CustomEarthPromos - Eco Blog US

Greenpeace is still fighting to keep our forests around the world from being logged for timber and paper pulp.  Although deforestation in the United States has stabilized, as most of the U.S. deforestation took place prior to 1910, forests around the globe are being cut down at alarming rates. Greenpeace says Amazon Forests Still Being Logged Today Areas that are of major concern to Greenpeace are eastern Africa and Brazil.  According to the World Resources Institute,  up to 90 percent of West Africa's coastal rain forests have been logged since 1900.  Brazil and Indonesia, which contain the world's two largest surviving regions of rain forest, are rapidly being stripped by logging, fires, and land-clearing for agriculture and cattle-grazing. Affects of Deforestation There are many environmental concerns regarding deforestation, including global warming.   Trees are natural consumers of carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide  is one of the greenhouse gases whose buildup in the atmosphere contributes to global warming. Removal of trees, tree burning and tree decomposition pump into the atmosphere even more carbon dioxide, along with methane, another major greenhouse gas, and all of these factors combined contribute to global warming. What Can Be Done by Greenpeace Buying products made from 100% recycled paper, and biodegradable products like recycled seed paper,  is an important part of the solution to ending deforestation.  Greenpeace wants consumers to know they have the power to put pressure on companies that have bad environmental practices by not buying their products.  Supporting companies with zero deforestation policies  sends a message to other companies to embrace zero deforestation policies. Greenpeace also continues to work with governments around the globe to help them promote more green legislative programs like the Lacey Act, Roadless Rule and Forests For Climate. Although logging in the United States has stabilized, it is still an important issue in other areas of the world.   Citizens can help support Greenpeace in their efforts to protect global forests by purchasing products made from 100% recycled materials.

If someone you know has invited you to an event such as a birthday, baby shower or wedding, it's always good manners to bring a gift. Gift giving is a way of expressing love, friendship, gratitude, recognition and appreciation. The gift you give should show the recipient how much your relationship means.  Gifts can strengthen relationships with family, friends and even business clients when you put some thought into the gift. Express Your Love for the Environment by Giving out Eco-Friendly Gifts Eco friendly promo items like a seeded paper card is a very thoughtful gift and they are not expensive. A seed paper card does not have to be planted right away, it can be planted as soon as the recipient is ready. Seed paper will grow  in the ground or in a pot and will remind the recipient of just how special they are to you every time they see it.  Just add your own thoughtful message, and you have a wonderful, inexpensive gift.  To add even more personalization, include the recipients favorite vegan recipe from AllRecipes.com. Another eco friendly promo item is a reusable shopping bag. Reusable shopping bags can be used for more than just grocery shopping. They make great diaper bags, book bags or anything else creative you can think of.  These days, the colors and patterns are so unique and pretty, some women have started using them as every day purses. Stainless steel water bottles are not expensive, last a very long time, will travel anywhere, and are better for the environment than buying a new plastic bottle of water every time you need a drink. Try to pick one in the recipients favorite color for an extra touch of personalization. For the woman who has everything, model Josie Maran has  launched her own line of non toxic eco friendly makeup. Allure magazine named Maran's paraben and fragrance free mascara the best on the market. The packaging is biodegradable too.  Another supermodel, Carol Alt, has created her own line of skin care that matches her healthy lifestyle. Raw Essentials, sold on Home Shopping Network, contains no petrochemicals, parabens, preservatives, synthetic additives or fillers. Raw's line of stylishly packaged products includes a body wash, face wash and moisturizer. Recycle Old Gifts at Uncommon Goods Uncommon Goods makes recycled wallets out of old bike tubes!  They also make men's belts out of recycled seat belts and more.  If you haven't shopped at Uncommon Goods, check them out. The most important quality of giving a gift is removing any sense of obligation to the recipient and making sure every gift you give puts a smile on the recipient's face.

