reuse
How to Go Green While Grilling
Tis the sweaty season of backyard barbecues! As you crack open a cold drink and watch the smoke from your trusty grill waft into the cloudless blue sky, take a pause and remember that you don’t have to limit yourself to barbecuing vegetables in order to practice eco-friendly grilling!
Read MoreCompost Pedallers: Local, Green, & On the Go!
Any resident of the greater Austin area is bound to have driven past a unique yard sign by now — an “I [heart] Compost” logo with a chewed-out apple core substituting for the heart. Who is responsible for these mysteriously clever signs, you ask? The answer is a source of pride for our environmentally inclined…
Read MoreOcean Pollution (& Which Fish to Avoid)
It’s no secret that our oceans have suffered greatly at the hand of mankind, but extinction of wildlife isn’t the singular issue anymore. Ironically, survival has become increasingly more dangerous for marine species as polluted seawater turns toxic — and now, humans are getting a dose of their own poison as well.
Read MoreThe Summer of Seedlings
If you’re like the majority of Austinites, you’re probably a wannabe urban gardner stuck in a tiny rental space with an even tinier (if not nonexistent) yard in which to nurture your green thumb. Luckily our urban ancestors were clever enough to invent simple and sustainable tricks to work around the plights of indoor gardening, creating…
Read MoreAustin Earth Day Festival 2016
With its reputation for being an eco-minded city that nurtures a passion for the environment, Austin couldn’t resist throwing our planet a party and celebrate eco-awareness with the 2016 Austin Earth Day Festival!
Read MoreYour Guide to Local Health-Based Grocers
We all get stuck in grocery ruts from time to time — driving to the same ol’ national store chain, complacently tossing questionable food products in the cart, tediously pushing past the brightly colored displays of bagged sugar and pre-processed meals. While shopping familiar may be comfortable, why not do your body a favor and zest up…
Read More6 Things That DON’T Belong in the Recycling
A vital part of our job at the Purple Fig involves bagging, carrying, and curbing pounds of our clients’ trash and recycling each and every day. Among the cornucopia of properly segregated wrappers, old food, and empty La Croix cans, however, there’s always a handful of non-recyclable items (known as “contaminants”) that are consistently tossed in the big blue…
Read MoreEasy Origami Compost Liner
While the satisfaction of composting organic waste far outweighs the task of emptying out the bin, it can still be a messy chore! Fortunately for the responsible composter, a simple and biodegradable tool can be used to keep your hands from getting dirty: newspaper.
Read MoreSet the Mood for a Green Valentine’s Day!
Already read through our guide to local fine dining, but need that pièce de résistance for your beloved this Valentine’s Day? Never fear! These eco-friendly romantic gifts are guaranteed to woo your green sweetie.
Read MoreNetflix Picks: Docs to Watch This Winter
Finally the bitterly cold winter weather has us in its icy grip, and families- especially Texans -turn inward for some much-needed hibernation under the couch blankets. If you find yourself nestled in front of the television for several hours with no clue what to watch, the Purple Fig encourages you to switch on Netflix and enjoy your holiday break…
Read MoreThe Dirty Glove: Laundry Edition
Cleaning thoroughly, efficiently, and greenly is the name of the game here at the Purple Fig, but we all have those areas of the house that- let’s face it -nobody likes to tackle. What better way to honor those dastardly, dirty crevices then to dedicate a post about how to scrub them until they shine?
Read MoreAutumn Closet Detox
Every year, as the weather jumps from humid and sweaty to bitterly cold, we Texans take its cue and scramble to prepare for winter during a small window of time: rediscovering our storage bins, relocating those ornaments and decorations, and repurposing our closets for cold temperatures. But nothing is more off-putting than pulling out your winter wardrobe…only to…
Read MoreThe Recycling Handbook
While banning plastic bags in grocery stores may seem like a useless and inconvenient policy in the short run, take a moment to consider how many plastic bags you’ve seen floating around street corners and tangled in tree branches. About 2 million plastic bags are used every day around the world…each of them made from a…
Read MoreGreen Supplies for the New School Year
Whether it’s rushing to eat their breakfast, hurrying to cram for that quiz, or asking for help with their math homework…it is officially that time again! With school almost in session and supply shopping in full swing, it can be tempting to turn a blind eye towards environmentally friendly and health conscious supplies in order…
Read MoreTrash, Recycling, & Waste: The Disposal Guide
We’ve all been there: standing in front of our garbage cans, holding some unusual item that may…or may not?…be disposable, recyclable, compostable, or- unbeknownst to you -classified as hazardous household waste. The world’s landfills are already overburdened with wasted food and irresponsibly discarded scrap, so in order to reduce carbon footprints around the nation, The…
Read MoreGreen Gear for the Great Outdoors
Summer is officially in full swing, beckoning us out of our homes and into the splendor of the wilderness! While many assume that they must compromise their eco-integrity in order to enjoy an outdoor hobby, activities like running, hiking, swimming, and camping can now be easily enhanced with environmentally conscious equipment and apparel. Keep your body (and the…
Read MoreA Salute to America’s Greenest Hotspots
As unique of a city as Austin is, it only takes up a tiny corner of the map when it comes to the rest of this sprawling nation. To celebrate America’s 239th birthday, we at the Purple Fig want to pay homage to the exciting eco-friendly progress this country has made over the recent years by…
Read MoreEco-Friendly Travel Tips
Planning a much-needed summer getaway this year? Whether you’ve only just begun hatching those vacation plans, or you’re already zipping up the luggage bag, don’t forget to keep your carbon footprint in mind during your travels! There are many simple and helpful ways to experience an amazing journey while still being kind to the planet.
