[https://plus.google.com/111089434742408989879] Green is Universal Sustainability @ NBCU Products and Packaging Facilities Videos Film Production TV Production Theme Parks Blog Green is Universal on Facebook Green is Universal Pinterest Green is Universal on Twitter Green Is Universal Blog NBCUniversal Releases New Sustainable Production Infographics Film and television production is fast-paced and transient, therefore, NBCUniversal created a simple, easy to use visual guide which illustrates sustainable production best practices. Built upon the detailed Green is Universal Sustainable Production Guide, the infographics inspire our productions to strive to implement as many best practices as possible. Used with over 60 productions produced under Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Universal Television and Universal Cable Productions each year, these infographics educate filmmakers and crewmembers how to reduce their environmental impact through energy efficiency, water conservation, responsible waste management and sustainable sourcing of materials. The infographics are broken down into three key areas; Production Office, Stages and Construction Mill, and shooting On Location. Starting when the Production Office opens, productions work to reduce, reuse and recycle. One key area is paper use. NBCU productions purchase paper that is made from recycled material and distribute information digitally as much as possible. For instance, Jurassic World achieved a 50% reduction in paper use when compared to a similar sized tentpole production. When constructing film sets, efforts are made to source sustainable materials. For example, sets on USA’s Mr. Robot , and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt , produced by Universal Television for Netflix, are made from plywood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In Vancouver, Fifty Shades of Grey also built sets with FSC certified plywood and faux walls made from recycled content material. At wrap, the sets were stored be reused on the sequels. While shooting on stage, productions work to reduce the energy they use. When filming in Atlanta, Furious 7 utilized LED set lighting and tied into the electric grid in place of generators, avoiding the use of over 16,500 gallons of fossil fuel. For the 2015-2016 TV season, Universal Television nearly tripled its use of LED lighting on productions shooting on the Universal Studios lot. On location, productions look for ways to reduce carbon emissions and give back to the communities in which they film. Shot in NYC, Trainwreck and NBC series Shades of Blue both used B20 biodiesel in their generators, and Sisters engaged the crew to be creative with sustainability practices by hosting contests like the “Green Crew Challenge.” Straight Outta Compton , filmed in the Los Angeles area, donated 2,571 lbs. of excess food from crew catering, the equivalent of 1,936 meals, to local organizations. In 2015, NBCUniversal productions donated nearly 34,000 pounds of leftover catering, equating to over 26,000 meals, from 33 NBCUniversal film and television productions in six cities across North America. Even animated productions, like Minions , make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Illumination Entertainment performed hundreds of remote records, connecting 10 different studios throughout the US and Europe via ISDN hook-ups. This allowed directors to record and direct talent without flying anyone to a common location. Explore the Green is Universal Film and TV pages to learn more about how NBCUniversal’s productions have gone green behind the scenes. (Click on each infographic to view in detail.) Tweet More> Thank You for Helping Us #GIFtATree! As part of our annual holiday tree planting initiative in December 2015, we invited you to #GIFtATree to the environment by creating festive, animated GIFs or using #GIFtATree on social media. For each action, we pledged to plant real trees in a state park or national forest, funded by a $25,000 contribution from NBCUniversal to the Arbor Day Foundation . Thanks to your efforts, we’ll be planting 25,000 trees in Pike National Forest . The Colorado park is known for its scenic landscape with many waterfalls and exposed granite rock. Thank you for helping us #GIFtATree! Tweet More> Join us for the #GIFtATree Twitter Party! Did you know that one tree provides oxygen for up to four people in one day? Or that one tree can absorb more than a ton of carbon in its lifetime? Trees are a vital part of our ecosystem and that’s why we team up with the Arbor Day Foundation every year to help plant more trees. This year, our season of giving campaign is #GIFtATree and we’d