We couldn’t resist sharing this infographic from Door to Door Organics! Take a look to learn how you and your family can create your own Easter egg dyes straight from nature. Have a very green Easter, everyone!

From www.blog.doortodoororganics.com

Happy Easter from GBS!

As winter melts away and things start to turn a little greener around here (the vernal equinox is on March 20th, which marks the first official day of spring 2014!), we can’t help but get excited for things to start growing and blooming again. Although there might still be a little snow on the ground, the seasons are quickly changing and before you know it, plants and flowers will be popping up left and right! But you don’t always have to be outdoors to enjoy the greenery of spring. You can always “green” your office space and enjoy a bit of springtime every day of the year!

Indoor house plants are actually a great, sustainable, and eco-friendly way to not only brighten up your work environment, but having plants around the office can also reinvigorate your energy and mood throughout the day while naturally freshening your air (which eliminates the need for harmful chemical air fresheners). There are lots and lots of different indoor plants that possess air purifying powers, so we’ve decided to narrow down the list and share with you a few of our favorites. Try one or try them all!

The aloe vera plant is especially effective at removing chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Aloe is a succulent plant species that loves the sunshine, and it is also a natural boo-boo healer (just snap off a small piece of the stem and apply a little bit of its gel on minor skin scrapes, burns, and bruises for instant relief!).

photo: www.mr-ginseng.com

The spider plant may have a creepy name, but have no fear! The spider plant is a champion at filtering out carbon monoxide and xylene in addition to formaldehyde and benzene. This plant is also extremely low maintenance, so if you tend to neglect your house plants and forget to water them a little too often, we challenge you to try and kill this one— it’s seriously pretty much impossible!

photo: www.tipnut.com

If you love flowers, then try bringing in a gerber daisy plant or a chrysanthemum— both produce beautiful, big, colorful flowers and combat trichlorethylene and benzene.

  Photo: www.housetohome.co.uk                                                                                Photo: www.123rf.com

The heartleaf philodendron is an all-around VOC fighter and will keep your air smelling ever-so-fresh. It grows like a vine, so it will also drape your desk with lovely, flowing spirals of green foliage. Just be careful not to eat it, as it is very toxic if ingested!

photo: www.neherpetoculture.com

Happy Spring!

Valentine’s Day is just a couple of days away… Why not celebrate this year with less waste and more love? Not only will your friends, family, and significant other appreciate your act(s) of kindness and affection, but so will the earth. Take a break from all of the cliché pink and red and be GREEN this Valentine’s Day instead by keeping a few of these ideas in mind:

1) Avoid highly processed, artificially flavored candies and choose organic and fair-trade products for a sweeter and more earth-friendly gift. However, do keep in mind that bulk candy packaging and wrappers can really make for a lot of waste, so why not make your own Valentine’s Day goodies? We like these organic chocolate covered strawberries, or just melt down organic chocolate and dip in your favorite fruit or snack, like pretzels or homemade cookies. Be extra green and use reusable, compostable, and/or recyclable materials as your gift-wrap, such as decorated compostable gift boxes or tupperware containers.

Photo: www.welcometomontalvocountry.blogspot.com

2) Send out e-Cards instead of buying generic Valentine’s Day cards at the grocery store. Emailing your Valentines is literally a zero-waste process, and they are also SO easy to send out to all of your loved ones (channeling your inner-cupid is just a click away!). Also, an e-Card is instant, so it saves you money on the otherwise needed envelopes and stamps, and it also saves you a trip to the post office! If you had your heart set on making a homemade card, then do so using recycled materials (think collaging with old magazines, using recycled paper, etc.)

Photo: www.picship.com

3) Rather than giving a bouquet of picked flowers, give a live plant! This is perhaps the greenest gift of them all. Give a plant that will grow, thrive, and bloom rather than one that wilts, dies, and needs to be thrown away next week! Our favorite live plant to give and receive? Herbs! Nothing says “I love you” like a miniature herb garden that can grace your kitchen counter or windowsill; It’s truly the gift that keeps giving!

Photo: Sierra Metal Designs/www.etsy.com                                                Photo: www.boxwoodclippings.com

Did you know that Willis Tower (Chicago, IL), the Renaissance Center (Detroit, MI), The McDermott Building (San Antonio, TX), and The Pentagon (Arlington, VA) are the largest and GREENEST office buildings in the United States? Awesome!

Green truly is the way to go, but it takes more than just making “personal” changes to reduce our global carbon footprint (like turning off the lights when you leave your house, taking shorter showers, etc…).  Not to say that these efforts and steps to be more sustainable in our daily lives are ineffective— They are absolutely VITAL and make a HUGE difference (keep up the good work, everyone!)!  However, we can always do more… That’s where The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) come in.  With tens of thousands of buildings and businesses going green worldwide, USGBC and LEED have proved to be instrumental leaders and powerful catalysts in the green movement and in our collective efforts to become a more sustainable society.  As the USGBC and LEED continue to certify more and more green businesses and buildings over time, the more green and sustainable our society, culture, and economy at-large can be.  The green building and business movement has truly enabled us to secure a greener future!  Read on to learn more about how LEED certification has promoted and expanded sustainability in our world:   

Photo: USGBC