Win/Win/Win Green

Our Daily Green is thrilled to share a coupon site we've discovered. Consumers can save quite a bit by using coupons. It's interesting to note, as outlined in a Business Owner's Toolkit, 

...only a small percentage of coupons are actually used. Newspaper coupon redemption rates in the grocery, drug, and mass merchandise industry average between 1 percent and 5 percent. Redemption rates for other coupon delivery methods (e.g., mail, magazine, newspaper four-color inserts) vary widely, but still amount to less than 10 percent for most products.

From a green shopper's perspective that often is because coupons tend to be for items that would not be purchased in the first place. CommonKindness is different. Their first group of coupons is usually for organic and natural items found at health food stores and the sort. The have coupons for AlterEco fair trade goods, Rising Moon organics, and Woodstock organics. Additionally, they offer printable coupons for typical grocery store goods as well. Lastly, they offer internet coupon codes for online shopping sites. If a consumer  needs to purchase something, CommonKindness is a great starting point to look for available discounts and coupons. Again, with less than a 10% redemption rate, most companies are happy to offer coupons instead of lower prices.  

What makes CommonKindness truly different is their commitment to charity. Not only do they offer no cost coupons to the consumer, but they also donate anywhere from 20-66% of the value of the coupons printed to a charity of the consumer's choice. Each visit offers the chance to select a charity to support with a simple zip code or category search feature. 

From the consumer, to the charity, to the business, CommonKindness is a triple win. 

Let's Get this Garden Started!

courtesy of iStock photos

One of the most instantly gratifying vegetables to grow is a radish. Radishes mature in about 3-4 weeks and can be planted throughout the gardening season. The mild winter has made mid March the time to start the season's first batch of radishes. Additionally, radishes also ward off squash bugs and leaf miners from other plants.

Radishes are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. They are low in calories and high in antioxidants, as a cruciferous vegetable.

Additionally, the root isn't the only part of the radish that is edible. The dark green leaf is a tremendous source of vitamins A and C, as well as calcium. The leaves can be used in smoothies, salads or in a wonderful radish leaf pesto.

To start radishes, simply sow the seeds half inch deep and 1 inch apart, in rows spaced 12 inches apart. After the seedlings appear, thin salad radishes to 3 inches apart; thin oriental radishes to 8 to 10 inches apart. Seeds typically sprout in three to seven days when sown in 60-degree soil.

 

Urban Gardening Green

You don't have to live in the country to garden or farm. This week, Our Daily Green had the distinct honor of interviewing Timothy Smith, the founder at the helm of Northeast Ohio's urban gardening movement at Cleveland's CGP. CGP or, Community Greenhouse Partners, purchased the former St. George's Lithuanian church in the heart of the city. Driving to their site, seeing downtown Cleveland on the horizon was almost surreal. If nothing else, it is a religious experience on many levels.

Setting foot on their soil, or more accurately not setting foot on their soil, surpassed it. (Did you know that walking on soil compacts it and therefore makes it less usable?) Additionally, did you know that they have a solution? 

Stay tuned. Our Daily Green is looking for a national publication for this story. We'll keep you posted. 

In the meantime, enjoy a sneak preview, and please, visit their Facebook page and become a fan. You'll be glad you did! 

everyone is welcome

Canstruction can make a difference

Our Daily Green loves when art and social conscience merge. If you've not heard about Canstruction, read on. It's a fabulous charity that challenges organizations to create art with cans of food which then are donated to local food banks. The pictures will dazzle you almost as much as knowing that hungry people are getting food.

Our Vision: Wherever a Canstruction competition is held thousands of hungry people are fed, a greater awareness of the issues surrounding hunger is brought home to the public, and a spotlight is placed on the design and construction industry giving back to the communities it helps build. 

2011 winner

Our Mission:  To engage, amaze and inspire the community to work together raising canned food to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people. 


Who Benefits?:  Men, women and children seeking food assistance through community feeding programs. Canstruction raised over 2 million pounds of food in 2010 which was donated to local food banks, enough food to provide 1.5 million meals. 

2010 winner

Who Donates Food?:  Architects, engineers, designers, contractors, students, and the local community come together to raise canned food to donate to local food banks each year.


There are several upcoming Canstruction events around the nation. Check if your area has one.

2009 winner

2008 winner

Locally, in Cleveland, Ohio, Herschman Architects and The Society of Design Administration (SDA) are working to change all that with an initiative called Cleveland Can. They are sponsoring Canstruction®, a nation-wide design/build competition that works to draw attention to hunger issues right here in our own backyard as well as across the country. It also solicits significant donations to the Cleveland Food Bank (CFB) working to feed hungry people at 450 centers throughout Northeast Ohio.


Their CANstruction will be on exhibit beginning March 30, 2012 at Beachwood Place, 26300 Cedar Road, Beachwood, Ohio 44122. 

Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable batteries can be a green home's best friend. However, when they are not properly cared for, they can run out of charge quickly, frustrating the owner and quickly losing the convenience factor. Green is only a good idea when it works well, so we'd like to offer a few tips to prolong the life of your rechargeable batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries  have a higher energy density and lower self discharge rate than other types of rechargeable batteries. In other words, they hold more energy for a longer amount of time than other rechargeable batteries. Lithium-ion is the most common battery for cell phones, personal computers and apple laptop batteries.

To prolong the life of lithium-ion batteries, we have a few simple guidelines:

• The first guideline is to make sure the battery is fully charged the first time you use it. Wait for the battery indicator to reach full charge. 
• Let the battery run down before recharging it. Batteries need to be cycled a few times in order to be properly conditioned to run at capacity. 
• Use the battery. In other words, even if you're by an outlet, unplug the power source to allow your battery to run your device instead of keeping it in a constant state of charging, which will reduce the life cycle of the battery. 
• Do not expose your battery to extremes in temperature. High heat will cause the battery to drain faster, cold will not allow it to generate as much energy. 
• If you are not using your device for an extended period of time, remove the battery before storing it so the maintenance functions (such as date and time keeping) do not discharge the battery. 

When a rechargeable battery needs to be replaced, they must be disposed of properly, they cannot be thrown out with regular trash. Search Earth911 for proper disposal sites.

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