If you have seen a Goodwill truck on the back roads or highways of Northern New England, you may have noticed this sticker displayed on the back.

About two years ago, the majority of the Goodwill fleet of trucks switched to biodiesel.  Twelve out of the sixteen trucks currently operate on fuel that contains 5% biodiesel.

The trucks on biodiesel go through roughly 68,000 gallons of diesel each a month. Because 5% of that diesel is biofuel, Goodwill saves 54,776 pounds of carbon from being emitted in the atmosphere each month!

While we are excited about this accomplishment, Goodwill continues to look at further ways to decrease our fuel intake as we work together to decrease our carbon footprint.

For more information about Goodwill’s environmental initiatives, please visit our Green page.

What is your organization or business doing to reduce your environmental impact?  Please leave a comment and share your stories!

Are you tired of all that paper and plastic bag waste every time you come home from the grocery store?  The Hannaford stores  in Augusta (two locations) and Winthrop, Maine, announced they are giving away free reusable, cloth bags to all customers starting the week of Saturday, July 25.

According to the article I read in the Lewiston Sun Journal, Hannaford customers currently bring home 12-15% of groceries sold in their own bags – Hannaford would like to increase this number.  If you live in the Augusta area, this is a great opportunity to stock up on reusable bags and make a commitment to less waste – and remember, you can bring your reusable bags anywhere, not just the grocery store.

Don’t live in the Augusta area?  You can get sturdy, reusable bags at any of our Goodwill stores for only $0.98!

So many projects, so little time!  Below is roundup of crafts and repurposing projects I read about over the last week.  I’m off to Portsmouth this afternoon for the Teen Refashion workshop – pictures to follow!

How to make a Summer Halter from an Old T-shirt

If you have not yet visited Threadbanger, now is the perfect time!  They release weekly video tutorials on how to make your own clothes – from repurposed t-shirts to halloween costumes.  The videos are very detailed, giving step by step instructions, and are a great introduction to repurposing.  This week’s post features Megan Nicolay’s transformation of a t-shirt to a halter top – be sure to check out her latest book, 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt.

Crafty Reuse Ideas for Old Shower Curtain Liners

Crafting a Green World had a great post on how to reuse an old shower curtain liner once it has reached the end of its usefulness.  They suggest using to kill weeds in your yard or to create your own mini-greenhouse!  Read the how to’s on these projects and more over on their site.

Leaf Silhouettes

And finally, my favorite craft of the week: leaf silhouettes.  I actually found this on Martha Stewart’s site (!) – but they found artist Jenny Fowler on Etsy, who makes leaf silhouettes out of tiny leaves – the effect is amazing.  They did not have instructions on how to make your own, so I found this tutorial that will help you get started.

Hello readers!  We have an exciting announcement! Goodwill has partnered with the Portsmouth Public Library to offer teens a thrifty way to express their creativity – they will learn how to alter second-hand garments into trendy new pieces!

There is a  series of four classes being offered at the library this summer that will teach teens a new skill set that will allow them to look at old objects in a new way.  Teens may turn a sweater into a hat, a t-shirt into a cardigan, or make other creations.

The library suggests that teens pre-register to hold their place AND so they can pick up a gift certificate to Goodwill to pick out an article of clothing to refashion.  You can find all the detail on the Library’s website – make sure you sign up early!

The workshops are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, July 21 2-4 p.m.

Thursday, July 23 2-4 p.m.

Tuesday, August 4, 6-8 p.m.

Thursday, August 6, 6-8 p.m.

Woo-hoo!

To follow up a a fantastic  Major League Baseball All Star Game last night, we are featuring what MLB teams are doing to green their ball parks.

Low Impact Living recently featured an article on what baseball teams are doing to improve sustainability at their stadiums.  Major League Baseball has a new Greening Program that was announced this past March.  In partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the program is working with all 30 ball clubs to reduce each team’s environmental impact.

Check out a sampling of how baseball teams across the country are implementing green practices and operations into their ball parks.

First things first: what are the Red Sox doing?

From Low Impact Living:

Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox along with the Colorado Rockies have installed a solar system in the stadium to generate power. The Red Sox’s system displaces 37% of their gas energy usage to heat water. They have also implemented a strong recycling program, with a team of people who go around the stadium collecting recyclables.

What else do you think ball parks could to be more green?