U.S. Composting Council Conference

As you all know, last week we were at the annual U.S. Composting Council Conference down in Orlando. Despite the gorgeous weather (especially when compared to the ice and snow that Iowa was getting) we spent most of our time inside the hotel's conference center learning about the great things happening in the world of compost!

From composting in restaurants, to higher education, to new avenues to composting, like community councils on sustainability, the panels covered a variety of important topics. We're excited to get back and use the information we gained in our everyday activity.

Did you attend the conference this year? If so let us know what your favorite panel was!

Ways to Green Your Home in 2013

The new year brings new resolutions for everyone. Often time these resolutions revolve around fitness, breaking habits, and personal health. However, if you've decided you're going to make a bigger effort to help the earth's help, we've got a few ideas on where to start. These changes are all pretty small, but their impact can be very large. Check it out, you may just change your resolution!

1) Switch to eco-friendly light bulbs:
While this change seems small, it is a great way to start having an impact, both through less energy usage and through less light bulbs being thrown away!

2) Make new large purchases with the environent in mind:
Need a new dishwasher, car or laptop? Look into environmentally friendly solutions, like high efficiency washers, hybrid or electric cars, and laptops with recycling programs that are easily repairable. Taking these things into account will increase the longevity of your purchase as well as saving you some money on bills!

3) Make a commitment to recycling:
In some of the U.S. recycling is second nature, however if you guiltily toss your glass, cardboard or aluminum products into the trash this year is the year to change. Make a commitment to recycle all recyclable products and the impact you'll have is much larger than you think!

4) Start growing your own vegetables and fruits or buying locally:
As minor as it may seem, taking care to either grow your own produce or purchase locally grown can have a large impact. There's less fuel emission in transportation and it's a better decision for keeping your money in your community as well!

5) Start a compost heap: If you don't have a composting facility near you that will accept your waste, do it yourself! While we don't recommend this for businesses, with a large amount of organics (find a composter, like GreenRU to handle services for you), a home heap is usually not too hard to maintain. It will save the emission of methane gases to the ozone layer and it will keep your organics from filling up space in the landfill.

Are you trying anything new this year to be green? Tell us in the comments!

Top 15 T-Shirt DIYs

With the seasons changing it is a lot easier to go through our closets and find items we no longer wear. Whether it's due to a change of taste or a change of fit, we eventually have to let go of old articles of clothing. While donating is also a great option, DIY with t-shirts is fun and can create some pretty cool things! We've compiled our top 15 t-shirt DIYs here for you!

DIY instructions

Making an old t-shirt into an iPod holder out of an old t-shirt is great for running or working out with your iPod, and it's easy to do with this simple tutorial! What a great way to encourage yourself to stay active during the winter months!

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Throw pillows are a great way to brighten up a room or throw some fun colors on a neutral colored couch. These throw pillows memorialize your old t-shirts while giving them a new purpose.

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 This cute and functional ruffle skirt looks dressy enough to be business casual, but since it's made out of your old t-shirt you know it will be very comfortable.

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 It can sometimes be hard to pack shoes, since you wear them on your feet they can often get dirty. This fun shoe travel bag looks cute, is machine washable and you can make it from your old t-shirts! How great!

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 If you simply adore an old t-shirt because of the print on it, and your home is lacking in decorations, then framing your old shirt might be the best option for you! It's a fun way to display the old shirt, and if you get a frame at the right time it can be very cheap!

DIY instructions

 This fun, cute vest is extremely simple to make and looks great on! What could be better?

Link to original

These t-shirt neck ties are great! The only bad thing is that the original article we found links to an esty account that you can send your shirt to for someone else to DIY a tie. However, there are a couple different images so we'd like to think that our crafty readers will be able to figure it out (if you can you should let us know)!

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Remember shag rugs? Super comfortable, shag carpeting was a staple in the 70s', but you can still find shag rugs at major stores. This tutorial shows you how to take your old t-shirts and make your own! How great is that?

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An old t-shirt can make a great apron, and this one even shows you how to make one with pockets!

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Washable diapers are coming back into popularity right now, and what better way to show Mom and Dad's style than by reusing one of your old t-shirts for the little one's diaper? This is a fun way to get a large variety of reusable diapers while still making to reuse some of your own wardrobe!

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 Summer tank tops are great, but if you have one that you're just not wearing anymore a new purse could be even better! This DIY takes an old tank top and makes a great new bag that you can use year round!

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 Scarves are great, whether they're just accessories or necessary for keeping warm. This DIY shows you how to create a fun, fashionable scarf from an old t-shirt. It's quick, and it's no-sew!

