Marriott, one of the largest hotel chains in the US, has started down the path to being green.  Every small step this huge hotel chain makes is going to be a big impact with hopefully more hotels will following in their footsteps.  Marriot is on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions close to 100 million tons by 2010, what an impact.  So they started in Washing D.C. where their headquarters is located.

By switching over to compostable plates and silverware they will be significantly helping the environment.  What a great way to leave a positive footprint in the ground!  They even went a step further by supplying their employees with re-usable coffee mugs and water bottles, to cut down the usage of paper ones.

Marriot headquarters even made an office model to how a green office should run.  With bubble cut outs in a carton like effect they showed which containers recycled what.  They even placed signs to show how shutting of a lamp that isn’t needed will save energy as well as their printers and monitors when not in use.

In the next five years Marriot plans to have their Marriot Courtyard hotels be LEED certified, they currently have more than 160 hotels in development.    The Courtyard Settler’s Ridge in Pittsburgh, Penn., will open next summer.  It will be the first hotel structured and designed with these standards. More than 30 of their hotels are being designed to receive LEED certification as of now – very impressive.

For a dollar a day Marriot is also offering their guest the ability to green their stay.  They have adopted a creative saying, “Green Your Marriott Hotel Stay for $1/Day.”  It is only offered to guests who book online and the $1 a day will go towards the preservation of a Brazilian rainforest.  By doing this it allows the guest to offset his/her carbon they generated throughout their stay.  What a fun an innovative idea!

By Kate Kiselka /  Follow me on Twitter

Did you know that 176,470 billboard ads are printed annually on 7,500 tons of vinyl to create attention grabbing, car swerving, crash inducing ads? Once they are removed from their structures, these large sheets of premium vinyl used to be headed for the wastestream. But now you can give your billboard ad new life.

AdVinylize is an affordable and eco-friendly solution for recycling used billboard vinyls into a variety of promotional products such as tote bags, messenger bags, and other innovative accessories.

Imagine, giving back a piece of your company in the form of unique, one-of-a-kind product such as tote bags, cooler bags, messenger bags or custom designed products, demonstrating your stewardship and commitment to the environment. By recycling your outdoor boards into corporate promotions, the life of your brand extends way beyond the life of the ad.

Billboard bags, I love me a swag bag.

posted by KDL | follow me on Twitter:  newscaster

(original post via Farm Fresh RI Blog)

After a rough start to the season – tomatoes and potatoes got blight, strawberries rotted in the rain – a mild November is producing a bounty of late fall veggies. Slightly frost-kissed, their flavor is rich and crisp and perfect for a celebration of the harvest. It’s a fitting turnaround for the place that Thanksgiving calls home. Ah, autumn in New England.

Make your Holiday dinners a 50-mile meal, focused on seasonal ingredients from our local farmers. They’ve endured a tough 2009 to grow our food and finally have the crops to show for it.

Courtesy of the Brown Herald

At the Wintertime Farmers Market in Pawtucket every Saturday 11-2, you’ll find a variety of veggies, fruit, eggs, meat, seafood, cider, flowers from 30 different farms and cheese, bread, pastries, coffee, jams from 20 other local producers. Plus, live music and a cooking demo by Chef Sophie of My Little French Cottage with butternut ginger soup and carrot leek potato soup to taste. It’s our state’s largest farmers market, with 50 local producers all under one roof and the widest variety of local foods available for your everyday meals and your holiday dinner. Some highlights at the Wintertime Market:

• Cranberries from Fresh Meadows Farm
• Beef and Pork from Aquidneck Farms, Hill Farm, Stoney Hill Cattle
• Chicken from Pat’s Pastured
• Apples and Cider from Hill Orchards, Barden Orchards
• Jams and Sauces from many farms and producers
• Local Cranberry Ice Cream from Kafe Lila for your hot apple pie
• Broccoli, Sugar Pumpkins, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Onions, Potatoes, Carrots, and so many more veggies from a whole lot of farms!
• If you’re looking for a turkey, they’ll likely sell quickly at the market. You may want to contact a farm directly to inquire.

There’s such great abundance right now of incredible food grown on farms right here in our own communities. Honest, fresh and bursting with flavor. It’s something to be truly grateful for.

