Did you know that Americans buy over 300 million cases of wine each year?  The shocking number raises a serious environmental question:  What do we do with all the empty wine bottles?  One start-up, Wine Bottle Renew, is creating a business based on a solution.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "The company wants to revive the practice of washing and refilling used glass wine bottles."  The start-up's Chief Executive, Bruce Stephens, hopes to convince wineries around the country that collaborating will be good for business. "You take a bottle and you empty the bottle, and my God, why would that only be a one-time bottle?" Stephens asked the Wall Street Journal. "We used to wash bottles all the time, whether it was wine bottles, beer bottles or Coke bottles."  Indeed, reusing bottles can cost a company 10% less than purchasing new ones.

Sure, reusing glass bottles may be good for a company's bottom line, but how will it affect the environment?  Wine Bottle Renew asserts that rinsing and reusing a wine bottle releases 95% less carbon than does recycling one.  How's that possible?  The Wall Street Journal reports that recycling the glass containers takes more work because they "must be melted down and re-formed before they enter the market again."

Approximately 150 wineries have already teamed up with Wine Bottle Renew.  Stephens told the Wall Street Journal that his company has cleaned and delivered over a million bottles to wineries nationwide.  Hopefully larger wineries will jump on board soon.  Good for business and eco-friendly?  Sounds like a win-win to me!

The infamous spam E-mail.  Those who are less technologically-savvy are often fooled by it, and those of us who can recognize a spam E-mail from a mile away are just annoyed by it.  Either way, it's clogging up all of our "Junk Mail" folders, and none of us like it.

But did you know that those trash E-mails also have a negative impact on our environment?  Web Page FX Weekly put together a comprehensive infographic explaining the environmental price of spam.  Click on the image to enlarge: 

To summarize, the amount of greenhouse gas that's associated with one spam E-mail is equivalent to the amount of harmful gas that enters the atmosphere after a vehicle has driven three feet.  Ninety-five trillion spam E-mails are sent a year.  That means each year spam E-mails emit the same amount of greenhouse gasses as would a car would that's driven around the globe two million times.

Is there a way to battle spam E-mails?  After all, they've been an annoyance for almost 20 years.  Web Page FX Weekly suggests adding a spam filter to your E-mail account, reporting spam E-mails to spam@uce.gov, and helping spread awareness about this little-known issue.

Back at home, my family's beautiful Christmas tree is still standing proudly in the living room.  But by this weekend, we'll have to turn out the lights, put away all the ornaments, and accept that the holiday season is over.  Just one question remains:  What will we do with the tree? 

Most people toss out their trees at the end of the Christmas season.  But do they have to be trashed?  According to aHa! Modern Living, there are several earth-friendly ways to dispose of Christmas trees.  Let's go over a few ideas:

1.  Feed the wildlife

One great way to get extra use out of your Christmas tree is to use it to feed the birds and other animals in your yard.  After you've removed your decorations, set up the tree in your backyard, and adorn it with fruits, seeds, and popcorn.  The wildlife will love the winter feast!

2.  Pamper yourself

Did you know that pine is commonly used as a natural remedy for muscle pain, circulation problems, and rheumatism?  Make yourself a soothing pine-bath by boiling 1/2 cup of washed pine needles in water, and then pouring the "needle tea" into your tub.  Add in 1 cup of Epsom salts for an extra special experience.

3.  Fresh scent

You can use aromatic pine needles to make your own potpourri!  Crumble your needles and combine them with cloves, broken cinnamon sticks and dried fruit peel.  After, add drops of your favorite essential oil.  After a week or so, the scents should blend nicely.  Put your homemade potpourri on display in bowls around your house.

As you can see, there are plenty of creative ideas for using your leftover Christmas tree.  As you take down your tree, keep these tips in mind, and you'll be on your way to a more eco-friendly New Year!

We can all agree that creating more trash is detrimental to our environment.  As garbage continues to collect on land and in the sea, we've all got to come up with unique ways to recycle, reuse and reduce.  One Web site, Junk Mail Gems, offers dozens of products that have been made from items that once belonged in a landfill.

