Spring is here, and with it comes an opportunity to fill our bodies with fresh, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables…while saving a bundle of money.

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This week First Lady Michelle Obama planted the first vegetable and herb seedlings in the White House garden. With an investment of just two hundred dollars, the garden will provide fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs all throughout the spring, summer, and into the fall for the First Family and White House guests. And that’s for an eleven hundred square foot garden; scale that down to accommodate one or two people or a small family, and that price can drop significantly.

Grocery store prices reflect all the steps that go into producing and manufacturing the products we buy. For fruits and vegetables, this includes the cost of planting, harvesting, packaging, and transporting fresh produce to grocery stores across the country – and in some cases, flying them in from other countries. Once all those things are factored in, buying healthy fruits and vegetables can be pretty pricy. Rather than boycotting fresh produce all together, try planting your own garden. It doesn’t take much to get started and can be a great family activity. If your outdoor space is limited, you can plant garden vegetables in pots on your porch or balcony. And for you city dwellers, where space can be even more limited, try a window box or join a community garden to enjoy the benefits of a fresh garden.

Make it Organic
Another way to save money, and ensure a healthy, chemical free harvest, is to start your own compost pile. You’ll save you a bundle on store-bought mulch and fertilizer; plus it’s rich in the vital nutrients that your seedlings need to grow. Still have questions? Check out www.howtocompost.org for simple steps on how to build your own compost bin and answers to other compost questions you might have. If you decide composting isn’t for you, or you don’t have the space, ask your local gardening center about organic fertilizer options.

Add Variety
Planting a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and berries will keep you from getting bored with your food. Try new recipes, and most of all, enjoy healthy, homegrown foods. If you have a hand in growing them, you’ll enjoy them more.

Eco Friendly Benefits
By planting your own garden, you’ll gain beaucoup points with the environment. Because you are avoiding the additional packaging and transport of produce that you normally would incur when buying produce from a grocery store, you’ll significantly lower your carbon footprint. And by going one step further and creating your own compost pile, you’ll cut back on your household waste and even save money by avoiding costly store-bought fertilizers.

With just a little bit of time and a small investment, you’ll be able to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables nearly all year long. If you’re not quite ready to jump in and plant your own garden, buy locally. Most towns and cities have co-ops and seasonal farmers markets. Whatever your eco friendly method, make sure to get a healthy dose of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables this spring; your body will thank you.

One question frequently sent to the Greenovations inbox is this: What is PVC, and why is it so bad? Put simply, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is the most widely used thermoplastic polymer, a type of plastic commonly called vinyl – and it’s toxic. Have you ever climbed into a new car, inhaling deeply to enjoy that new car smell? Or opened the box to your child’s new inflatable pool only to be consumed by the familiar scent of vinyl? What you actually smell in these instances is poisonous chemicals off-gassing from the plastic. And that, dear friends, is PVC.

PVC is all around us – in myriad household products including food and beverage containers, plastic wrap, mattress covers, shower curtains, and children’s toys and backpacks. Homebuilding materials like flooring, wall coverings, window frames, and siding are often made from PVC. It’s used in the production of certain items of clothing, office supplies, and medical supplies. So what actually makes PVC so toxic?

Unlike other thermoplastic polymers (PET, PEVA, EVA, etc.), PVC production includes chlorine. During both the production and destruction of PVC, chlorine releases cancer-causing dioxins into the air. These dioxins become more concentrated as they move up the food chain, causing cancer and wreaking havoc on human reproductive and immune systems. But dioxins only comprise one part of this toxic puzzle.

PVC production requires softening additives in order to mold the plastic into different shapes. For the most part, these additives come in the form of hormone-disrupting chemicals, called phthalates. The phthalates are then mixed with other chemicals to add durability and stiffness to the plastic – two of the main chemicals used in this process, lead and cadmium, are also well known carcinogens. Over time, these chemicals separate from the plastic and are released into the atmosphere.

Adding even more controversy to the mix, mercury is used in the production of PVC. According to the Center for Health, Environment, & Justice, the PVC industry currently accounts for 27.2% of the world’s mercury consumption. When released during production, this toxic chemical infiltrates our water systems, contaminating the fish and seafood we consume, therefore increasing mercury levels in our own bodies.

All this and PVC is still the most widely used plastic on the market. In the U.S. alone, 500-600 million pounds of PVC are incinerated at municipal waste facilities each year, releasing highly toxic additives into the atmosphere. Why, then, is PVC still prevalent in the U.S.? Unfortunately it looks like our environmental agencies are in as poor a shape as our financial and automobile industries.

