips to recycle your laptop:

It's holiday and party season! Entertaining guests can get hectic when everyone has cups, cans and glasses. Here's a couple of ideas to reduce water & waste when entertaining & imbibing: