Product Reviewed: President’s Choice Green 2-Ply Toilet Paper

Place of Purchase: Jewel-Osco

Purchase Price: 10 for $10 on sale

Product replaced: Non-green toilet paper, like Charmin, Cottonelle, and Quilted Northern

Ingredients: 100% post-consumer paper.  Clean and sanitary without the addition of chlorine bleach*.  Some of the recycled paper in this product may have been bleached with chlorine when originally manufactured.

Use: For any sensitive area you need to wipe!

Results: It works great!  It isn’t rough.  It didn’t leave dingleberries behind (those are those, uh, crumbs).  This product is as soft as its non-green counterparts, without the use of bleach or other chemicals. I came away from the experience with a clean behind! Yeah, I said “dingleberries,” and, “clean behind”.

Best of all: The product boasts post-consumer product, forming demand for a second-use of this useful fiber product as well as reducing demand for virgin fibers.  It also is a diversion for material that is often slated for landfills.

Why try it? Because it’s far greener than the product you are likely currently using for wiping your behind.  It’s also quite affordable.

The drawback: At 176 sheets per roll, the company would do well to double that amount, in order to get the most from the packaging.  Meaning, more paper would go into less needed plastic packaging.  It would also mean less cardboard used for the inner rolls, because fewer rolls would be used.

EHI There! What green products are you using that you love? What products are you trying to replace? Got an idea for a product you would like to be reviewed? We welcome guest columnists; just contact us!

Ever cook with a gas stove? How about a gas grill?  I have used both, and there is one noticeable difference in the way that these two cooking appliances are lit at the time of ignition of the natural gas that makes me cringe.

So what am I talking about?

Not for all gas stoves and ovens, but for the great majority of them, they are lit by the pilot light, which is just a small flame that remains lit all of the time, burning a small amount of gas at all hours of the day.

I cringe at those lit using a pilot light instead of an electrical spark, because that flame burns gas constantly.

As an aside, if you’re a gas stove user, you know that if your pilot light goes out, you are likely to smell the natural gas in your home.  Furthermore, if you don’t have another pilot light somewhere else to burn off some of that gas, and it is allowed to continue to build up in your home, you might eventually get an explosion like one seen in the Ed Norton character’s apartment in Fight Club. Or at least that’s what we see happen in the movie (see video at the end of this article).

But how much gas is actually burned by a pilot light?  Well, I did not know that particular figure, so I did some research.  I had very little success finding concrete numbers, but that’s mostly because that would vary according to many conditions and by individual appliance.  But to give you an idea, according to Wikipedia:

In domestic heating systems with pilot lights it has been estimated that on average half the total energy usage is from the pilot light, each pilot light using from 240–500 W of gas (8–16 GJ/year).

The Wisconsin Public Service Corporation provides this online calculator to estimate how much gas your  pilot lights are using, as an option among all of the other possible gas burners in your home.  You may be using a great deal of gas up every day, every year, with each passing gas bill, in large part to pilot lights.

So, what can I do about my own situation?

A much better way is to have an electrical ignition, like the ones typically found on most gas grills.  It’s also available on some gas stoves.  Gas is energy-intensive to extract, it releases some carbon dioxide, and it costs you money to burn!  It would be worth one’s while to buy a gas stove with electrical ignition the next time you buy one (or opt for electric!).

Cooking is energy-intensive, but as our economy hopefully makes the move toward renewable electricity sources, electrical appliances will show their worth even more, pilot light aside.  In short, Our pilot lights are just not necessary.

Also, as noted on the Ideal Bite, you can also save by turning off your pilot lights for gas fireplaces or heaters for those months during which you are not using those appliances.

Just be sure to also shut off the gas supply to those appliances for those times, and do some reading or talk to your gas supplier if you have questions or concerns about how to do this safely.  Get informed first, then tend to the problem.  If at any time, you smell gas, you should stop, get of out the house, and call your gas supplier for instruction.