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We here at Green Life Smart Life are thankful for organizations like Farm Fresh RI, who work to provide the community a link to one of our most valuable resources: our farms.  We love our locally source and organic produce and are lucky to have a farmers market even in the winter months.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Eat well and be well.

Posted by: Ashley / follow me on Twitter

A secret garden on the rooftop of Minneapolis Target Center, home of NBA Minnesota Timberwolves is making the view from up above beautiful.  The Minnesota heat which reaches 140 degree won’t be such an inconvenience anymore.  The 2.5 acres of plants will keep the same temperature as the air and this will reduce the significant cooling and heating costs of the building.  Besides lowering the bills it will also keep 3.68 million gallons of water from running into the Mississippi.    

This is a great opportunity for Minneapolis and will be even greater when hopefully this fad starts catching on nationally.  Toronto has passed a new law mandating “green” rooftops for all new developments.  Any new development with 2,000 square meters must make sure their roof top holds between 20 and 60% of vegetation.  This new law is for residential space, commercial space as well as industrial.  There are mixed reviews about this law, many grumbles due to the extra expense this will cost.  But to others they see this extra expense paying off in the end. 

Chicago has joined by having 600 green rooftops.  This could be the start of something great for our environment, and why not it’s unused space.  Although the US has not made it mandatory like Toronto, Chicago holds the highest amount of green rooftops. 

There are so many benefits to having a green roof.  They are such a great way to insulate buildings and homes, and they reduce energy bills.  It is a great way to release oxygen into the air so car pollution is decreased.  This will also create a great space for workers at companies with green roofs to be able to enjoy the outdoors on a lunch break.  It is also possible to grow flowers, herbs, vegetables on these roofs; the Fairmount Hotel in Vancouver used their roof top space for this and therefore saves their kitchen almost 30,000 a year in food cost. 

By Kate Kiselka. Follow me on Twitter

Having attended Greenbuild last year, I am impressed at the increase in new “designer” options for surfaces and finishes I found at the 2009 show. I was already very familiar with Paperstone having just installed it in my house, but found some new options I might have to explore for my yet to be finished pantry.

ECO by Cosentino is a new  line of green countertops for kitchens and baths that is composed of 75% post consumer and post industrial materials. It reuses products that would typically end up in landfills, including glass, bottles, broken mirror, and porcelain from sinks and toilets, which are bound together with a corn based resin to create a durable and beautiful surfacing material. According to the company, ECO will utilize the equivalent of 60,000,000 glass bottles every year. Available in 10 designer colors, ECO prices at $68 – $110 sq/ft.

IceStone, a favorite of mine since the minute I saw it, is simply beautiful.  Durable surfaces made from 100% recycled glass and cement, IceStone looks a bit like granite but in my opinion, is brighter and sleeker. Didn’t get pricing but I’m going to guess comparable to the others listed here.

EnviroGLAS Products Inc. converts post-consumer and industrial glass bound for the landfill into sustainable and pretty cool looking hard surfaces such as their EnviroSLAB countertops. A standard 25″ x 60″ x 1″size countertop brings  100% recycled glass terrazzo into an affordable price range for anyone remodeling or constructing decorative surfaces and countertops. With eight glass options and fully customizable pigmented epoxy resin, can be custom manufactured for a price of around $50 sq/ft.

EcoTop is a bio-composite surface materials used for countertops, tabletops, floors and walls that is a made form FSC certified fiber that is a 50/50 blend of bamboo and post-consumer recycled paper. Bound together with a 100% water-based co-polymer resin formula, the product is VOC free and contribute to your LEED- H points. It comes in ten colors and looks similar to Corian and prices around the same. We put EcoTop in our master bathroom and laundry along with our shower surrounds.

I love the growing list of sexy, sustainable products for home design.

 posted by KDL | follow newscaster on Twitter

Well, they had it coming.  Last week, NBC Universal (owned by GE) declared it Green Week on the network, an effort within its larger Green is Universal campaign.  Before this week, I just brushed it off as yet another big company jumping on the bandwagon of using green to market themselves as hip, cool, forward thinking and innovative.  Then they launched Green Week.  And the jokes began.  This is in fact the network’s 3rd year of doing a Green Week where, as one late night talk show host jabbed, “they ask everyone to go green by watching TV!”

