regreet - FUN way to reuse greeting cards

You know all those greeting cards you receive? Birthdays, Thank Yous, Thinking of Yous, and all those holiday cards? Yes, many of them are recyclable (although not the photo paper cards). And yes, there are lots of ways to resuse cards, but none as FUN as regreet!

How does regreet work?

1. Start by purchasing a "regreet greeting kit," which contains materials to repurpose 4 greeting cards.
2. Apply a signature label (included in the kit) over the original senders message.
3. Apply a journey label (also included) on the back of the card, which will allow you to follow your card on it's journey! The journey label includes a unique code so you can track your card's path online. (That's the super-fun part, especially for kids, I think!!)
4. Include a 'hop along kit' (also included) so that the recipient can do the same and keep the original card on its journey (and out of the waste or recycle can).
5. Send it to a recipient who will think you are the absolute coolest!

Confused? Check out this video to see more about how regreet works.

I met the founder, Christy Eichers, at the Green Gifts Fair this weekend. Christy is a dynamic and passionate LOCAL WOMAN who took a leave from her corporate job to start regreet. Not only is she creative, but she continues to give back...even with a start-up! They donate a portion of their profits to selected nonprofits, including 4-H, Susan Komen for the Cure, and Nature Conservancy. You can even help her decide the portion that goes to each organization through their 'direct the donation' feature!

The greeting card kit retails for $12 and includes materials for repurposing 4 greeting cards, including the hopalong kit, so it actually saves EIGHT cards! Granted, it may not be the best fit for typical holiday photo cards (I mean, it's hard to re-send a photo with someone else's lovely kiddos...), but it's a great idea for most other greeting cards!

I plan to use my kit to send re-used greeting cards to my far-away friends & family, so my kids & I can see how many miles our cards travel!

Recycle Your Holidays

You can recycle your old holiday lights through the "Recycle Your Holidays" program, sponsored by the Recycling Association of MN, in partnership with the Clean Energy Resource Teams, WCCO TV, Xcel Energy, and Ace Hardware Stores in MN.

Just bring your old holiday lights to any Ace Hardware store or other drop-off location, and every part of the light string will be recycled by program partners...FOR FREE! Did you know that recycling the copper in the old light strings reduces 85-90% of the energy versus extracting virgin copper!! Yes...85-90% energy savings! So, even if your old lights are tangled and no longer work, be sure to recycle them.

Additionally, switching to LED lights will reduce home energy usage associated with your holidays. Reduce energy costs, recycle copper, recycle glass...Win-win-win!

Linden Tree Grand Opening - local local local!!

The fantastically cute Linden Tree Shop is having their Grand Opening Celebration this weekend!

Located at 44th St & Beard Ave (next to Browne & Green Floral), this locally owned shop features handicrafts by local artisans, primarily (if not all) women. The Linden Tree also offers a charming selection of specialty fabrics for you to hand-craft your own one-of-a-kind creations.

Their Grand Opening celebration is Sat, Nov 20 10:30am - 4 pm, and Sunday, Nov 21 from noon - 4 pm. They will have refreshments & prize drawings...and 15% off any one item when you sign up for the email list!

The Linden Tree has unique gifts for children & adults, all charming and handcrafted. And it doesn't get much more local than this! Plus...EcoParent Kendra is one of the featured artists at the Linden Tree! Be sure to check out her fabulous crochet creations! I personally have my eye on one of her owl hats...

Lead found in reusable bags

A number of recent studies have found that some of the reusable store bags that are made in China contain lead. The revelation was concerning enough to prompt Senator Charles Schummer (D-NY) to ask the FDA to investigate further.

One such study study, released by TEI Analytical, found unhealthy levels of lead in half of the "non-woven polypropylene (NWPP)" bags they tested. Some of the bags tested were found to contain more than 100 parts per million of toxic heavy metals! (The CPSC's limit for paint on consumer products is 90 ppm). The chains tested in the TEI study included Walgreens, Harris Teeter, Rite-Aid & CVS. An investigation in Florida by the Tampa Tribune found lead in reusable bags for many supermarket & discount stores, including Target & Walmart.

