Little ways to make a big difference.

Hidden Green is dedicated to bringing you earth-friendly products and ideas that are convenient and affordable for us all.

Sign-up for our newsletter.

Five Things You Can Do Today To Save Money & The Environment


  1. Ditch the Plastic Bottles

    The Problem:
    Plastic Bottles are full of oil. Most bottles are made from plastic derived from crude oil and then transported on diesel-burning trucks. Americans demand for water consumes over 1.5 million barrels of oil each year. (NY Times, 2007) This is equivalent to fueling 100,000 cars for one entire year. Bottled water costs an average of $1400 per year, while eight glasses a day from the tap will cost about 49 cents (NY Times). The impact on the environment is just as substantial. The entire energy cost of one lifecycle of a bottle being equivalent to filling up a quarter of each bottle with oil.

    Think that bottled water is safer than tap water? Well that may not be the case. Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, found major regulatory gaps. By the group's calculation, 60% to 70% of bottled water sold in the United States - including carbonated water, seltzer, club soda, tonic water as well as flavored and fortified waters - are exempt from FDA bottled water standards (LA Times, 2006).

    Green Saving Solution
    Purchase a reusable water bottle and carry it with you. To see our product line by Enviro Products, click here. Interested in purchasing a water filter but don't know which one to get? Check out product comparisons at: www.waterfiltercomparisons.com

    With this green saving solution, you will save an estimated $672.09* and spare the environment over 2,900 plastic water bottles a year.

    *Cost of bottled water: $850.45 @$6.99 per case. Cost of tap water $178.36 @$.49 per day.

     

  2. No More Disposable Plastic Bags


    The Problem:
    It is estimated that the U.S. uses 100 billion plastic shopping bags each year (The Wall Street Journal). This requires an estimated 12 million barrels of oil to produce. The average family consumes over 700 plastic bags each year and it takes up to 1000 years for each plastic bag to decompose.

    Plastic bags are also becoming increasingly costly, with countries such as Ireland placing taxes on them. In 2007, San Francisco began a ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags from grocery stores, and has since extended to pharmacies (NBC). Think as long as you don't live in Ireland or San Francisco, you are cost-free? Think again, many other cities have also shown interest in similar bans - does yours? In addition, it is not just city taxes that are making you pay for your bags - stores, such as IKEA, are beginning to charge for plastic bags.

    Are you choosing paper is better then plastic? Depending on how you measure it paper can be just as bad for the environment as plastic. It takes more energy to recycle paper bags then plastic, the chemicals it takes to make the paper bags contribute to air pollution, not to mention the number of trees it takes produce.

    Green Saving Solution
    Purchase a reusable carrier bag for your shopping. To see our product line by Chico Bags, click here. This will not only help the environment but stores, such as Whole Foods, are giving consumers credit for bringing their own bags.

    With this green saving solution, an average family will save $35.00 per year* and spare the environment from 700 plastic bags per year per household.

    *Average store credit: $.05 x Average family consumption of 700 bags.

     

  3. Get Rid of Junk Mail

    The Problem:
    This one is a no brainier. Every day we check our mail boxes only to receive a countless amount of unwanted catalogs, flyers, and mail. In fact, junk mail invades our privacy and wastes an average of 8 months of our lives, and the environmental impact is even worse: 100 million trees are destroyed to make junk mail every year, which creates greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 3.7 million cars. By producing and discarding less paper, more trees are saved and the overall energy consumption is less - not to mention all the time you will save from having to go through all of those mail stacks.

    Green Saving Solution

    OPT-OUT! Whenever you donate money, order a product or service, or fill out a warranty card, write in large letters, "Please do not sell my name or address". Most organizations will properly mark your name in the computer. When filling out forms online, read privacy policies and watch for opt-out boxes. Most companies have places to check to "opt-out."

    Another effective way to cut postal junk mail is to remove your name from national mailing lists. To do so, go online and register with the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/proto1.php. (Once you are on their site, scroll down until you see the silver "Register" button.) Registering with the service indicates that you do not want to be contacted by solicitors.

    Here are some additional options:

    1. Call 888-5-OPTOUT - When given options, press 3 to have your name removed permanently, or press 1 to have your name removed for just two years.
    2. www.catalogchoice.org
    3. www.optoutprescreen.com
    4. www.greendimes.com
    5. https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/proto1.php
    6. http://www.41pounds.org/
    Think junk mail is just for home? Don't forget about your business junk mail. Click here for tips
     

  4. Start Thinking Creatively About Recycling

    The Problem:
    We all know we should recycle but we aren't always sure of what exactly is recyleable. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, over 80% of what we throw away is recyclable. This excess waste fills our landfills, pollutes our water sources, clogs our air, and speeds up global warming. Even worse, this kind of waste takes away materials that can be re-used causing us to harvest more raw materials and keep the cycle going. Worried that recycling is going to cost jobs? Don't be. The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive estimates that recycling and remanufacturing industries account for approximately one million manufacturing jobs and more than $100 billion in revenue. Recycling employs low-, medium-, and highly-skilled workers in a variety of jobs—from materials handling and processing to high-quality product manufacturing.

    Green Saving Solutions
    1. Learn what you can recycle. Contact your local recycling center to understand clearly what your center will and will not recycle. Two websites to check out are www.epa.gov and earth911.org.

    2. Look for alternative ways to clean up. Did you know you could swap the book you just read for one that you have been meaning to? Or get rid of the clutter in your house and make a couple bucks doing it? Ebay and Craigslist have been pioneers in people being able to sell goods they no longer want.

    3. Understand the economic benefits to recycling. There are personal economic benefits to recycling. Become eligible for tax donations by donating your goods and clothing to local charities rather then throwing them away. Recycling has created a lot of jobs since its acceptance in the mainstream and it is still a growing industry. The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive estimates that recycling and remanufacturing industries account for approximately one million manufacturing jobs and more than $100 billion in revenue. Recycling employs low-, medium-, and highly-skilled workers in a variety of jobs—from materials handling and processing to high-quality product manufacturing.

    Recycling not only saves you money but also helps your economy. How much you save depends on your wiliness to resell your items, purchase used items, and buy products made from recycled material. The best part about recycling is that for most of us, recycling is free!!!! Now it is time to expand our at home recycling programs, learn about more ways to recycle and think outside of the typical recycling box.
     

  5. Sign Up For Your Hidden Green Newsletter

    The Problem:
    You want to save money and want to help the environment but don't have the time to do the research to know how.

    Green Saving Solution
    Green Saving Solution
    Sign up for the Hidden Green monthly newsletter to receive monthly tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle all while keeping in mind your bottom line. We do the research and work so you don't have to!
     

Have an idea...
We are looking for articles, information, tips, jokes, ANYTHING that is about being green while saving money. So, please contact us with your ideas or suggestions.