Well, there’s more to it than that but aside from the message they are trying to spread, the campaign is riddled with greenwashing and overuse of the term green in general.

On the Green is Universal home page, their backdrop features cute little sayings like

Green lives here

Green connects here

Green shops here

Wait, what?  Green shops here?  What the hell does that mean?

If that isn’t asinine enough, try clicking through their “Make Green Count” section where they suggest – wait for it – turning off your computer to save energy.  Oh, and the lights.  Also, use reusable water bottles!  OMG revolutionary.  You mean if I turn OFF my lights, it will save energy?  WHY HAVE I NEVER BEEN TOLD THIS BEFORE?

Oddly enough, they never suggest turning off the television to save energy.  But then if you did that, you would miss all of the little green messages being broadcast through popular shows like 30 Rock and The Office.  So really the message here?  Watch TV – save the planet!  That seems like an environmental platform even conservatives could rally behind.

Maxim Magazine had the best attempt at broadcasting the ironic hilarity of NBC Universal’s promotion of green.  Enjoy:

The tree is my favorite part.

The lesson here is: If you really aren’t green at all, please don’t vomit the word out of every orifice of your company.  You’re rendering the term completely useless and doing nothing real to help the environment.  And it’s 2009 – you can’t fool us anymore.  We have the Google.

Posted by: Ashley / follow me on Twitter

We moved into our new house yesterday – I was so excited to play in my new room and use my new desk from Circle Furniture.  My brother Max got bunk beds for his room, they are red and he loves them.  Mommy and Daddy are still busy unpacking and cleaning but we are all super happy to be in our new home. 

Posted by: Abby, Age 6

The Andersen 100 Series WIndowf features environmentally responsible and third-party-certified construction, economical price, and energy-saving performance.

Recycled content is an important component in the construction of 100 Series products.  The overall amount of recycled content is certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) and ranges from a minimum of 18% – 24% pre-consumer recycled glass and wood fiber content based on the National Fenestration Rating Council-rated standard window size in single-hung, casement, awning, picture and gliding window styles.

Andersen achieves this by manufacturing the 100 Series from the company’s patented Fibrex® material.  Fibrex material is a highly sustainable structural composite that blends the best attributes of sawdust and polymer – much of it reclaimed directly from Andersen’s manufacturing plant operations. It combines the strength and stability of wood with the low-maintenance features of vinyl.  Independent testing has found that Fibrex material has a low thermal expansion and contraction rate, is resistant to rotting and termites, and retains its rigidity and stability in high temperatures.

Andersen 100 Series products also have received SCS Indoor Advantage™ Gold certification for indoor air quality.  This level of certification meets North America’s strictest indoor air emission criteria, namely the California Section 01350 Specification, the strictest emission standard in the U.S.

“There’s a lot of engineering that goes into Andersen products and you really notice it in our new 100 Series windows and patio doors,” said Blaine Verdoorn, marketing manager at Andersen.   “This product line is tailored to the likes and needs of builders in the West, and we know they and their customers will appreciate its sustainable design.”

Andersen 100 Series windows feature a clean, contemporary design and are available in single-hung, gliding, casement, awning and specialty fixed styles in more than 1,200 sizes and can be specified in more than 20,000 combinations.  There are four exterior color options available: White, Sandtone, Terratone®, and Cocoa Bean.  All have matte finishes and white interiors.

There are 48 glass options including the new Andersen SmartSun™ Low-E glass, standard Low-E glass, dual-pane and specialty glass.  Finelight™ grilles-between-the-glass are available, with a sculpted profile and duplex color capability, so the interior and exterior colors match those of the window.

Windows with SmartSun glass can also help homeowners save money with a tax credit.  As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment act of 2009, the legislation allows for significant federal tax credits for “qualified energy efficient improvements,” which includes windows, doors and skylights.  Just visit our website at www.andersenwindows.com to find a link to the tax credit information. Or, visit the Energy Star Web site for more information, www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_taxcredits.

