Sustainability International

Helping your business grow by embracing sustainable practices and green initiatives...

Sustainability is harmony between humans and nature.

Sustainability is based on a simple premise that everything we need for our well being depends on our natural environment. Pursuing sustainability is to create conditions which make it possible for humans and nature to exist in harmony.

As a business owner each day is a constant balancing act to bring profitability to your business, while finding ways to operate your business in an environmentally sensitive way. Moving toward sustainability is a challenge when considering how we affect our environment, through our lifestyles, living conditions, energy use, travel and work methods and practices.

Become A Sustainability International Partner

Sustainability International Partners understand the importance of conducting their business in an environmentally sensitive and sustainable manner.

Your customers are searching for businesses who embrace sustainability, and green initiatives and there is nothing more important to your business than connecting to every customer possible.

The partnership is FREE, learn how easy it is to become a Sustainability International Partner and enjoy the benefits of being a Sustainability International Partner.

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Recycle & Reduce Waste

Use of highly visible and well marked recycling containers in all visitor areas to recycle glass, metal, and paper.

Water Management

By the use of water conservation, storm water management and environmentally friendly landscaping practices Sustainability International Partners can save and lessen the negative impact of water usage on our lives and the environment.

Green Buildings

By using modern construction and renovation practices, Sustainability International Partners high performance building practices can help to decrease adverse effects upon the environment from our buildings.

Energy and Emissions

By embracing energy efficiency standards and renewable energy use, Sustainability International Partners energy use and greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced helping to protect our environment.

EV Charging Stations

Sustainability International Partners can assist more and more travelers who are looking for the convenience of Electric Vehicle charging stations by installing stations onsite.

The Problem With That Wood Smoke Smell P

Nearly everyone loves the smell of wood smoke. It evokes carefree summer nights under the stars and cozy winter evenings relaxing in front of the fireplace. But the smoke storms caused by extreme wildfire seasons in recent years have been a stark reminder that there...

How To Avoid ‘Revenge Pollution’ While Reviving the Economy P

As the economy reopens and we venture out into the world we once knew, it is tempting to try to make up for lost time — that time we could have spent traveling, shopping, and restaurant and bar hopping. Perhaps you have already made a list of things you wish you had...

6 Ways to Save Money on Your Electric Bill in the Bathroom *

With more people at home, electricity bills are spiking. So, I wanted to round up a few ways you could save money on your electric bill. Whether you’re binging Netflix, helping your kids with online classwork, or just attending the 5,000th zoom meeting, a lot of...

Can You Clean Up Your Amazon Purchases Carbon Footprint? *

Have You Thought About the Amazon Boxes on Your Porch? Most of us have those boxes, delivered by Amazon, stacking up on our porches. Have you thought about what the carbon footprint is of those deliveries? Amazon's boxes are doing more than just piling...

Earth911 Inspiration: E. O. Wilson on the Act of Discovery

This week’s quote is from American biologist and naturalist Edward O. Wilson. In his book, The Origins of Creativity, Wilson wrote, “The act of discovery is completely a human story. Its telling is a human achievement. Scientific knowledge is the idiosyncratic,...

The Biggest Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicles P

Electric vehicles (EVs) have made huge technological strides since they were first introduced, and they’re more popular than ever before. Yet some drivers are still hesitant to make the switch from traditional gas-powered cars, in large part due to misconceptions that...

Buyers Guide: Clothes Washers P

Home appliances like clothes washers are responsible for about 15% of your home’s carbon footprint. While there are human-powered appliances that don’t use electricity, for most people, living without a clothes washer is not an option. They are a major purchase,...

How Can You Calculate Your Business Carbon Footprint?

Understand Your Environmental Impact Do you understand your impact on the environment? So many of our daily actions add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and it’s not all our fault. Much of the technology which makes our lives more comfortable and better was...

9 Nontoxic Colognes That Don’t Stink!

Spritzing on your favorite cologne for a night out on the town shouldn’t require a degree in chemistry. The truth is, the majority of personal care products and synthetic fragrant potions are poisons that should be packaged with hazard symbols and come with a hazmat...

