In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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December 5, 2007

Tips for going green

It’s refreshing to see businesses and consumers getting on the green bandwagon. There’s just no reason to hold on to our wasteful ways when so many organizations and businesses are offering tips for “green” living and gift-giving.

Home Depot, for example, has these tips for green gift-giving:

Buy rechargeable batteries and a battery charger. According to the Environmental Protection Agency about 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Rechargeable batteries save money and keep potentially harmful materials out of landfills.

Choose energy efficient appliances. The Energy Star label tells you an appliance is energy efficient, even estimating the annual cost of operating the appliance.

Recycle gift wrap. According to Home Depot, “If every family reused just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.”

I’ve always tried to save gift wrap to reuse. In a pinch, one of my favorite gift wraps is to use the Sunday comics from the newspaper. You’ll be surprised at how many people will want to read the package!

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