Hoooweee, buddy, you stink! What’s that? You don’t know how to eliminate bad odors in an eco-friendly way? Well, cock yer ear this way, mate, and listen up.

“What Odor?” claims to be “safe for people, pets, and the planet”, and they back this up by being non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-reactive, non-flammable, AND non-corrosive. That’s more “nons” than an Indian restaurant! *pause for laughter*

Besides all that, it’s 100% biodegradable, which means it breaks down safely.

Their sort o’ cheesy name aside, this is a great odor eliminator. Instead of just masking a bad smell with some fragrance, this has active ingredients that break down the odor on a molecular level. I can’t verify that, as I didn’t have a microscope handy, so I did a bit of testing on my own.
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Veganism. No, it’s not some exotic disease. It’s more like the hardcore version of vegetarianism. But did you know it’s better for the environment than the run-of-the-mill omnivorism?

It takes a LOT of natural resources to raise meat (beef, pork, human, chicken, etc.), plus it can cause a lot of pollution from animal waste (for more on environmental reasons for vegetarianisn, por favor click this here link). The United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) International Panel of Sustainable Resource Management reported in 2010 that a global shift toward a vegan diet is critical to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Now, I’ve forayed into the vegetarian world before (such as when I made me some black bean burgers), but I still eat my fair share o’ meat. Recently, though, I was allowed the opportunity to sample some fine vegan products from Follow Your Heart.

I have to admit, I very much READ MORE »

If you’re like most hu-mon beings, you enjoy hydrating yourself with H20, AKA “the big wet”, “liquid ice”, “loosey goosey”, or “water”.

How should the eco-friendly individual obtain said water, though? Bottled water is expensive, causes a huge amount of waste from packaging and transportation (although you can do some cool stuff with the old water bottles), and, according to this Duke University webpage, might not be as safe as tap water.

I’m down with drinking str8 from tha tap, but lots o’ people prefer to filter it. If you’re one of these people, and you’re looking for a greener way to filter water than by using a plastic filter, might I be so bold as to suggest Kishu charcoal?

The founder, Judith Bershof, started this company in 2011 when she was looking for a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic water filters. From its minimal packaging (which cuts down on waste), and the fact that you can compost the filter when you’re done, I’d say they’ve done a good job keeping this product green.

Kishu charcoal claims to be made from sustainably harvested tree branches, and can be used for 4 months. You just have to boil it every month to keep its pores open.

Another great eco-friendly thing is that after 4 months have passed, you can reuse your old charcoal filter by using it in your fridge to absord odors, or by crushing it up and mixing it into your garden soil to improve water absorption. Pretty dang cool.

I chucked a piece of Kishu charcoal into a pitcher o’ water, and left it overnight. I’d been worried that the charcoal would cloud up the water, but it’s very smooth and not flaky, so the water stayed clear as glass.

A day later, my woman and I deigned to taste this water. Verily, it was crisp and cool as the waterfalls of Norway, with a very pleasing taste. A single tear running down my cheek, I hefted an approving thumbs up to Kishu charcoal, the green way to filter your water.

Did y’all know that America Recycles Day is right around the corner? I didn’t either, but apparently it’s on November 15!

It’s basically a day to try to get Americans recycling more. The average American generates 4.4 pounds o’ trash every single day. It makes a ‘uge difference if you recycle a chunk of that instead of just sending it to your local landfill to sit in the dirt.

As if THAT isn’t enough incentive to take the “America Recycles Pledge” (which I strongly urge you to do immediately, just go do it), you can win a FREE bench made from recycled plastic! I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to be lounging on my very own recycled bench after I win one.

So head over ahora and take the pledge. To find recycling places near you, check out this handy web-site page.

More recycling, more doing. That’s the power of EcoJoes.

Psst, hey you. Yeah, you. C’mere kid, I got a nugget o’ wisdom to share contigo. Have you ever wanted to make homemade sauerkraut (or “sourkrout”, as you might spell it) from cabbage, but you sadly thought, “Ain’t no way I can make that, it’s probably tricky as heck”?

Welp chin up, ’cause it’s really easy to make it, AND you get to experience the magic of lacto fermentation. Basically that just means the carbohydrates in the cabbage get turned into lactic acid, which breaks down food and makes it easier to digest. Eventually you end up with tasty, crisp, homemade sauerkraut that’s bursting with digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Good for your digestive system and your taste buds.

Anyhoo, enough chit chat. Let’s get down to READ MORE »

Way back in the day, EcoJoes featured a captivating tale of how to turn the pumpkin scraps from carving a jack-o’-lantern into a whole mess of food.

So whilst you’re preparing for a green Halloween (or, dare I say, Hallogreen), don’t forget that you can use the pumpkin seeds and make scrumptious roasted pumpkin seeds, as well as some homemade pumpkin pie.

If you’re feeling extra adventurous, go ‘head and whip up a batch of garam masala pumpkin bread. It’s sure to transport you to exotic India!

Check out these delicious (and nutritious) roasted pumpkin seeds I just now fashioned, straight from a fresh jack-o’-lantern:

Leave me a lil’ comment if you have some other jawsome ideas on how to reuse waste from Halloween.

On Saturday (October 19, to be precise) I awoke to the clinging and a-clanging of a mobile cellular tele-phone message from Bull City Bucks (a great way to earn free mess in Durham, NC). This aforementioned alert alertly alerted me to some alerting news; it was time for the third annual Bull City Coop Tour!

After rounding up the missus, we peeled out of the driveway to go get our $5 map from Bull City Burger n’ Brewery (they also offered maps at the Durham Farmers’ Market). With el mapa en la mano, we were off on this journey of chickens and learning.

If you haven’t yet been on the Bull City Coop Tour, it’s a lot like the Henside the Beltline: Tour D’Coop in Raleigh, only it’s in Durham. Basically, READ MORE »