And, just for fun, here’s that scene from Fight Club – I love the fly-through graphics:

SMFFFFFFsssttT, AHHHHH…HOT!  And ohh, so good!  You already know what I’m drinking…

That was me, sipping my first cup of coffee in a quite a while.  Well, actually, I had coffee this past weekend, but it was of the freeze dried variety — samples I received in the mail at some point and had saved for just such an emergency.  They tided me over, but really, blech.  So it’s actually been a while.

And I’m actually using a cup and saucer, like in the picture, which I never do, but this cup of coffee is special, you see.  No, I’m not — I just liked that stock photo.  Alright, yes I am, but it’s just a coincidence.

I had run out of coffee (which just should not happen; I love coffee!) a couple of weeks ago and I had planned to replace this item with a more sustainable, socially responsible coffee.  I just had not gone to my local Trader Joe’s since then, and after work yesterday (after work, going home is often the best option — but is it home without coffee?), I bit the bullet and made the actually short trek to the store. Not that I couldn’t go to a few other stores for such coffee, but I had already paroused those at Trader Joe’s a while back, and frankly, I was sold.

When I arrived home, I wanted to brew some coffee right away, but managed to hold myself back for I knew it would be better in the morning, and if I were to drink it at night, I would not get enough sleep in order to awake soon enough to actually brew and enjoy my morning cup of joe.

I found many Fair-Trade, Organic coffees at Trader Joe’s, but finally settled on an extra dark roasted bean, Trader Joe’s Organic, Fair Trade Café Pajaro Blend, from small family farms in Nicaragua, Peru, and southern Mexico (just to give some detail of exactly what it is), which I ground in the same aisle of the store (I really should get my own grinder for fresher coffee, but then again, more consumption, sigh…).

I brewed my coffee using my French press, so it’s extra strong, and I of course employed my tea kettle for boiling the water.  Yeah, I’m about to make myself puke for patting myself on the back, but just as a reminder, using a tea kettle can save energy!

I just wanted to share this because, not only is the cup extra good because it’s been so very long since I had a cup of coffee, but I also feel good about the purchase because the coffee was produced organically, meaning less environmental degradation due to chemical use, and because the small family farms were paid fair price for their crop, which is the socially responsible thing.

No, I don’t feel like I’m better than anyone for drinking this coffee (still consuming a coffee shipped from far, far away!), and I am very reluctant to write soft posts like this one, but I share this just to encourage you to make similar decisions.  The next time your coffee runs out, consider switching over to a fair trade, organic variety.  Make other changes of products in your life: organic really is better for the earth. No, I’m not better, but the coffee sure is!

My can of coffee cost me a similar price to other brands I have bought in the past, but because of the way it was grown and the way the farmers were paid, I literally am enjoying my coffee even more.  The more small changes in your life you make like this, the bigger changes you will be prepared to take on, the more positive influence you can have on your peers who will likely follow at least some of the examples given.  While the sensation of that first sip of coffee after a long drought is likely to tire, the luster of a more envirohumanly friendly coffee will unlikely fade.

SmfftthhT AHHHHH…Coffee!!!

I just got back from the store, and I still find myself changing over to greener buying habits, even when it takes more money (at times) to do so.  It can take a hit on the grocery/toiletry bill and even make you feel like it’s a major pain.

Today, I introduced a greener toilet bowl cleaner and a Pangea Brand organic skincare product to my bathroom cabinet.  The toilet bowl cleaner was priced just fine — the same as others — but the Pangea set me back a few.

But, there’s silver lining in picking up that greener laundry detergent, dish soap, or toilet bowl cleaner.  And if you slowly replace your fleet of cleaners, toiletries, and paper goods, you will find it much easier to do so.  I have slowly shopped myself into a greener life, one shopping trip at a time.  As items need to be replaced, I purchase the greener toilet paper, paper towels, and waxed paper.

If you try to do it all at once, you’re likely going to drop a lot of money on the products, something many of us may not want to do all at once.  Be prepared, if you so choose.

The better way is to gradually introduce greener options as needed.  So next time you run out of something, consider purchasing the greener option!

Okay, you might find this quibbling or silly, but you’re on an environmental site where, yes, the smallest drops of waste can and will be counted.  But you should listen in, because this tip will save you time, money, and improve your envirohuman impact — all with one, one-time purchase.  Ready?