A recent Congressional audit deemed the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to assess toxic chemicals inadequate and in need of a drastic overhaul. New EPA head Lisa Jackson has vowed to revamp the organization’s chemicals management and risk assessment program. But unfortunately it could take years to test the nearly 80,000 chemicals available for use in the manufacture of goods. So what can we do in the meantime? Some countries are taking drastic steps to eliminate known threats.

The entire European Union has placed restrictions or bans on the use of toxic phthalates in PVC toys. And some countries, like Sweden, Spain, and Germany, are taking steps towards phasing out PVC products all together. Where does the U.S. lie in all this? Taking baby steps compared to other countries – mostly due to intense lobbying by the big chemical companies. Efforts to enforce bans on a federal level have failed. Even so, many big companies are voluntarily phasing out PVC. Retailers, car manufacturers, and homebuilding suppliers like Nike, Target, IKEA, and tens of others have adopted phase out plans for PVC.

As for the individual consumer, the best way to help decrease PVC production is to stop buying PVC. Unfortunately, not all products containing PVC are clearly labeled. In fact, manufacturers are not bound by law to do so. One way to identify PVC plastics is by the universal recycle symbol encompasing the number three, or with a “v” directly under the sign. Opt for natural materials like glass, wood, or metal instead of plastic. And when plastic is necessary, look for bio-based plastics. The Center for Health, Environment, & Justice has issued a comprehensive packet on common products made from PVC, as well as alternative options. To view this and additional resources, visit CHEJ’s campaign website at www.besafenet.com/pvc.

**EDITORIAL**

Let’s face it: the effects of today’s economy are impacting our budgets in a big way, leaving little room for big indulgences. On the flipside, it’s a great time to rediscover life’s simple pleasures. One of my personal favorites involves a piping hot cup of freshly steeped tea – earl grey, jasmine, or if I’m feeling particularly adventurous I’ll create my own blend using two or three different flavors – and curling up with a good book.  At first glance, this may seem like an especially eco friendly activity, but remember, even the simplest pleasures can create unnecessary waste. In this example, the waste is disguised as excess packaging.

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, surpassed only by water, though it doesn’t enjoy quite that level of popularity in the U.S. – yet. Thanks to recent studies touting tea’s myriad benefits, consumption here is back on the rise.  But before you go buying up boxes of Lipton tea bags in bulk, there’s one thing the eco conscious consumer should keep in mind. Four layers typically stand between consumers and their coveted bags of tea. You have: the bag itself, each bag’s individual paper wrapping, the cardboard box containing the individually wrapped tea bags, and the cellophane wrapping that seals the box. Each of these layers has to be manufactured, generating copious amounts of energy; and each will have to be disposed of – most likely finding its way to the trash.

But what if I told you that you could have your tea and drink it too? That there is a more eco friendly way to consume tea, and that it tastes better too! What am I jabbering about? Loose tea. Now the only thing standing between you and your tea is a reusable (ah, I love that word) tin.

Little by little, specialty teashops are popping up all over the country, and tins of loose tea are finding their way onto mainstream grocery store shelves. Loose tea often comes with the stigma that it’s expensive or only for tea snobs, but I want to let you in on a little secret: Now you can buy loose tea for the same price as (and sometimes lower than) the excessively packaged tea bags. On average, tea bags cost between 15 and 40 cents per cup, while I’ve seen loose tea for as low as 10 cents per cup. Granted, I’ve also seen varieties of loose tea selling for well over 60 cents per cup, but the point is you can buy loose tea for the same price as regular old Lipton bags. But wait…there’s more. Loose tea actually tastes better too.

In order to get the maximum flavor out of tea, the leaves have to be able to expand to their full potential. Since these synthetic paper tea bags are so small, manufactures are forced to use smaller fragments, called fannings or dust, to retain the flavor. To acquire fannings, you have to literally go to the bottom of the barrel, scooping up the leftover scraps once all the whole leaves are claimed. This doesn’t mean you loose all those health benefits, but it does mean that even the cheapest cup of loose tea is higher quality than most bagged varieties, effectively yielding a better tasting brew. Plus, there are so many more varieties of loose tea, allowing you to mix your own unique blends. So get out there and try something new!

Most specialty teashops and on-line retailers (my personal favorite is Adagio) offer descriptions of their teas, and sometimes offer sampler tins. So before you reach for that same old variety of black tea you’re used to, blend it with and herbal flavor, or better yet, try something totally different – like an oolong jasmine or a pure white tea. Their subtle aromas and flavors will have you singing loose tea’s praises.

If all that sounds a little too daunting, grab a tin of loose tea off the shelf at your local grocers. Just be sure to keep these three important tips in mind when steeping your first cup: use one teaspoon of tea per eight ounces of water; heat your water (filtered if possible) until it begins to boil and pour it over the tea strainer or ball you’ve filled with tea; and most importantly, follow the steeping time listed on the packaging. If tea steeps too long past the recommended time, it will turn bitter. Typically, black tea should steep for five minutes; dark oolong, white, and herbals should steep for seven minutes, and light oolong and green teas should steep no longer than three minutes.