Does the lead in these bags pose an immediate risk? Clearly, in the manufacture of these bags, workers & the environment is exposed to lead...which is no good. Should you stop using these bags?? The paint on the bags could potentially flake off and pose a danger if consumed. If food is carried in these bags, there is the potential for the lead to be absorbed by the food, especially fresh food that comes in direct contact with the flaking paint or frayed threads, and then for whoever consumes the food would be exposed to the lead.

And of course, if the bag is disposed, the lead in the bag would seep into the environment (and into our water, soil, etc...). No good indeed.

Personally, I prefer to use cloth bags rather than the 'non-woven poly propylene' ones because cloth bags can be washed easily if anything gnarly (or especially meat-related) happens to spill in the bag. (Such spills can be a risk of E.coli or other cross-contamination.) My fav, of course, is my EcoParents organic canvas tote!

Want to read more? Check out these links to recent news articles:

• USA Today article, 11/15/10
• New York Times article, 11/14/10
• Tampa Tribune article, republished 11/14/10
• Daily Caller Article, 11/12/10

What are YOU going to do with your reusable plastic bags?

Uncommon Goods indeed!

One of my favorite online boutiques for interesting gift items is Uncommon Goods. They offer a fantastic selection of creative products, including many made from recycled materials. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Glasses made from recycled wine bottles, wi th an earth-friendly message etched in 4 languages, English, Spanish, Afrikaans & French on each. You get to choose "Protect Our Earth" or Wildlife or Air or Water. And an added bonus - $4 per set will go to World Wildlife Fund! Only $40 for a set of four glasses!

Bottle-opener from real 'road used' bike gear and chain. I bought this a few years ago for my brother-in-law who is an avid bicyclist, and have benefitted from its use on more than one occasion. They also offer other products from recycled bike parts, including a wallet, belt, keychain, photo frame & clocks (which I gave as a wedding present to some biker friends). Handmade in USA.

Okay...now for something that's NOT related to booze??

How cute is this Goodbyn lunch box? Made from BPA/Lead/Phlatlate-free material,

this lunch box will save you and Mother Earth! No more plastic baggies or juice box trash.

Even the littlest hands will be able to open this clever lunch box

with 5 sealing comparments and its own drink bottle that fits into it's own compartmnet! It even comes with stickers for your little one to make it his/her very own!

Their commitment to sustainability goes beyond the products they offer. Their catalog is printed on recycled and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifed paper, and they donate a portion of their proceeds (including $1 per order) to various nonprofit organizations, inclduing American Forests, The National Wildlife Federation, and World Wildlife Fund, among others.

Green Gifts Fair - Sat, Nov 20

Want to kick off your holiday shopping in an uber-green way? (or wrap it up, if you are one of 'those' types of people...which I, most definitely, am not!)

Don't miss the 2010 Green Gifts Fair! Held annually at the Midtown Global Market, the Green Gifts Fair is a fabulous collection of vendors - mostly local - offering unique, green, recycled, upcycled, fair-trade and organic gift ideas. With over 70 vendors, you're sure to find something for everyone on your list.

Green Gifts Fair
Sat, Nov 20, 10 am-5 pm
Midtown Global Market
Lake & Chicago Aves.

But there's more!

• Educational activities & demos on reducing your impact over the holidays
• Recycle your old holiday lights and receive a raffle tickets (one per string) for $50 in Green Gift Fair bucks! (Then upgrade to energy efficient LED lights.)
  
• Come by bus - for free. Click here for details. Parking is also free.
  

The Green Gifts Fair is brought to you by Do It Green and Midtown Global Market, along with their sponsors including Red Stag Supper Club, Xcel Energy, Hennepin County, MetroTransit, CityPages, yelp!, KFAI, Recycling Assn of MN, and Otogawa-Anschel architects.

The blog is back!

The blog is back!

Just in time for the holidays, the EcoParents blog is back online! After an extended hiatus through the summer and early fall (due to crazy schedules & such), we are BACK to provide some fun ideas, tips, resources, products, etc... to get us all through the holiday season in an eco-friendly and non-toxic way.

So, check back often. We're aiming for a new post every other day. If you have ideas or blog suggestions, please please email me!

If you haven't already, join Ecoparents on Facebook as well...and be clued into new blog posts.