Builders and architects will appreciate that 100 Series windows can help earn up to 17 LEED points in the Energy & Atmosphere category, up to 13 LEED points in the Materials & Resources category, and up to 15 LEED points in the Indoor Environmental Quality category.  Andersen® 100 Series windows meet ENERGY STAR® qualifications in all climate zones.

As a charter member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Andersen has designed the 100 Series product line to last and reduce future waste streams.  Fibrex® material is durable, long-lasting and can be reclaimed to make new windows, and the products are protected by minimal packaging to help reduce cardboard usage, jobsite waste, and shipping costs.  Andersen also is committed to using only wood from sources certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative or similar organizations.

DaVinci Roofscapes is famous for their slate and shake tile.  DaVinci Roofscapes began in 1999; they are located in Kansas City, KS.  DaVinci prides itself on being the lead provider of authentic looking and durable synthetic slate and shake tile roofing.  They are maintenance free and backed by a 50 year limited warranty.

The DaVinci products resist curling, cracking, mold, fading, algae, insects and fungus.  Because DaVinci tiles resist water it allows the tiles to be installed in all weather conditions.  Also their shake and slate synthetic tiles resist fire, high wind and high impact. DaVinci Roofscapes slate and shake synthetic roof tiles are contributing to the LEED certification process (LEED-NC Standard 2.2).  They are aiding us in our continued effort to gain our LEED certification for our Green Life Smart Life home.

The Green life Smart Life house has chose to use the slate roofing for its exceptional appeal and durability.  Although it is a synthetic slate it comes with the same look and durability as its natural counterpart.  It allows the Green Life Smart Life home to gain the look of slate without using up natures resources.  It is also much more cost effective than using real slate.  In addition the instillation process is also remarkably easier than installing natural slate with the changing of size and texture.

The DaVinci roofs are easy to install and require no special tools or instructions.  They are embedded with state of the art UV stabilizers.  The product was developed with contractors in mind, they are packaged by size and color making them easier to use.  They are also made in 5 different shapes and sizes allowing for a more authentic look and easier installation.

The DaVinci tiles are also all 100% recyclable making them even more appealing to the consumer, rather than the traditional roofing which takes up enormous space in the local landfill.  To save on transportations costs DaVinci compounds, molds and finishes all the lightweight tiles in their Kansas facility to save energy and also transportation costs.

By Kate Kiselka. Follow me on Twitter

On November 21^st, from 8am till noon at the Central Landfill: Central Landfill, 65 Shun Pike, Johnston, RI 02919.  The state will be celebrating Rhode Island Recycles Day, they will be accepting many recyclables.  This will include lawn furniture, large plastic toys.  This will be free to all R.I. residents.  http://www.rirrc.org is a great website that will let you know what is going on in recycling in R.I.

This is a great day to recycle rigid plastic containers numbered 3-7, such as yogurt containers that do not have a 1 or a 2 imprinted on them.  The 1 and 2 are the only accepted plastics in the recycling bins in R.I.  Don’t forget even paint can’s that are piling up can finally be recycled.

Examples of Rigid plastics are:

• Plastic buckets, drums, and empty garbage containers
• Plastic milk crates, kitty litter buckets, laundry baskets, lawn furniture, or pet carriers
• Plastic toys & playhouses, plastic sandboxes
• Agricultural trays & pots, plastic flower pots
• Plastic pallets and shelving

Examples of common plastics with the #3-7 are:

• Yogurt and margarine containers
• Baby bottles
• Plastic dinnerware 

No appointments will be needed for most items.  The state will accept household hazardous wastes.  This is a great day to head to the landfill and recycle those large and difficult items. 

Rhode Island’s Eco-Depot will be accepting computers, TV’s, batteries, rechargeable batteries, digital cameras, computers, and even computer accessories.  They will also be taking laundry baskets, plastic trash cans and kid toys such as big wheels and kiddy pools. 

The only appointments that are needed are for hazardous household items such as antifreeze, gasoline, fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides.  To make an appointment the number is 401-942-1430 ext. 241

Besides recycling they will also be able to shred any of your personal documents and then recycle them.  So bring your old bank statements, credit card statements ect.  You may also bring papers to be recycled that are not sensitive documents.     

Posted by: Kate Kiselka, Follow me on Twitter