1. Diapers: …and not just the cloth ones. Did you know that, on average, a baby will go through about six thousand diapers before they’re potty trained? Well, a company called ‘Knowaste’ makes disposable diapers that can be recycled.
2. Soap: That’s right — soap! A non profit organization called ‘Clean the World’ collects leftover soap and shampoo from hotels and donates it to those in need.
3. Caskets: This one nearly blew my mind yesterday and, you know, I don’t know why cause you’d think this was a no-brainer: Why not be buried in something that will easily biodegrade or is made from recycled materials? Seems silly not too, but I suppose that’s just my opinion. And besides being eco-friendly, it’s also much less expensive, too!
4. Running shoes: I am a big gym-goer so I own several pairs of running shoes, cross trainers, ones with shock absorbtion, etc. When you’re done with running shoes that are still in relatively good shape, they can be donated to the less fortunate. But the thing is, for me anyway, they’re so incredibly pricey that you can be sure that I use them until they can no longer be worn. The good news is, they can still be made into building materials. Check out RecycledRunners.com to find out where you can bring your old runners.

1. Green Capsule – Mini Mobile Garden

The Green Capsule is a tiny plant inside a keychain or pendant. Essentially it’s a seed and a small quantity of soil. However, once the seed germinates, you’ll need to remove it and replace it with another seed. It serves no practical purpose, and at $84, it’ll make your eyes water too!

2. Solar Powered Light Up Squirrel

A Solar Powered Light Up Squirrel, do I really need to say anything at all? Costing $55 for a light up mammal? I would love to know what was going through the designer’s mind.

3. Cardboard Laptop Case

Right, I like the idea of recycling here, using an old box to create a Cardboard Laptop Case. However, that’s where the practicality ends. When it rains, you’ll end up with a soggy mess! However, I doubt you’ll have much money left after buying an expensive Apple Mac either, so I can understand that you’d need to improvise a case.

4. Lemon-Powered Clock

The lemon-powered clock is a gadget that’s actually touted as a product rather than an educational toy! Why you’d want lemons rotting on your kitchen surfaces to give you the time, I have no idea! Surely it’s greener to use rechargeable batteries than to use an endless supply of lemons (unless of course you have a lemon tree). However, if the clock re-sets every time you change the lemons, it’s hardly practical.

5. Toilet made from cardboard

Sure, it’s made form recyclable materials, but where’s the privacy? And how do you dispose of them hygienically? I have so many questions! How does one sit on a flimsy cardboard toilet? Where would you use this and when? I just… I just don’t get it.

1. Change your bathing routine by switching from baths to showers. A bath uses more than 80 litres of water; a shower uses less than 38 litres every five minutes.
2. If you prefer taking a shower to soaking in a bath, shorten your time; 10 minutes is too long. Also, a low-flow showerhead and faucet will save as much as 50 per cent of the water you use each time.
3. Low-flush toilets conserve water and reduce the greenhouse gases produced in the water-purification process.
4. Newer toilet tanks use about six litres of water -– about two-thirds less than old models. If you don’t want to buy a new toilet, place a one-litre capped plastic water bottle in the tank to replace some of the water so less is used for each flush.
5. Faucets run seven to 11 litres of water each minute. Turn off taps when you aren’t using them.
6. Consider going veggie at least two or three times a week. It takes up to 5,000 gallons of water to raise one pound of meat; one pound of wheat takes 25 gallons.
7. Rinse fruit and vegetables before and after peeling instead of continuously under running water.
8. Disconnect your downspout. In a city, your eavestroughs likely drain into a downspout connected to the sewer system. Heavy rain can overtax the system, releasing sewage, oil, pesticide residues and other contaminants into lakes and rivers. Some cities will disconnect your downspout for free. Less water flowing through municipal treatment plants saves money, too.
9. Use a rain barrel. Set it under your downspout to reduce the load on storm sewers and lower your utility bill. To reduce the risk of West Nile virus, buy one with a mosquito screen or simply empty the barrel twice weekly.
10. Dig compost into your flowerbeds, plant native species, and mulch around plants, shrubs and trees.  The Clean Water Foundation says just five centimetres of mulch reduces a flowerbed’s water requirements by 70 per cent. It also slows weed growth.
11. Water wisely, if you must. Watering cans and soaker hoses waste the least. And water early in the day to prevent evaporation. Occasional, deep watering is better than frequent, light sprinkling.
12. Sow drought-tolerant and disease-resistant grass; don’t water established lawns during dry spells; let mown grass lie to nourish the earth and conserve moisture; and leave any clover (its roots add nitrogen to the soil). Top-dress with compost, reseed bald spots, rake out thatch and keep mower blades sharp and set at least 6.5 centimetres aboveground, says Greenpeace.