Junk Mail Gems also features tips on how to reuse litter that's piling up in your home.  For example, the Web site suggests utilizing unused business reply envelopes from junk mail for stickers and labels.  Let's go over the simple steps to transforming the junk into something useful!

1.  Locate unused business reply envelopes that have not yet been sealed.  These often come with credit card applications.

2.  Remove the sticky part of the envelope using a pair of scissors.

3.  Cut up the sticky flap into smaller pieces.  For example, you can divide it into squares if you'd like to make envelope seals.  Alternatively, you can cut longer strips for use as name plates and labels.

4.  On the non-sticky side of each piece, draw a custom design!  Have fun with this; everyone will love your special stickers.

5.  When you're ready to use your new stickers and labels, lick the back and place them on envelopes, in notebooks, etc.  If you've cut the paper into longer strips, you can utilize your new stickers as name plates for labeling your personal possessions!

That's just one way to reuse unwanted mail.  Can you think of any others?

Back in August, I shared an article about how one state in Nigeria is using excess plastic to build homes and other structures.  I certainly applaud Kaduna State for making use out of the excess trash and pollution in an attempt to prevent the Pacific "garbage patch" from growing any bigger.  Now, one company is actually gathering plastic directly from the North Pacific Gyre to recycle and turn into new products.

According to Sunrise Packaging, Method, a company which produces natural products and cleaning supplies, "has unveiled its latest innovation in sustainable packaging- a bottle that is made out of plastic collected from the North Pacific Gyre, also referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch."  Twenty-five percent of the plastic used for the new bottle is taken from the Gyre in an attempt to shrink the massive mountain of plastic. 

However, the real goal here is to raise awareness.  Sunrise Packaging reports that "the real solution to plastic pollution lies in reusing and recycling the plastic that’s already on the planet."  Indeed, remanufacturing unwanted contaminants will not only remove the garbage from our oceans, but will also reduce the need for the creation of new plastic.

This is a brilliant idea that definitely has our support!  Great job, Method.

Recently, I shared some alarming statistics proving that some organic foods may not be as safe as we all thought.  According to CBC News in Canada, "23.6 percent of the 178 organic apples tested in 2009 and 2010 contained pesticide residue."  But you'll be happy to know that some foods don't have to be purchased organic at all.  Let's take a look at some of those fruits and veggies:

1.  Onions

Because onions have to be peeled before use, even if pesticides are used, it shouldn't affect the vegetable.  It's listed as one of the "Clean 15" foods that contain the least pesticide residue.

2.  Pineapples

Pineapples have a thick outer shell that helps keep pesticides out of the fruit.  Therefore, if you can't find organic pineapples, you shouldn't worry!

3.  Avocados

An avocado is another vegetable that features a thick green skin. Because its contents are not directly touched by pesticides or chemicals, buying non-organic is just fine.

Other fruits and vegetables that made the list include mushrooms, grapefruit, and sweet potatoes.  So if buying organic is a challenge due to budget or availability, don't fret.  You can purchase these conventionally-grown products and still sleep well at night.  Happy shopping!

Greenwashing really complicates the lives of people who want to live eco-friendly lives.  How so?  According to Wikipedia, greenwashing "is a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that a company's policies or products are environmentally friendly."  Often times, services that we use and items that we purchase are not as eco-friendly as they seem.

One way to determine which items and organizations are legitimately Earth-friendly is to look for eco-safe labels.  Let's go over a few you can trust:

 1.  The Energy Star Seal

You're probably familiar with the Energy Star seal.  It's often seen on electronics and appliances, and indicates that the product uses up to 75% less energy than its traditional counterpart.  According to RealSimple.com, the label was created by the Environmental Protection Agency.

2.  The FSC Logo 

Originated by the Forest Stewardship Council, this logo helps shoppers determine which wood and paper products were harvested under certified sustainable standards.  Look for it when shopping for things like furniture and flooring.