Is Seaweed a Suitable Ingredient in Sustainable Packaging? *

Concern for single-use packaging and plastics in the oceans has skyrocketed in recent years as the consequences of our throwaway culture have become evident in all parts of the world. In fact, studies have shown that the American public is equally or even more...

Urban Greening Post COVID-19: What It Means for Business

We’re at a time of crisis; how do we rebuild our economies after COVID-19? Humans have caused the annihilation of 83% of all wild animals and half of all plants. We’re disrupting a natural climatic balance, pushing us into a future projected to be 39.38-40.64 °F...

Recipes With Plant-based Substitutions for Eggs and Dairy P

Perhaps you’re eating healthier. Or you’re shifting to plant-forward foods to support a sustainable planet. Or you’re simply out of fresh eggs. Good news: Plant-based substitutions are healthy and plentiful. While vegan dairy and egg replacements are on store shelves,...

Recycling Medical Equipment To Reduce Medical Waste P

Reusing medical devices labeled as single-use sounds sketchy. Especially in the time of COVID, when the sharing of anything seems like a sure route to disaster. But it has an important role in lowering medical costs and reducing the carbon footprint of healthcare....

Try a Little Tenderness Toward This World P

Thinking of the Earth first, with consideration and kindness, is what we need to make positive decisions about our relationship with the world. Author Charlotte Erickson reminds us to “Just try a little tenderness towards this world we’ve been lucky enough to build...

Playing at the Park *

When my siblings and I were kids, one of our favorite places to go was the nearby park. Accompanied by our cousins on many of those visits, we had plenty to keep us occupied playing at the park. Although the park was a woodland area and a reservoir, we stayed mostly...

Hydrofluorocarbons in Your Kitchen and Bathroom P

Making changes to heal the hole in the ozone layer that developed over Antarctica in the 1980s is one of the great achievements of the past quarter-century. Humans paid attention to the growing threat of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), responded with global policy, and...

Which Vegetarian Protein is Good, Better, Best

Becoming vegan is one of the most impactful things an American can do to reduce their environmental footprint, because meat, especially beef, is so carbon-intensive. Many highly processed and luxury items like wine and chocolate generate emissions comparable to some...

Earth911 Inspiration: Nature Has the Power

Today’s inspiration is another quote from Helen Keller’s 1933 article, “Nature’s Storehouse of Health.” She wrote, “I have always the feeling that nature has the power to renew and refresh our minds, our bodies, and our spirits.” Earth911 inspirations. Post them,...

5 Tips to Safeguard Against Electromagnetic Radiation P

Even though we can’t see them, we are surrounded by electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Our computers, microwaves, cell phones, power lines, cell phone towers, fitness tracking devices, smart meters, televisions, routers, X-ray machines, and radios all emit them to varying...

Do Your Appliances Use Refrigerants the UN Wants To Ban?

A recent UN report suggests solutions to one of the most challenging problems facing the planet, how we keep our homes cool. The report found that the cooling sector — air conditioning and refrigerants — produces about 8 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions per...

Embrace Being Green With These Practical Energy Saving Tips

Adopt Energy Saving Tips for Your Home and Business We all understand that we have an impact on our environment and the costs involved. It's natural to seek ways that you can save money. In this article I'm going to talk about several simple and...

How Can You Calculate Your Business Carbon Footprint? *

Understand Your Environmental Impact Do you understand your impact on the environment? So many of our daily actions add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and it's not all our fault. Much of the technology which makes our lives more comfortable...

We Earthlings: The CO2 Impact of Streaming Video P

Video streaming has become a part of many people’s everyday lives and we’re here to help you learn about what that means for the environment. Every hour of video you stream emits 0.88 pounds of CO2. If you watch an average of six hours a day, your annual video carbon...