love your support for this wonderful cause. It’s simple. Once the campaign launches on December 2nd: Go to greenisuniversal.com to create and share a holiday GIF, or use #GIFtATree in your social posts. For every GIF shared and #GIFtATree generated before the end of December, the Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) will plant one real tree, up to 25,000, in a state park or national forest, funded by a $25,000 contribution from NBCUniversal. To kick off the campaign, we’re having a Twitter party during the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting event. We’ll be chatting about how to have a more eco-friendly holiday season, as well as asking people to #GIFtATree. We have a great (and still growing) line-up of panelists! @GreenIsUni @ArborDay @HappyMomBlogger @GoWeSpire @GirlRocksosu @RobinElton @SayHelloNature @LilSubHomestead @GreenandHealthy @FrugalChicken06 @HomesteadWish @Living4Natural @treevangelist We hope you’ll join us! WHEN: Tuesday, December 2nd from 8-10pmET/5-7pmPT WHERE: Anyone can join in by following the hashtag #GIFtATree on Twitter. Tweet More> 25 Easy Ways to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality Did you know that levels of common pollutants in indoor air can be 2-5 times higher (and sometimes up to 100 times higher) than outdoor air? Given the fact that we spend 80-90 percent of our time indoors, every step we can take to clean up indoor air counts. Breathe easier using these 25 ways to improve your indoor air quality. Here are two tips from our free “One Small Act” social gaming platform that has hundreds of ways to green your life. Get a houseplant to improve indoor air quality. Houseplants are always a welcome addition to any home. But they can leave us with more than beauty. Choose the right varieties and you’ll grow healthier indoor air, too. Pretty cool. In the 1980s, NASA scientists researching air quality in space discovered that many houseplants excel at absorbing common toxic substances like formaldehyde, benzene, and acetone from indoor air. Studies also show that rooms filled with house plants typically contain 50 to 60 percent fewer mold spores and bacteria. These air quality improvements can make a big difference. According to researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, cleaning up indoor air pollution could save the country up to $4 billion by reducing asthma and allergies, and another $14 billion in medical costs associated with respiratory disease. The more plants you use, the healthier your air will be. But it doesn’t take a lot—one study found that small groups of Janet Craig (if you’re no gardener, that’s actually the name of a plant) and sweet chico plants placed in indoor spaces reduced levels of certain gases up to 75 percent. Bonus: they look nice. Here are the top 10 most effective purifying plants: 1. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata Bostoniensis) 2. Areca Palm (Chyrsalidocarpus lutescens) 3. Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) 4. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) 5. Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta) 6. Dracaena Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis) 7. English Ivy (Hedera helix) 8. Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) 9. Ficus Alii (Ficus macleilandii alii) 10. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.) Find a DIY cleaning recipe. The ingredients in some conventional cleaning products can negatively impact both personal health and the environment. While green alternatives from natural product companies tend to be free of the worst offending chemicals, and are usually plant (not petroleum) based, consumers should still read ingredient lists and fine print when shopping. There’s another alternative: to truly know what’s in your cleaning products, make your own using safe-for-the-environment-and-you household staples like vinegar, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, salt, and baking soda. Many of these ingredients and DIY formulas have been used for generations and get the job done. Bonus: making your own can save you money. Laundry detergents, window cleaners, furniture polish, the internet is filled with “recipes” for safe and effective cleaning products you can make at home. Get started today using some of the recipes below! Check out all of these awesome ideas from some of our favorite green bloggers: 31 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Pollution f rom Green Moms Collective 11 Natural Ways to Make Your Home Smell Amazing from Living Green & Frugally 7 Ways to Tackle Indoor Air Pollution from Lindsay Dahl Easy Non-Toxic DIY Household Cleaners from the Green Divas Reducing Indoor Air Pollution from Retro Housewife Goes Green In Search of Formaldehyde-Free Furniture from Eco-Novice 5 Ways to Reduce Toxins and Pollutants i n Your Bedroom from Nature Moms What About the Inside Air You Breathe? 