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This is another t-shirt turned skirt, but it's a little more casual and simple than the other skirt we have on here. It also allows a lot more room for imagination. The original poster embellished her finished skirt with some cute buttons to dress it up a little bit more.

DIY instructions

 This fun scarf offers another method of reusing the shirts without losing the images you loved from the original shirts. It would be easy to make a themed scarf from old shirts to keep warm and cozy while still remembering why you love your old shirts.

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 Finally, a t-shirt quilt. This is another idea that makes it easy to keep the memory of the old shirt alive while creating something new and functional. They're also very cozy, so it's great to keep warm once the winter months set in.

Do you have any other favorite t-shirt DIYs? Leave them and your thoughts on these ones in the comments!

Featured Article: Fifth-Grader's Petition Prompts Jamba Juice to Ditch Styrofoam

Normally we try to stick to one featured article a week on our blog, but this story was too good to ignore. Thanks to the petition of a 10 year old, Jamba Juice will no longer be using styrofoam in their stores. This is great news, but we'd like to urge the company to take it a step further.

With a chain like Jamba Juice, composting just makes sense, so why not make sure that every Jamba Juice cup is compostable as well? They rely on heathy fruit and yogurt to make their beverages, so why not give back to the earth that gives them so much? Jamba Juice is currently looking into ways to reduce their footprint and trying to make their entire business more sustainable, and composting would take care of a large portion of their waste stream.

What do you think? We talk about the benefits of composting a lot on this blog, would you like to see more restaurants and businesses participating? Let us know in the comment section!

Read the original story here.

Featured Article: Carbon Neutral Higher Education

This featured article is a little different than our usual bizarre sustainable. This week we're exploring the idea of being carbon neutral in higher education. Luther College in Decorah, IA is hard at work toward their goal of being carbon neutral, and the school is doing a great job.

As Professor Jim Martin-Schramm says, "Colleges aren't supposed to be a mirror for society, we are supposed to be a model." Schools enstill values in their students, and many private and public college across Iowa are aiming to be more sustainable. It's showing their students that a sustainable lifestyle is goal worth working to attain.

As a company that deals with compost, we've worked with a diverse group of companies and institutions to make them more sustainable through their waste stream. When speaking about sustainability waste stream is a part of the topic often left out in favor for wind and solar power and electricity saving measures, or local produce shopping. Part of that may be the 'yuck' factor associated with talking about what we waste, but it is a crucial element of the conversation.

We commend Luther for their efforts, and we hope that they reach their carbon neutral goals. If other colleges wish to shrink their footprint as well, we encourage them to consider their waste stream and think about what could be diverted from landfills. We also encourage them to contact us about organic waste diversion.

Read the original article from The Des Moines Register here.

Proud Member of Adopt-A-Highway

Our company's headquarters are based in Iowa. We have a deep commitment to keep our state beautiful, so we are proud to be members of the Adopt-A-Highway program and clean a stretch of highway as a company.

There are so many benefits to the Adopt-A-Highway program. It enables our government to divert the funds that would have gone into paying workers to clean that stretch of road into other programs that are in need of funding.

Adopt-A-Highway also makes sure that our state displays the pride that our residents have it in. With clean highways visiters will have no doubt that Iowa cares deeply for it's natural resources and beauty.

The Adopt-A-Highway program started in Texas, but has spread to 49 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. It is easy to see why, the very nature of the program fosters a pride in all those involved and allows them to be actively involved in the preservation of nature.

If you'd like to get involved with the Adopt-A-Highway program visit their site here.

Creating a more sustainable fair

It's fair season again, which means long days spent outside in your community. With County Fairs spread throughout the next couple of weeks, and the Iowa State Fair running August 9-19th it is easy to get caught up in the fun. However, it could also become much more sustainable fun with a little help from our company. Chamness Technology would like to help your fair receive a green ribbon for sustainability.

Fairs mean animals, and animals mean lots of bedding being used. We can safely dispose of all your fair bedding sustainably, which means keeping the world more beautiful for future fairs.

Fairs also mean a lot of food, and food waste can all be turned into compost. If your fair were to utilize our composting services you could use your waste to return nutrients to the soil that will be used in agriculture and gardens.

If you're interested in making your fair more green it's easy, just contact us today!

Our top 10 Reusable Bag DIYs from Pinterest

Last week another city announced a plastic bag ban. These bans are happening all over the place, so we decided to scour Pinterest for the best Reusable Bag DIYs. We narrowed it down to ten, and now you can make a great reusable grocery bag of your own!

Tutorial here

This reusable bag is made out of 2 pillow cases, so if you're looking to redecorate your bedroom this is definitely the reusable bag for you! It is simple, but it looks stylish and unique.