Buy a reusable lint brush.  Yes, you likely do not even think about greening your lint brush, I know!  But look, some people buy those silly “lint rollers,” which amount to a fat roll of masking tape being put onto a roller backward, so that the sticky side is outward.  Back and forth a user rolls until, oh no! — it’s not working as well as it was before.  The sticky side gets covered in lint.

But not to fear, the user thinks!  There is yet another layer of tape below this piece, allowing me to continue on making my pants look nice while making the earth look ugly.  Yes, that tape makes its way into landfills and is overall yet another matter contributing to our conspicuous consumption.

Admittedly, I once owned such a roller. Workers often stash one of these at work to spiffy up before the big meeting with the boss.  And one in the closet.  And alongside the ironing board.  But there’s a much greener way!  The reusable lint brush is specially designed to collect lint on its surface and can easily be cleaned by using a reverse action against one’s hand.  This is greener because it likely will last you for many years without need for replacement.

At the end of a lint roller’s life, one likely throws the handle away because the new one will inevitably have its own new handle.  And, there’s no telling when you might run out, so there you’ll be, almost ready for your meeting, when you think that you can peel off the lint-covered outer layer and reveal a new sticky one beneath — only to see that you now have an empty roll!  There you are attempting to use some scotch tape to clean off the rest of the lint, or you go to the meeting with noticeable fur from your dog, who thought giving you a kiss goodbye was as harmless as it was loving.

Okay, so lint is not such a big problem, but chances are most of us are using something to remove it at some point in time, and for under $20 and less than twenty minutes of your time, you can do it a little greener, with a reusable lint brush.

It can be a traditional watering can, an old pitcher or jug, but whatever it is, you should use it on your plants.

What?  Who is this guy telling me to water my plants with a watering can?  I don’t even have plants!

Well if you don’t have plants, you should get them in order to clean up the air in your home, as they can absorb unwanted chemicals from your air, leaving it healthier for you and your family.

Now, why use a watering can?  Obviously, your plants have to be watered.  You have them (or you’re going to get them, right?  For you and your family’s health!) and they require water.   Okay, glad we cleared that up.  So I was stating the obvious, but work with me here.

This may be something you already do without thinking much about it, but in order to further green your activity of watering plants, over the course of a day, pour excess water you did not drink into your watering can.  Sometimes I leave a glass sit overnight and the next morning, I don’t care to drink water that sat overnight and in any case, I would like a new glass.

But my plants could surely use that water (filtered, no doubt with some backwash!).  Also, hold your watering can under the faucet while you run the water through the faucet to get hot water.  Have ice leftover after you drink your beverage?  Put the ice into the watering can rather than down the drain.  Then use that water that otherwise would go unused on your plants.

Don’t leave water sitting in the can for more than a day, and use it as needed on your houseplants, garden, or landscaping and you’ll be greening your home a little bit more.   Just make sure to keep it near the kitchen sink (or maybe the bathroom) in order to catch that extra water for other use.

And how does this green my activity? Simply put, getting water to your home and then back away again is energy- and chemical-intensive.  From pumping it to a treatment facility to using chemicals and processes for cleaning it (and leaving some, like chlorine in the water) to pumping it to your home and up into your building (if you live in a high-rise, you may have seen water pressure drop if you had a power outage) and back to pumping the water away and treating it again before releasing it back into nature.  Just remember that when the water is running, pollution is also, “running.” The less water you run for your functions, the less pollution.

What do I buy? If you’re going out to buy a water can, I recommend one that has an optional end with holes for giving plants a shower, in case you’re watering a surface of small plants (like wheatgrass) or for watering seeds that you’re starting and you can remove it for free pour.  Remember, in almost all homes, there’s already something that will fulfill your watering can needs, a pitcher or an old juice or milk jug would work, for example, so you need not go out and buy something new — just clean whatever you use out with a little dish soap.

