by Wendy Brandt Martinenas

If the thought of having a very pleasant day and mingling with genuinely nice people peaks your interest, would you be even more interested if at the same time, you could pick up tips on how to save money and live a healthier life?  You can do all this at Fairfield Earth Day coming to Fairfield Warde next Saturday April 28^th. Now in its 14^th year, this is a celebration of our town and earth that draws well over 1000 people each year

Eating delicious organic food, seeing the infamous Trashy Fashion Show, listening to live music and seeing an electric car are a few of the fun things you can do. Mingle with one of the 60 or so Exhibitors and pick up valuable green tips.  Don’t know what to get for Mom for her upcoming day?  Here you can find reasonably priced and health inspired gifts for purchase.  Want to get educated on how local townsfolk are contributing our community’s green movement and the latest green trends?  Listen to presentations and participate in round table discussions.  There is something here for everyone!

Years ago I left Earth Day with a recycled blue jean pencil with two kids with big smiles on their faces.  Today I am on the committee and an Exhibitor with a green orientation to an otherwise traditional business. Fairfield Earth Day has been a good  learning ground for me and even as someone who works the event I still look forward to it as one of the most relaxing and enjoyable days of my year.  I hope you will join us at Fairfield Earth Day and don’t forget to stop by and introduce yourself to Snappy Green!  David and I are both going to be there and we are looking forward to meeting you.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com  William Raveis Real Estate

Snappy Green is all about green living in the home so at first I thought that writing about green living in the dorm might be off topic.  Then I realized that the dorm is someone’s home too. What inspired me was green student U.  This one particular article describes how the University of Virgina is displaying green dorm rooms. It’s interesting to note, that it doesn’t mention that these dorm rooms are in LEED certified buildings or anything close to being an energy saving structure. What it does do is give examples of eco friendly items that kids can bring into their rooms such as energy saving small appliances (the micro & fridge), green cleaning products, etc.

Bravo to UVA for doing this but also for pointing out that going green does not have to mean taking drastic measures like ripping out perfectly functional windows to replace them with the latest E coated kind. Being green, in Snappy Green’s view, is making a contribution on any scale that makes sense in the situation and that is comfortable for you. In addition every eco conscious choice you make, over the alternative, contributes to the collective green effort and greater good of our planet. Wow, when you put it like that, it sure makes you feel magnanimous, and rightfully so.

So this all made me think, when my daughter went to the University of Connecticut this year what she chose to take. We had no control over the fridge because her roommate supplied that.  We did look for a microwave with an energy efficient label but could not find one. In her room, is recycled paper for her printer, plant based laundry detergent and hand dish detergent to wash actual silverware and plates.  She also has a Brita pitcher to filter water and quite frankly too many cups.  In our defense she did need a cup for every situation: a regular water bottle, a water bottle with a built-in filter (for when she didn’t have access to the Brita), a coffee cup, a coffee thermos for on-the-go drinking and regular cups for use in the dorm. I am sure there are things I am forgetting.  All of this was so easy.  It just takes a mindset motivated by the knowledge that this behavior really is necessary if we are going to preserve our planet.  Kudos to Steph, for making her own contribution.

According to Wiki Answers there are 14.4 million students in the US alone.  There’s a Starbucks on every college campus I went to visit and I can’t fathom how much garbage from paper coffee cups is generated as a result. Think of the impact if all of them did what Steph does and what UVA is suggesting we do.

Wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com   William Raveis Real Estate

With spring almost here, it’s almost time to enjoy our yards and if you’re thinking of composting, now is a good time to get educated and get whatever you need in place.  Compost is organic matter that is used to fertilize soil.  It’s great for your garden, your wallet and the environment.  Think of compost as health food, helping your garden grow richer and stronger in a natural way without harsh chemicals.  You can use it for potted plants and mulch too.

I always thought that compost was comprised of food scraps and garden clippings only.  However, below is a list of 81 things you can compost, including surprises like dryer lint, wine corks, pencil shavings, crepe paper streamers, white glue, plain paste and junk mail. Who knew?  So between composting and single stream recycling, we can eliminate a good chunk of waste we send to our landfills.

Starting to compost requires an initial monetary investment for a kitchen scrap container, a bin and depending on what you want: supplies such as chicken wire, an aerator, a pile turner or a ph tester to name a few.  Once you realize your return on investment, from purchasing less to eventually no fertilizer, composting is essentially free.   If you are redoing your Kitchen, check out these compost friendly designs.

81 things you can compost from mothernaturenetwork.com

• Dryer lint
• “Dust bunnies”
• The insides of a vacuum bag (just empty the bag into the compost bin)
• The contents of your dustpan (just use discretion)
• Coffee grounds
• Coffee filters
• Tea bags/loose leaf tea
• Soy/rice/almond/etc milk
• Nut shells (but not walnut, which may be toxic to plants)
• Pumpkin/sunflower/sesame seeds (chop them to ensure they won’t grow)
• Avocado pits (chop them up so they won’t sprout)
• Pickles
• Stale tortilla chips/potato chips
• Stale crackers
• Crumbs (bread or other baked goods)
• Old breakfast cereal
• Bran (wheat or oat, etc)
• Seaweed/nori/kelp
• Tofu/tempeh
• Frozen fruits and vegetables
• Expired jam or jelly
• Egg shells
• Old, moldy “soy dairy” and other dairy substitutes
• Stale Halloween candy and old nutrition/protein bars
• Popcorn kernels (post-popping, the ones that didn’t make it)
• Old herbs and spices
• Cooked rice
• Cooked Pasta
• Oatmeal
• Peanut shells
• Booze (beer and wine)
• Wine corks
• Egg cartons (not Styrofoam)
• Toothpicks
• Q-tips (not the plastic ones)
• Bamboo skewers
• Matches
• Sawdust
• Pencil shavings
• Fireplace ash (fully extinguished and cooled)
• Burlap sacks
• Cotton or wool clothes, cut into strips
• Paper towels
• Paper napkins
• Paper table cloths
• Paper plates (non wax- or plastic-coated)
• Crepe paper streamers
• Holiday wreaths
• Balloons (latex only)
• Raffia fibers (wrapping or decoration)
• Excelsior (wood wool)
• Old potpourri
• Dried flowers
• Fresh flowers
• Dead houseplants (or their dropped leaves)
• Human hair (from a home haircut or saved from the barber shop)
• Toenail clippings
• Trimmings from an electric razor
• Pet hair
• Domestic bird and bunny droppings
• Feathers
• Fish food
• Aquatic plants (from aquariums)
• Dog food
• Rawhide dog chews
• Ratty old rope
• The dead flies on the windowsill
• Pizza boxes and cereal boxes (shredded first)
• Toilet paper and paper towel rolls (shredded first)
• Paper muffin/cupcake cups
• Cellophane bags (real cellophane, not regular clear plastic)
• Kleenex (including used)
• Condoms (latex only)
• Old loofas (real, not synthetic)
• Cotton balls
• Tampon applicators (cardboard, not plastic) and tampons (including used)
• Newspaper
• Junk mail
• Old business cards (not the glossy ones)
• Old masking tape
• White glue/plain paste.

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com    William Raveis Real Estate

For more on this subject see:
Radon Facts: What Is It?
Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality