Composting is the transformation of organic matter to obtain compost, a natural fertilizer. Each day at home around 40% of the waste we produce is organic matter usable for compost. Therefore, composting is a smart way to reuse our waste and help ourselves. The first step is to separate the organic from other waste. Set up a covered bin in the kitchen into which you place organic items such as fruit peels, eggshells, and food leftovers. Do not put meat in or it may attract pests. We can use a simple bin outside to prepare the compost, form a pile in our garden or used commercial containers called composters. Simply mix in your organic kitchen waste with shredded paper, leaves, or other plant materials. To keep a compost pile working properly mix in “brown” items and “green” items in a ratio of 25 to 30 parts brown to 1 part green.

Brown items include: dry yellow or brown leaves and grass, paper and wood products, such as sawdust, chopped up twigs and shredded newspaper, dryer lint, straw.

Green items include: kitchen scraps, such as vegetables, melon rinds, eggshells and fruit, coffee grinds with the filter and tea bags, fresh green leaves and grass clippings.

Benefits from composting are diverse. First of all, we are returning nutrients to the soil simulating its natural cycles. Our organic waste becomes a fertilizer for our garden and indoor plants. We will save money because we won´t need to buy fertilizer from stores. Compost helps plants to grow taller and accelerates seed germination because it enriches the soil with nutrients and increases water-holding capacity. Also very important, compost reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.

Think about how many products we use or consume daily. Each one has been produced by transforming some materials and using energy, resources that are not endless. Reducing our consumption is definitely important for the environment, but when this is not possible, recycling represents an alternative to minimize our waste. Recycling is the action of transforming materials into a valuable product that otherwise will be waste. Typical materials we can recycle from our home or business are: aluminum cans, glass bottles, papers, cardboard and plastic bags by simply putting them in the appropriate recycling bin.

In today’s modern electronic world recycling e-waste is very important as these items contain many toxic materials unfit for landfills. Now we are also able to recycle cellphones, TVs, stereos, DVDs among others. This is known as e-cycling, and it refers to collecting, disassembling and finally recycling electronic items, materials than otherwise become electronic waste. Recycling entails savings in raw materials, and material that can only be obtained by expensive, and high energy-demanding transformation processes. Therefore, recycling can reduce pressure on certain natural resources (wood, water, minerals), reduce waste sent to landfills, and reduce industrial contamination or our air and water.

Whole food plant-based diet is different than veganism and vegetarianism because it not only involves reducing or (for some people) eliminating animal products from our menu, but it involves eating food as close as possible to their natural state. Whole food means food without transformation. For example eating fruits, vegetables, and beans instead of taking supplements to acquire the fiber and vitamins these natural products already contain. Consuming products in an unprocessed state means our food maintains their whole variety of phytochemicals including antioxidants, and minerals. On the other hand, processed foods have lost many of their natural nutrients and many unhealthy additives are usually included.

Scientific research and clinical evidence have shown that many diseases afflicting humans can be controlled or reversed by reducing or eliminating animal-based and processed foods from our diet. Plant-based diets can provide all the nutrients needed, and can help make people (and animals like gorillas!) healthy and strong. Some professional athletes prefer the plant-based diet for this reason. The excessive consumption of animal-based foods in our modern society is also one of the biggest contributors to global warming because of the massive amount of crops and energy required to produce animal-based foods. If people shifted from animal-based to plant-based diets, the area of the world that we farm could easily be reduced by half and pressure to clear endangered rainforests and other habitats would decrease drastically.
To incorporate a whole food diet does not have to be time consuming, it can be as easy as having a daily smoothie in our breakfast, fresh fruits and vegetables in every meal, nuts and seeds as snacks, or make your breakfast with a whole grain cereal such as oatmeal.