This Eco-Friendly Lamp Can Add Art to Any Room

Every lamp’s purpose is to give us some light, but some go beyond that. The E.P. Eco-Friendly LED Desk Lamp is a prime example. For one, this lamp doesn’t even look like, well, a lamp. Its crystal design evokes the feeling of an ice cave or something out of a Jules...

How This Amazing Garden Trick May be Key to Carbon Capture *

Is Enhanced Rock Weathering Our Carbon Solution? For decades, farmers and gardeners have augmented soil using lime, volcanic ash, and crushed-stone dust. A recent research study suggests that the strategy could pull a meaningful amount of CO2 from the...

We Earthlings: Substitute Chicken for Beef *

Did you know you can significantly reduce your meal’s carbon footprint with one easy swap? If you’re making a meat dish, just substitute chicken for beef. A 2019 study at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine found that simple...

Healthy Wines: What the Labels Really Mean P

Fellow wine lovers, I have good news and bad news. Here’s the bad: Two-thirds of all wine production originates in Europe where grapes receive higher doses of synthetic pesticides than virtually any other type of crop. Since the U.S. is currently first in the world...

Earth911 Inspiration: Choose a Green Future

Today’s quote is from Australian philosopher Toby Ord. In his book, The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity, he wrote, “We have seen how the long arc of human history has brought us to a uniquely important time in our story — a period where our...

Food Delivery Cold Packs: Reuse, Upcycling, Recycling Tips

If you’re getting your meals delivered, you may already have a collection of cold packs. These gel-filled plastic bags do a great job of keeping perishable food chilled. But what do you do with the cold packs after you’ve unpacked your delivery? Many of us are turning...

Easy Carbon Sequestration You Can Do Yourself P

As any sci-fi fan can tell you, human survival depends upon an Earth-like atmosphere that’s 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and 0.03% carbon dioxide with traces of other elements. There is some wiggle room in the tiny percentage of carbon in the air. There were...

Greenest Insulation Products for the Home

Pliny the Elder was the first to write that home is where the heart is, but many older homes are drafty and have cold floors and uneven temperatures that can chill an environmentally aware heart. Do you remember the nursery rhyme about a cold, old house where even the...

Earth911 Quiz #80: Electric Vehicle Efficiency and Challenges

Electric vehicles are becoming common on roads around the world. As these more environmentally friendly automobiles arrive on the scene, what are the things buyers need to think about? In this Earth911 Quiz, test your knowledge about how the source of your local...

We Earthlings: Plant One Tree

Plant one tree and it will capture about 13 pounds of CO2 in its first year; when it matures, it will capture 48 pounds a year. That means by planting one young tree, you can offset the CO2 from shipping an average online shopping order. Or, if you plant 390 trees and...

What’s New in the Bioplastics and Biomaterials World? *

Look at the Amazing New Biomaterials Categories Being Discovered Edible seaweed pods that hold drinking water. Inedible banana leaves around perishable food. 3D printing from corn starch. Diapers made from eucalyptus wood. Those are just a few...

Building a Sustainable Business and Life *

Earth911.com talks with Ford Seeman, founder of Forest Founders, a tree-planting subscription service working to integrated carbon responsibility in daily shopping and marketing programs, and Righteous Causes, a sustainable business incubator in New York. We talked...

Sustainable Stocking Stuffers

If you are determined to be eco-friendly in all your gift-giving this year, start with creative, sustainable stocking stuffers. “The holidays are one of the hardest times to reduce waste because of traditions, feeling overwhelmed, and not being aware of other...

There Is Always Some Beauty Left P

This week’s inspiration comes from Anne Frank: “I’ve found that there is always some beauty left — in nature, sunshine freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.” The quote comes from the diary Frank kept for two years while she and her family were hiding from the...

Top 3 Misconceptions About Carbon Emissions

According to climate scientists, we have the best chance of avoiding a 2 degrees Celsius rise in global temperatures if the average annual carbon footprint per person drops under 2 tons by 2050. That would require a big change from today’s global average of 4.8...