Now grab a reusable tea ball and get steeping!

Energy conservation is an essential part of eco-friendly living. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, energy-related activities in the United States (such as lighting and heating our homes and businesses, producing and transporting food and goods, and even doing everyday tasks around the house) account for three-quarters of human-produced greenhouse gas emissions (those pesky gases that are heating up the planet). Most of those greenhouse gases come from carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal, oil, and natural gas, which we depend on for the majority of the energy we produce.

With that in mind, we don’t often realize just how much energy is used in everyday tasks. Here’s a guide that will hopefully get us thinking differently about the energy we consume every day – from hygiene routines to household chores and commuting. Try these 10 Ways To Be Green…For Free:

1. Turn off the lights – That old belief that turning lights on and off wastes more electricity than keeping them on is simply a myth. Turning off lights when they’re not in use consumes less energy and saves money on electricity bills too.

2. Turn off the water – Many of us have gotten into the habit of leaving the water running while brushing our teeth, shaving, and washing dishes. With the average faucet dispensing two and a half gallons of water per minute, that’s a lot of water down the drain. Why conserve water when it’s practically free? The process of water purification and distribution back into our homes requires a lot of energy. The less we use, the less energy wasted.

3. Use your dishwasher – Using a dishwasher, especially an energy efficient model, can be less wasteful than washing dishes the old fashioned way. Just make sure to run it when it’s full.

4. Wash clothes in cold water – Heating water accounts for about 80-85 percent of energy used in washing machines. And using cold water is just as effective as hot, so why waste the energy?

5. Cut back on air conditioning and heating – Heating and cooling can account for nearly half of household energy costs. Turn down your thermostat and layer accordingly. Grab that extra blanket to keep warm and cozy in the winter.

6. Eat local – Where did those strawberries come from? It’s winter. Just think of how much gas is used to truck fresh fruits and veggies into local supermarkets from all over the country. Get yours from a local farmer’s market or co-op. You’ll help save energy, and support your local farmers too!

7. Check your tires – Under-inflated tires can reduce your fuel economy by up to three percent, cause wear on your treads, and lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions. Many gas stations offer free compressed air, so check your car manual, pull out your gauge, and make sure you’re pumped up.

8. Ride your bike or walk – We’ve become so used to the convenience of our cars, that sometimes we don’t even think to use other methods of transportation. Try riding your bike or walking to your destination. You’ll save money on gas and get some exercise too; It’s a win-win.

9. Sip from your own mug – Americans plow through an astounding 41 million disposable hot beverage cups a day. Take your own mug to work or to the coffee shop. Even if disposable cups are recyclable, it takes energy for initial production and to recycle them into new paper cups.

10. Spread the word! Remember that old saying, “strength in numbers?” One very important thing you can do is to share your green knowledge with your friends and family. Tell them why you’ve decided to green up your life, and how easy it is. Hopefully they’ll see the green light and start examining their own everyday practices.

*The facts and figures listed above were compiled from a variety of sources including the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and the book True Green (by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin)

A major part of our mission here at Greenovations is to provide current information related to eco-friendly living. In keeping with that spirit, we’d like to introduce Eco Beat, a multi-faceted blog featuring hard news, editorial pieces, and information on the latest and greatest green products on the market. Please feel free to add comments here or at our forum (by clicking on the “Green Community” link above); we believe dialog is a fundamental element of progressive thinking and action.

In this tough economic climate, embracing an entirely new lifestyle may not seem feasible. We get this. That’s why our first post (and many to come) is dedicated to things that make sense not only from an environmental standpoint, but from a economic perspective as well. And thus, our inaugural post begins…

Sustainable clothing is finally finding its way into the mainstream. While there are many high-end eco-friendly lines out there (Edun, Del Forte, Loomstate, etc.), they tend to be out of reach of many consumers. This is why we were ecstatic to see that Gregory Rogan has teamed up with discount retailer Target to create “Loomstate for Target”, an environmentally friendly clothing line for women and men. The new line is poised to hit stores in time for Earth Day 2009 (April 22).

But Target is not the only major discount store to get into the game. Kmart and Wal-Mart plan to launch their own eco-friendly lines, according to GreenBiz.com. They’re separately teaming up with sustainable clothing company Green Source to carry organic jeans, Kmart under their Rout 66 brand and Wal-Mart under their Faded Glory label. So next time you’re on a scavenger hunt looking for that perfect pair of jeans, check out one of these new lines. What do you have to lose?