Fish has a well-deserved reputation as a high nutritional food, especially for its high content of omega-3 oil. But eating well is not only about our own benefit, but also being responsible with the environment and for people producing our food. It is hard to give advice that is universally valid about what fish we should buy at the market, but there is an unanimous consensus about certain species that should not be in our plates like: Bluefin tuna, tropical farmed shrimp, wild Atlantic and farmed salmon, swordfish, Atlantic cod, sharks and skates. Why? Because most of their populations have been caught faster than they can breed, and we have deteriorated their habitats, and now their numbers are very low. Another reason is the fishing method used to capture them, like long-lines used to catch tuna or trawling for shrimp, are not very selective and produce the highest rates of bycatch of threatened or endangered species in the ocean.

Does aquaculture reduce the pressure from over-fishing? Not always. Some farms can use high quantities of wild fish to feed their animals, producing less fish to eat than the fish they consume, and increasing pressure on wild species.

For an easy to use printable pocket-guide or downloadable guide for your smart-phone that guides you on which fish are the best to purchase and the ones to avoid visit the Seafood Watch program. Being informed about our local resources and using this regional fish guide is the best way to eat!

Organic crops are free of antibiotics, hormones, synthetic pesticides, irradiation (a type of radiation to kill microorganism), When shopping for organic food, look for the “USDA organic” label, and remember that “natural” does not equal organic. But changing all our diet to organic products can be expensive, so is good to know which organic food have the most important impact in our diet.

Fruits and veggies on the “Dirty Dozen” list where the organic label matters the most are: Apples, Celery, Strawberries, Peaches, Spinach, Nectarines – imported, Grapes – imported, Sweet bell peppers, Potatoes, Blueberries – domestic, Lettuce, Kale/collard greens.

Fruits and veggies on the “Clean Fifteen” list with harder peel or skins that show low pesticide levels are: Onions, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Avocado, Asparagus, Sweet peas, Mangoes, Eggplant, Cantaloupe – domestic, Kiwi, Cabbage, Watermelon, Sweet potatoes, Grapefruit, Mushrooms.

Furthermore, organic products are also better for the environment. Organic farms tend to consume 50% less energy than conventional farming methods, reduce pollutants in groundwater and erosion, creating richer soils.

One of the most important places to go organic is in your own yard! Eliminate toxic pesticides and herbicides from the yard you, your family, and your pets play on. A beautiful healthy lawn is one without toxic chemicals!

Sustainability means maintaining our well-being over time. Human sustainability on Earth implies more than economic progress (making more money), but also the social and environmental impacts of our activities. The “triple bottom line” of our activities means looking at and balancing their interconnected environmental, social, and economic effects.

Sustainability can be understood at different scales, from the global to our smaller local scale.  And we can apply the concept on our daily life, think about this question: can I meet my own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs? Certification systems promoting fair trade is a good example of a global sustainability strategy. Reducing our family or town footprint are other ways how we can use sustainability on a smaller scale.

Have you ever noticed how a tomato grown in your own yard or from a local farm tastes so much better than the hard, bland tomatoes often found in supermarkets. Today, much of our food comes from thousands of miles from our homes. This is done to make food cheap. But why are these products so cheap? Many costs are reduced by buying from other developing countries where labor is much cheaper and more dangerous pesticides may be used. Costs of transportation are also reduced due to the large quantities being transported in bulk. Food will travel sometimes for days or even weeks, and many chemicals could be used to preserve it.

When buying local we also help create a smaller carbon footprint, meaning our actions put less climate changing CO2 into the atmosphere. Also we help improve family economies, which are usually part of sustainable small farms, and which also use cleaner and less resources than large corporate farms. When thinking of buy local, just think of buying food produced as close to your kitchen as possible. And of course avoid prepackaged and processed foods as much as possible as these often contain ingredients shipped all over the world. Starting from your community garden, to town farmers, to state produce, you should aim to minimize the distances of transporting food to your table. And the closer your food is grown, the fresher it will be. That is why a local tomato (and any product) often tastes so much better when it is local.

