HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!

We here at DesignCult have gone green for Earth Day! Tomorrow we'll return to our usually colors, but we wanted to grab your attention and suggest different ways that you to can go green!

1) Paper -or- Plastic? The answer should be neither! More and more grocers are offering cloth bags as an alternative to paper or plastic bags. And some retailers, such as IKEA, are even beginning to charge for bags. So do the environment a favor and start using cloth bags for all your purchases. For more information, visit ReusableBags.com.


2) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Compost! Recycling is great, and I'm happy that DC has a recycling program in place for all residents. But what about green wastes. Green waste cans are common on the west coast, but have yet to emerge locally as the third in a triad of waste management (trash, recycle, green waste). So in the interim, consider doing your own part to keep organic waste from ending up in our landfills by composting. Consider an Indoor Compost Keeper (used to hold kitchen waste before transferring to an outdoor composter), or even an Indoor Composter (no outdoor composter required).

3) Drink from reusable mugs and bottles. Whether getting your morning coffee or hydrating with good ol' H2O, using a reusable coffee mug or water bottle will help to reduce the number of cardboard coffee cups and plastic bottles from ever needing to be recycled (or too often inevitably ending up in the trash heap). We like the stylish Sigg bottles for the latter! And some shops, such as Starbucks, will even give you a small discount on the cup of Joe if you BYOM!

4) Don't Throw That Away!! Donate it!! It's Spring Cleaning time!! But this year, consider what items can be donated to charities and local thrift stores. Renovating? One of our favorite local charities is Community Forklift, which takes donations of building materials, and, in addition to these donations, sells at very low cost salvaged, surplus, and green building materials and supplies.

5) Don't Drive! Walk or Take Metro! Too often we see people driving down the block or around town. With warm weather coming, the birds chirping, and the flowers in bloom, there is no excuse for not walking to your destination, or, for longer trips, taking public transportation.

These are just a very few ways that you can go green on Earth Day and every day! Got more tips? Add them in the comments field below!