All Hallows Eve is upon us. And, in case you haven’t yet assembled, woven or hand-stitched your costume yet, don’t fret: There is no reason on this rapidly warming earth to succumb to the urge to enter any giant box store and purchase the first clever suit you find. Like grocery shopping when you’re hungry, you will regret your purchases later. Trust me.

Here, then, are a few simple and green ideas to get you (and your kids) in the door and out again with a few tricks or treats. They’re not necessarily compostable, but they are recycled, repurposed and homemade. Easy. …read more of Be Green this Halloween here

My definition of living lightly means consuming only what I need and producing, growing and repurposing whatever I can. Of course, I don’t grow my own flax and weave linen to make my family’s garments (yet). And, sometimes, I’ll admit a small need for retail therapy. Either way, I find comfort in knowing that I’m buying goods and services from socially responsible companies that are working as hard as I am (most days) to improve their world.

Marketing teams worth their hand-harvested sea salt know that consumers want to support companies that make great products. But, given the choice, they choose those that improve, rather than harm, the earth and those of us who live here. So it’s no surprise that many claim sustainable and conscientious practices that may or may not be true, a.k.a. greenwashing. I dig a bit deeper whenever I have the time—usually in front of my computer screen.

…read more of Companies with a Conscience here

The rainbow of organic bell peppers was gorgeous—plump, perfect, begging to become primavera. Except that my grocer decided to hermetically seal them on a Styrofoam tray, wrapped in plastic. So they wouldn’t run away, I guess. I suddenly lost my appetite.

Packaging is a necessary step in the distribution of everything from bell peppers (which travel just fine as a group in a box) to CFL light bulbs. Things we value must make it from their farms and factories to us, unscathed. But what was once a matter of protection has become one of marketing. I know: I used to spend breakfasts as a kid reading the single-serving billboards of cereal boxes.

Luckily a simple way to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint is to buy items you use often in bulk, and buy others with little or no packaging. Here are a few ways to start:

* Buy a water filter and keep it filled.  Bottled water is neither cleaner nor better for you than the tap water you’ve already bought from your town.  Ad to that the fact that Americans use 4 million plastic bottles every hour – but only recycle 1 in 4.  Buy a Brita water pitcher filter or install an in-sink spout filter and fill your own bottle or glass. Then, drink when thirsty.

* Buy local food.  If your last meal trucked 1,500 miles to reach your table, chances are it needed sturdy packaging to get there safely.  Where I live, local farm stands and green markets (not to mention CSAs) lay their seasonal produce, meats and fresh breads out in bushel baskets and wooden boxes on tables. Fresh, delicious, and not a shred of Styrofoam in sight.

* Buy stuff with less packaging. Choose concentrated cleaners, buy cereal in bulk and download your music.

* Reuse useful packaging. Yogurt containers can store leftovers and vacuum cleaner boxes make wonderful kid forts.  I’d be lost without my countertop bag dryer, which airs out Ziploc bags and bottles beautifully.