The State of Producer Responsibility in the United States

“Producer responsibility is a strategy that engages manufacturers in the entire lifecycle of their products” including end-of-life disposal. It’s a radical shift from the way Americans usually think of materials’ lifecycles; once you buy something you are responsible...

What Happens to E-Waste When It Gets Recycled? *

You Need to Know How Much E-Waste Gets Recycled? Worldwide, electronic waste makes up more than 5 percent of all municipal solid waste. Commonly called “e-waste,” these discarded electronic products often end up in the landfill — but they shouldn’t. Some of...

Fun Ways to Reuse Wine Bottles and Corks P

Hey, wine lovers! Curious about what you can do with your empty bottles and corks? Surprisingly, there are loads of things you can make — from upcycled glassware to home décor. Before you peruse our list, note that some of these bottle projects are not for the faint...

Beware of the Red List – Top Materials to Avoid in Your Home

The Red List is a list of “worst in class” materials, chemicals, and elements that the green building industry tries to avoid. Even if you are not a construction professional, knowing about these materials and which products are made from them can help you make your...

3 Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint *

What we eat, the food we waste, and how we travel all contribute to global warming. Although we can’t stop eating or traveling completely, we can make simple changes that will make a big difference to our impact on the environment. Here are three impactful steps to...

Eco-Friendly Benefits of Buying or Repurposing Used Furniture P

Demand for furniture is rising in the United States and is expected to reach $68.8 billion in 2022. Although it’s convenient to purchase a brand new furniture item online, buying new furniture is detrimental to the environment. Although some companies are committing...

Is your tree planting scheme really green? P

Could you be accidentally greenwashing by promoting a tree planting scheme? Tree planting can feel like a “quick win” when it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability – especially with so many charities now making it accessible for individuals and...

There’s No Free Lunch in Nature P

Earth911 inspirations. Print them, post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. This poster was originally published on May 10, 2019. The post Earth911 Inspiration: There’s No Free Lunch in Nature appeared first on...

Recycle Your Contact Lenses, Don’t Flush Them P

When you think of plastic pollution, you probably imagine discarded straws. And water bottles. And bags. Some folks are also focusing on something smaller — itty-bitty items millions of us use everyday. Contact lenses, when improperly discarded, likely create...

Landscaping for Fire Resistance

Lately, it seems like every year is a bad year for wildfires. If you live in an area prone to wildfires — most of the American West — you naturally want to minimize that risk. And there are natural ways to do so. A wildfire-resistant landscape won’t necessarily...

Are Floating Neighborhoods a Solution for Rising Sea Levels? *

As sea-level rise threatens cities throughout the world, some are looking at how humans can adapt. In North Amsterdam, a collaborative team created a floating neighborhood called Schoonschip on a canal. It consists of 46 dwellings, more than 100 new residents, and...

5 Captivating Recycling Books for Kids 5 and Under

The idea of recycling or repurposing things comes naturally to young children, as most are very crafty and resourceful. Capitalize on that interest by reading them books with a recycling theme — these five present this all-important topic in a fun, colorful manner....

Earth911 Inspiration: For Future Generations

Today’s quote is from Senator Gaylord Nelson, Co-founder of Earth Day: “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share...

Cool Converted Shipping Container Structures Around the World

When you think of shipping containers, you probably picture huge steel boxes that companies use to haul hazardous materials and other cargo from one place to another. While that was originally their primary purpose, their usefulness has broadened. Today, builders are...

We Earthlings: The CO2 Impact of Soda Pop Consumption

What connects us all? Nature and our shared relationships through nature. Share the carbon dioxide impact of soda pop consumption. One 20-ounce bottle contributes 3.3 ounces of CO2 and all Americans’ soda drinking contributes 19.5 billion pounds of CO2 a year. Know...

Why Use Recycled Paper? P

Making the case for recycled paper From protecting forests to curbing climate, recycled paper use is essential for sustainability. With the below reports produced by Green America and our allied organizations, we make the case for using recycled paper, including the...

