What I Did on My Summer Vacation Green

As summer rapidly approaches, people consider how to spend the quintessential summer vacation. Many families shell out enormous dollars to spend time at shopping meccas, designed more as ways to merchandise popular characters and logo smattered t-shirts, hats, bars of soap, even plastic cups.

I've taken several such family trips myself, but I always return home with an emptier wallet and the echo of wasted money and time. Such trips usually leave me feeling a little bit hollow. Consider the multimillion dollar enterprises that grow their bottom line and wonder, is there a better way to rejuvenate and get away?

One of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry centers on responsible and sustainable tourism. Tourism is often the only source of income for many areas of the world. Responsible tourism is the baby step towards completely sustainable tourism.

Tenets of such travel include:

• informing themselves of the culture, politics, and economy of the communities visited
• anticipating and respecting local cultures, expectations and assumptions
• contributing to intercultural understanding and tolerance
• supporting the integrity of local cultures by favoring businesses which conserve cultural heritage and traditional values
• supporting local economies by purchasing local goods and participating with small, local businesses
• conserving resources by seeking out businesses that are environmentally conscious, and by using the least possible amount of non-renewable resources

This sort of vacation allows the consumer the opportunity to not just see a new place and experience a different environment, but to also make a difference in the world.  The opportunity to see places on our beautiful planet unsullied by logos or animated characters, but instead gleaming with breathtaking views and warm local people.

So tell me, what will you be doing on your summer vacation? Have you ever considered this sort of trip as an alternative?


(photo courtesy of: www.billhaneberg.com)

Paper Receipt Green

About once a week, I clean out my wallet. No, I'm not referring to the cash part, although with two daughters, there are times I feel like a human ATM machine. Instead, I empty my wallet of receipts. Paper scraps that do little more than demonstrate my ability to consume, mail something, or withdraw cash.

Many of these receipts are printed on thermal paper, which cannot be recycled.  Even more unsettling is that often the coating on these receipts is BPA. The concern is that BPA receipts do not have a bound polymer, but rather a free one and the BPA can transfer from simply handling the receipt. BPA, also know as Bisphenol A, is linked to cancer, sexual dysfunction and heart disease.

I took a look at my receipts this morning and discovered 4 ATM receipts, 3 post office receipts, 2 grocery receipts and a restaurant receipt. (and a partridge in a pear tree?). I realized that none of these scraps of paper were particularly useful. My ATM withdrawals show up online and in my bank statement, my post office receipts prove I bought stamps or mailed something, my grocery receipts and restaurant receipt show I eat food. The receipts weren't badges of consumer honor, but rather just clutter in my wallet.

Granted, there are times a receipt may prove useful in returning merchandise, but my experience has proven to me that there is a huge disconnect between returning something and finding the right receipt. Additionally, on large ticket items, a credit card receipt or electronic receipt suffices. Not to mention, with a bad grocery item, in my experience, the store is more than happy to simply exchange the item. Vendors give them credit and the customer leaves happy.

How do you feel about paper receipts?  Would you take a quick survey?

(the survey site had a really cute video showing just how much paper rolls of receipt paper make... unreal, huh?)

Is Plastic ever Green?

Do you make a point to avoid products in plastic, recycle what you do use and reuse?

This video is truly sobering. I think it will make you think twice about plastic.