5 Steps to Keeping It Clean from Big Green Purse Reduce Your Toxins in The Air with These Tips from Veritey Easy DIY Dryer Sheets with Essential Oils from Eat Sleep Be How to Find Flame Retardant Free Furniture from Moms Clean Air Force Avoiding Toxins in Baby Products from Eco-Novice Uncovering the Dirty Truth on Cleaning Products from Green Moms Collective Are Toxic Chemicals Lurking in Your Furniture and Building Products from Green Talk 3 Natural Ways to Clean Indoor Air from Wellness Mama Cleaning Up Indoor Air Quality: VOCs & Paint from The Smart Mama Top 10 Houseplants That Clean the Air from Groovy Green Livin’ Breathe Easy: Keeping Indoor Air Fresh & Clean from Triple Pundit Non-Toxic Pet Odor Eliminator from The Greenbacks Gal 6 Easy Homemade Natural Air Fresheners That Work from The Natural Penguin The Best Ways to Improve Indoor Air Naturally from the Wellness Mama Learn more and take action on One Small Act – our digital platform where you can earn points for living lighter on the planet and connect with others doing the same! (Are you a blogger? Sign up here to learn about future opportunities to be featured on our blog.) Tweet More> Creative & Unexpected Ways to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle You’ve probably heard the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra about a million times. That’s because it’s been a key pillar of the green living and conservation movements since the first Earth Day in 1970. By now, you might respond with a mental “I know, I know, I know.” But are you doing, doing, doing? You probably recycle your aluminum and paper. Maybe you reuse glass food jars for future food storage. And perhaps you take steps to reduce by being a conscious consumer. Anything and everything you’re doing deserves a pat on the back! But today we’re challenging you to do a little more – and we have plenty of ideas and inspiration to get you going. Here are three tips from our free “One Small Act” social gaming platform that has hundreds of ways to green your life. Recycle a pair of old running shoes or sneakers. If you think your smelly old athletic shoes are good for little more than stinking up a landfill, here’s some news that will send you running for the closet: just like your used bottles, cans, and newspapers, athletic shoe soles can easily be reincarnated as something new after they’ve crossed their last finish line. Most athletic shoes are made from synthetic rubber and other materials that are perfectly recyclable no matter how dreadful their condition may seem. From running tracks and basketball courts to playgrounds and carpet padding, even the worst offenders can be turned into the very things they once played upon. The midsole foam from 2,500 pairs of sneakers, for example, can be recycled into a tennis court. And it takes up to 75,000 pairs to make a soccer field! You can’t toss old footwear into your curbside bin along with your usual recyclables because most recycling operations aren’t set up to handle their unique materials. That said, with more people realizing that shoe recycling is a great way to tread more lightly on the earth, it’s becoming simpler to do. Check out RecycledRunners to see if there are resources near you. Use a reusable moving box instead of cardboard. Moving is a drag. It’s also not the eco-friendliest experience. To lower the eco-impact of your move and save some trees—not to mention tape—try renting reusable plastic moving boxes. Plastic boxes aren’t perfect. They’re heavy—which adds up when you load them into a gas-guzzling truck. They’re made from a nonrenewable resource (though some are recycled plastic) and must be carefully recycled at the end of their useful life. Some companies say their lifespan is 200 uses, others claim 400. But on average they’re a better bet than cardboard boxes, even ones containing recycled content—whether you take them from your local supermarket and liquor store or you buy them new. Recycling cardboard does eventually produce waste. And there’s a considerable amount of shipping involved between recycling plants, cardboard manufacturers, and the stores that sell the boxes. There are added benefits to reusable bins that cardboard can’t match. First, if it rains, you’re in luck. Plastic bins don’t get soggy. Second, rental periods are usually a few weeks, which means you have a set unpacking date. No more leaving boxes unopened for months post-move! And no more