Category — Green Gadgets

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, it’s time to start planning for green Holiday celebrations.  To get things kicked off, I’ve scoured the web in search of environmentally-friendly holiday frills.  Here are a two ideas for getting started.

Do you send Holiday greeting cards?  Here’s an eco-friendly option for you…and one that kindly reminds the recipient to celebrate green this year.  The card above is  made from 100% recycled paper, 50% of which is post-consumer content.  These recycled greeting cards are available at Cards Direct. [Read more →]

Are you using a wood burning stove or fireplace to keep warm this winter?  Here’s a great way to conserve energy by converting your household waste into recycled heating fuel.  The Logmaker is a plastic gizmo for making tightly rolled, compressed logs out of burnable lawn waste, or even junk mail.

Using the Logmaker begins with creating an outer shell made from newspaper.  Then you can fill the outer shell with any burnable household waste, and tightly compress it with the Logmaker’s plunger.  Finish by tucking in the edges, and your log is complete.  It’s the tightly compressed, and rolled composition of the homemade logs that allows them to burn much longer than the same materials would if burned loosely.

This would also be handy for using with outdoor fire pots, chimineas, and camping gear.

The Logmaker is made in the U.K., and it is available in a recycled plastic model.  For complete instructions, and more info, visit the Logmaker website.

We’ve all heard of shower heads that conserve water by restricting the flow of water, but this one  goes about things a little differently.  This shower head, made by Oxygenics, oxygenates the water flow through 16 ”air entrance ports”   which results in water that contains 10 times the oxygen content of normal tap water, and reduced water consumption.

Manufacturers claim that highly-aerated water is more refreshing, and rejuvinating spa-like experience (Hey, I like the sound of that).  In addition, oxygenated water promotes healthy cell reproduction, and promotes a youthful appearance.  Water conservation and the promise of youth?  What more could you ask for?

Oxygenics shower heads also include handheld units which allow you to pause the water flow when you need to….another great way to save water. I found the Oxygenics shower head at Home Depot for $49.99.  No shower is complete without some fluffy organic bath towels…check them out.

If you’ve read much about green living, you’ve probably heard about the environmental dangers of batteries.  Household batteries contain mercury, zinc, cadmium, maganese, and other components which are harmful to both your health, and our earth.  Over time batteries left in landfills break down, and leech these substances into our water and soil.

If you want to reduce your household’s need for batteries, you should check out some of the wind-up gadgets now on the market.

Universal Remote Controls:  This universal remote control will run for 7 days on just 30 revolutions of winding. It will also control up to 6 of your home electronics.  The wind-up remote control is available at Nigel’s Eco Store.  [Read more →]

Every home needs 1 or 2 wall clocks, so why not look for ones that tout your green living priorities?  The wall clock above is made from the reused chain sprocket of an old bicycle.  Each is hand made from recycled landfill parts, and measures approximately 6 inches in diameter.  The face of the recycled bicycle clock is made of paper, and it requires 1 AA battery. I found sprocket clocks at Green Home for $64 for a set of 2.

Here’s another recycled clock, known as the Juice Clock.  This one is made from recycled HDPE, the same plastic that many laundry soap bottles are made from.  The Juice Clock comes in lemon, orange, and grapefruit, and it is available at Re: Modern for $45.

Add either of these clocks to your green home decor, and you’ll have quite a conversation starter.

So, you’re headed out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday, but not sure if you should completely shut down all your appliances and electronics while you’re gone?  Leaving everything on for the duration of your trip would be a real waste of energy, but on the other hand,  a dark home can be an easy target for thieves or vandals. Appliance timers are handy and affordable little gadgets that can help you conserve energy and play it safe when you are not home, and even when you are.

Here’s how it works.  Begin by plugging an appliance timer into any standard outlet.  Then plug your table lamps, television, or any other appliance into the timer, and set the times you want the appliance to turn on and off.  Now the appliance will come on and shut off on it’s own.

