Greenpeace says “Nintendo ‘least green tech firm’”

My alerts brought this BBC article to my attention so I thought I would share…

Nintendo ‘least green tech firm’

By Jonathan Fildes Science and technology reporter, BBC News

Games firm Nintendo has come bottom of a ranking of the world’s most eco-friendly electronics firms.

The quarterly Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics ranks 18 electronics firms by how green their production processes and products are.

In the latest guide most firms have seen their ranking plummet as the charity introduced new, stricter guidelines for evaluating companies.

Nintendo said its scored low because it had not provided data for the survey.

“Greenpeace chose to conduct a survey and produce a report, which graded companies upon the voluntary submission of information,” the firm said in a statement.

“Nintendo decided not to take part in the survey and were therefore ‘ungraded’ in the resulting report..[more]

I think it’s great that they are crack down on companies to follow stricter environmental guidelines but let’s be honest… I love the Wii and I will continue to play it…. and I don’t think that hypocritical.

Thoughts?

Plastic ain’t my bag…

While in London, I really became interested in the reusable bags trend. I had used them for shopping before but London really takes this eco-friendly trend to the fashion level.

The grocer Sainsburys always had fun bags such as the “Plastic Ain’t My Bag” Bag that I have also use as a purse, obviously. However the most famous has to be the Anya Hindmarch “I am not a plastic bag,” pictured below.

This bag became so popular, selling out within hours once hitting the US. Celebs are spotted carrying these bags around as handbags and countless numbers of knock-offs have been reproduced.

I do love the BYOB (bring your own bag) trend and its an hot topic in and out of the blogosphere. Check out this entry on Daytime Talk, which features a clip from GMA.

So, here’s my suggestion…

Take you reusable bags and maybe splurge on some organic and locally grown food. Buying foods that are sustainable are better for the environment and help reduce your carbon footprint! It may be a little more expensive for the organic strawberries but seriously, they do taste better. And you can tote your berries home in a berry cute bag!

So, that’s my bag. What’s yours??

Greener Commuting

Boston is great because it is such a walkable city and I tend to walk whenever I get the chance. Recently, however, I bought a bike to aide my city travels.

I was lucky enough to find a good used bike– also saving myself a few hundred bucks. Craigs list is a great place to check for bikes at cheaper prices, but I am so short that I went to the International Bike Center in Allston where the helpful staff steered me towards a good bike.

Biking is a really way to commute and get around a smaller city, like Boston. I am really excited to put my bike to good use but biking in the city still intimidates me a bit. Bike accidents happen way too often in the city, which is probably due to the lack of bike lanes. it amazes me that as Comm Ave gets a face lift, new bike lanes aren’t installed as well.

The hazards of city riding took a another bad blow when Mayor Menino got into a biking accident back in May. Talk about some bad PR…

It is always important to know the safety measures and rules for bike riding. Two great websites to check out are: MassBike and The City of Boston.
Despite the risks, biking is becoming the transport of choice due to the rising gas prices, as Paul Born points out in his blog with an article from the Star Ledger.

I love my bike and can’t wait to hit the road!

Tips for a Greener Apartment

I absolutely hate moving.

The packing. The unpacking. The lifting. The moving. All of it.

Moving into a new apartment is particularly challenging for college students.

I moved into my new apartment with about two boxes and two bags in tow and absolutely no furniture and thought of going out and buying all new furniture was not appealing to me, especially on my limited budget.

While my roommates and I did take a trip to get some low-budget essentials, we also utilized some other cheap and green options!

1) USE WHAT YOU ARE GIVEN. The previous tenants of our apartment left behind a lot of furniture. This was sort of a pain in the ass because we expected the apartment to be clean. On the other hand, it also was helpful because we decided to keep some of the furniture. My roommate practically got all her furniture from what was left in her room; she just cleaned it up with a fresh coat of paint.

2) CRAIG’S LIST. Craig’s list is a great resource for furniture or whatever and it is super cheap. I bought a full bed with box spring and frame for $50 (the only pain was I had to find a way to pick it up, which I spent $45 on a U-Haul– so under $100)! Some people may think that is a bit sketchy, but it’s like sleeping in a hotel bed, maybe? Whatever, it was in my price range and I am very happy with my purchase.

3) THRIFT SHOPS. Another great source for second-hand knick-knacks and furniture. I bought to chairs for our kitchen table. Even though they don’t match, I think they give the place a bit of quirk and personality.

4) FRIENDS. I am a receptacle for friends who are looking to get rid of stuff. This way, you know where the stuff has been plus it usually comes at the right price.

Reusing furniture is a great way to be a little kinder to the earth and save money at the same time!

What I also find interesting is furniture MADE from reused items… Check out this post on Design Blog if you’re interested!

What things do you do in your apartment that are both budget-conscious and eco-friendly?? Let me know!

Oh Oh, We also use POM glasses as toothbrush holders.

tehee!

It’s (not) easy being green…

Kermit zee frog might have had trouble being green, but I have found little ways to be eco-friendly, even being a college student in an urban setting such as Boston.

I hope to share some of my green tips and tricks and get some of yours as well. I have enough on my mind with college coming to a close and worrying about entering the really world, but if I can find easy ways to save money and help the environment along the way I am all for that!

I have found that being green can actually save money, which is something every broke student cares about. After returning from a semester in London and moving back to Boston with rent and bills to pay, earning and saving money were on my priority lists.

So, most of my post will offer tips on saving money and being green! In addition, being a PR major, i will probably throw in some of that junk too because it has become habit and I think Green PR and Marketing are really interesting.