breaking down and recycling empties. Find a local reusable moving box company. They’re easier to find in cities. Rental fees are similar to buying cardboard boxes, depending on where you live. The system works best if you’re moving close by. It’s trickier if your move is cross-country. Opt for towels and clothes for packing fragile items, instead of bubble wrap and other disposables. Challenge a co-worker to a day of going paperless. Offices are involved in the world’s greatest paper chase, a race our forests end up losing. The average office employee generates approximately 1.5 pounds (.7 kg) of waste paper every workday for a less-than-grand total of 350 pounds (159 kg) per year. In an office with just 30 people that’s an annual waste stream of five tons. Not all of this waste gets recycled. According to the EPA, about 37 percent of the paper we use is entombed forever in landfills as pure waste. Some 42 percent of the industrial wood harvest is used to make paper, and the industry itself is the 4th leading manufacturing-related emitter of greenhouse gases in the U.S. If America could cut its office paper use by just 10 percent, we’d prevent 1.6 million tons of those emissions. That’s like taking 280,000 cars off the road! Challenge a co-worker to a day of going paper free (you have to do it, too)! See if you can make it the whole day. It may require the focus and determination of an Olympic athlete, but you know what they say: practice makes perfect. Here are some tips to help you in your quest: Suggest meeting hosts email agendas and any necessary information to attendees electronically instead of as paperwork. Encourage meeting attendees use smart phones, tablets, or laptops instead of paper for note keeping and document sharing. Post-meeting, remind hosts that meeting minutes or reports can be sent electronically as well. Edit files electronically instead of printing them out. Try taking notes digitally instead of in a notebook. Need more inspiration? Check out all of these awesome ideas from some of our favorite green bloggers: The Confusing Things About Plastic Recycling from RecycleBank How to Reuse Tires in Your Garden from Green and Clean Mom Easy Actions to Reduce Waste from Jen & Joey Go Green 6 Ways to Ditch Disposables from Eco-Novice 6 Surprising Things You Can Recycle from Groovy Green Livin’ How to Reuse Construction Materials from 26 Second Green What Do You Do With Old Shampoo Bottles? Recycle Personal Care Products from The Mamamaven 10 Household Items You Can Reuse Before Tossing from Nature Moms 10 Tips to Green Your Garbage and Recycling from Green Home Tips Preventing Waste: It Just Feels Good from We Hate to Waste Upcycle Old Clothes into a Pencil Case from Jen & Joey Go Green 10 Re-purposing or Reuse Ideas for Ordinary Household Items from Green Talk Recycled Crafts: A Cinnamon Stick Centerpiece from Turning the Clock Back Time for a New Device? Here’s What to Do With Your Old One from Natural Papa Reduce, Reuse, Recycle While Wrapping Gifts from Eco-Novice Conducting a Waste Audit at Home from Jen & Joey Go Green Ways to Reuse Vitamin Bottles and Supplement Jars from Nature Moms The 5 “Rs” – from Refuse to Recycle from Almost All the Truth What Do You Do When Something Breaks? from Eco-Novice Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Common and Creative Tips and Ideas from Sustainable Baby Steps Learn more and take action on One Small Act – our digital platform where you can earn points for living lighter on the planet and connect with others doing the same! Tweet More> Go Green When You Go Back to School Did you know that on average, parents will spend around $1000 this year in back to school supplies? Imagine what an impact that would make if everything they bought was eco-friendly! Whether or not you’ve already done your shopping, there are tons of other ways to go green when your kids go back to school. Today we have 3 ideas from our One Small Act platform and a bunch more from some of our favorite eco-friendly bloggers. Bike to School You know taking the kids to school by bike has so many benefits. If you’re not ready to do it daily, commit to once a week. By choosing to bike instead of drive or even take public transportation, you’ll lower your commuting costs, avoid the use of non-renewable resources for fuel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide the offspring with a green-and-valuable lesson. Walking to school has similar physical and environmental health benefits, but biking is much speedier—a plus with children. There are emotional bonuses to biking, too. Sure it’s important to be a part of the transportation solution, but it’s also fun. It’s a stress buster, a