How Sustainable Is Lab-Grown Meat? P

Cultured meat is widely hailed for its potential to spare animal lives, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and help solve the global food crisis. It’s an advanced technology that offers an alternative to climate-warming meats, but is it sustainable? Lab-grown meat is a...

10 Virtual Activities to do with Your Friends and Family P

I don’t know about you, but I miss my family. It’s officially been over a year since we’ve seen each other and one of my goals is to be more intentional in creating virtual activities with friends and family. Zoom calls are great, but most of us are sitting on zoom...

We Earthlings: Recycle a Six-Pack of Aluminum Cans P

When you recycle a six-pack of aluminum cans, you save the amount of energy equal to running a 14-watt CFL bulb for 120 hours. Read to that light happily knowing that you did your bit for the planet. Print or share We Earthling posters to inspire others with your...

Earth911 Quiz #39: Wishful Recycling

The U.S. recycling system uses a “single-stream” model that focuses on the big blue curbside bin. Unfortunately, people throw all sorts of unrecyclable items into the bin in the hope that they will be recycled. Known as “wishful recycling,” this results in...

Q & A With Author: ‘No-Waste Kitchen Gardening’

When in the kitchen whipping up salads, soups, and stews, you typically pile up random scraps from freshly sliced veggies and fruits. Possibly, within that slurry of unwanted produce pieces, you have pits and seeds that could be the foundations for fresh new plants....

Will Infinitely Recyclable Plastic Soon Be Available? P

A multidisciplinary team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has created a plastic that can be disassembled at a molecular level using an acidic solution. Then, it can be reassembled with a new color, texture, and shape, again and again. Unlike...

How Will Climate Change Impact Your Retirement Plans? *

As climate change transforms our environment planning for retirement becomes more complex. The increasing occurrence of heatwaves, wildfires, and drought, as well as hurricanes and flooding, are all recipes for disaster in the lives of seniors not well suited to cope...

Yes, You Can Recycle Cooking Oil P

After you’ve fried the chicken or sautéed the veggies, don’t pour the leftover cooking oil down the drain. While it may seem harmless, pouring used oil down the drain can wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing and local sewage systems. Collect Your Cooking Oil If you’re...

Can We Innovate Our Way out of This Environmental Mess? *

Can Innovation Solve Our Sustainability Problems? "Innovation" is a much-used buzzword in business, and even more so then it comes to sustainability. Online sources are full of articles and reports on sustainability and innovation. Sometimes this...

How Washing Your Hands Impacts the Environment

For something that you use to get clean, most hand soaps have a pretty nasty ingredient list. But no matter how negative their environmental impact, you can’t just avoid them the way you can other product categories. Handwashing is important for health and safety....

Maven Moment: School Bags

My sister and I went to a Catholic elementary school, so instead of getting new outfits for the school year, we had school uniforms. But we could get a new school bag to start the year! In those days, we didn’t have backpacks. Instead, we used colorful briefcase-style...

Choosing Safer Food Storage Containers P

Many of us grew up in the Tupperware age. Our parents’ fridges were full of plastic food storage containers, and we even kept plastic margarine tubs for storing leftovers! A lot has changed since then, and more and more research is showing that plastic leaches...

20 Green Things You Can do in 20 Minutes

Think one person can’t make a difference? Think again. With every American producing 4.5 pounds of trash per day, the little things we do to reduce our impact can make a huge difference. Here are 20 little things you can do to help the environment and your world in...

How to Make Your Own Natural Bee Repellent *

As the weather warms and you start thinking of picnics and barbecues, your thoughts may also go to typical outdoor summer pests. The last thing anyone wants to see once the grill is fired up is bees and wasps buzzing around your guests. The problem is that commercial...

Tackling E-waste in the Home and Office *

Making smart sustainable choices requires practice. Earth911’s twice-weekly sustainability quiz helps you hone your ability to recognize earth-friendly products and services. Through your daily choices — from transportation mode to purchases to waste disposal — you...

