"Greening" My Home

I've been in the process of renovating my 100-year-old row home in the Northern Liberties area of Philadelphia for about three years. We reused as much of the existing materials as possible. That saves on material costs and also on carting away the rubbish. There are organizations that will reuse or resell building supplies that weren't used, such as Habitat for Humanity. You can find information on making a donation to Habitat for Humanity on https://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx, but there are also many local salvage yards that will be happy to come pick up your old appliances of building materials. Restore is one of my favorites, www.re-store-online.com.

We were able to salvage and restore the existing hardwood floors, and use a low VOC finish. We refinished and reused the existing claw foot bathtub. There were some other great features, such as two art deco lamps in the space we converted into an art gallery, which we didn't reuse, but were able to sell to an architectural salvage store. Of course we used low VOC paint. The appliances were replaced with Energy Star appliances and the old appliances were donated. We replaced all the windows with low e windows, which drastically reduced our energy bills. I also found this great website which recommends energy efficient windows based on your location and the amount you would like to spend here: http://www.efficientwindows.org/. Most recently we replaced our ancient heater with a new energy efficient heating system, again drastically reducing those heating costs. My next big purchase will be an electric, tankless, on demand water heater, which only heats water right before it's used. While on our honeymoon in Greece I was amazed to see that partially every house had a solar water heater even in the tiniest villages. It made me realize that there is a lot more we can and should be doing in the states.

ORGANIC AND RECYCLED CLOTHING

dress from the designers at 12-Na, made with repurposed clothes

Did you know that even your clothing can be environmentally responsible? Sustainable clothing goes beyond avoiding clothes produced in a sweatshop. Many companies including well-known brands and designers are using recycled materials to produce their clothes. Even Levi’s offers recycled jeans on their website. Current fashion has entered the world of d-i-y, making repurposed clothes trendy, fashionable and environmentally responsible. The dress shown above from a designer in Brazil is made from repurposed clothing. Other “green clothing” is produced from organic, sustainable materials, such as bamboo, soy, 100% organic cotton, pine tree fiber and a variety of other sustainable materials.  here are even swimsuits made from recycled plastic bottles. Or shop for vintage clothing (reusing is green too!)

 

COMPOSTING

Composting is a great way to dispose of some of your waste without sending it to a landfill and using compost improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and increases the soil's water-holding capacity. Adding compost improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants. Visit Stopwaste.org for tips on which of the many types of composting are right for your home and your needs or follow the basic instructions below:

1) Recycle or buy a plastic pail/bin with a tight fitting lid about 24 inches tall or taller. Your pail needs a lid to keep critters out and to keep soil moist.

2) With a drill, drill 8 to 10 small holes in the bottom of your container for aeration purposes. If necessary, drill a few holes on the sides/walls of the bin.

3) Place your compost bin in a shady area away from your home in the back yard. If you live in an apartment or have no backyard you can place your bin on the patio. Be sure your compost is not in full sun or your compost will dry out.

4) Place some shredded newspaper or dry leaves on the bottom of your compost bin, fill about 1/8 - 1/4 full.

5) Place dirt from your garden on top of the newspaper, until your compost is 1/2 full.

6) Now, place any food scraps or paper products into compost such as fruit, vegetables, crushed egg shells, paper towels, etc. (Most backyard systems will not reach temperatures high enough to kill pathogens and deter vermin, so pet droppings, non-vegetarian animal manure, meat scraps, and dairy products are best left in the trash)

7) Stir your compost with a shovel or stick, making sure to cover your food scraps with dirt.

8) Spray with lukewarm water until moist, but not soaking wet.

9) With a drill make 8 to 10 small holes on bin lid.

10)Place lid on compost, every other day you add food scraps to bin you should give it a stir. Mixing the compost will help breakdown the scraps faster.

11) Wait 2 - 3 months to use your compost. Compost can be used as mulch to cover flower beds, as potting soil and sprinkled over your grass as a lawn conditioner. Don't use it all though, save at least 1/3 of your original compost and then you can start all over again.

 

LOCAL FOOD CO-OPS

Visit the websites of any of the following locally grown Food Co-Ops to find out how to join, cost, and how the Co-Op works.

 

Greensgrow Farms

Community Supported Agriculture

2501 E. Cumberland Street
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Phone: 215.427.2702
FAX: 215.475.4670

http://www.greensgrow.org

 

Lancaster Farm Fresh Food Co-Op

Community Supported Agriculture

48 Eagle Drive

Leola, PA 17540

Phone: 717-656-3533

FAX: 800-996-0383

http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/

 

Mariposa Co-op

4726 Baltimore Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19143

Phone: (215) 729-2121

 

Selene Whole Foods Co-op

305 W State Street

Media, PA 19063

Phone: (610) 566-1137

FAX: (610) 566-1137

info@selenecoop.org

http://www.selenecoop.org/

 

Swarthmore Co-op

401 Darthmouth Ave.

Swarthmore, PA 19081

Phone: (610) 543-9805

FAX: (610) 543-6028

swacoop@comcast.net

www.swarthmore.coop

NEW ECO-MAGAZINE IN PHILADELPHIA

 

Grid inspires the people of Philadelphia to create a more just, livable and

sustainable city.

 

 

Check out this great website www.gridphilly.com, which includes a PDF of the current issue of Grid, a full color magazine featuring environmentally friendly activity in Philadelphia.