3.  The Fair Trade Tag 

The Fair Trade Certified tag confirms which foods (like coffee, chocolate, sugar and fruit) are grown using environmentally friendly practices.  Perhaps more importantly, it also ensures that farmers are receiving a fair price for their products.

Be sure to check out the full list of RealSimple.com's 8 Legitimate Earth-Friendly Seals. Purchasing products with one of these logos is a great way to avoid falling victim to greenwashing scams!

I'm sure you can think of at least a few actions you can take this holiday season to make it an eco-friendly Christmas.  For example, using recycled wrapping paper is one clear choice.  Even investing in energy-efficient decorative lights is an easy move.  But today I'll share some less-than-obvious ways to make this Christmas an environmentally-friendly one.

1.  Buy a living Christmas tree

Did you know that it takes an average of 10 years for a Christmas tree to reach its height? As the Miami Herald puts it, that's "a whole lot of time spent growing just to be put on display in the home for a few weeks before being trucked off to the city dump."  Often times, celebrators choose fake trees instead.  But let's be honest -- nothing beats that pine-fresh Christmas tree scent.  Plus, the plastic that makes up an artificial tree isn't exactly eco-friendly, either.  Where's the middle ground?  You can rent a living Christmas tree!  According to the Miami Herald, "Not only are these trees better for the environment, but because they stay alive through the Christmas season, they stay greener and smell better."

2.  Shop with reusable bags

I'll be the first to admit it:  I love receiving the festive holiday bags stores and shops pack your purchases into during the Christmas season.  But that doesn't mean they're any less wasteful!  Before you hit the malls, remember to bring along your custom eco-green reusable shopper tote bag.  You'll feel good knowing that you won't have to toss it away at the end of the season! 

3.  Purchase eco-friendly stocking stuffers

They may not appear at the top every Christmas list, but eco-friendly promotional toys make great gifts.  And the truth is they're not too dissimilar from "normal" toys at all!  From recycled Yo-Yos to bamboo brain teasers, you'll find plenty of environmentally-conscious games that serve as perfect stocking stuffers.  Plus, your gift will be sending out a positive message about the environment, and that's priceless!

As fuel prices rise, we've all got the same question on our minds:  Is now the time to purchase an environmentally-friendly car?  The fact that there are so many options can either be seen as a blessing or a curse; brands like Chevy and Toyota now have several models from which shoppers can choose.

To make things a bit easier on consumers, Doug Tiffany, an energy economist at the University of Minnesota, created a unique tool.  According to the university's Web site, the tool comes in the form of an Excel spreadsheet that promises "to help you organize your thinking as you consider the purchase of an alternative or conventional vehicle."

How does the tool work?  Tiffany explains the spreadsheet in three easy steps:

1.  Enter key figures for each vehicle you are considering.

2.  The tool will help you compare and contrast costs of ownership and operation, as well as differences in each vehicle's greenhouse gas emissions.

3.  Play around with different scenarios to see how the graph response.

It's as easy as that!  Click here to download the Vehicle Decision Tool now!

One obvious way to help save water is to take shorter showers. But often times we don't realize how much time we're actually spending in the tub. Researchers have come up with a unique way to combat accidental long showers:  Sing a Beatles song.

According to Yahoo! News, "A British water company has urged customers to sing in the shower and recommends Beatles songs as they are short and so can help save water and cut energy bills." Thames Water claims that remaining in the shower just long enough to hum the tune of a short song (four minutes or less) would make an impressive impact on one's water usage.  The company's top recommendation is the Beatles' Love Me Do, which clocks in at just two minutes and 22 seconds.
  

Jayne Farrin, head of corporate communications for Thames Water, urges people to sing in the shower for their mental health, as well.  "It is well-documented that singing can have positive psychological effects, and that the act of singing releases endorphins, the brain's 'feel good' chemicals," Farrin said. "The results of our study show only 35% of Britons sing in the shower. We could all do with breaking into song more often. It’s got to be good for morale."