We Earthlings: Upgrade Your Toilet

The average house in the United States is 37 years old, and half of U.S. homes are more than 50 years old. That means most toilets were installed before 1992, when the Environmental Protection Agency mandated the use of ultra-low-flush toilets. Those old toilets use...

Earth911 Inspiration: The Beauty of Art and Nature and Life P

This week’s quote is from American author and environmentalist, Edward Abbey: “All we have, it seems to me, is the beauty of art and nature and life, and the love which that beauty inspires.” Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of...

Native Plants: the Key to Eco-Friendly Gardening P

After a dreary winter, spring has finally arrived! It’s time to shed our winter coats, trade them in for a sun hat and a pair of gardening gloves, and go dig into the dirt. Spring is a time for growth, renewal, and, best of all, gardening. What will you plant this...

The End of King Coal, Fuels From Plants and Carbon Capture

The Earth911 Reader collects and comments on useful news about science, business, sustainability, and recycling to save you time and keep you informed about the trends in environmental issues. IN SCIENCE EU Introduces Digital Earth Model to Support Climate...

Maven Moment: Cooling Off in the Kiddie Pool *

One way that my sister and I beat the summer heat when we were little was to cool off in the kiddie pool in the back yard. I remember the feeling of never wanting to come out — even when I got “prune fingers”! Once in a while, our cousin came along to join in the fun....

How Urban Outdoor Landscapes Present a Wealth of Opportunity *

How Outdoor landscapes are Critical to Our Cities Survival A vital component of our cities, urban outdoor landscapes present a wealth of opportunity when it comes to water sustainability and climate resilience. Whether it’s outside a home, a store,...

Is Glass or Plastic a Better Choice For The Environment? *

How Come Glass is the Darling of the Zero Waste Community? If you research zero waste, you'll see lots of pictures of glass jars gathered for recycling. The ease of disposal of glass by recycling makes glass very popular with the zero waste...

Deterra’s Nancy Devine Talks About Safe Drug Disposal

Pharmaceuticals represent a growing source of pollution that impacts the water in our streams and can eventually make its way into the bodies of animals, fish, and humans. Earth911 talks with Nancy Devine, chief operating officer of Deterra, a Verde Environmental...

Why air conditioning is a vicious circle

Pumping heat from our cars and buildings into the outside world adds to climate change, increasing the need to stay cool Air conditioning was a luxury 40 years ago, but the long hot summer of 1976 changed that. The scorching heat that summer lasted two months and most...

U.S. Flood Risk Is 67% Higher Than Historic Projections *

Will your home face flooding due to climate change? A new study by the New York-based nonprofit First Street Foundation found that 67% more American homes than previously estimated face a high risk of flooding during the next 30 years. It could save your life and can...

We Earthlings: We Love Being Cooped Up

What connects us all? Nature and our shared relationships through nature. Share We Earthling posters to inspire others with your stories (click the image for a larger, high-resolution poster). The post We Earthlings: We Love Being Cooped Up appeared...

Footprint by Footprint: Calculating Carbon P

Every day of your life, across everything you do and buy, you contribute to rising greenhouse gas emissions. Now, you can track the impact of all that activity — the stuff you buy, the places you go — to understand your carbon footprint. There are many carbon...

7 Unexpected Things You Can Compost P

Composting is the best way to get rid of your kitchen scraps without sending them to the landfill. And if you’ve been composting for a while, you may have already started experimenting with composting other items you don’t usually see in a list of materials you can...

Green Universities Offering Sustainability Degree Programs

Green Universities Offering Sustainability Degree Programs The pursuit of sustainability has become a critical goal for institutions worldwide, and universities are leading the charge by integrating green practices into their campuses and curriculum. With a growing...

Use Your Microwave Less, Reduce Your CO2 Emissions

Use your microwave 10 minutes less a day and reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 610 pounds a year, depending upon the source of your electricity. Data source: Quiz #88: Coal-fired Energy Reduction Challenge Print or share We Earthling posters to inspire others with...

