Shop Talk : Simply green
By Katryn Yerdon
Published: July 30, 2009
The talk about town for quite some time has been about "Going Green," which can include a simple act of recycling our newspapers or adding elaborate, expensive solar panels to your home. It can seem a daunting task, but if we make a few simple changes in our daily routines we can have a huge collective impact. I took a trip around the Island to find some simple and affordable ways you can become green.
Let's start with trash: newspapers, plastic, glass, aluminum and cardboard. Everyone might do one or two, but all might seem like too much work - unless you set yourself up for success. Buy small cans and place them in or near the kitchen as a staging area for the days refuse. Then purchase large rolling trashcans with covers that the smaller ones can be emptied into outside. This will save you separating time if you previously used one bucket. Small cans start at $8 with large rolling start at $39, and can be found at Granite Hardware in Edgartown, or Shirley's Hardware and Hinckley's, both in Vineyard Haven.
Want to take it a step further? Add a composter in your back yard and see your wet garbage find its way around the circle of life, instead of into the local landfill. Composters start at just $179 for 6 cubic feet of holding space and come with such accessories as a counter composter (to keep your kitchen fresh) and a thermometer to ensure your outdoor composter stays at the optimal working temperature. Composters can be picked up in Vineyard Haven at SBS on State Road or at either Eco MV location.
Recycling can cut trash expenses in half.
We have all heard that we need to drink more water, and we have complied by purchasing a multitude of plastic bottles of water. Make a switch to a Sigg or other metal reusable water bottle and fill it with tap water. Sigg bottles start at $19 and can be picked up at Brickman's, Eco MV, or The Green Room, all in Vineyard Haven. If you don't like your tap water, attach a Pur or Britta water filter (available at Hinckley's Plumbing or Shirley's) onto your faucet for as little as $22.
Finally let's talk cleaners. We already know toxins are not good for us, yet they are in many of the cleaning products we use day in and day out. Try switching to eco-friendly products that use only natural ingredients such as citrus. Cronig's Market in Vineyard Haven, offers the eco alternatives.
Or stop by Eco MV on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven or their new outlet at Bowl & Board on Main Street. Eco- friendly cleaning products start at just $4.99 for 16 ounce and are even less expensive when you use a bottle refill program. Eco MV also offers a wide variety of other Eco lines such as; bamboo, clothing, gardening, skin care and a baby line. Call Eco MV at (508) 693-5200.