strength builder, and generally feels great to be outside together. Join Your School’s Green Team If your school has a Green Team, join in! If there isn’t one, there are several organizations offering suggestions and resources to help interested people find one, including the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools and the Healthy Schools Network. Reach out to parents, kids, teachers, administrators, and local environmental organizations to help define what your Green Team’s mission is, and then get to work! Even in an eco-friendly environment, there’s always plenty to do. Avoid Idling Your Car During Drop-Offs and Pick-Ups Reduce unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions by turning off your car if you’re going to be stopped for more than ten seconds. During winter, try idling for ten seconds, then start gently driving to your destination. Consider asking your school district to adopt an idle-free zone. For tons of other tips and ideas, check out these blog posts that cover everything from school lunches to backpacks and much more! Green Your School Year with These Eco-Friendly Tips from Green and Clean Mom 6 Time-Saving, Eco-Friendly Back to School Organizing Tips from My Sweet Greens Going Back to School? Go Green to Save Hundreds of Dollars from Big Green Purse Top Picks for Reusable Lunch Gear from Eco-Novice 10 Eco-Friendly Fundraisers to Kick Off the School Year from Green Child Magazine 5 Whole Foods to Boost Back-to-School Brain Power from Groovy Green Livin’ How to Green Your Back to School Season (Infographic) from The Green Divas 5 Eco-Friendly Back to School Tips from Flour Sack Mama 10 Ways for College Students to Go Green on the Cheap from Condo Blues Reuse and Repurpose School Supplies from Hilary Bernstein Reducing Waste in Kid’s Lunches from Eve of Reduction Back to School: Eco-Friendly Lunchboxes from Retro Housewife Goes Green Lunchbox-Friendly, Waste-Free Peanut Butter Oat Bites from Living Consciously Simple Ways to Green Your School from The EcoChic 5 Reusables to Make Lunch Packing Fun from Mindful Momma Eco-Friendly Backpacks for Elementary School Kids from Groovy Green Livin’ Eco Back-to-School Guide from Eco-Novice DIY school supplies: Natural Earth Paints , Homemade Wax Crayons , Homemade Glue & Paste , and Herbal Ink & Feather Pen from The Hippy Homemaker The 2015 Back to School Edition of Green Child Magazine Learn more and take action on One Small Act – our digital platform where you can earn points for living lighter on the planet and connect with others doing the same! Tweet More> Water Conservation & Drought Busting From California to Australia, many people find themselves in the midst of a drought so serious, some researchers have cited it could be the worst in the last half century. So while you may not be able to make it rain, there are some things you can do to help conserve water both at home and at work. Help out with the drought: let’s work together to complete as many actions to see how many gallons of water we can all save together! Here are five tips from our free “One Small Act” social gaming platform that has hundreds of ways to green your life. 1. Take a quick quiz to see how well you’re conserving water and where you can improve. 2. Read your home water bill. If your bill lists historical usage, a quick glance at your water bill will tell you how many liters or gallons you use each month, as well as the amount you are paying for each liter or gallon. Seeing your monthly spend can be a powerful incentive to cut down on water waste. Use what you learn to motivate you to reduce the amount of water you’re using. 3. Skip meat for one meal this week. According to a global study cited by the Environmental Working Group, it takes an estimated 1,857 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef (and 469 gallons of water for a pound of chicken), and that doesn’t include processing! 4. Be a member of the empty glass club. When dining out at a restaurant, make sure to drink all the water that is in your glass before having it refilled. Water is oftentimes wasted by the excess that is leftover from each glass. Now multiply that by the number of people who eat out, and that’s a lot of water that could be saved! The same also holds true for the water you drink at work–make sure that if you do have any excess water leftover from your water bottle or glass that you don’t intend to drink, you use it to water any plants that might be in the office. 