Player of the Month
November 2009

Matt Cassel
Quarterback, New England Patriots

When planning to have friends over to watch some good old football, you do not have to dodge your responsibility to the environment. Here are a few ways you can still have fun while being eco-friendly.

1. Supply your fellow football fans with eco-friendly beer. The New Belgium Brewing Company, based out of Fort Collins, Colorado, is just one of many companies that have been working to reduce waste and energy. Recycle the bottles after the game.

2. Serve organic snacks. Locally grown, organic snacks are healthy for those eating them. They are also better for the environment due to the lack of pesticides.

3. Keep extra sweaters available. The majority of electricity a house goes to the heating and cooling systems. Keep your heat at a minimum if any party-goers complain, give them a sweater to wear. It can even be a sweater with a team logo on it.

4. Send out your invitations via email. Don't waste paper by snail mailing them.

5. Only use reusable tableware. Go out and buy some cheap matching plates and silverware with party-time! in mind. Only break these out for parties. Clean them after the party and put them away. One of the biggest eco-offences at parties is the dreaded paper-plate-plastic-silverware-Styrofoam-cup combination.

Please come back next month to see Players for the Planet’s Player of the Month and to receive more Tips on being Greener.

Tips on Being Greener

We all leave a carbon footprint on the planet…

As our daily lives seem busier than ever, most of us can get overwhelmed by being told of changes that we can make in the way we live in our daily environments. If each person just changed a few things, we would all make a huge impact on reducing carbon emissions and excess waste. We can all collectively help produce a change in the way that many large companies do business. We have seen it with organic produce and other more natural organic groceries. Ten years ago we did not see as much organic produce and other organic, healthier groceries available in the larger grocery chain stores. People have demanded healthier options. The more options that are available, the more affordable and accessible these options become.

Ways that we try to be green in the office

Re-use office paper by printing on the other side for interoffice documents
Purchase only acid free recycled paper for everyday photo copies
Use of recycled, brown paper large document envelopes
Offering invoices by email
Limit mailings by inserting occasional small flyers with our billing invoices
Using energy star light bulbs as much as possible. LED bulbs do not contain mercury
Turning off computers and monitors over nights and weekends whenever possible

Personally, things we can all think about

Buy locally produced goods as much as possible. This cuts down on carbon emissions and helps support your local economy
Are you in the market for a new car? Consider a slightly used car with efficient fuel economy
Buy organic food and other organic products as much as you can
Buy organic or shade grown coffee whenever possible. The production of this coffee is much better for the eco system and better for you
Reuse cloth or other strong bags at the grocery and other retail stores. Keep bags in the trunk of the car (we love our Trader Joe’s bags, they are very strong and sturdy). If you forgot your bags, ask for paper bags whenever possible. Plastic bags have accumulated rapidly in landfills and they are going to be here for a long time. Also, plastic anything uses a large amount of petroleum to produce. When petroleum use is reduced, pollution is less and energy costs come down. When you do get plastic bags, reuse them as much as possible
Support companies that are trying to make a difference environmentally.
Consider purchasing more products sold in metal or glass containers.
Reuse a non bacterial metal or plastic drinking bottle. Refill with a larger plastic water container that you can refill or at the filtered tap
Reuse containers and reduce consumption waste. Ask yourself, “Does that product that I want to buy really need to be packaged in all that plastic?”and “Do I really need it?”
Wrap your water heater in a special made blanket that you can find at your local hardware store to insulate, save energy and save money on the electric bill.
Take shorter showers and conserve water use in the kitchen and garden whenever possible
Use cold water and biodegradalbe, phosphate and petrochemical free soap for laundry
Use more natural, biodegradable cleaning products. Try this: In the microwave, heat one to two ounces of lemon juice and two cups of water in a microwave safe bowl for two to three minutes. Wait ten minutes, open the door and dunk a cloth in bowl and wipe out microwave. Amazing, non-toxic results!
Use more natural soaps for hands, hair and body. Antibacterial soaps aren’t as good as you may think. They contain pesticide based chemicals which can eliminate beneficial bacteria on the skin and are not healthy for the human body or the environment
Unplug chargers and small appliances that aren’t being used. They drain electricity from the wall sockets as they drain money from your bank account
Keep the thermostat between 65-68 degrees and wear layers in the winter months
If you are considering vinyl siding for your home, research the harmful poisons that are put into the enviroment either by manufacturing or eliminating vinyl siding

If everyone just took a moment to ask themselves, “Is this the best choice for me, my enviroment, my family or my community?”, a huge shift would take place and everyone will eventually benefit by way of more quality goods and services and a healthier, happier economy, environment and eco system.