Recently, you may feel like “being green” messages are everywhere. Well, that’s because they are! Here at Chicagonista, we feel that leading a lifestyle that’s as eco-friendly as possible is important, but that no one needs to revamp their entire way of life overnight. Writing from an eco-conscious mom  point of view, each month I’ll share my tips, tricks, info, and insight with you so that you can move forward with greening your world one step at a time.

You may not realize it, but living in Chicago already puts you in the leader category when it comes to going green. Chicago has been consistently ranked in the top 10 greenest cities in the country and Mayor Daley is on a quest to make Chicago #1! Popular Science rated us #9, and Sustain Lane rates Chicago #4! The city has numerous projects in the works from greening roofs of buildings like City Hall, to the green alleyways project, to the Climate Change Action Plan, which aims to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, so we are already well on our way. (For more information on Chicago’s green initiatives, check out the Department of Environment’s web page.)

Living in a city that is so invested in eco-consciousness makes it easy to get started in your local neighborhood or even just your home. A good first step to take at home is to start recycling. Many of you probably already do this, but there are also lots of us that care about the environment, but just aren’t sure where to start. The confusing part is that not all homes are treated equally…if you live in a single-family dwelling or a 2-4 unit building in Chicago, you might already have a blue bin. These bins are set out just like your garbage bins and the city’s recycling trucks pick them up and bring the recyclables to recycling centers. Here is a link to see exactly what can and cannot be put into the blue bins. If the Blue Cart program has not come to your neighborhood yet, contact your alderman to tell him/her that you want them and ask when you can expect yours. In the meantime, you can collect your recyclables yourself and drop them off at any of the city’s collection centers. The city also has a great web page with lists and maps for these centers so you can easily find one near you!

If you live in a multi-unit building with 5 or more units, you will need to contract recycling pick-up with your waste hauler. Here is a very helpful and comprehensive site to look over if you own or live in a multi-unit building.
Your hauler will be able to give you a list of what types of paper, plastics, metals and glass items can be recycled with them.

Some general guidelines for recycling are to rinse out cans and containers of any remaining food or contents, and shred any paper waste with important information regarding your identity. I also found that when we started seriously recycling in our household, we generated much less “trash” as a result and could have gotten a smaller garbage can (especially after we started vermi-composting, but that’s for a future article), so that’s something to consider. My 2 year old now knows the difference between putting something in the “garbage” vs. the recycling bin, and we put a fun sticker on the latter so people visiting our home can tell the difference.

Here’s to starting (or continuing!) your home recycling program, and I look forward to bringing you another “Serving of Green” soon!

Photo Credit: City of Chicago

Like many parents who live in Chicago, you know that most of us somehow fit more into less space. For my husband and I, that is a conscious choice. We live in a loft where most of our living space (and our stuff!) is exposed, but we bought it for its 16′ ceilings, knowing we would have room to grow if and when we started a family. We proceeded to add a second floor, and my husband, an architect-turned-construction project manager, did almost all the work himself. He did a wonderful job, adding many square feet to our living space, but during this project, from framing to painting, we only made a few choices that could be considered “green”. My eco-friendly leanings were just beginning back then, right around the time I became pregnant with my first child.

Fast forward to 2009 – our son is now 2 years old and we have another on the way, so we needed to do a bit more construction to make more room out of what we have. His small bedroom has been just fine, but there’s no way we can fit a crib and a bed in there.  We decided to open up some enclosed space upstairs to make a little room for him up there, and the new baby will inherit his “old room”.

But this time around, we wanted to do it all as green as possible…where would we start? Did the default building store sell green options other than CFL’s? (They do, btw.) I guess we could have just continued to shop there like homing pigeons, but another thing we are trying to do now is buy local and support small businesses instead of the big box retailers. That’s where Greenmaker Supply comes in! I heard about Greenmaker from a like-minded friend of mine, and am so glad she shared their name with us.

Greenmaker, located on Pulaski a little bit north of Fullerton, is a fantastic mecca for eco-friendly home improvement options. They sell everything from drywall to countertops, including the kitchen sink. When you visit their store, you can shop for a new dual-flush toilet (which happen to be on sale right now), pick up some no-VOC paint chips to check out at home, and talk to someone about composting options. It really is a full-serve home-improvement store, but the employees are knowledgeable, helpful and thorough, and looking for the green alternative is a no-brainer.

Nearing the end of our project, I went in on a weekday morning with my son, and the staff were really good with him and tolerant of his inquisitive nature. I was able to talk to the manager about my paint choices and options, and never felt rushed or pressured. My husband and I went back a few days later when we had made or color decisions, and they were able to match a Behr color for us, as well as mix our other choices while we checked out countertop and tile options for future projects. We also picked up some recycled cotton roller covers and they worked great. I was happy to be able to paint too, since all their paints are no-VOC, and I didn’t have to leave the house with our son. There was no smell at all, and I have no worries about the room’s drywall, cork flooring or paint off-gassing into his little system as he sleeps there every night.

The best part is that the prices for everything we’ve purchased from Greenmaker have been either comparable or less expensive than if we had bought them from the major competitor. Don’t get me wrong, they also have some very high end options, but if you are working with a budget  (and who isn’t these days?) they can help you to find the most affordable yet still sustainable or eco-friendly option. Whether you are in the midst of building a whole new home, or just thinking about getting a new bathroom faucet, head over to Greenmaker and make a choice that will improve your space and conserve our environment.

Greenmaker Supply
2500 N Pulaski
M-F – 8 to 5
Sat – 9 to 4

Photo Credit: on flickr by salvadorgaller

By: Jen Khatchatrian

Last week MJ and I were treated to a sneak peek preview of the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, the most coveted press pass you can get! Thanks to General Motors we had the entire convention center (virtually) to ourselves with designers and educators available to discuss the technology and trends emerging in the automotive industry.
Before I go on I must admit, I am not the biggest car gal. I do, however, adore marketing and am intrigued with the development process of what Alexandra Dymowska, one of GM’s designers, called “your second largest purchase.” We sat down with Alexandra to talk about the five year long process to build a new car, GM’s emerging technology with the most fuel efficient cars on the road and last but not least how the industry responds to the recent economic downturn.

General Motors is redefining their role as a car maker in a way that has less glam and glitz, but way more guts. I was surprised that I didn’t know about the eco friendly practices in the local plant in Lansing Michigan and kind of glad it wasn’t the subject of their latest advertising campaign. Likewise, GM’s creation of a green dealership convinces me that GM considers their environmental responsibility and is taking it seriously.

Take the Chevy Volt - GM’s sleek and sexy electric car that is making its way into the Transformers sequel. (My kids can’t wait to go to the show to see the 17 foot tall Transformer!) Little known fact is that GM did not pay for their cars to be movie stars, they were chosen. Why? Just look at the new Stingray or the Camaro and you’ll see why. Gorgeous, powerful, dynamic. And all this from a gal who isn’t into cars!

More to come as we continue our 2009 Auto Show series throughout the week!

An Original Chicagonista Exclusive.

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