Natural Lip Balm Tubes - In addition to our white lip balm tubes, we are now offering lip balm tubes in natural plastic. Standard .15 ounce capacity.
 

This month, I'd like to share some tips on green living, and some of what we do here at The Original Soap Dish to reduce and conserve.

At home, my family is doing the same as many of you are probably doing. We've replaced our traditional light bulbs with new energy saving bulbs, turned down the thermostat on our water heater, started presoaking and washing our laundry in cold water, and when possible, using paperless billing and paying bills online. With the cost of gasoline being almost twice what it was last summer, we have recently made the decision to mow our 2 acres of lawn every couple of weeks instead of once a week. If the neighbors point and make fun of our weedy yard, I figure it's their problem and not mine. We're also making plans to park my SUV, and get a more fuel efficient vehicle.

On a recent grocery shopping excursion, I purchased a few Green Bag, non-woven reusable grocery bags at my local supermarket for 99¢ each. For every reusable bag that I utilize on a given shopping trip, my supermarket will deduct 5¢ from my bill. I know that's not much, but I do like that the supermarket is offering people an incentive to stop using plastic bags. Visit the Green Bag website online for more information. If Green Bags are not available through your local grocer, they can be purchased online at Eco Bags.

Something else that I'd like to do is to quit using those plastic bags for fresh produce. While exploring the Etsy website, I ran across a resourceful crafter who makes reusable food bags that can be used in place of the bags provided by the supermarket. They're made of lightweight ripstop fabric, and can be washed and reused. I just recently placed my order, and am waiting for them to arrive in the mail. If you'd like to join me in using Kootsacs, they can be purchased at Kootenays Etsy Store. Reusable cotton food bags are available at Eco Bags if you would like a cotton option, but I prefer to support a crafter first.
 

I've discovered another really cool resource at Catalog Choice. It's a free service that lets you decline paper catalogs that you no longer wish to receive. I set up my free account last month, and I've already begun submitting requests for removal from all kinds of paper catalogs. It hasn't been long enough to see what kind of a difference it will make, but I'm hoping to reduce the amount of paper that shows up in my mailbox. I set up the business address in the account, and am hoping to reduce the amount of paper showing up in The Original Soap Dish's mailbox as well.

Which brings me to the topic of what's going on here in the shop to help make less of an impact on the environment. We're recycling as many of our office supplies as possible. We're using printed paper made from recycled post-consumer waste, and crisscross shredding our waste paper before it goes to our local recycling center. We purchase our HP toner cartridges at Staples (getting a 10% credit for each cartridge on our Rewards card), and then return them for recycling when they're empty (getting another $3 credit for each cartridge on our Rewards card).The boxes that we use to ship your orders are made from recyclable corrugated material, and we do reuse cardboard boxes as long as they are in good enough condition to safely ship your orders.
 

As many of you know, we have implemented some very strict policies on the sale of sodium hydroxide. However, we have made one (and only one, so don't ask) exception to this policy for a chemistry professor at a local college. The reason we decided to make this one exception is due to the nature of the professor's project. He is utilizing the campus dining service's used cooking oil, and is converting it to biodiesel, which in turn, is being used to run lawnmowers maintaining campus grounds. His biodiesel project requires the use of sodium hydroxide, and is providing a valuable learning experience for his chemistry students, while at the same time reducing the college's carbon footprint. Speaking of used oil, did you know that you can take your used motor oil to your local recycling center? As a part of our product line, we offer recycled soap packaging , which gives our customers a more environmentally friendly option for packaging their soap. Both our white and kraft soap boxes are made from 100% recycled fibers. If you're using our soap boxes, you may want to look into getting a rubber stamp with the recycle symbol on it. This would be a great way to let your customers know that you are doing your part to utilize green friendly packaging. Last, but not least, we offeri periodic sales and specials!, helping you to save another kind of green!