I would be hard pressed to end my talk about disposable coffee cups without spending a few minutes on fair trade certification. While fair trade is a relatively new idea (certification that is, not the concept of trading fairly … I hope) it is a concept that is gaining momentum and, I hope, will become a strong player in 21st century commerce.

As past pieces that I have written have pointed out, knowing the implications of your purchasing habits is extremely important and also, extremely tough to research completely. You may have thought nothing of drinking out of plastic water bottles before reading what I had learned, not because you were OK with the practices you were a part of, but because you didn’t know.

And the reason you didn’t know is not because you don’t

The sun in shining, the birds are chirping (at least here at Care2), yet my sense of organization remains in hibernation mode. So, in honor of today, the official first day of spring, I will dedicate myself to a weekend of cleaning–a fresh start for a new season. If you care to join, here are some great tips to help you get started.

Getting Rid of Clutter
Why Clutter Happens
Feng Shui Your Clutter
Clear Your Clutter in 6 Steps

Recipes for DIY Natural Cleaners
Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit
Porcelain Stain-Be-Gone Soft Scrub
Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner
Counter Cleaners

Detoxing Your Home
Simple Ways to Detox Your Home
Top 10 Swaps for Detoxing Your Kitchen
Clean Your Upholstery the Non-toxic Way

Organizing Your Closet
7 Ways to Organize Your Closet, the Eco-Way
Healthy Green Closet

A funny thing happened when I stopped using plastic shopping bags: I started saving money on purses. I started collecting cute reusable totes that make me so happy that I kind of just stopped using regular purses, which means I stopped buying them. And although my reusable tote budget increased, the price differential proved beneficial to the bottom line.

Although it would have been a good strategy, I didn’t start using reusable shopping bags to quell my eco-naughty purse-shopping habit–my inspiration came in the form of factoids such as this: between 500 billion and one trillion plastic grocery bags are consumed worldwide each year. Or, that 100,000 birds die annually from encounters with plastic bags, not to mention the estimated 100,000 whales, turtles, and other marine

While fashion designer Anya Hindmarch’s “I’m not a plastic bag” tote made disposable plastic bags “so last season,” a group of Colombian women are bringing them back in style—by recycling them. The women travel door-to-door through their village of Los Limites to collect plastic bags, cut them into strips, and crochet them into more durable purses and beach bags, called mochilas. And they are doing it all for an endangered monkey.

Weighing in at less than a pound, the cotton-top tamarin, or titi, may be small, but the species is running out of space. Deforestation for fuel, cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture is pushing the primates into smaller and smaller portions of northwestern Colombia’s dry forests, the only place this

Got a pile of old, ripped jeans in need of recycling? You might have heard about home insulation made from denim, but don’t know how to donate.

Well Bonded Logic makes insulation out of old denim, proof of which is that Newsweek profile of Adrian Grenier. The tree-hugging “Entourage” star is caught posing suggestively in front of his recycled jeans wall at his eco home in Brooklyn. Hot.

Most of the fabric Bonded Logic uses comes from factory floors, but some does come from jeans-wearing consumers, as well. Send yours to Green Jeans Insulation, at this address:

Fair Indigo Denim Drive
c/o Green Jeans Insulation Inc.
1109 W. Milwaukee St.
Stoughton, WI 53589

Once you’ve got the old things off your hands, consider replacing them with sustainable, organic ones.

Taking everyday objects and turning them into chic pieces of functional design takes wonderful form in reestore’s “Annie the shopping trolley” chair (yes, it’s British).

Taking carts that were landfill bound due to missing wheels or bent legs, designer Max McMurdo works his magic and “poof!” they are pieces you’d love to own. Reestore attempts to “avoid traditional eco materials in favor of contemporary finishes, fabrics, and, above all, style.” Job well done.

It's dark. You turn on a light. It’s cold. You turn on the heat. Need to cook dinner? Turn on the stove. Don’t want to miss your favorite show? Turn on the TV. Piles of laundry? Throw them in the washer and dryer. Can’t be late to work? Set your alarm. Have to stay connected? Charge your phone and your laptop.

Power. It’s become so central to every way we solve problems that we don’t even recognize that we’re using it until it goes out. In fact, electricity is so magically simple that it’s easy to mistakenly assume that the seemingly clean electricity that enters our home is just that–clean.

Years ago, before electricity was commonplace, many homes were heated by a coal burning fireplace. The soot and smog that hung over cities was a constant

Wondering what to do with all those energy-sucking light bulbs you’ve been wisely replacing with eco-friendly CFLs? These hanging vases are so charming and ridiculously easy to make. Grouped together they make quite a green and elegant statement!

Step One: Using fine-tooth metal saw, gently saw the bottom of light bulb. Pull out the filaments.

Step Two: Using a hand held drill place metal against some scrap wood and poke two holes opposite from each other.

Step Three: Lace thin wire through the holes and tie off at desired length. Fill with lovely blooms.

Also makes cute salt and pepper shakers. Most soda caps are the correct width for a top. Just fill, poke holes and enjoy!

Okay, it’s not the most life-changing DIY you’ve ever seen, but the sad little dog bed my 4-pound Yorkie Winnie called home needed some help! Store-bought beds are easily $50 and not great quality, so I thought, “Hey, why not just make one.”

After much Internet research, a perfect solution (and creative inspiration!) was found via Kristen, a designer and Etsy seller.

Because Winnie is so tiny and likes to nest in small spots, I knew an ordinary suitcase would be too big for her. Luckily, in the back of my closet I had this vintage Samsonite hat case that I’ve been carting around for years–finally, a reason to dust it off!

Again, a stroke of luck when it turned out that Winnie’s old dog bed was the perfect fit! Check out Design^Sprout for more