Good deeds are easy to do and make you feel better when ever you do them.  In fact, most of the time, a good deed is nothing more than using good manners and being thoughtful.  The cool thing about doing a good deed though is that they tend to be paid forward because they make everyone feel so good.  Whether you are the doer or the receiver, everyone wins.   So on that note, here are five good deeds you can do this week to make yourself and others feel good. Want to Do Some Good Deeds? Use Reusable Grocery Bags! The first one is to dig out those reusable shopping bags, and actually go shopping with them.  By doing this, you are going to feel so good about stretching yourself to finally do something positive for the environment, that you may just keep the momentum going the rest of the year.  If you don't have any reusable grocery bags right now, on your next trip, grab some at your local grocery store before you fill up your cart, and start using them right away.  You may find some other useful eco promo products next to the eco bags as well! Tip:  I have started keeping plastic fruit and vegetable bins in the back of my car that are normally thrown away.  I throw those into my grocery shopping cart, and fill them up with groceries.  It only takes 1 or 2 plastic crates to hold all of my groceries, which means only 1 or 2 trips to carry the groceries into the house.  When I unload the crates, I bring them back out to the car, and they are ready for the next grocery store run.  I love them! Use Stainless Steel Water Bottles Another easy good deed to do is to start using a stainless steel water bottle to drink out of rather than buying plastic bottles of beverages every time you are thirsty.  Drinking more water is good for you, and using a reusable drinking bottle is good for the environment!  If you live in area that has good drinking water, why buy it? Tip:  If it's difficult for you to drink water (some people are just not water drinkers), then you can flavor your  water with fresh squeezed lime.  Even better yet, fill a pitcher with water, add slices of cucumber, and chill overnight.  The next morning, you will have a refreshing pitcher of tasty water that you can fill up your water bottle with.  Good for you and the environment! Walk the Dog When you take the dog out for a walk, bring along a small trash bag, and pick up some trash on your route.  It's not your job to clean up your neighborhood streets, but it sure is nice and your dog will appreciate the individual attention and exercise! Shop at a Farmers Market Try shopping for groceries at a local Farmers Market.  You can meet and talk to your local farmers and find out if they are using any pesticides or hormones to alter the food.  Organic produce is so much healthier for you, and it's nice to support local food sources.  A lot of times, they will have great recipes ...

Dr. Suess's "The Lorax" is a children's fable about our industrialized society and the danger it poses to nature.  The original book was published in 1971, but the issues in the story are more current than ever.  Universal has just released the movie version of the story starring Zac Efron and Taylor Swift. In "The Lorax", the Lorax “speak for the trees because the trees have no tongues.”  "Thneeds" are an item created by the Once-ler that everyone must have in the story, and in order to make the Thneeds, all of the Truffula Trees need to be cut down.  The Lorax plead with the Once-ler to stop cutting down all the Truffula Trees, but greed takes over the Once-ler, and the Once-ler continues cutting down the forest affecting all of animals in the forest. Go to Your Local IHOP to Support the Lorax and His Love for the Environment! IHOP has gotten behind the movie, and is giving away seeded bookmarks with a children's breakfast to help promote eco-friendly practices with children.  Seeded paper products can be made into just about any paper product you can think of, such as stationary, party invitations, place cards, thank you notes and bookmarks. The movie is a great way to open up a discussion with your children about our environment and different things we can all do to help such as using reusable shopping bags and stainless steel water bottles.  We all can make a positive difference when it comes to global warming and protecting our planet and to quote The Lorax, “Unless someone like you…cares a whole awful lot…nothing is going to get better…It's not.”