Plastic or metal? Hard to say.  Both are technically recyclable, both have to be removed in some way from the ground (oil for plastic, ore for metal).  Metals tend to rust (unless you get copper or stainless steel, which in most instances will not) but as a general rule, if you have an opportunity to buy something other than plastic with very similar results, go for the non-plastic product – there’s no telling what our longterm exposure to plastic products in so many of our applications will do to humans, and as time goes on, we’re seeing that its coming into contact with our food and water may be carcinogenic (saran wrap and plastic water bottles, as two examples).

Action item: Go (right now) to your kitchen (or at least visualize what you would choose) and pick out an item that will work for your watering can.  You might have one already, maybe in the basement??  If not, choose which jug in your fridge might make a good candidate, or consider buying new.  And if you do not yet have plants, go pick some nice ones out to spruce up your abode, as well as the air you breathe!  Might I recommend philodendrons for you?  Might I?

EHI is here, everyday, bringing you new tips, product reviews, and environmental news, all to help our readers become more aware and to make both small and large changes in their lives toward a more sustainable future.  We hope you will join us again.  You can get daily feeds through our RSS Feed or through Email Updates (found below!).

Product Reviewed: Method Dish Soap (Naturally Derived – Ultra Concentrated) “Go Naked”

Place of Purchase: Whole Foods

Purchase Price: $3.00 – $4.00

Product replaced: Petroleum-based dish soaps, specifically for me, Palmolive (I quit using Palmolive more than a year ago and have since been testing several plant-based soaps).

Ingredients: Blend of naturally derived and biodegradable surfactants, corn alcohol, table salt, citric acid, aloe vera gel, vitamin E, Preservative (under 0.1%), purified water

Use: I have used this product for washing dishes and for wiping down counters in my kitchen.

Results: Good, natural dish soap, which foams nicely and has basically no

Thanks to all of our readers who have joined us, those who have commented, and those who have contacted us with concerns over the last few months.

Today, we have reached the one-hundredth post for the site, which seems like a lot to us writers now, but that in a year will likely look like nothing compared to what we will have by that time.  In the grand scheme, it is not a lot, but at this point, it represents an important milestone for this just-getting-started website.

So, to mark the 100th post, we are compiling a short list of some of our most popular, most read, and interesting articles from the first 99.  These are our must-reads from the last few months:

News and Commentary:

Mary Gade Ousted (four articles):

EPA Ousts Mary Gade, Continuing Coverage and Commentary, More Mary Gade Coverage (Or is it Less?), Commentary: Why Gade’s Resignation Matters

The Greendex: How do You stack up?

$4.00 per Gallon Gas: The Environment, Economy, and You

Greener Under Twenty:

Greener Under Twenty: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (and, How to Recycle CFLs to Avoid Dumping Mercury)

Greener Under Twenty: Use Rechargeable Batteries

Product Reviews:

Product Review: Sigg Metal Water Bottle and Sigg Water Bottle Update

Product Review: Method Surface Cleaner

Product Review: Method Foaming Hand Wash Soap

Product Review: Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent Powder

What are your favorite articles, looking back?  What would you like to see more of on EHI?  Where can we improve? Let us know, below!

Philly cheesesteak, french onion soup, onion rings – some of the best things in life involve cooking and eating onions!  However, if you’ve ever cut up and cooked with an onion, you know that the worst part of this majestic experience is not the tears of joy you’ll cry while slicing and dicing but rather that pleasant reminder for sometimes days after your meal that you handled onions.  That’s right, whether while washing your face before bed or showering the next morning, the smell of onions has soaked into your hands so thoroughly that even toughest of soaps and detergents are no match.

The simple (and green!) solution: find a stainless steel surface, usually in the form of a sink or countertop and wipe your hands all over it!  Make sure to get everywhere, in between fingers, the palms, the backs of the hands, and all places in between.  A complete cleansing will usually take about 30 seconds but even just a few quick swipes will do the trick on light jobs.

Now I don’t exactly know the science behind this and why it works but I can undoubtedly tell you that it does work!  If you’ve ever been embarrassed or just plain disgusted by your stinky onion hands, you’ve probably tried new hand soaps, dish soaps, and other harsh chemical cleaners.  Well, throw them all out (or at least save them for other dirty jobs) because the greenest cleaner is one you never have to use in the first place!