Looking for that last minute gift or some cheerful holiday decorations for your home?  Why not make it a “green” holiday?

I have been collecting websites and ideas for the past several weeks.  Here they are:

Decorations: Check out Holiday LED for a great selection of Christmas and Holiday LED lighting

Gifts:

• Eco Fabulous offer myriad eco-friendly gifts and everyday products from Organic Hot Chocolate by Dacoba to eco-accessories for the whole family at Pottery Barn.
• Why not give a gift that keeps on giving for a whole year?  GreenDimes is a service that will get rid of 90% of your junk mail.  I have used it for almost a year and I barely got any gift catalogues in the mail this year…it works!  And, when you join, they will plant 5 trees on your behalf.  They also offer other “green” gift ideas.
• Another GREAT gift idea is from Eco Hatchery where you can get an Eco Hatchery Starter Kit complete with an Energy monitor, Compact fluorescent lightbulb, Reuseable shopping tote, Reuseable Filtered water bottle, HOme Tap Water Quality Test, Faucet Aerators, Toilet Leak Detectors, Refrigerator Coil Brush, Refrigerator Thermometer, Water-based Removeable Caulk, Outlet Sealers, Light Switch Sealers, Waterpipe Insullation Samples, Recycled Coffee Filters and a Renewable Soy  Candle for $97.50.  This website has great resources and information as well.

Finally, a great present for children:  Leave it to Dr. Seuss to write an insightful “Earth Friendly” book for children way back in 1971 called The Lorax. The message is wonderful and it is even printed on recycled paper!  I got my copy on Amazon.com but I’m sure it is available in bookstores everywhere.

Have a happy, “Green” holiday season and a very “Green” New Year!

I had no idea we had a private curbside recycling service in the greater Mooresville area until I received an email from Patrica Doak, who, with her husband, started the Think Green Recycle Service last December.

While we take loads to the Iredell County Transfer Station on HWY 150, it is great to know that we now have curbside pick up in Mooresville and its surrounding areas.

Think Green Recycle Service offers a weekly curbside pickup of the following:

• Aluminum and Steel Cans
• Glass bottles (ALL COLORS!)
• Cardboard
• Paper
• Plastics (ALL numbered 107!)

They do not accept:

• Plastic bags or wrappers (Harris Teeter will take the bags)
• Styrofoam products
• Paper plates, napkins or towels
• Paints, gas cans

Right now, according to Trish Doak, they already have one “Green School”, Lake Norman Elementary.   They recycle their paper and plastic.  What a great way to teach children about the importance of recycling and the environment!  I hope that more of our local schools get on board with this great program.

FYI, I purchased a wonderful plastic trash can on line that has a built-in aluminum can-crusher on top which is great for maximizing space.  You can get other recycling bins at Lowe’s Home Improvement.

For more information about Think Green Recycle Service in Mooresville call Trish at :704.799.1520