5. Write ‘Don’t clean me’ in the dust covering your car. Enduring a drought is no laughing matter, but the simple act of writing “Don’t clean me” on your car can provide a good opportunity to spark a conversation with someone about the different and sometimes easy ways, we can all save water. Take washing your car for example. This International Carwash Association (ICA) says that using a garden hose, home washers use more than 60 gallons (227 L) in as little as five minutes and toxic wastewater containing things like motor oil and ammonia usually ends up going untreated down the storm drains, too. For tons of other tips, check out these blog posts that cover everything from rain barrels to aquaponics and much more! 8 Tips to Save Water this Summer from Groovy Green Livin’ How to Wash Dishes Using the Smallest Amount of Water Possible from Eat, Drink, Better 12 Easy Tips for Conserving Water at Home from Green Living on About.com Quick Tips for Saving Water in the Kitchen from The Green Divas DIY Homemade Rain Barrel Project from Flour Sack Mama 7 Ways You Can Help the California Drought 9 Ways to Save Water with a Shower Bucket from Naturemoms Convert Your Toilet to Use Less Water from Green-Talk How to Reduce, Reuse or Recycle Your Water from Green Child Magazine Save Water with Satisfaction – Shower Better from The Green Divas 18 Facts About Water & What You Can Do to Conserve It How to Replace a Rain Barrel Spigot from Condo Blues Simple Ways to Conserve Water from Eco Baby Mama Drama H2O 101: Tips for Water Conservation, Safety & More from The Green Divas Aquaponics: How it Can Save Water & Our Food Supply from Our Daily Green If You Eat, the California Drought Effects You from Lindsay Dahl Learn more and take action on One Small Act – our digital platform where you can earn points for living lighter on the planet and connect with others doing the same! Tweet More> The Ultimate Guide to Eco-Travel and Green Vacations Love of travel and love of the environment do not need to be mutually exclusive. Enter eco-vacations! You can absolutely enjoy yourself without a tinge of green guilt with some thoughtful planning. Whether you’re headed halfway around the world or just camping around the corner, bookmark this page as your ultimate guide to eco-travel and green vacations. Here are five tips from our free “One Small Act” social gaming platform that has hundreds of ways to green your life. 1. Look for the Green Globe Certified stamp of approval to ensure you are staying at an establishment that takes sustainability seriously. And to make life easier, Green Globe has an easy to use hotel search to help you find certified hotels in locales all around the world–hello Barbados! Oh, and there’s an app too! 2. Eat local and sustainable while you’re traveling. Seek out and make reservations at sustainable restaurants before you leave home. Certain organizations, including the Green Restaurant Association , the Sustainable Restaurant Association , and the Eat Well Guide , make this easy on eaters. Certification criteria varies but most reputable organizations consider water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical-pollution reduction. If your hotel room has a fridge or a mini kitchen, stock up at local farmers’ markets for breakfast and snacks. 3. Choose a train over a plane for a short trip. Air travel is now the fastest growing contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Not flying or avoiding a flight when there is an alternative is one of the biggest single steps that any individual can take to limit their impact on the environment. 4. Take public transportation when traveling. If you have a choice when traveling, choose a hotel near public transportation. Familiarize yourself with the schedules by securing route maps online before you go. 5. Find an eco-vacation destination. Supporting sustainable tourism helps the countries you visit ensure they are protecting their natural resources and preserving cultural heritage. Visit the International Ecotourism Society website to start planning your trip. For tons of other tips, check out these blog posts that cover everything from family road trips to cruises, camping and more! 10 Tips for Greener Travel from Groovy Green Livin’ The Ultimate Green Travel Checklist from The Green Divas Eco-Friendly Vacation Preparation from Accidentally Green How to Green Your Summer Vacation from Eco RI News Tips for Staying Green, Healthy and Economical on a Cruise from Paige Wolf, author of “Spit That Out” Eco-Travel: 7 Staycation Ideas from The Green Divas 6 Ways to Travel Greener with Your Baby from the Green Moms Collective Top Tips for a Green and Healthy Road Trip from Mindful Momma Greening Your Vacation Transportation from Accidentally Green 9 Great e-Tools to Plan Your Green, Eco-Friendly Vacation from Big Green Purse Top 5 Outdoor Family Vacations from Eco-Mothering