Target...

I emailed Target on Friday about why this still have plastic bags in their stores, but no recycling program and no incentive program for those who use their own bags and this is what I got back:

Dear Velvet Holmes,

At Target we have a responsibility – as team members, as a company, and as global citizens – to minimize our environmental footprint. I'm pleased to tell you that our efforts include using plastic shopping bags made with environmentally friendly soy and water-based ink.

Our plastic shopping bags have codes printed on them to help make recycling easier for you. The codes may vary based on the size of bag, ink used and other factors. You can also bring back previously used bags for new purchases at our stores. If you'd like to reuse your Target shopping bags, just let the cashier know during your checkout.

Because local regulations and services can vary greatly, you might need to do a little checking to find out how and where to recycle the bags in your community. Right now, we're exploring even more states where we can offer a bag recycling service.

For the most current details about all Target does for our environment, please visit: www.target.com/environment.

I am impressed with the speed of the reply. Happy they are working on it, but I think they could take more of a stand as a huge company. I will continue bugging them, because I do shop there a lot. I encourage you to contact a company that you think might be able to make a difference in our environmental efforts. It felt GOOD! Even better to get a response! :)

Oprah's Show on Earth Day

Oprah had a great Earth Day show. The thing that stood out to her and to myself was the amount of trash that finds it's way to our oceans and kills our animal habitats. You can read more about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that spans IN the ocean from California TO Japan at Oprah.com. Tears were in my eyes as I saw the photos of a bird wrapped in plastic and a turtle that got stuck in a milk ring and survived to be an adult but with the milk ring still wrapped around his middle.
Many die just from eating the plastic, they think it's food.

On a lighter note, there are also coupons and free bag from Whole Foods available there also...

Be green everyone.

Isthmus Green Day at the Monona Terrace

Check out the information on the Green Day this Saturday at the Monona Terrace.
Ticket information...
http://www.thedailypage.com/green/tickets.php

Earth Day!

Earth Day today!!! (ok, tomorrow...)
We are celebrating by seeing the movie "Earth" at the theatre. For every ticket, Disney will plant a tree in your honor!
Sara Snow sent me her newsletter today and I learned that there are some good shows on April 22. Oprah is even focusing on the environment. There are also some other shows on the Discovery Health channel and the Fine Living Channel that I am DVR-ing. :) I will let you know if I learn anything new!!!

Compact fluorescent bulbs

CFL's can save you money in the long run on your energy bill. They also do not heat up like regular light bulbs, which is nice. However, they do contain Mercury. SO - they must be disposed of properly, you should never just throw them in the trash. I just discovered that Home Depot has a recycle box for these light bulbs! How handy! Thanks Home Depot!!

Sun Block

Oxybenzone and Benzophenone are two chemicals in sun block that wash into our water and harm our coral reefs. Life begins in the ocean. Our eco-system depends on the coral reef in the ocean to provide nourishment and habitats for many fish and ocean habitants.
When looking for sun block this year, look at the ingredients. Zinc oxide or titatium oxide are better alternatives. Last year, I bought us all some SPF shirts at Lands End. We love them and they work GREAT without any sunblock on our body at all!! I spent most of my Jamaica vaca in one since, of course, I sizzled the first day! The cure for that?? A lovely Aloe plant! We have one in our house and we use it A LOT for burns and scrapes...and you all know that with a little boy, we have a lot of scrapes!

Gweneth Paltrow

I learned of this newsletter through Oprah. It is called GOOP. Gweneth Paltrow is the creator and she really talks about a wide variety of subjects. Her subject in this newsletter was quite interesting and relevant to my blog. I have started using Neways and other natural resources such as vinegar to clean my house. I have been replacing our personal care products for the past couple of years with Neways products. This newsletter that Gweneth sent out just validates the fact that we need to be more aware of what itts in the products we bring into our homes.