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[H854]How To Be Eco Friendly
by Ivy Newport, Ivy

Reusing materials

There are endless possibilities when reusing products in craft projects. Materials that are reused are eco-friendly and usually free! Get creative in searching for items around your house that can be recycled into an eco-friendly craft project. A few ideas for reusable materials commonly found around the home are:

glossy magazines
pages from old books
postcards
photographs
maps
tissue boxes
catalogues
menus
advertisements
foil wrap
old compact discs
newspapers

These materials and more can be used for a myriad of different projects. A few eco-friendly craft ideas are:

Decorate greeting cards using recycled materials
Personalize greeting cards by affixing reused materials found around your house. Get creative, you can use ideas from the list of recycled items above, or even incorporate 3D objects such as colourful bottle caps and hardware.

Turn old CD cases into magnetic shadowbox frames
Fill a clear CD case with colourful recycled materials such as photos, labels, bits of yarn, metal scraps, or any other items you can find. Close the case, and glue shut if necessary. Glue a magnet strip to the back of the case and your creation can now be displayed on the fridge.

Make wall hangings from old paper
Cut up an assortment of old paper products into a theme of shapes like trees, flowers or butterflies, and arrange them on a painted cardboard backing. Tissue boxes are great for finding artistic designs on durable paper. Use eco-friendly glue to affix your composition, then use an old frame (perhaps from the thrift store or by attaching wood pieces together from the yard) to hang on your wall. A wonderful creation using only recycled materials.

Wrap and tag gifts with reusable materials
You can reuse almost any thin type of paper to wrap gifts in such as old maps, magazine pages, and of course the funnies section of the newspaper. Take eco-friendly gift wrapping a step further by decorating your gift using old yard or string as ribbon. You can also craft a unique gift tag by cutting a square of cardboard from a cereal box, punching a hole through it, covering the printed side with paper and a message and affixing it to your gift through the recycled ribbon.

Make a photo/storage/gift box by decorating a shoebox
Instead of purchasing a storage box to hold your photos and other memorabilia, you can customize your own by decorating a shoebox. Start the project by either cutting clear shapes out or tearing apart various paper products for a more abstract look. Then proceed to collage the pieces onto the box using an eco-friendly glue or papier-mâché. Once completed, you can even spread a thin layer of glue over the finished product to give your box a glossy, varnished finish that also helps to preserve the paper.


Lexus are forerunners in the bid to reduce emissions and save our planet with their range of hybrid vehicles and many people, particularly throughout the US, have been keen to give them a try. In the US, the public transport system is not quite as efficient as in Europe. People are spread out across the land mass and all are wanting to get somewhere as quickly as they can, whether it be the school run, gong to work, shopping for out for a super large McDonalds takeaway.

The Americans like their vehicles to be luxurious, comfortable and reliable, pretty much like the rest of us, which is why they have taken so well to the Lexus. In fact, they have taken to it much better than the Japanese who actually make the car and the Europeans who are not keen on paying so much for a method of getting from A to B when they have a pretty efficient transport system in place already.

One such American who wishes to reduce his carbon footprint by using a hybrid vehicle is Grateful Dead founder and front man, Bob Weir, who owns a 2007 Hybrid Lexus GS 450h. Environmentalist Weir purchased the car for its eco friendly qualities and ranks the car an eight out of ten. Although it is worth a full ten, Weir lives on a mountain side so doesn't feel the full benefit of the car's economical aspects but fully appreciates the sound system. Apparently, the driver is cocooned in silence whilst driving allowing the vehicles superb sound system to completely envelope the driver.

Another celebrity eco-warrior is Sir Paul McCartney. His tireless campaign for anything environmentally friendly has been rewarded by the gift of a Hybrid Lexus Limousine. This was in recognition of the fact that he does all he can to enlighten the public to the need for 'green' cars. However, Sir Paul was not best pleased when he found out that the car was flown from Japan to Britain by jet. The carbon footprint for a jet is one hundred times that of a standard method of shipping and kind of defeats the object of a 'green' car.

The market for hybrid cars has been slow to take off. People want to do their bit for the environment but not many people can afford the price tag that comes with it. This is something that the government should be able to tackle. Maybe if they were to subsidise it then we could all afford to do our bit.

They also do not provide the same sort of power that drivers have been used to with standard fuel cars. Technology is improving all the time in a bid to find a means of transport that not only is not harmful to the planet but that also gets us around at the speed we are used to and is accompanied by sleek, good looks. Until recently, many electric or hybrid cars looked plain silly. Tiny vehicles that were painted in lurid colours may have been good for the environment but few people are willing to drive around looking and feeling silly.

All the top car manufacturers are working on eco-friendly cars and the results are getting better by the day. Hopefully, in time, this will result in the right car, with the right look, at the right price.
Article Source : Pg. 52

About Author
Both Ivy Newport & Catherine Harvey are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Ivy Newport has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education, Home Management and Family Concerns. Ivy Newport is the president and product strategist at Every Little Bit, an online retail store featuring for your every day needs. You are. Ivy Newport's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.

Catherine Harvey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Culture and Society, Home and Wedding Gowns. Vehicle expert Catherine Harvey looks at the way are doing their bit for the environment.. Catherine Harvey's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.
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