8/18/10

When washing your hands in a public bathroom, which is a greener way to dry them -- paper towels or an electric hand dryer? The answer is the hand dryer; the machines are long-lasting and use little energy to dry your hands. Plus, the electric hand dryer doesn't give people the option of using a long piece of paper towel to dry off. And with new hand dryers coming to market that are more energy efficient than traditional dryers, the greener choice is becoming more obvious.

8/17/10

Every six hours a million plastic cups are used by U.S. airlines to serve drinks to travelers. The next time you fly and are parched for something refreshing, ask if they can just give you your beverage in a can instead of a cup. Some airlines collect the aluminum cans for recycling, giving you a totally waste-free option to stay hydrated during your flight.

8/16/10

Who knew that human and dog hair could help clean up oil spills? The charity Matter of Trust (www.matteroftrust.org) collects hair from salons and pet grooming operations and fills nylon mesh mats with the hair. When placed in polluted water, it can safely soak up oil because hair naturally attracts grease. A haircut here or a grooming there can help keep our waterways clean.