Top Green Family Travel Ideas from Green Child Magazine Eco-Tourism and Green Travel Tips from Nature Moms Blog Road Trip: Better Gear for Greener Travel from the Green Moms Collective Tread Lightly: Eco Travel with Your Kids from Green Child Magazine 6 Tips for Low Impact Camping from Mindful Momma 4 Ways to Plan a Green Vacation from Accidentally Green How to Make Your Camping Trip More Eco-Friendly from Eco-Mothering 10 Tips for Healthy, Toxin-Free Road Trips with Children This Summer from Non-Toxic Kids How to Travel Green from Green4U Green Travel on Any Budget from The Green Divas Learn more and take action on One Small Act – our digital platform where you can earn points for living lighter on the planet and connect with others doing the same! Tweet More> Eating Local & Seasonal Foods is Easier Than You Think! Take advantage of the season’s bounty! Shopping locally and seasonally are two great ways to lessen your impact on the environment and support your local community. By eating locally grown produce, you reduce the transportation related impact of your food choices. You’re also supporting local farms, and getting tasty food that was harvested and transported closer to peak ripeness. Plus, the nutritional content is also likely to be higher. It’s getting easier to find local produce at your grocery store, too, and not only at natural food markets. Many post signs announcing if a lettuce is locally grown or not, with details on where it was grown. FYI: there is no standard distance for local. Many “locavores” eat a 100 mile diet, or go up to 150 or 200 miles. Others use the “one day drive” rule—less than 400 miles. Do what works for you! Eating local doesn’t have to be an all or nothing endeavor. Being practically, not perfectly, green means buying whatever amount of local food makes sense for you and your family. If you have a favorite non-local recipe and want to keep it in your repertoire—by all means! Eating local and seasonal foods is easier than you think and here are tons of tips to get you started (or keep you going)! How Locally Grown, Seasonal Foods Help the Environment and Our Health from Our Daily Green Eating in Season Guide from Homegrown and Healthy 7 Reasons to Shop at the Farmer’s Market from the Zero Waste Chef Simple Living From Yard to Jar from Eve of Reduction Getting the Most Out of Your Farmer’s Market from Eco-Novice How Eating Seasonally Tastes SO Much Better from The Green Phone Booth My Love Affair with the Farmer’s Market from Eco-Novice How to Shop Seasonally and Save Money when Nothing is Growing Locally from Lazy Budget Chef Love Eating Seasonally? Your Month to Month Guide to Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables – Infographic from Urban Naturale Reduce Your Dinner’s Food Miles from The Green Parent 3 Steps to Live More Seasonally from Homespun Seasonal Living Do Your Kids Know Where Food Comes From? from The Green Moms Collective Our friends at Sustainable America have a bunch of great advice, too: The Eat Local Challenge What is a Food Mile? To Grow Local or Not to Grow Local Fresh, Local Produce Even in Winter 5 Easy Ways to Grow Food Eat Your Unusual Greens Infographic: Grow Where You Are Is Your State Locavore Friendly? How to Eat Local in Winter 10 Ways to Use Extra Garden Vegetables Ready to live la vida locavore? Learn more and take action on One Small Act – our digital platform where you can earn points for living lighter on the planet and connect with others doing the same! Tweet More> How to Keep On Supporting the #NoFoodWasted Movement Thanks to everyone who participated in our Earth Week #NoFoodWasted campaign (and everyone who’s interested in the issue now)! It’s a big issue, but we believe that together we can turn things around – especially when there are so many resources to help all of us take easy steps at home and in our communities. Below, you’ll find some great blog posts about reducing food waste – and even though many of the titles sound the same, you should totally read each one. Each of these bloggers has unique experiences and advice to share. Also, after the list of tips from bloggers, you’ll find links to food waste fighters that could use your support. Bookmark this page because you’re going to want to refer to it regularly on your #NoFoodWasted journey! Advice from awesome bloggers: 8 Tactics to Reduce Food Waste at Home from Zero Waste Chef My Favorite Way to Prevent Food Waste from Eco-Novice Do an Eco-Flip to Reduce Food Waste from Eco Friendly Mom Leftover Rice Pudding from Driftwood Gardens Dumpster Diving: Dude on a Food Waste Mission from The Green Divas Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste from Living