Where can I Recycle My CFL Bulbs?

Home Depot announced on June 24, 2008 that it is offering CFL (compact flourescent light) bulb recycling at all of their stores nationwide! This is a free service that provides safe, responsible disposal of the bulbs. Just bring any unbroken, or expired CFL bulbs to the Returns desk at your local store. It's that simple.

Additionally, they are launching an in-store energy conservation program which will switch their lighting fixture showrooms to all CFL bulbs by the fall of 2008. Cost savings for this project alone will be $16 million annually. Fabulous!

Converting to CFLs will save you money. Here's a realistic statistic of what you can save by switching JUST ONE bulb from www.freecfl.com:

An incandescent bulb using 75 watts replaced with a CFL bulb that only uses 20 watts. The average cost of a kilowatt is 8 cents, and the average CFL bulb lasts 8000 hours. Over 8000 hours, a 75-watt incandescent bulb costs $48.00 to run, while a 20 watt CFL (same light output) comes in at nearly a quarter of the cost at $12.80! That is a savings of $35.00 over the life of the light bulb.

You can offset the slightly higher cost of the CFLs by gradually switching over as your old bulbs burn out. The average lifespan of an incandescent bulb is one year, versus a CFL bulb which is 8-10 years. You can use CFLs in anywhere you'd use an incandescent bulb, except for three way switches, dimmers and outdoor lights where a special CFL bulb is required.

Eco Friendly Clothing Summer Sale

Now that Summer is here Sea Glass Organic is having a Summer sale! Our entire stock of clothing is on sale! We have 100% organic cotton tees from Earth Creations as well as organic cotton and hemp blend tees and tank tops. These ladies tees have beautiful, unique artwork, natural clay dyed colors and are made in the USA. Check them out!

Organic cotton is grown from plants that have not been genetically modified. Methods such as crop rotation and biological pest control are used in place of synthetic fertilizer, toxic herbicides and pesticides. There's nothing natural about conventional cotton.

By choosing organic cotton you are supporting healthier working conditions for farmers, protecting yourself and our environment from the harmful effects of pesticides.

Smellin' Like a Rose: The Nose Knows

Have you ever leaned in to sniff a bouquet of roses, only to discover they had no scent? How disappointing! Such beauty without the sweet scent that I remember once was. When I was young we had a rose bush in the back yard that required nothing (or at least that's what it got) for care and always had beautiful, abundant and fragrant blooms. I have planted mail order roses claiming to have an inviting scent and once again was disappointed. Where has the fragrant, intoxicating rose gone?

After a bit of research I have learned some interesting things. Due to demand for size, color, form and disease resistance- much of the fragrance has been inadvertently bred out of todays modern roses. I appreciate the beauty of a rose. I appreciate the beauty of all flowers. I expect my roses to smell like roses!

So what's a rose lover to do? If you want to grow your own try an heirloom variety or choose roses described as "strong" scented. Ask your florist for more fragrant roses if their selection doesn't satisfy your senses. They in turn will ask their suppliers/growers, and eventually it will come back around to what nature intended. Smellin' like a Rose!

What's Better than Stainless Steel Reusable Water Bottles?

Stainless steel reusable water bottles in COLOR! That's right - we've got pink, blue and white too! Our new ecowaterbottles come in the convenient 17 ounce size, with a loop cap made from safe, non-leaching polypropelene and a matching carabiner. Easily clips to your beach bag, backpack or purse. My favorite feature is the non-slip mat on the bottom which protects surfaces.

These great bottles are made from high quality food grade stainless steel (which is unlined) and are produced responsibly in China. They are lightweight, durable and 100% recyclable. If all this weren't enough- they also come with a great price of $11.95 at Sea Glass Organic.

An excellent new accessory for your reusable water bottle are the Water Wrapz. Water Wrapz go around the bottle providing extra grip and comfort. They come in 5 different designs to express your personal style. Available for $2.95.