Starting a school wide recycling club is an excellent way to teach children about the importance of keeping our planet clean and healthy. It's also a great way for parents to get involved with their children's school curriculum. With a little bit of research and due diligence, a school sponsored recycling club can go a long way to teach the importance of recycling. There are a few things you will need to do to get started with your program. Go Green This School Year by Starting a Recycling Club First of all, decide who your recycling club president is going to be. The recycling club president will present the club details to the school board and the principal to get their permission to carry out the club activities. Generally, because recycling issues can be covered in science class, science teachers are often great leaders of recycling clubs. The leader can present what important curriculum topics will be covered throughout the year and get the school board, the principal and the janitorial staff included in the program so they can lend their support school wide. Secondly, work with the city to find out how your recycled products can be picked up, and how many containers you can get. Quite possibly, your school can be added to their pick up route if your city has a recycling program. Typically, one container per classroom is sufficient or just one school wide depository. If the city can not pick up your recycled products, you will want to make a plan as to how the recycled items will be transported and a drop-off schedule. Parent volunteers can be great resources! Third, you will want to make a plan to advertise your program. If you are starting this program at the beginning of the year, the first week of school is a great time to start good recycling habits. It's also a great time to send letters home to parents explaining the program so that they can help where they can. If the recycling program is going to be focused on recycling plastic, asking parents to purchase their children reusable tote bags to bring their lunches to school in is a great beginning. Wrapping sandwiches and fruit in Tupperware rather than plastic baggies is another great teaching tool about using recyclable products as well as teaching the importance of remembering to bring their lunch totes back home. Reusable bags generally go over big with students because there are so many different styles to choose from! You can also extend the use of reusable tote bags to do your grocery shopping in and decline the plastic bags given at check out. Just make sure you have plenty of recyclable shopping bags in your car too for those spur of the moment shopping trips. Reduce your School's Carbon Footprint at the Recycling Club Lastly, make the recycling club fun! Maybe some recycling goals can be established, and when the school reaches those goals, an ice cream day can be enjoyed at lunch time. Invite the press to your school to cover your club's successes, and encourage other ...

You can green up your daily beauty routine by making a few simple changes that will save you money and help the environment. A lot of these items can be found in your local grocery store and are products you may already have at home. Americans spend a fortune on beauty products that contain all kinds of chemicals in them when more eco-friendly, less expensive beauty products will do the job just as well. Help Reduce Plastic Waste by Using These Simple Household Beauty Products For a brighter smile, try using baking soda. Buy a box specifically as your toothpaste and then just wet your toothbrush and pour some on. Baking soda is terrific at removing stains, and is a natural alternative to toothpaste. Many major brands of toothpaste contain chemicals like paraben, titanium dioxide for whitening, and high levels of fluoride. Since 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has mandated all toothpastes containing fluoride to carry a poison warning. The cost of a box of baking soda is a lot less than a tube of toothpaste too! Olive oil is beauty in a bottle and a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil has many uses! Instead of buying a bottle of eye makeup remover, try using a cotton pad dabbed with olive oil. It will take all your eye makeup off easily, and it's good for your skin. Rather than buying a scrub for your face, try mixing 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and lightly scrub your face. Remove with a warm, wet washcloth and see how smooth and moisturized your skin is. Hot oil treatments are great for distressed hair. While badly damaged hair can only be cured by cutting it, dry hair can benefit from hot oil treatments. Try using one cup of rosemary to two cups of olive oil and heating it over the stove until it is warm, not hot, and comb it through your hair. You can leave it on as long as you like, and then rinse. Instead of buying a bottle of clarifying shampoo for your hair, which has many harsh chemicals in it, try using apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse. Rinsing your hair with vinegar after shampooing leaves it shiny. For long hair, use 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of water. Keep a small plastic container of vinegar in your shower. Next, recycle a small clear plastic bottle with a squirt top such as an empty shampoo bottle. Choose the amount of rinse you will need to make for your hair. Mark the vinegar line and water line on your bottle. Now you can pour in the vinegar and add warm water from your shower and squirt the rinse on your hair! Go to Treehugger.com to Learn How to Go Green with Beauty Products Baking soda, olive oil, sugar and apple cider vinegar can all be purchased at the grocery store, so you can use your reusable grocery bags to take it all home in. Keep reusable shopping bags in your car so that you always have one available for spur of the moment shopping trips. For even more natural ways to green up your beauty routine, go to Treehugger.com.