Even if when you’re home, appliance timers can help you avoid wasting energy by shutting things off when you leave for work, or right around bedtime. I found the appliance timer above at Westside Wholesale.  Gotta love an $8 green living upgrade.

You know, the evidence against buying bottled water certainly seems to be adding up lately.  I read this article over the weekend about a recent California study of bottled water that showed bottled water to be just as contaminated as tap water in many cases.  In fact, upon examining the “purity” levels of  10 different brands of bottled water, the study turned up crazy stuff like acetaminophen, fertilizer, and plastic chemicals.  Yuck!  One major retailer’s store brand water had more than 3 times the California limit for chlorine byproducts.

When you consider this information, on top of all the environmental problems caused by bottled water, has there ever been a better time to purchase  a water filtration pitcher and some stainless steel water bottles? Can you really trust anyone but yourself to filter the drinking water your family consumes?

The Brita water pitcher above filters out 95-98 percent of lead, reduces chlorine, and has a bacteriostatic system for preventing the regrowth of bacteria.  I like the sleek, modern design of this thing (proof that going green doesn’t make you a nerd), and the fact that it will fit in the door of your refrigerator.  The Brita 42632 drinking water pitcher is available at d! Mart.

Here’s another reason to go green when it comes to drinking water– bottled water is 1,900 times more expensive that tap water.  At a dollar for a 20 ounce bottle, that equates to over $6 a gallon.  Suddenly the price of gasoline seems like a bargain! Can you believe we pay so much for something with so many disadvantages?

If you read our recent post on garbage disposals, then you’re probably aware of the impact that food waste has on our landfills and water supplies.  Organic waste produces methane gas, a greenhouse which is harmful to the environment, and 21 times more damaging than carbon dioxide. (Source:  NatureMill)

The best way to avoid contributing to the environmental problems associated with improperly disposed food waste is by using a composter as part of your green living efforts.  The compost bin above, recently featured by Ideal Bite, can be used indoors or out, and allows you to add new items at any time during the cycle.

According to the NatureMill, the Plus Edition automatic composter will compost up to 120 lbs. or organic waste per month, and prevent more than 2 tons of landfill waste over the course of its life.  There’s also a ‘Pro Edition’ for large families.  I like the foot pedal for conveniently opening the unit.  The finished compost is automatically sifted down from the heated top “churn” area into a removable  tray.

If you’re worried about your home being overtaken by the icky aroma of composting food, it doesn’t seem to be an issue.  According NatureMill, the composter is odor-free.

Here’s a non-automatic, outdoor composter that requires a manual spin every day or so.

If you’ve read much about adopting a green lifestyle, you’ve probably heard about the dangers of chlorine when it comes to public water supplies. Although chlorine is an effective means of killing disease and illness-causing waterborne organisms, many worry about possible long-term effects of chlorine within our bodies, including cancer and respiratory system damage.

One way to limit unnecessary exposure to chlorine is through your showerhead. The showerhead above contains a built-in filter which removes 99 percent of the chlorine from your shower water. The filter inside the showerhead uses KDF-55 Media, a patented technology for removing chlorine and heavy metals from water.

The chlorine filtering showerhead also has 5 massage spray settings, and the filter must be replaced every 6-9 months. It’s available at H20 distributors for $39.00.

Here’s a convenient way to prevent endless trips to your outdoor compost pile. Recycle kitchen waste in a compost jar. This ceramic compost jar has a tightly sealing lid and a built-in filter to prevent odors. Plow & Hearth recommends using biodegradable kitchen bags with the compost crock to allow heat and moisture to escape. Counter top compost jars and compost pails are also available in brass and stainless steel.

Preventing you kitchen waste from being sucked down the garbage disposal or washed away by the dishwasher is beneficial to the environment. Composting enriches soil, helps absorb pollutants and heavy metals, and reduces the need for pesticides. Find more information on the benefits of composting from the Environmental Protection Agency.