Farmers markets are a great way to get healthier, fresher, and more diverse food into your diet, while at the same time supporting local agriculture and reducing your environmental footprint. Local farmers produce several products and in relatively small quantities, and as a consequence the use of pesticides is considerably reduced if not completely avoided.  Also their products don’t have to travel a long way to its destination, so the use of conserving treatments is also unnecessary.

Another option of visiting famers markets is to join a CSA (community supported agriculture) group. A CSA, supplied by one or several local farmers, offers a weekly pickup of a mixture of fruits and veggies that you can often customize. Many CSAs offer an early season online sign up, and have several package options to choose from (small, medium, family basket of fruits and/or veggies) so you can choose the best mix that suits your preferences.

But one of the best parts of visiting the farmers market is meeting your local farmers and neighbors, and really getting to know where your food comes from and seeing firsthand the care that goes into the food that feeds you.

Kitchen gardens provide the chance to eat what you have produced with your own hands, just as in the good old times. Whether outdoor or indoor, in the ground or with the use of pots; by having a kitchen garden you get a practical and healthy hobby, eat fresh, and – if there is space available - creates a good reason to process your organic waste into compost.  In your kitchen garden, you can produce herbs or vegetables. Depending of the space available and the climate in your location, you can grow anything from beans to pumpkins. Just go to the market get some planting soil and compost, and seeds and then…welcome to the traditional way of producing the best food.

Home appliances like AC systems, water heating, lighting, small electronic devices & motors, are the appliances using the most of the energy consumed in a U.S. home. Every time you are buying or replacing any of these items, you are making a decision that affects the environment. The global energy production mostly comes from burning coal or gas by power plants. By choosing energy efficient appliances, we can immediately reduce our impact on the global climate change, and save a significant amounts of dollars in our electricity bills for years to come.  To buy these appliances, you can use a Rebate Locator application from the Environmental Protection Agency, this application find cash rebates, low-interest loans, and other incentive on qualified energy efficient products. They can cost more but in the long run they actually save your money.

For every household it is essential to maintain a healthy clean environment to protect our whole family. Therefore we use a large amount of cleaning products in our homes. Consequently, lots of resources and dangerous byproducts are being produced during the production of many cleaning products. When we use them in our homes, toxic chemicals come in close contact with our families and pets. Many emit volatile organic compounds (gases) that frequently cause respiratory and skin problems, or some other allergic effects. They also get washed down drains which can poison our waterways. There are no universal rules or product labeling, but in general be wary while reading vague terms such as “environmentally friendly” or “eco safe.” There are several brands that are well-known to be best choices. The best green cleaners must have a combination of low phosphorus, nitrogen or volatile organic compounds, and be made with renewable resources. Using green cleaners is not only important at home, but also at our schools and work places. Find out what is being used and ask for a shift to healthy cleaners. We can improve all our living conditions.
If you need to dispose of dangerous cleaning chemicals (or pesticides), check out the Environmental Protection Agency website for information about proper disposal in your area.

You can find reusable containers for almost everything! Reusables are made of durable material that we can use more than once. Options are broad and cheap in the market: we can find plastic, glass or stainless containers. Bottled water is probably one of the most expensive food items you can buy; think about how much money you can save using a reusable water bottle. Another good point of buying reusable containers is that we lessen the exposure of our food to some toxic chemicals present in most of the single, disposable containers. Be careful and avoid plastics containing Bisphenol A (BPA) or BPA-lined aluminum containers. Beyond all these positive points, using long-lasting containers reduces the amount of waste going to landfills.

In today’s fast world, the to-go culture has been imposed. Buying to-go does not need necessarily means waste of materials, there are new products in the market to keep our conscious lifestyle. Let´s reduce the plastic forks, spoons, plates, napkins, and bags that we use every week! We can find in the market a variety of alternatives, including stainless steel food containers, recycled & recyclable sandwich sacks, cotton bags, and bamboo utensil sets.

By buying appropriate to-go ware, we reduce our own ecological footprint, and help small organizations that are innovating the green market. In this way, united in our efforts, we can make a difference!