Like a little squirrel stockpiling his acorns for winter, you’ve already learned how to keep ample supplies of food on hand. But if you’re going to stock your pantry, try buying in bulk. The eco advantage? Little to no packaging to discard, and you’ll likely get more for your money. Bonus points for bringing your own reusable containers - just have them weighed before filling up! A few of our favorite local stores that offer food and other sundries in bulk:  

• Georgetown Market - dish soap, honey, maple syrup, nut butters, spices, snacks
• Whole Foods Market - granola, grains, snacks, flours, pasta, peanut butter
• Good Earth - grains, beans, nuts, flours, pasta, dried fruit, candy, herbs, spices and teas
• The Fresh Market - nuts, dried fruit, granola, snack mixes, candy

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

It’s not exactly news that incorporating green elements into your home can reduce energy consumption and make your living space healthier for you and your family.

But what you might not know is that Indy is home to several green home builders, remodelers, and even a fabulous green home supply store. The following local businesses offer the whole gamut of eco-friendly home materials, such as flooring made of renewable resources, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, tankless water heaters, green roofing and siding, even countertops made of recycled glass and concrete.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or simply updating your water-hogging bathroom fixtures, these folks can steer you in the right direction. 

Casa Verde - commercial and residential real estate development
Greenway Supply - retail and wholesale building materials

Lone Star Custom Homes - green home builder

My Home in Indy - interior design and remodeling

The Re-Development Group - green home builder
 
Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Salsa verde, guac and fresh cilantro aren’t the only green things at Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Our craving for the across-the-border fare at Chipotle is borderline obsessive - delicious yet affordable tacos, salads and densely packed burritos, each one carefully wrapped in recyclable aluminum foil or piled in a bowl made with recycled content.

We cheered when the company announced that it would only feature naturally-raised pork in their carnitas burritos. We applauded when they stated they would no longer serve cheese or sour cream made with milk from cows treated with the synthetic hormone rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). We could barely contain our excitement as their percentage of organic beans grew from 10 to 30%. And, earlier this summer, we filled with Hoosier pride as the chain restaurant took yet another planet-friendly step: Indianapolis Chipotle restaurants now serve naturally-raised chicken from Miller Amish Country Poultry, a collection of family farms in northern Indiana. We’re talkin’ about humanely-raised birds, sans antibiotics and added hormones, which ultimately means a healthier burrito for you, a profit for a small, local family farm, and less carbon emissions for the planet. 

Chipotle is definitely a sustainability leader in chain restaurants and we think that’s pretty clucking great.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Have rising gas prices left you with a case of the summertime blues? Buck up, weary traveler! There are still plenty of places to go that don’t require a full tank to get you there. By keeping your weekend travel plans local, you save money, help reduce air pollution, and get to enjoy Indiana roadways, many of which have been beautified in recent years with native plants and wildflowers as part of the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Hoosier Roadside Heritage Program.When planning your next trip, remember the following:

Out: Pink Cadillacs and Little Red Corvettes
In: Green hybrids

Out: Getting your kicks on Route 66.
In: Getting your kicks on I-65, I-69, and I-70.

Out: Baby, you can drive my car.
In: Baby, you can take the Monon Trail.

Out: Leavin’ on a jet plane. 
In: Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house you go.    
  
Like the plant life you see along Indiana roadsides? Voice your opinion to INDOT by taking their Roadside Heritage Program public survey. Because you belong among the wildflowers. 
 

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

You’re a smart bunch, Green Piece Indy readers.

Each week we send you tips for leading a greener life and, like little sponges, you soak them up and e-mail us back with your questions and ideas. A few months ago, you didn’t know the difference between CFLs and CSAs. But look at you now! We’d even venture to say that when it comes to knowing how to save the planet, you’re moving to the head of the class.

Just don’t keep all that knowledge to yourself. Recycle it! Show younger generations it’s important to care for the planet by supporting local eco-friendly businesses that cater to kids. Here are a few of our faves: 

• You’ve gotta admire Neal Brown’s energy. In addition to running  L’Explorateur, his renowned Broad Ripple restaurant, the chef recently started his own gourmet baby food company, Izzy and Grey’s, named after his two darling children. Brown sources local produce (from farmers who use sustainable, organic growing practices) to create good-enough-for-adults flavors like carrots with ginger and olive oil, slow-roasted sweet potato with cinnamon, and spring peas with mint.
• Look closely: The eye-catching children’s clothing at Wild Child Indy (operated by mother-and-daughter team Carol Ackerman and Shel Polzin) is more than just cute, comfy, and colorful. The bulk of the inventory is natural fiber clothing, made from materials like cotton (some certified organic) and bamboo, some of which is colored with low-impact dyes or simply no dyes at all. Bonus: All of the items are made either in the USA or by fair-trade manufacturers from around the world. 
• The bottom line on cloth diapers is that they are good for the environment, your wallet and your baby’s health. Not only does a disposable diaper require a lot of resources to make, more than 25 billion end up in a landfill each year and may take more than 250 years to decompose. Toasty Baby is a local company selling cloth diapers, diaper covers, swim wear and toys. They’ll deliver and demonstrate their products to Central Indiana customers at no charge.