Tutorial here

This bag is more your tradition bag, but with a handy pocket on the outside for your phone, keys, and wallet! It's so convenient that you don't even have to bring a purse to the store as well if you don't want to and it's insulate, so it can help keep your cold items cold and your warm items warm longer.

Tutorial here

A fold-away reusable grocery bag? Why wouldn't this one make our list? It's so compact and convient, but looks cute and functional when you unroll it. It's small enough that you could easily keep it in your purse or glove compartment if you need to stop by the store after work.

Tutorial here

This bag is a lot more like the original bags that were sold in grocery stores, but it allows for customization, which makes it unique and personal.

Tutorial here

This is another bag similar to the original reusable bags that you could buy at the grocery store, but this one seems like it'd be a stronger alternative. With the double layer of fabric at the bottom, plus the reinforced cardboard we don't think this bag should have any trouble handling your heavy groceries!

Tutorial here

This is one of 3 t-shirt bags we chose. The beauty of t-shirt bags is that you're only using materials that you already have and the ones we've found are all no-sew. It's a fun way to re-purpose t-shirts that you might have outgrown but still want to keep around.

Tutorial here

This t-shirt bag is very similar to the other one we featured, but it has fringe rather than a small amount of string at the bottom. Both are a fun way to keep using that t-shirt, and both tutorials comment on how surprisingly durable they are. 

Tutorial here

Our final t-shirt bag is the only one that requires sewing, although it ends up functioning much more like a produce bag. If you wanted the reinforcement of sewing without all the holes for a produce bag, you don't have to cut them, you can just call the bag done once you're finished stitching up the sides.

Tutorial here

Ever had an old bag from a food product that's really sturdy, so you feel bad throwing it away but you have nothing to do with it? Well, your answer is here! This reusable bag reuses old groceries to make it! The tutorial uses old rice bags since they're pretty strong, but it could easily be substituted with another exceptionally strong bag. 

Tutorial here

Our final tutorial is for a bag that says it's purpose is for a convertible clutch purse, however, we think it could work extremely well as a stylish reusable grocery bag as well. 

Those were our picks for our favorite reusable bag tutorials. Do you have another one that you couldn't live without? Share it in the comments! 

5 Tips for starting an Urban Garden

While we mostly deal with people who have whole farms to plant, with today's urbanization it is important to realize that urban gardening and growing is possible too. Whether you're in an apartment or your house is just inside of a city, it is still possible to grow your own fresh produce. However, starting a urban garden can be somewhat daunting, so we've assembled the top five tips for starting an urban garden.

1) Evaluate your gardening space: Do you get sun exposure? Is there access to a sufficient water supply? Is there heavy traffic nearby? All of these factors can lead to success or failure in urban gardening and so it is crucial that you scope out what sort of space you'll be working with and plant accordingly. If you don't get much sun pick plants that thrive in the shade, if you don't have a hose nearby only plan enough to water with your watering can, and try to plant far away from traffic as it can cause wind and pollution that are harmful to plants.

2) Find plants that work for your space limitations: One of the big factors in urban gardening is pot or plot, how much space do you have? If you only have enough room for potted plants, make sure your plan accordingly and get plants that can flourish in pots. Some vegetables and herbs do well in pots, but some need the space to spread. Make sure you know whether yours can thrive or if it needs a bigger space.

3) Evaluate your skills and your time commitment: If you are new to gardening, perhaps it's better to go with a low maintenance, easy to grow plant. There are lists all over the web about easy things to grow as a beginner, even vegetables. If you're a gardening pro, but you don't have a ton of time to garden a lower maintenance plant is probably for you as well.

4) Know your plants before you start: Some plants like to dry between waterings, while others need constant watering to survive. Determining what your plant needs in the way of water and sun can lead to a thriving garden.

5) Make sure your landlord/city is okay with it first: creating your own garden is a great plan, but if your upset landlord kicks you out because of your green habit then it isn't something you should be doing. Make sure that your landlord and your city is okay with it, and check if you need a permit to grow in your city.

If you follow all of these tips you'll be on your way to your own urban garden!

Featured Article: Gardening inside the home

This featured article comes from Fast Company, and is about a method for gardening inside of your home. This planter looks like a rotating wheel, and it gives all areas of the plant equal light and water, while still looking nice in your home.

We've talked in this blog about how great growing/buying locally is for being green, but this allows for growing in your living room, without the hassel of a planter box. You could easily have this in a full size home, or an apartment and still live comfortably.

Find the full article here. What do you think, would you buy one of these for your home?

Steps to a Greener 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! We're blogging a little early today, so we can get to you before your cook-out! According to an estimate by the U.S, Department of Energy, around 60 million Americans have BBQs today! With all the celebrations going on it is hard to remember to keep your grilling 'green'. However, we have a few simple steps to make your holiday cooking a little more eco-friendly.

