IU Foundation Green Team Web Page

List of Businesses

iufgreenteam — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:58:18 +0000

Companies trying to make a difference by adopting environmentally friendly business practices.

Puma- new packaging design of shoes will reduce companies cardboard use by 65%, more detail of ways Puma has changed their company to more be eco-friendly at http://www.puma.com/us/en/pindex.jsp
Reynolds Wrap-now using 100% recycled aluminum and cardboard in Green version of product. Coupon can be found at http://www.reynoldsrecycled.com/index.html
Sun Chips- new packaging of chips in completely bio-degradable bag. Bag will breakdown after 14 weeks of being exposed to hot compost like environment, more information at http://www.sunchips.com/healthier_planet.shtml
Bloomington Cleaners- installed new machine that makes them a Certified Environmental Dry Cleaners. Dry cleaning is one of the worst polluters and Bloomington Cleaners is taking a step in the right direction, find more information at http://bloomingtondrycleaners.com/aboutsolvair/
Curry Collision Center- incorporated many environmentally friendly practices into their business model including waterborne basecoat paints and new filtration and sanding systems that reduce emissions. Find more information at http://www.currycollisioncenter.com/aboutus.html
Wishard Hospital- Aiming to be named one of the nation’s most environmentally friendly hospitals by 2013. Find more information at http://www.wishard.edu/448.html \
I-Phone http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/04/celebrate-40th-earth-day-with-50-green-iphone-apps/1

IUF is saving coffee grounds…and wants to give them to you!

iufgreenteam — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:47:37 +0000

21 ways to use coffee grounds.
IUF is collecting coffee ground in the upstairs kitchen and want YOU to make use of them either for composting or any of these other ways:
1. Soften and add shine to hair. When washing your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair and rinse. For brown hair, coffee grounds add highlights.
2. Use coffee grounds as an exfoliant for skin. Pat on skin, massage over skin, rinse.
3. Add coffee grounds to your skin mask beauty routine.
4. Make homemade tattoos (temporary) with henna and coffee grounds.
5. Fertilize plants. Old coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in an acidic soil.
6. Add used coffee grounds to the pots of indoor plants.
7. Work used coffee grounds into your garden soil before seed planting. After your plants start to emerge, work in coffee grounds near the plants. Used coffee grounds are said to repel snails and slugs as well as adding nutrients to the soil.
8. Increase your carrot and radish harvest by mixing seeds with dry coffee grounds before planting the seeds.
9. Use coffee grounds to repel ants.
10. Keep cats from using your garden as a kitty box by spreading used coffee grounds and orange peels throughout flower beds.
11. Deodorize a freezer. Place a bowl with used coffee grounds in the freezer to remove unwanted odors. Add a few drops of vanilla to coffee grounds.
12. Rub coffee grounds on hands to get rid of smells from chopping or cutting up pungent foods.
13. Make a used coffee grounds sachet. Fill old nylons or cheescloth with dry used coffee grounds. Hang in closets to absorb odors.
14. When you need an abrasive cleaner, coffee grounds can be used. Be careful of any surfaces that might stain.
15. Remove furniture scratches with wet coffee grounds.
16. Got a fireplace? Sprinkle wet coffee grounds over the ashes to keep from becoming engulfed in the plume of dust ashes create when you need to remove them.
17. Dye fabric, paper or Easter eggs. Simply add used coffee grounds to warm water and let sit a bit to create a dye.
18. After you give your dog a bath, rub coffee grounds through the coat of your pet. Coffee grounds are said to repel fleas.
19. Keep bait worms alive by mixing coffee grounds into the soil before you add worms.
20. Grow mushrooms on old coffee grounds.

Check out this Website for Spring food!

iufgreenteam — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:17:56 +0000

http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/cooking-basics/vegetables-fruits-cheese/Leaves-of-Green.htm?WT.dcsvid=MjA5NjUyMjg5MAS2&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_BettyCrocker_04_22_2009

This is a great guide about the different lettuces, the first veggie available in the spring, and how to use them.

