April 22nd, 2010
A couple of days ago, we talked about encouraging pet food makers to use sustainably sourced fish, but there’s another really big thing you can do to save the earth when it comes to pets.

Recycle those pet food cans. Recycling is so easy, and it’s habit-forming (in a good way).
You can do it, and today — the 40th anniversary of Earth Day — is a wonderful time to start. Visit earth911.com for recycling locations near you.
Friskies® and Fancy Feast®, along with Keep America Beautiful®, are raising awareness about aluminum pet food can recycling, and they want you to take the Together We Can pledge to start making a difference. It’s just a simple click, no annoying forms, but you might also enjoy checking out the rest of the fun and informative website, TogetherWeCanRecycle.com.
Did you know that recycling one aluminum 3oz pet food can saves enough energy to run a 60 watt light bulb for more than two hours? Those cans may be little, but they can make a big difference. Get more recycling facts. And for a bit of fun, check out the gallery of “cats” made from aluminum pet food cans!
The pet painting contest:
After you take the pledge to recycle your aluminum pet food cans, leave a comment on this post. (The pledge requires only a click, no forms!) The lucky winner will receive a beautiful custom oil painting of their family pet. Popular animal artist Alexis Trice will use the winner’s selected photo to create a 12” x 16” painting. Alexis has been featured in Dog Fancy magazine, City Rag and The New York Daily News.
Contest is open to US residents, and the winner must respond to my notification by email within three days. Please check your spam filters so you don’t miss out. Deadline to enter is 11 pm CST on Saturday, April 24, 2010. For more info on contests at Light Green Stairs, see disclosures.
(Cat image via flickr user aka Kath)
UPDATE 5/13: Congrats to the winner, Christina!
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March 9th, 2010
With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day just around the corner in April, it may be a great time to make a new green goal.
Consider giving up three disposables: fast-food wrappers, Dixie cups and plastic grocery bags.

1. Fast food wrappers
It saddens me to see the long lines at the drive-through of the Chick-fil-A near my home. Of all the fast food out there, Chick-fil-A is one that tends to be more tasty, so they’re always crazy busy.
However, Chick-fil-A goes through a ton of packaging for all those side items, not to mention their Styrofoam cups. Nothing on their menu is organic. Nothing on their website speaks of an environmentally conscious company. There’s so much they could do. Chick-fil-A could offer a discount to customers who come inside rather than idling in the drive-through. They could replace current food packaging with items more easily recycled locally. And it would sure be lovely if they used organic chicken!
Now that I’ve finished picking on that chicken joint, I’d like to challenge you to limit your fast-food intake. Your health and the environment will thank you. Try to pack your lunch with reusable containers instead of plastic baggies.
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