Read MoreSpring Cleaning Hacks
There’s something about the coming of Spring that inspires a renewing and refreshing sense of self– and for whatever reason, nothing makes for a more satisfying detox than tossing out the old and abandoned clutter around your house. We at the Purple Fig know how daunting a task this can be, so we have list of eco-friendly tips, tricks, and…
Read MoreMother’s Day Gifts with the Earth in Mind
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, there are plenty of eco-friendly gifts and crafts to explore, all tailored to shower your mom (and the environment!) in clean, eco-conscious love. All of the old stand-bys can be substituted with green alternatives, along with original and out-of-the-box DIY gifts that not only celebrate the beauty of your mom,…
Read MoreCentral Texas Drought
We here in Austin are in the midst of the drought gripping central Texas. You can read all about it at the Drought Monitor and at LCRA. Scary stuff. What can we do to help? There are some small things that can make a big difference! Some things are obvious. Stop watering the lawn: either…
Read MoreRelieve Dreary Weather Boredom!
It’s a little chilly out there for us Austinites. The kids and dogs are probably going a bit stir crazy, being stuck inside the house. How do you keep everyone happy? Make things! First, distract the dog with some home made toys: A few ideas from Wise Bread. Organic Authority has a green, reuse…
Read MoreWe like Moso Natural Bags!
We ran across a great, eco-friendly product in a client’s house this week. I’m always pleasantly surprised that we can continue to learn and discover new ways to be green and clean nearly every day! The Moso Natural Bag: It contains a bamboo charcoal that absorbs moisture and odors and all sorts of things you…
Read MoreGreen Motivation
Austin has a plethora of green, eco-friendly businesses. So, it can be easy for Austinites to be green in our eating, cleaning and living. Yet, even we have a hard time staying motivated to make better eco choices. Sometimes, life just gets downright busy and we might take the ‘easy’ route. We forget our grocery…
Read MoreIn.gredients – Now Open! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Every now and then, you find a business that you just love. This weekend, in.gredients became that place for me. They opened their doors on August 4th and I’ve been there twice already. They offer local, fresh organic items, many of which are zero packaging. Only food safety regulations stop some items from being zero…
Read MoreA Shower of Products
When we clean your home, we move items on your counters and in your shower. While putting various products back into the shower or tub, I pondered the array of products I’ve seen in different homes and my own. Now, I realize I’m an anomaly amongst my peers, but I only have two products in…
Read MoreComposting for All
Composting has a multitude of benefits for you and the environment. It makes a great amendment for soil that you can use in your garden or plants with it’s high nutrient content. Diverting waste from entering landfills and being able to use what would have been in your trash bin is about as green and…
Read MoreFree Paint!
While attempting to follow the reduce, reuse then recycle mantra, what do you do about household paint? Living a green life doesn’t necessarily mean you have to watch the paint start peeling off of your walls before you do something about it. You can reduce your use of paint by only buying the quantity you…
Read MoreIt’s Raining!
It’s raining here in ATX, and we’re loving it! It reminds us of our new friends, RK Re-Purposing. In their words: “RK Re-Purposing provides quality recycled and refurbished products for your home and garden needs. Whether you need them for your home or business, we can help you to reduce your carbon footprint and…
Read MoreReducing Your Carbon Footprint for Less
If you’re reading a green cleaning blog, you are probably concerned about your carbon footprint. I know I try to find new ways to reduce mine and being on a budget can limit my options. I have a close friend who went from riches to rags, forced into frugality by recession. She cut back on…
Read MoreAll You Ever Need
All you ever need in a sponge! The great sponge trial is over, with fantastic results. After 10 house cleanings, the loofah/sponge hybrid is still going. The pros and cons: Pros: The hybrid is long lasting and compostable. Far more green than I had even hoped. Once wet, it is flexible and easy to use.…
Read MoreThe Life of a Sponge
We made a decision a while back to use sponges. It was a hard decision for us, as we like to do things as green as possible and sponges can be a waste. We weighed the decision on factors that include saving our customers money. It’s quicker to use a sponge on surfaces like sinks,…
Read MoreReuse Ideas
We’re not just about the cleaning here at The Purple Fig…we’re all about the planet and doing what we can to not destroy it. With that in mind, I’ve decided to collect our reuse ideas in one spot. Right here in the blog! It makes it easier for all of us to search by tags…
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