ThinkDwell

We all want to separate our trash in order to reduce the waste we produce - hopefully. Sometimes it can be a major hassle, creating a smelly, disorganized mess in our kitchens. What kind of system to you use to promote recycling in your home? What products help out? I'll start out with this stackable container system: It reduces the floor space needed for recycling and makes it easy to separate paper, glass, plastics and metals. A small container for compost could be kept by the sink (small so that it needs to be emptied outside often- reducing the chances that it's going to get too stinky).

Um, actually I read an article the other day about beef that is fed only grass. Cows fed grass only (what they SHOULD be eating) as opposed to corn based feed, fart less. This is actually, along with being the most disgusting info on cattle raising I have read, a very significant factor in decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas contributed by the beef industry. Grass fed cows taste better, too, I guess.

Live in small homes, and boycott McMansions. Large homes use more fuel to heat and cool and are made with more materials in general. Smaller homes use less material to build, embody less energy, are more efficiently cooled and heated, and the you'll be able to afford better quality construction and materials adding to the durability and lifespan of the structure (ultimately keeping it out of a landfill for longer. www.thinkdwell.com/blog has lots of specifics. I love this thread- it's great to see it continued for some time!

Turn off your computer at night! I know, it's hard to remember. It's hard for me. At the very least, you can assure you are saving energy every time you leave your computer running by downloading Verdiem's free PC energy-saving software, Edison. It tells you how much money you save relevant to the time settings you choose to put your screen and hard drive to sleep. Reader comment: Damjan suggests using Green Pulse instead of Verdiem's Edison because it "doesn't just set your computer's power schemes". Thanks! ThinkDwell Blog

The ThinkDwell Blog offers tips for living green and saving money doing so. We also discuss green home design and products, as that is our area of expertise! We hope you will join us and contribute to the discussion. You'll find tons of useful information in our blog, from sandals made of recycled tires and gardening tips to alternative energy and building strategies. We even take readers questions and offer advice for home projects. Visit us at the ThinkDwell Blog!

A company has come out with a soybean based spray foam insulation, eliminating nearly 100% of the petroleum and reducing carbon contributions in leaps and bounds. The same product was used in the manufacturing of John Deere tractor parts. Read the full article here. This post was submitted by ThinkDwell.

You can certainly make your garden green and less toxic with a little effort. In fact, the most green landscaping choice is one that requires little or no maintenance - that means no watering and no chemical fertilizing. Here are 5 tips for growing a beautiful garden that is self-sustaining and productive. 1. minimize the percentage of your yard that is covered by lawn 2. grow your own food 3. use more natural fertilizers 4. plant native species 5. install a rain/grey water collection system Read the entire article here. This article was submitted by ThinkDwell.

Wow... I never thought I'd see that. Pretty cool. One buckled and the others couldn't hold their rigidity without the other two... Check out the slow mo on youtube.

ThinkDwell, Inc. joined today with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman as part of a new national energy-saving initiative—the U.S. Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge. “For ThinkDwell, building high-performance homes is a priority,†said Suzanne O’Leary, President of ThinkDwell, a company that provides highly affordable custom green home design nationwide. “We welcome this voluntary initiative, and look forward to working with DOE to build consumer awareness of the benefits for building highly energy efficient homes.†ThinkDwell also offers LEED Certification (documentation of how green your new home is) and quality control services for small projects, including mold- and allergen-free certification. The EnergySmart Home Scale, or E-Scale, serves as a tool for marketing energy-efficient homes. Consumer interest has been increasing in the top energy-performing homes, and now there is a tool that clearly allows builders and designers to rate the level of efficiency. “ThinkDwell believes it is possible to build new homes that are more efficient than code by 30 percent or better at little or no net cost,†continued Ms. O’Leary. “We can achieve these efficiencies on tight budgets. High technology is not necessary to achieve energy efficiency in our market. Small homes have an advantage: they use less energy than larger homes to begin with. With high quality design features and innovative affordable building strategies, we assure that the home project will not only come in on budget, the owner will experience the benefits of having a home that is customized for their needs while saving money on energy bills for the duration of the time they live there. We believe this kind of high-performance building is the right thing for our nation, our natural environment, and our customers.†Any company in the industry can voluntarily join the Builders Challenge. Contact ThinkDwell if you would like more information. www.thinkdwell.com