Worm composting recipe

iufgreenteam — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:17:12 +0000

You’ll need:
1 worm bin—Must be opaque because the worms don’t like the light. Drill holes for the worms to breathe, but make sure they’re small enough so that they don’t escape!
Shredded newspaper—Fill your bin about 3/4 of the way full.
Water—Pour over the newspaper and then test to make sure it’s “spongy” sounding (about 2-3 cups). Be careful not to add too much water!
Soil—Sprinkle just enough soil over the top of the newspaper to introduce all of the good stuff soil offers to your worm farm (about 1 cup).
Red wigglers—Add about a lb. of worms to your bin. (You can order them from wormwoman.com.)
Food scraps—Your worms love all vegetable, bread, and cereal leftovers. They also love coffee grounds and egg shells! Do not feed them meat, bones, oils and fats, citrus, hot peppers, and the like!
Questions? Consult Amy Stewart’s one-page handout at: amystewart.com/images/worm-composting.pdf

Email IUF Green Team for the complete instructions!

Electronics Recycling Opportunity

iufgreenteam — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:44:29 +0000

If you are looking for a safe, responsible method of disposing of your electronics (computers, cell phones, etc.), an upcoming event hosted by IU Bloomington and IUPUI may meet your needs. Electronic Waste Collection Days, a free electronic waste recycling drive, will be held April 30 through May 2 in both Bloomington and Indianapolis. Don’t miss this chance to freely and responsibly unload your worn out electronics.

http://indiana.poweron.com/

Green Day-Check out this Blog!

iufgreenteam — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:53:05 +0000

http://indiana.poweron.com/

Sustainability Task Force

iufgreenteam — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:17:16 +0000

https://www.indiana.edu/~sustain/ewaste_collection.htm

Indiana University Bloomington names first sustainability director

iufgreenteam — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:35:54 +0000

http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/9983.html

BIO BAGS ARE HERE!

iufgreenteam — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:20:03 +0000

Biobags Facts:

· By using Biobags, you are helping reduce the usage of new and recycled plyethylen-based plastic. BioBags are great for the collection of food waste and other biodegradable materials for composting.

· BioBags are made from the biodegradable and compostable material, Mater-Bi. They are GMO free, certified for use in organic agriculture and CEN certified for restricted use of metals in our vegetable-based inks and dyes. BioBags meet the ASTM D6400 requirements, which is the gold standard for compostable plastic.

· BioBags are shelf stable, just like paper towels, yet biodegradable quickly when exposed to nature’s elements and micro-organisms, leaving no harmful residue behind.

Together we can change the world without changing the earth. J

THE TEN SECOND PLASTIC BAG LESSON:

Regular polyethylene-based plastic bags can take over 100 years to biodegrade and are not compostable. Less than 2% of all plastic bags ever get recycled. Plastic bags litter our streets, backwoods and waterways. Studies indicate that 100,000 marine animals and 2 million birds die every year from ingesting or being caught up in plastic debris.

Some manufacturers are blending additives to polyethylene to produce “degradable” bags. Unfortunately, this process fragments the bags into pieces of plastic debris that do not meet the ASTM D6400 standard for biodegradable and compostable plastic.

BioBag products are based on starch, vegetable oil and other renewable resources. No polyethylene is used in the production process. We are fully certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (make hyperlink to: http://www.bpiworld.org) to be 100% compostable. Please be sure the biodegradable products you buy are properly certified

www.Drugstore.com has an entire page of green products! http://www.drugstore.com/templates/browse/default.asp?catid=47206&trx=GFI-0-ROTABS&trxp1=47206&trxp4=60

Link to drugstore.com’s list of biobag products available: http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All&srchtree=1&Ntt=biobag

NEW CONTEST-starts Jan. 20

iufgreenteam — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:41:32 +0000

Here are the terms of the contest:

· This contest will last for two months, from January 20th through March 20^th.

· The aim of the contest is to get people to use non-disposable bags, or to reuse bags, when they carry things to and from work or when they purchase things outside of work, etc.

· To qualify for the final drawing, you must have used a non-disposable bag or reused a bag at least twice every week.

· The tracking sheet for the two months is attached.

· The prize for the drawing at the end of the contest is a basket of neat stuff J