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A Community of Green Bloggers & Activists

From Bottles to Backpacks!

Askok and TristinAskok and TristinTristin and Tyler have met some amazing upcyclers and recyclers while going on their fun NYC adventures, and meeting Ashok Kamal of the company Bennu was no exception! In the next episode of "Tristin and Tyler's Tales from the City!" the boys meet one of the owners of a cool NYC company taking huge strides in the fight for green! 

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Recycling Markers and Pens

recycling pensLast week, I wrote about different ways to reuse and recycle crayons.   It got me thinking about pens and magic markers and how they might be a little more difficult to reuse and recycle.

According to Green Eco Services, over 10 billion non-biodegradable pens are sent to landfills every year.  Wow.   It's time to reduce that number and think about some greener solutions and easy ways to reuse and recycle markers and pens.  ... read more

Recycling Crayons: Recipes for Melting & Reusing Crayons

recycling crayons

If anyone out there has a toddler, that photo of broken crayons probably looks familiar to you.  Right now, my 21 month old doesn't mind coloring with broken crayons, but their lifespans are definitely shortened.  There are many simple recipes for melting and reusing your cryon stubs.

Back when I was a Girl Scout, we used to do a lot of eco-friendly crafts.  One that stuck out in my mind was making candles out of broken crayons.  We used little milk cartons as molds and melted old crayons.  I found a crayon candle recipe here.   It was a fun art project and we all wound up with crayons to take home.... read more

Reminder: Kids Konserve Giveaway!

Win a reusable lunch sack from Kids Konserve filled with coupons from Annie's HomegrownStonyfield YoKids, and Seventh Generation!  The giveaway ends on August 17, so enter today!  

Enter the giveaway here. 

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Umbrellas into Dresses? OH MY!

Catherine, Tristin & TylerCatherine, Tristin & TylerCould you turn a broken umbrella into something fabulous? I absolutely, positively cannot but Tristin and Tyler met someone who TOTALLY CAN! ... read more

In the next episode of "Tristin & Tyler's Tales from the City!" you will meet Catherine, owner of Himane.  She takes used umbrellas from the streets of New York and works magic on them to create fabulous dresses, purses and tons of other accessories.  She also finds fabrics that have been (or are about to be) discarded from factories for her designs.  She is truly an upcycling/recycling queen and we were so glad to learn a thing or two from her.

Giveaway: A Free Kids Konserve Lunch Sack & Coupons!

Win a free reusable lunch sack from Kids Konserve filled with coupons from Annie's Homegrown,  Stonyfield YoKids, and Seventh Generation.

Keen For Green is giving away 5 of these coupon-filled lunch sacks!  

How to win one:

1)  "LIKE" Keen For Green on Facebook.*

2)  Leave a comment here on THIS post let let us know you're a fan of Keen For Green on Facebook.  Also, let us know what are some of your favorite things to pack for lunch!  (For either you or your kids!)  Be sure to either comment with your Facebook account or leave your email address!

*If you're not on Facebook, just comment on this post to tell us what your favorite things are to pack for lunch.... read more

Green Beauty Tips: How to Choose Eco-Friendly Beauty Products

Green beauty products

Today there are more “green” beauty products on the market than ever before – which is great! It gives us a variety of choices (where there used to be few) while sticking to our environmental guns. But not all green beauty products are created equal. Even if the label says “natural,” “eco-friendly” or even “organic,” there are still a few things you should look for. Here's my quick guide for choosing environmentally friendly beauty products:

- Read the labels!! If you don't know what something is or can't pronounce it, it probably isn't very good for you or the environment.... read more

Meatless Mondays!!

Meatless Mondays

I am all about making small lifestyle changes to decrease my negative impact on the environment. While I may not be able to afford solar panels or an electric car, I CAN by local foods, hang-dry my clothes and do other small things which can add up to a BIG impact by the end of the year.... read more

10 Green Pregnancy Tips

Pregnancy Green

There is no better time to green your lifestyle that during pregnancy. Common pollutants that barely impact you and I  can have a much larger effect on your growing baby, in utero and out. Make these simple changes during pregnancy to establish healthy habits for your kiddo.

Here are some green pregnancy tips:... read more

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Food: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Through What You Eat

Food Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A comprehensive study released on July 18, 2011 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) outlines guidelines to help you, the consumer, make wiser food choices. We have long known that certain foods create an abundance of CO2 emissions. What this study adds is understanding the roll of the entire life cycle of various foods, whereas previous research mostly focuses on food production. The EWG research tracks food production, processing, consumption and waste disposal to teach us how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and pollutions that result from our dietary habits.

“By eating and wasting less meat, consumers can help limit the environmental damage caused by the huge amounts of fertilizer, fuel, water, and pesticides, not to mention the toxic manure and wastewater, that goes along with producing meat,” said Kari Hamerschlag, EWG senior analyst and author of the report. “Choosing healthier, pasture-raised meats can also help improve people’s health and reduce the environmental damage associated with meat consumption.”

Five Worst Foods For the Environment:

1. Lamb, especially loin

2. Beef – choose grass-fed and lean meats to reduce your impact on the environment

3. Cheese (this one shocked me! Total bummer!) - Less dense cheese (such as cottage) results in fewer greenhouse gases since it takes less milk to produce it... read more