As senior living communities aim to provide healthier environments for residents, more environmentally friendly design initiatives are launched throughout the country. New life-care communities that emphasize sustainability establish the foundation for quality care, while also being aesthetically pleasing, healthy and cost-sensitive. These communities use green construction method, recycling programs, energy- conservation programs and alternative fuel […]
green living
Posted inCommunity News
Oil-Recycling Station Added in South Kitsap
Kitsap residents can now recycle their used cooking oil for free at the South Kitsap Recycling and Garbage Facility in Olalla. This is the fourth cooking oil recycling station in the county. Why is it important to recycle used cooking oil? Cooking oil poured down the drain clogs pipes used in sewer and septic systems. […]
Posted inAround West Sound
7 Reasons You Need to Recycle Your “Styrofoam” at STYRORoundup July 7
Expanded, or foamed, polystyrene (EPS), which people usually call Styrofoam, has long been on the radar of the environmentally conscious. Not only does this material take up a lot of space in the landfill, it’s also not biodegradable. And if you’re like many others who love the convenience of online shopping, you know what a […]
Posted inAt Home
Easy and Breezy: 6 tips for Controlling Summer Cooling Costs
As we gear up for sun, surf, barbecues and all the other fun activities that represent summer, many of us are also concerned with how to keep ourselves and our homes comfortably cool this season. Of course, there are also concerns about controlling costs. The average homeowner spends nearly half of their yearly utility bills […]
Posted inAt Home
Why Buy Organic? Part 4: Seafood
When it comes to seafood, there is really no such thing as an organic label. The U.S. Department of Agriculture standard for organic labeling is based on soil treatment and organically grown feeds, so of course, those standards do not apply to water. As the world population demands for seafood increase and many native species […]
Posted inCommunity News
Unique Partnership Protects Hood Canal Shoreline
To implement the Hood Canal Coordination Council’s In Lieu Fee Mitigation Program, Great Peninsula Conservancy and Hood Canal Coordinating Council have teamed up to conserve, restore and protect marine shoreline and tideland habitats. Fees paid by developers as compensation for impacts to marine shoreline and tidelands are used to purchase, restore and permanently protect other […]
Posted inAt Home
Why Buy Organic? Part 3: Top Reasons to Consider Buying Organic Meats and Poultry
Whether organically grown meat and poultry is a healthier choice for home consumers is a complex and controversial subject. There is no question that organically grown livestock and poultry can be healthier for the environment. The farming practices employed by farmers who grow animals without the use of pesticides on pastures and purchase organically grown […]
Posted inAt Home
Shades of Green you Might Not See
When remodeling or building, we often hear how prospective clients might want to incorporate “green” methods into their projects. They typically cite items like solar panels, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials, ground-source heat, ICF foundations, on-demand water heaters and more. Many of these can be very pricey options, with very long payoffs. We have noticed […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Buy Organic? Part 2: The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15!
While it is the responsibility of the U.S. of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure food safety, the agency’s broad guidelines can fall short of the minute details many consumers desire. Also, due to the size and workload of the USDA, reports on the safety of many food groups are few and far between. The last report […]