Like most areas in the country, our local recyclers only accept plastics #1 and #2. My family collects a lot of these plastics as bottles, milk jugs, Starbucks cups, and so on. But what about all those other plastic items in our lives?
If something is labeled as a plastic #1 or #2, it […]

So you have accepted the realities of how global warming is changing our planet and you want to make some changes - great! Where do you start?
Years ago I would search the web for current info, particularly when I was building a house. Yet the information and product knowledge wasn’t always easy to […]

You have to look hard to actually find something labeled as a plastic #7. When it comes to resin identification codes, #7 is reserved for materials made from mixed plastics - or “other.” That’s why it is so rare to see a #7 in the wild - plastics of these types cannot be recycled, […]

Have you visited the Green Drinks Charleston Blog? Jason has done a great job setting this up, and encourages Green Drinks members to join in the discussion. The posts span from local-business news to general “how to go green” ideas. Good stuff!
Be sure to check out the blog, or better yet, check […]

I’m little late getting this info to you all, but apparently today is the first ever Green Business Networking event for the Charleston-area. Here is what I know:
Join us for the first ever Green Business Networking event Monday, January 28th. It will run from 4:30 - 7:00 on the second floor of the Tate Center […]

I just received this press release from CofC - way to go!
Starting January 28, 2008, the College of Charleston will participate in the 10-week RecycleMania challenge, competing against more than 200 universities across the country. Specifically, students and employees at the College will compete in the targeted materials competition, the per capita paper competition, the […]

No, this isn’t a local version of The Biggest Loser… It is an effort of a nonprofit that I volunteer with to ease hunger in the Lowcountry and discourage food waste.
The mission of Fields to Families is to help increase nutrition to the area hungry by coordinating distribution of fresh produce obtained from local gardens […]

Are you becoming obsessed with plastic bags yet? I am. The bag phenomenon is everywhere. I mean, I’m hooked on my own canvas bag. Jen is blogging about becoming the “crazy bag lady”, and the other Jennifer started a project that gives them away. Then there’s the numbers: 100 billion each year in the U.S., […]

I have pushed my buggy past gDiapers at Whole Foods many times. I have read their starter kit package at least twice. Last Sunday, I bought the starter kit of gDiapers and began using them on my two-year-old son that afternoon.
We’ve been a Pampers family since we brought Cooper home from the hospital […]

We love hearing about local businesses that are on a mission to save the environment - or at least the part they affect. Businesses play a key role in the green movement not only by providing important products and services, but through educating patrons and setting a socially responsible example.
Tony Bakker from the Charleston Battery […]

Polystyrene (PS), otherwise known as plastic #6, was accidentally discovered by a Berlin pharmacist in 1839. While polystyrene is widely used today, it is rarely found in plastic bottles - it contains benzene which is generally considered a carcinogenic substance.
What is it made of?
Polystyrene is a thermoplastic polymer, and its molecular formula is (-CHC6H5-CH2-)n. It’s […]

Despite the dreary weather last night, about 25 of us made it to the Charleston Alternative Energy Meetup at Huger’s Restaurant. These monthly meetings are hosted by local greenlebrity Ian Sanchez, and bring together a wide range of people interested in biodiesel, solar, wind, wave, and nuclear energy.
The meeting kicked off with a 30-minute […]

After living in a very bucolic setting for 8 and half years, we made a change. Or I should say, I made a change and my sweet husband, kind of disgruntled 10 year old, and up for whatever kindergartner came along for the ride.
I knew all along that I was going to struggle with […]

On Monday, Sonoco opened a new 30,000 square foot recycling facility in North Charleston. I don’t know a ton about Sonoco, but this new facility will be used to collect, process, and recycle nearly 250 million pounds of material each year. Not only does Sonoco take sustainability seriously, they are closing the loop when it […]

Last week, Melanie sent me a link to Santee Cooper Green, the state-owned energy company’s environmental portal. They generate and provide electricity to Berkeley, Georgetown, and Horry county residents, as well as 20 electric co-ops around the state. In fact, they provide the juice to 41% of South Carolina - a statistic that makes […]

Have you ever discovered that you’re being green without knowing it? Upon reading, ‘Greenpeace: A Guide to Living,’ we were surprised that a vegetable-based diet was ranked second right behind “don’t drive” as a way to lower your environmental impact. Chad and I have been lacto-ovo-vegetarians for over a decade.
In my opinion, humans […]

I was very happy to see this weekend that a recycling dropsite has been setup in the Food Lion Shopping Center at 65 Sycamore Avenue. That brings the total to seven dropsites in West Ashley for those of us who don’t have curbside pickup.
The site does not have a bin for corrugated cardboard yet, […]

If you’re like me, chances are that deep in your closet, you too have a box of things that is labeled, “stuff.” And in it, most likely, is that old cell phone that you just didn’t know what to do with, so you stashed it in stuff purgatory. Well fear no more, there is a […]

The more I read about plastic grocery bags, the more I believe that plastic grocery bags should be banned. Their impact on this planet is destructive and everlasting. Plastic grocery bags are littered everywhere on Earth, from the side of Long Point Road to Antarctica.
Maybe you’ve heard about the folks in China who […]

Last week, Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands held a Design Charrette aimed at finding alternatives to the expansion of I-526. I was unable to attend, so I was hoping some of our readers made it.  If so, please let us know how it went and if the local green movement had a presence at […]