Compostable over biodegradable- We hate to say it, but the word biodegradable has been tainted. Companies use the term all the time, even if their product is only biodegradable over 50 years. Compostable products, however, can go straight in with your compost and have to be certified in order to be labeled compostable.

Clean your grill- leftover food and grease in your grill leads to excess smoke, and just isn't healthy for your grill or the environment. Make sure to thoroughly clean your grill and you'll be good to go! Baking Soda is a great, natural grill killer too, just use a wire brush and an equal parts mixture of Baking Soda and water and you'll have a clean grill in no time!

Recycle your cans and bottles- Make sure you're sorting and recycling your waste. Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour on average, and the majority are thrown away. Recycling your bottles and cans is an easy way to make your cook-out a little bit greener.

Use organic charcoal in your grill- Overall, charcoal grills aren't great for the environment, however if you use an organic charcoal it will burn cleaner, as it is made from untreated wood, rather than traditional charcoal which is treated with chemicals and other additives to make it burn longer.

Buy a vinyl tablecloth, rather than a paper or plastic throw-away- This will save you the money of buying a flimsy tablecloth each year, and you're keeping that paper/plastic one out of landfills.

Use recycled aluminum foil for your grilling- Some brands now offer 100% recycled aluminum foil, most in cases made from 100% recycled paperboard.

Buy your food locally- buying from local farmers means you can find pesticide-free produce and you'll boost your local economy! It also doesn't hurt that those farmers just have to drive it into town, rather than across the country.

Use natural pest remedies- Nobody likes having bugs at the party! We have a full post about natural bug repellants, but another trick is to throw sage and rosemary on hot coals, if you're using a charcoal grill. They will make your yard smell great, and it will keep Mosquitos away. Citronella candles also make great bug repellants.

International bag-free day

While many of us already know that this Wednesday is an important holiday in the United States, Tuesday is an important day as well, it International Plastic Bag-Free Day, as reported by Waste & Recycling News. What better time for it? When you're out shopping for all of your 4th cook-out supplies, you should make sure to bring a reusable bag.

Plastic itself can take hundreds of years to break down, and plastic bags don't ever completely break down, they just rip into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic, which contaminate the soil of the landfills they are placed in.

However, are plastic bags enough? Every year Americans throw away enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons to circle the equator 300 times. Why not use your own dishes for your celebrations, rather than something you'll throw out that night?

It'd be so easy to make your Independence day a little greener by declaring your independence from plastics, whether it's bags or eating utensils.

Read the original article here.

Gardening Inspiration

In this day and age it's becoming increasingly hard to have enough room to garden everything you would like, especially in urban areas. It's due to this trend that a new gardening fashion has arose, vertical gardening. If you've been on Pinterest, there are tons of tutorials for how to make your own. Some are fairly simple:

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While others can be fairly complex:

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We found a few that are inspiring us to try out vertical gardening on our own, so we thought we'd share them with you as well! Enjoy our top 10 Pinterest Vertical Gardens!

Original Pin

We love this one because it's simple, and you can recycle old coffee tins or other old cans in the process! We also think this one would be easy to do at home.

Original Pin

This one is cute and could easily work both as an interior and exterior garden, if you wanted to add a little green to your sitting room. 

Original Pin

This one is more inspiration than an easy how-to, but we love the look of making your plant life decorative, and we think these plants will definitely be getting enough light and rain!

Original Pin

This pin leads to a DIY for this vertical garden, which was much simpler than we thought it would be! It also looks like a framed work of art, and we love that it almost becomes a decorative piece as well as a garden. 

Original Pin

This is similar to the last one, but with a bit of asymmetrical flair. While there isn't a tutorial, we imagine that you could make it the same way as the previous vertical garden, just arrange the planters differently.

Original Pin

Another vertical garden made of recycled materials! Recycle mason jars and old pieces of wood, from a pallet or otherwise, to make this fun little herb garden! 

Original Pin

Whoa. That's about all we can say for this building turned mountain.

Original Pin

What can we say, we're a sucker for Vertical gardens that recycle. And this one has a creative twist, as it doesn't climb up a wall, but rather hangs down, like planters only more space efficient!

Original Pin

We love this trellis style vertical garden for a bit of a different, but classic, flair. 

Original Pin

We're going to finish with an awe inspiring piece by one of the most famous vertical garden designers, Patrick Blanc. This pin links to an article with a bunch of pictures of his vertical gardens, you should definitely check them out for some inspiration.

If you want to follow us on Pinterest feel free, here's our profile.