It’s all well and good getting these fancy energy saving gadgets, but what do we do with all the old gadgets we’ve got? Recycling electronic devices is not that easy, so here are 10 eco-friendly ways to recycle your gadgets rather than send them to landfill.

Sell your stuff on eBay - ok, so that’s an old tip, but it’s worth getting some cash for your gadgets first of all. The best form of recycling is reuse.

Swap your old mobile phone for cash - there are a number of companies who will give you money in return for your old mobile phone. There are lots to choose from, so shop around to find the one that pays the best!

Give your gadgets away to friends and family - if you know someone who’d appreciate something you no longer need, just give it to them. It’ll probably make their day, and your unwanted electronics get another use.

Give away your gadgets on Freecycle - If you’ve never heard ofFreecycle, it’s basically a local group where you offer bulky items you no longer want for free. It’s designed to give items a second home that you couldn’t otherwise sell. So if you have no friends or family, Freecycle is a great option!

Send your stuff back to the Manufacturer - Companies such as Dell and Apple now have their own recycling programmes, where they’ll recycle your old computer or ipod for free.

Use a professional recycling service - this kind of service will safely and appropriately dispose of your electrical waste. Increasingly, there are tighter regulations for safe waste disposal, potentially resulting in large fines if you don’t comply.

Give your old computer another purpose - If you have a old computer, you could use it as a home server, photo frame or something else. Just be wary, old computers are not always that energy efficient.

Find a local recycling center myGreenElectronics and earth911both have zip-code searches so that you can find local recycling points near you. The search results will tell you the type of facility (such as a charity, business, or service) and exactly what you can recycle there.

Ask for ideas - if you have something very specific to recycle, but have no idea on how to recycle, then just ask some fellow eco-enthusiasts how do I recycle this? You’ll get plenty of useful ideas on just about everything you can think of, and not just gadgets!

Turn your gadgets into furniture - if you’re slightly bonkersartistic, you could turn your old computers into furniture. It might not be very comfortable, but at least it’s eco friendly!

I absolutely love Scientific American (go on, poke fun at me… neeeeeerd), I’ve had a subscription for a while now and check the site daily for interesting stories. Today’s eye-catching story comes from the American Institute of Architects. They’ve chosen their top examples of building projects that marry form and function for both human and environmental needs.

Check it out after the jump!

Slide Show: Top 10: Earth (and people) friendly buildings

As might be obvious by now, I am feeling quite under the weather. No doubt, in this rainy/windy/varied temperature season many of you are sick or have done your time already. Unfortunately, my partner is sick as well but unlike me he has a elevated fever of 102 and is generally miserable. Fever is an elevation in body temperature. It’s the body’s protective mechanism against infection. The elevation in temperature happens when our immune system is fighting off bacteria and viruses that could harm our body. Fever is our strongest weapon in the fight against infections or diseases. Alongside bed rest and plenty of fluids, there are a plethora of remedy options from pain meds to cough meds to various rubs and ointments. But finding a few natural ways to treat the flu is important. Why? Because if your experience is anything like ours was today, you’ll quickly run into a block where taking any more drug store shelf flu meds could be dangerous or just generally of no use.

Now, I will remind you — I’m no doctor. I have an undergrad background in BioChem, so I can talk the talk, but I certainly wouldn’t listen to me alone. Check with your doctor before trying any of these natural options. You might think that natural options are always safer than the rest, but serious allergies or medication conflict can occur, certainly. That being said, let’s talk more about fevers.

More cowbell!

To go alongside yesterday’s “Top 5: Saving energy can save you money” post, here are four awesome ways to save money by saving water! Let me tell you, as much as I love nice, long hot showers — I love saving money more, don’t you?

1. Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
2. Install a low-flow showerhead. They don’t cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
3. Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
4. Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.

Try these out for yourself! Have something you’d like to add to this list? Leave me a comment!

Do you feel like your house is sucking away all your money every time you turn on a lamp or run the dryer? I don’t know what it is exactly that instilled this fear in me, but I’m going to assume it was my mother (Love you, mom!).

As kids, we hung our clothes to dry on the line — which was the most exhausting task for my little arms (wet jeans are the worst!). Why did we do this? There was a perfectly good machine dryer in the basement, but mom insisted that as long as it wasn’t raining or snowing (and even then, there were exceptions), we had to hang our clothes on the line. Mom was on to something — it saves a ton of money.

Now that I have grown up and have my very own hydro bill, I can attest to the notion of doing away with the dryer altogether. So I hang/drape my clothes to dry. Sadly, I have no little-armed kids to carry out the task for me, heh.

READ ON: Here’s a helpful list of some other things you can do to save energy!