Earth Day ~ Let's Go Green!

My oh so talented little gal drew this in honor of earth day.  I just LOVE it!

So~~~~ the kids are home today, and in honor of Earth Day, we planted a tree.  My oldest brought it home from school, its a white pine.  Perfect for that corner of the property where we can see the neighbors.

 Yeah- thats my girl, looking good in those gloves and making sure the boys are doing all the work. *sigh*

Can you see it, its just a little guy!

I am always trying to be a little more "green"minded. I am by NO means, doing all I can. But I'd rather do a little, then nothing at all.  Some of the things I have changed around the home are, using cloth diapers to clean up spills ILO paper towels (sooo absorbent), reuseable sponges and scrubbies, just wash and re-use.  I still use paper towels, but not near as much...I try to keep them for REALLY yucky messes that I don't want to rinse off (you get the picture, right?)

We recycle our paper, magazine and plastics.....I donate unwanted items ILO trashing them, and I switched my cleaners to environmentally friendly ones.  My favorite, is Shaklee Basic H2, it works for everything, and it lasts forever!!!!!!!  I use it on carpet stains, counter tops, windows, the kitchen floor, EVERYTHING!

Now- for the business, since I order a lot of my materials online, I get a lot of shipping materials.  I re-use ALL of them.  I use old tattered padded envelopes to wrap things in (cut them in strips and use like bubble wrap), and re-use the envelopes themselves for shipping.

There's the pile!  What a mess!

I also try to use metal smithing products that are green.  For pickle, I use Cool Tools brand, which is very mild and environmentally friendly...plus, it works great!

To etch copper, I don't use harsh chemical, I elctro-etch.  You just have to make sure to dispose of the left over copper water properly, it can't get into the water system.  I have a large bucket that I dump the copper water in, and the water evaporates, and leaves the copper on the bottom.  It will take a long time before its filled and I have to take it to be disposed of.

I also use my kids old receiving blankets cut up, for towels around the studio.

So, what are your green tips for home or the studio?  I am always looking for more ways to make the planet safe (and alive) for future generations.