The Ultimate Guide to Bulk Food Stores

It seems nothing, not even 2020, can hold back zero waste grocery shopping. There’s been a huge rise in co-ops, natural food shops, and farmers’ markets that allow you to use your own containers to buy fresh produce by the pound and help you reduce single use...

Maven Moment: Grandma Rose’s Frozen Treats *

My mother-in-law loved to tell me stories about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1930s and 1940s. The current heatwave in Brooklyn reminded me of some stories about her mother, Rose. Despite the scarcities of the Depression and World War II years, Rose managed to find a...

Is Your Business Guilty of the 7 Sins of Greenwashing?

The Seven Sins Of GreenWashing! Greenwashing is the deceptive use of green marketing or green PR to promote the perception that an organization’s products, services, or policies are environmentally friendly. Greenwashing can be as simple as mislabeling a...

What You Should Know About Chlorinated Fluorocarbons

Home is supposed to be a safe haven. But if your home contains dangerous and toxic materials, it could be a threat to your health and the planet’s. The Red List is a list of “worst in class” materials, chemicals, and elements the green building industry tries to...

Teaching Kids to Recycle

All parents want to leave the world a better place for their children. While it sometimes feels like we don’t have much control over what happens down the line, one of the best ways to ensure that there will be a healthy planet for future generations is to teach...

Another Reason to Recycle Cartons — and Other Materials

Good news to report: The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped people from recycling. In fact, some people are recycling even more. According to research conducted by the Carton Council of North America, 56% of consumers say they have been recycling as much as they...

Finding the Real Green Thing *

Most Americans want to buy sustainable products. But it isn’t easy to separate the green from the greenwashed. Even though marketing studies show that 78% of Americans believe companies should be environmentally responsible and 64% say they feel happy when buying...

Tips for Buying and Enjoying Sustainable Coffee

Heading up coffee purchasing at Equator Coffees, a company focused on quality, sustainability, and social responsibility, I often field the question, “What coffee should I buy to ensure the farmers are getting a fair deal?” This sort of question could easily expand...

125+ Household Items You Can Compost P

What is compostable? The answer: A LOT OF THINGS! Things you probably haven’t even thought of before. I love composting, and it’s one of the best ways you can reduce your household waste. According the EPA a household can reduce their trash from 30-60% just by...

Maven Moment: the Old Coffee Pot P

A good cup of coffee to start your day … what could be better? Mom always made Dad a nice cup of espresso every morning in her little stovetop pot. The top and bottom of the pot screwed together with a coffee filter (a metal funnel) with coffee grounds between the two...

The Complicated Choices in a Cup of Coffee P

Coffee can be complicated, and I’m not even talking about the heated debates over cold-brew versus percolator. Coffee is made from the beans of a tropical tree that may be grown in small family farms or vast monoculture plantations. Your coffee beans pass from farmers...

This Air Duster Is a Better Alternative to That Canned Stuff

We live in a world where it’s very easy to create waste but very hard to get rid of it. Unfortunately, so many of our home, office, and now home office needs often require us to use products that can contain pollutants and that we can’t easily dispose of—like canned...

Skip These Foods and Reduce Your Carbon Impact

The average American life produces 34,162 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually. If you consume any of the foods shown in the image below daily, drop it from lunch all year to reduce your carbon footprint by the percentage indicated compared to the national average....

Maven Moment: Summer’s Fresh String Beans — 3 Ways *

I love string beans and so did my Mom. She particularly liked to serve dishes that feature them in the summer when they are abundant, fresh, and sweet. They’re great when the weather is too hot for a heavy meal. I remember Mom pinching off the ends of the beans,...

Ensure That Sustainability is Part of Your Business Plan *

Inject Sustainability into Your Business Plan Sustainability will be handled differently for different companies. Whether your company is a startup or an established company reevaluating your business plans matters. You need to identify what the source...

Building Local Food Resilience *

Before the coronavirus pandemic reached the United States, between 30 to 40 percent of our food supply was thrown away. Since lockdowns started, however, we’ve seen this play out on a much larger scale. Widespread restaurant, hotel, and school closures have greatly...

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