'ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono
Apr 20 
recycling bags
in honor of earth day, take a peek at the spanking new green category which is filled with organic products, eco island adventures, and other sustainable goodies making hawaii just a little bit better for all its inhabitants.
and, if the following things are not part of your routine, well, as much as i adore you, dear reader, it is time to face the harsh reality that you are part of the problem. don't despair, here are a few easy ways to kick start your green lifestyle this earth day:
recycle! - an easy way to get on my you-know-what list is for me to witness you cavalierly tossing recyclable goods into the trash. many of the usual suspects are littered throughout my family tree despite numerous intervention attempts. this frustrating experience has led me to the discouraging conclusion that anyone over a certain age is a lost cause (and one more reason why i love the kokua foundation so since their m.o. is to educate keiki to be green before they have a chance to turn into yet another self-absorbed, thoughtless wienie).
prove me wrong and, at the very least, recycle your stash of newspapers, magazines, office paper, aluminum cans, assorted plastic & cardboard (from corrugated shipping boxes to flats used to package cereal, tissue, etc).
if you have better things to do with your day than standing in line waiting for the pittance the recycling man hands out, consider donating your recyclables to a local school which can then use the extra funds on campus (oahu residents only).
recycling drop off locations:
you can also drop off empty printer ink cartridges at office depot and recycle/donate your old cellphone to charity.
envirosax flora
and with the proliferation of plastic shopping bags being phased out from ikea to san francisco, this is a good time to invest in a reusable tote or two to haul your goods home.
waste not, want not - dispose your household chemicals, dead electronics and batteries by dropping them off on household hazardous waste collection days. yes, you may have to pay for the pleasure, but nothing screams hypocrisy more than people who loudly proclaim to love dolphins or [fill in the blank with your favorite creature] buying all kinds of paraphernalia to express their devotion, yet curiously throw harmful chemicals down the drain which eventually find their way into the ocean and ecosystem.
and since your trash just may be another's treasure, hit craigslist and freecycle to find new homes for your unwanted stuff (be sure to snap a digital photo to help potential owners decide if it's perfect before contacting you for an in person peek).
method
green cleaning - before you start spring cleaning, replace your toxic cleaners with biodegradable alternatives like method or seventh generation (which makes a mean degreaser that won't knock you out with fumes). eco friendly cleaners can be found at one of the islands' many natural markets as well as traditional grocery stores like foodland.
diy'ers can save a few bucks by mixing their own simple yet effective concoctions with a few common household ingredients like baking soda & vinegar.
junk mail - stop the culprit at the source and remove your name from the marketing blitz known as direct mail. on the downside, you will have to pay $1 for the convenience of the dma "processing" your request, or you can always email the customer service department of each offending company as offers land in your mailbox.
while you are at it, opt out from the credit bureau lists responsible for all those pesky credit card offers flooding the mail, increasing your risk for identity theft, and killing even more trees. alternately, use my passive aggressive approach of sticking it to the man and x out the form with a sharpie, jot down a request to remove your info, and boomerang it back to them in their postage paid envelope.
join the green revolution and post your own eco tips via the comments link below.
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