Can you answer a Green riddle?

Can you answer a Green riddle?

If you follow the eBay Green team page on Facebook you might notice there is a photo guessing game recently. The first couple were easy but the last image was hard to identify. I thought it was some kind of riddle or word play. Anyway I came across this cute riddle and thought I would share it just for fun.

Riddle:
A time when they’re green, a time when they’re brown,
But both of these times, cause me to frown.
But just in between, for a very short while,
They’re perfect and yellow, and cause me to smile!
What am I talking about here?

Do you have any idea?

Here is the eBay Green Team Facebook address
http://www.facebook.com/eBayGreen

Hint: They have nothing to do with shipping supplies



Answer:



Bananas!

Tip: Look for Organic, Whole Trade bananas. They are farmed on sustainable plantations.
Whole trade agreements protect the environment and the farm workers and provide us with healthier bananas to eat!

Egg carton Shipping

Egg cartons can be recycled and used as packaging material! They cut up nicely to protect fragile items.

Here you can see how I used an eighteen egg carton to help protect this super 8 film projector I sold on eBay!

Green Goal number 2 for the year 2011

As a green eBay seller I am living green and trying to improve my lifestyle. Here is another goal on my list for 2011.

Goal 2: Practice healthy living habits.

This is really important to me. When I feel better I have more energy. I can be a better global citizen. I focus on getting my work done and enjoy my down time. For me healthy living habits include drinking lots of water everyday, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and reducing stress at work. I encourage you to seek out the habits that make you feel your best and practice them daily.
When the going gets tough I stick to the basics - drink water and eat healthy.

There is very little cost involved to try to live healthy as long as you make good choices. Some healthier food choices will be more expensive. For example the best diet includes organic products.
It is your choice but I feel I am voting with my dollar when I buy the best quality food from local and organic sources. There is no such thing as cheap food. I know when I was eating on the go and eating from a can I did not feel so hot. My health suffered from a bad diet. I am back on track now. To be a green business you have to sustain yourself including your own health. If you are an eBay seller you know it takes a lot of energy to run your business. There is always something to do - listing, taking photos, shipping, and finding products. You are the person in charge of so many jobs! So please take care of yourself. A healthier you makes happier people all around you and a healthier planet for all of us!

The Green Shipping Box by the eBay Green Team

The boxes are starting to sweep the world, saving the planet one package at a time provided by eBay, created by the eBayGreenTeam.com
Learn more by watching the video:


TheBox.eBay.com

Green Goal Number 1 for the New Year

As a Green eBay Seller I like to practice green living habits daily. The idea is to improve my lifestyle and tread lightly on our planet. I'm writing down a few goals for the 2011 new year. These are things that I want to do better. The list includes reminders for me to improve my habits. The first goal on my list is very simple.

Goal 1: Remember to bring my portable coffee mug with me to the cafe.

I have a hot drink almost every day, coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon.
Mainly I enjoy these beverages from the comfort of my home office but there are days when I am on the go. When I'm out running errands I like to treat myself to coffee or tea at one of the nearby cafes. I also like to meet clients at the cafes from time to time.

I am going to make a better effort to have my portable cup clean and ready to grab as I go out the door. This will reduce the landfill of coffee cups, lids, and liners. Some cafes will give you a small percentage off your drink when you bring your own container.

What are your Green Goals? For more ideas pick up a copy of this book - Running a Lean and Green eBay Business.

Green Gift Tags from Recycled Greeting Cards

Here is a photo of some holiday gift tags I made from recycled greeting cards.
December is the time of year when I make a bunch of these tags. I save all of last years cards and put them away with the Christmas decorations.
Then while I am preparing for the holidays I sort through cards that can be cut up and made into tags. I look for light or white paper so it is easy to write names on them.

I sit down with these supplies:

1- Scissors- regular and scrapbook scissors with a fancy edge.
2- Scrapbook punches- standard hole punch, square, and/or circle.
3- Holiday ribbons - these can be scraps from last year too. I like colorful ribbons or rafia.
4- Double stick tape.

I cut out the tag shapes from the white parts, some on the fold and some without. Then I cut or punch out images from greeting cards. I use a small piece of double stick tape to paste the colorful images onto the top part of the tag leaving room below to write a name. Then I use the standard hole punch and thread some ribbon through. I like to keep these handy in a dish on the hutch throughout the giving season.
I hope you like this green idea for gift tags! You can use greeting cards from any season for this project. Happy Holidays!

Do You Dumpster Dive for Shipping Supplies?

I was listening to a podcast today for ebay sellers and I had to laugh because my answer is yes! Apparently I am not the only one. I admit I've been to the dumpsters in back of some local businesses searching for a box big enough to ship something. Generally I'm well prepared for everyday shipments but every once in a while I have to go on a box hunt. I don't need big boxes often enough to buy them in bulk. I have no room to store them. I know where I can buy them and I might have to pay up to $10 just for the box from a local mailbox store. So it's worth it for me to check the recycle bins for a green, recycled box.
Here a couple tips if you are up to the task:
1)Dress appropriately.
2)Don't wear your cashmere sweater but wear gloves.
3)Ask permission from the shop owners.
4)Work in the day light.
5)Have your tape measure handy.
6)Bring a little step stool.

It's a nice idea to set up an agreement with retailers who discard the type of boxes and packaging you need. For example, I happen to know what time of day the local Pier One store unpacks their boxes. If I time it just right I can avoid making contact with the dumpster completely. That's cleaner and greener!