Piece out, baby,
Renee & Meghan

The electric slide? So yesterday.The Electric Company? Fun while it lasted.

Electric Light Orchestra? Thanks for the memories, Mr. Blue Sky. 

Recycling your electronics? A totally now way to save the planet.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, August 2, Sony, hhgregg, and Waste Management Recycle America are making it even more convenient to dispose of your electronics in an environmentally responsible way. Drop off your old TVs, VCRs, radios, and other electronic devices (at no charge) at these hhgregg locations:

4161 East 96th St.

• 8921 US 31 South
• 10101 East Washington St.
• 10101 East US Highway 36 (Avon)

Recycling these items not only keeps e-waste out of landfills, it also frees up space in your house for more energy-efficient electronics. (Tip: Look for the Energy Star logo the next time you buy).

If only we had a way to recycle our New Kids on the Block cassettes…

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Sometime in between An Inconvenient Truth and the recent spike in fuel prices, big-box retailers jumped on the green bandwagon, offering everything from organic cotton tees to Energy Star rated appliances. Recently, one national chain store made a move that impressed us so much, we had to share it with you. By now, you likely know that compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), though incredibly energy efficient, also contain small amounts of mercury, a toxic chemical. In an effort to get its customers to properly dispose of CFLs, Home Depot began offering a CFL recycling program at all of its stores.For those who recently made the switch from inefficient incandescents to CFLs, it’s not likely that you’ll have to replace your new bulbs anytime soon. The average lifespan of one CFL is a whopping 6,000-15,000 hours (between 8 and 15 times that of traditional incandescent bulbs). But when the time does come, you’ll have more than 1,900 Home Depot locations to choose from, including nine stores within 50 miles of Indy.

Hasta la vista, hazardous waste. 

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Fed up with your gas-guzzling, ozone-hating lawn mower? While dragging the sprinkler across the yard one more time, remember that grass can easily go dormant (brown) during these hot months (for less mowing) and still return to green health in September. To prolong your green lawn now, set your lawn mower blades at around three inches high; longer grass protects root systems from drying out and requires less watering.

But if green your lawn must be, keep in mind that gas-engine lawn equipment contributes to five percent of the air pollution in the U.S. each year. Electric alternatives are widely available, and many are now battery powered so you don’t have to drag an extension cord all over the lawn. Handheld yard equipment is generally cheaper than the gas-powered variety, but electric lawnmowers are $100 to $200 more than gas models.

For a zero-emission, locally-made alternative, look no further than Shelbyville-based American Lawn Mower Company, which has produced reel mowers since 1895. Old-fashioned in concept but not in design, pushing drives the reel and its spinning tines create scissor-like cuts on the cut bar. Most models are cheaper than gas-engine lawn mowers and require almost no maintenance. They’re also much lighter and more maneuverable.

When Meghan moved into her new home last year, her Dad gave her a reel mower from American Lawn Mower Company. (Thanks, Dad!) Besides the gas savings, she loves the fact that her mower is noise-free and doesn’t leave her smelling like an auto mechanic when she’s done using it.

Piece out,
Meghan, Renee, and guest tip-writer Kevin

We admit it. Saving the world can be tiresome.

Remembering to bring your own bags to the grocery store, separating the #1 and #2 plastics from the #3 through #7’s for curbside recycling, carefully calculating your commute to maximize fuel mileage…it’s enough to wear out even Captain Planet.
Our tip to you: Take a break. Kick up your heels. Go out and have a beer. (Here comes the part where we explain that we don’t want you to drink just any old beer, but a locally brewed variety, the sales of which benefit a local conservation organization.) On Thursday, July 17, the Central Indiana Land Trust will help Bloomington’s Upland Brewery launch its new craft beer, Preservation Pilsner, at an event in Broad Ripple. 
 
Where:  Chumley’s Beer House, 838 Broad Ripple Ave.
When: Thursday, July 17th from 7 to 9 p.m.
Why: Because we like you! (And because proceeds from the sale of this planet-conscious pilsner benefit the Central Indiana Land Trust.)

Get back to work, Planeteers. Your day of rest is still 48 hours away.

Piece out,
Renee & Meghan

Water slides. Water skis. Watermelon. What’s not to love about H2O?Much as we delight in it and depend upon it to sustain us, water isn’t in infinite supply. To understand just how deep this statement runs, we encourage you to attend a free public screening of FLOW: For Love of Water, taking place July 12 at Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, 237 N. East St. The film, a Sundance Film Festival 2008 Official Selection, is more than a cautionary tale. It’s an eye-opening look at how one of our planet’s most crucial resources is used (and abused) around the world, from Africa to California to India.

Catch FLOW now before it comes to theatres later this summer. Go ahead, lap it up!

Piece out,
Meghan & Renee