Consciously Help Reduce Food Waste from The Hippy Homemaker Going on a Juice Fast? Dry the juice pulp and use it later from Joybilee Farm Reducing Food Waste from Retro Housewife Goes Green 20 Habits to Save Food from Waste #nofoodwasted from Joybilee Farm 5 Ways to Eat Wild Edibles from Joybilee Farm 7 Ways to Reduce Food Waste (one for each day of the week) from Eve of Reduction Leftover Salad from The Creative Recycler 5 Ways to End Food Waste from The Green Divas 10 Things You Can Do to Stop Wasting Food from Jen Kehl Reducing Food Waste from A Nation of Moms Earth Week & Food Waste Tips from Essential Wellness Bodywork & Fitness 9 Ways to Reduce Food Waste from Green4U Tips to Reduce Food Waste from Happy Mom Blogger Food Waste Tips from Motherhood Moment Podcast: Lindsay Coulter, Queen of Green for David Suzuki Foundation shares tips to help reduce food waste on GD GD Radio Green Divas Radio Show featuring Jonathan Bloom, author of American Wasteland, who talks about food waste and how important it is we all become more aware. 6 Tips for a No Waste Kitchen from Schneider Peeps Resources for your on-going food waste fight: End Food Waste – Provides easy solutions to fight food waste. Whether you are at home, at school, or at your place of business, EndFoodWaste.org provides links to the companies, organizations, reports, books, videos, articles, and tips to help you End Food Waste, Hunger, and Climate Change all at the same time. Ugly Fruit and Veg – Follow @UglyFruitAndVeg on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and Tumblr for clever photos that aim to rally the public to demand Ugly Fruit and Veg at major retailers the world over. The website also has a directory of where you can find ugly fruit and vegetables in your area. SustainableTable – Sustainable Table celebrates local sustainable food, educates consumers about the benefits of sustainable agriculture and works to build community through food. Find out how to shop for and prepare sustainable food, and learn how it can benefit your health. Learn how you can take action and educate others to help build a sustainable food future! EatWellGuide.org – Eat Well Guide® is a free online directory for anyone in search of fresh, locally grown and sustainably produced food in the United States and Canada. Sustainable America – Sustainable America’s goal is to bring together like-minded groups to foster awareness through open dialog and educational outreach, and act as a catalyst for the development and funding of innovative, entrepreneurial solutions to the food/fuel connection. I Value Food – Tips, infographics, videos, recipes and just tons of great resources to end food waste. AgChat.org – The AgChat℠ Foundation is designed to help those who produce food, fuel, fiber and feed tell agriculture’s story from their point of view. They connect farmers and ranchers to each other and consumers on social media. Join their weekly #AgChat or monthly #FoodChat on Twitter. FoodTank.org – Building a global community for safe, healthy, nourished eaters. Food Tank highlights hope and success in agriculture. We feature innovative ideas that are already working on the ground, in cities, in kitchens, in fields and in laboratories. Zero Waste Chef – This delightful blog has tons of great tips and recipes. She also teaches classes in her community and does webinars and web classes online. www.dccentralkitchen.org – DC Central Kitchen is America’s leader in reducing hunger with recycled food, training unemployed adults for culinary careers, serving healthy school meals, and rebuilding urban food systems through social enterprise. Have any food waste reduction resources you’d like to share? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook ! Tweet More> Page 1 of 50 1 2 3 4 5 ... 10 20 30 ... » Last » Find something fun on our Blog A Bid to Save the Earth Art of ReUse Ask Mr. Green Baby & Family Back to School Beauty & Fashion CES 2009 Comic Con 2009 Earth Week '08 Earth Week '09 Earth Week '10 Earth Week '11 Earth Week '12 Earth Week '13 Earth Week '14 Earth Week '15 Eco-Profiles Food GIF't A Tree 2015 Green Behind the Scenes Green Highlights Green Is Universal Week '07 Green is Universal Week '08 Green is Universal Week '10 Green is Universal Week '11 Green is Universal Week ’09 Green Screens Health Holidays Home & Energy Just for Fun Mugs Save Trees News One Small Act Recycling ReUse Share a Tree '12 Share a Tree '13 Share a Tree 2014 Show Us Your Mug Text for Trees '10 Travel Water We're All In This Together All Blog Entries © 2007-2016 Green Is Universal, A Division of NBCUniversal. All Rights Reserved. | Site Map | Contact Us | Advertising Info | Privacy Policy