Lauren Singer, recent recipient of the EcoJoes Eco-Hero award, has made it a goal to be as close to zero-waste as possible. After two years, she only had one jar’s worth of trash. Wowsers!

She says she got 80% of the way there just by composting and buying in bulk; she brings her own jars or tote bags when buying in bulk.

Lauren also has these three steps to help you become zero-waste:

Step 1: Know Your Trash

Paw through your garbage immediately (this very second) and see what you throw out. You might be surprised. I know I was!

Step 2: Use Reusable Items

Forget disposable stuff like plastic bags and styrofoam containers, and go with durable cloth tote bags and jars.

Step 3: Make Your Own Products

From toothpaste to deodorant, if you make your own, you can store it in a reusable container, thus eliminating waste, AND saving money at the same time. Hot diggity dang!

Speaking of making your own toothpaste, here’s a simple recipe for homemade toothpaste:

• 2 tbsp organic coconut oil
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• ~ 20 drops peppermint oil

Plop a drop of that on your compostable bamboo toothbrush, and start scrubbing. You’ll know you’re done when you taste blood.

Anyhoo, enough chit-chat! Here’s a moving picture featuring the zero-waste lady herself, Lauren Singer.

If you want a more in-depth look at this eco-hero, check out this here video:

Many moons ago, the American Indians used to celebrate Thanksgiving the right way — the green way. Then the pilgrims came along, and ol’ Gaea wasn’t invited to many more Thanksgiving dinners after that.

Well, I say it’s time to slide back a chair, dust it off, and offer Mother Earth a seat at an ol’ fashioned green Thanksgiving this year.

Green Thanksgiving Foods

• Wild food – forage through your local woods for edible plants. Mushrooms are always a tasty treat. Don’t forget your protein-packed pal, the grubworm!
• Reused food – you’d be shocked and appalled at the food that some businesses throw out. Save this food from the landfill! A barely-expired can of cranberries can make a sumptuous side dish to complement a locally-found bird or deer.
• Clover leaves – a young EcoJoe used to READ MORE »

If you, like me, are in the northern hemisphere of good ol’ Mother Earth, then you’re rotch in the midst of autumn. Nights are getting chillier, crops are starting (continuing?) to fail, and we’re all preparing for a green Halloween (a Hallogreen).

You casually glance at the clock. You know what time it is. We all do. It’s morphin’ time homemade applesauce o’clock!

Best Homemade Applesauce Recipe in the Universe

The secret ingredient in this homemade applesauce is READ MORE »

Ho-ly mo-ly. Manfred Mornhinweg, de la República de Chile, is now an official eco-hero, joining the proud ranks of such luminaries as Amory Lovins (and almost Michael Jackson).

Not only did Manfred freaking build his own homemade mini-hydroeletric power plant, but he documented the entire process with pictures and step-by-step instructions!

With the help of some of his friends and neighbors, and a whole lot of gumption, he dug a side-channel off a creek to divert some water for his lil’ hydroelectric plant.

He ordered the hydroelectric turbine from the glorious People’s Republic o’ China:

And eventually was able to READ MORE »

If you’ve got a garden and are lucky enough to be growing tomatoes and basil, then you’ve basically got a ready-made, organic, honest-to-goodness snack sitting in your garden! Bruschetta is a tasty-as-heck, healthy snack, and is as easy to make as 1-2-3.

Here’s all you have to do to make deliciosa tomato basil bruschetta, along with a pro-tip to take your new tomato basil bruschetta to the next level!

Step 1: Obtain tomato

Bam! Fresh-picked maters straight from the garden!

Step 2: READ MORE »

Hoooweee, buddy, you stink! What’s that? You don’t know how to eliminate bad odors in an eco-friendly way? Well, cock yer ear this way, mate, and listen up.

“What Odor?” claims to be “safe for people, pets, and the planet”, and they back this up by being non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-reactive, non-flammable, AND non-corrosive. That’s more “nons” than an Indian restaurant! *pause for laughter*

Besides all that, it’s 100% biodegradable, which means it breaks down safely.

Their sort o’ cheesy name aside, this is a great odor eliminator. Instead of just masking a bad smell with some fragrance, this has active ingredients that break down the odor on a molecular level. I can’t verify that, as I didn’t have a microscope handy, so I did a bit of testing on my own.
READ MORE »

A rain barrel is a great way to conserve water by storing the rain from “Father Sky” until you want to use it for gardening, landscaping, or other assorted outdoor activities. This can also save you a chunk o’ change on your water bill.

Here’s an easy way to make your own rain water barrel. I basically followed the instructions at the RaleighNC site, with a few EcoJoe twists thrown in for good measure.

Supplies

For this here project, you will need some supplies. You can get these for less than 45 bucks. Heck yeah.

Handy Hint: If you tell the person working at the hardware shop what you’re building, they can help you find what you need.

READ MORE »