indoors
L IV IN G G R E E N
TREND #2
U P C Y C L IN G
“Upcycling” is securing a place in
green vocabulary as an elevated form
of recycling. At its simplest, upcycling
gives discarded items a new and longer
life (such as old sweaters sewn into
pillows). On a larger scale, it repur-
poses available materials without
breaking them down. One impressive
example is the product line of a
company called Terra Cycle
(terracycle
.net),
which solicits trash, such as
plastic shopping bags, drink pouches,
and cookie wrappers, and turns it
into tote bags, backpacks, and other
useful products, labels intact.
O n b o a r d ? T r y t h is
Challenge yourself
to look forward before every purchase: Can this
item be used in another way someday? Search
out products made from recycled materials.
82 APRIL2009 BETTER
HOMES AND
GARDENS
TREND #3
R E D U C E D P A C K A G IN G
Reducing product packaging is a hot
topic with no apparent downside. It
offers cost savings for manufacturers,
less work for consumers, and less
impact on the environment. Creative
solutions range from shampoo sold
in a recyclable pouch to laptops
packaged in fabric bags. Now that
retailers such as Amazon.com have
begun working directly with manu-
facturers to reduce waste, and
federal legislation has been intro-
duced, we’re sure to see more
examples of less packaging.
O n b o a r d ? T r y t h is
Buy in bulk, and use
refillable containers. Ifyou can’t reuse packing
materials you receive, post them on
freecycle
.orgor
see
loosefillpackaging.com
for local
stores that can take packing peanuts.
TREND #4
E F F IC IE N T L IG H T IN G
Replacing an incandescent bulb with
a compact fluorescent light (CFL)
has been heralded as an easy way to
save energy. But early tradeoffs
included cooler light quality and
poor fit, a result of using new light
sources in old fixtures. Good news:
CFLs are well into the next genera-
tion of improvements, and updated
Energy Star program requirements
promise even more efficient bulbs by
mid
2009
. In addition, options for
energy-efficient light fixtures contin-
ue to increase; see
energystar.gov
for
a list of
17,000
qualified models.
O n b o a r d ? T r y t h is
Use the “Choose a
Light Guide” at
energystar.gov/cfls.
Knowing
which types go where will help you maximize
your use of CFL bulbs.
Available in Roasted Chicken, Bistro Beef
and Smokehouse flavors.
INTRODUCING A DOG TREAT
THAT'S MADE WITH USDA INSPECTED MEAT.
PLEASE REMEMBER IT'S FOR THE DOG.
to****
Love your dog just for being fam ily with
Bit-O -Luv,
the
dog
treat
that’s
m ade
in
the
USA
with
USDA
inspected
meat, and without artificial flavors, colors,
or
by-products.
W e
can’t think of a
better way to
thank
a
favorite
four-legged
fam ily
mem ber
than
with a slow roasted and
mouthwatering
meat snack
that’s good enough for people,
but made for dogs.
e'
5
T*o
свит***
trERT
5
R EM O U S*
biloluv.com
©2009
Bit-O-Luv® Holdings, Inc.
