The holidays are a special time to gather with friends and family. It is also a time of year when it is easy to forget to be eco-conscience. Did you know from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day households produce 25% more waste, adding an additional
1 million tons per week to our landfills! With a little planning and creative ideas we can still enjoy the season and stay green! Enjoy our tips for a greener holiday!

Get into the Holiday Spirit with Better Giving

Give the Gift of Bamboo

We all know by now that bamboo is about as eco-friendly as it gets. If you have been wishing for bamboo flooring in your home or a new bamboo fence around your pool, treat yourself! Or if you want to surprise that special someone, give them a Cali Bamboo Gift Certificate. You are guaranteed their gift will be enjoyed for years to come.

Support a Non-profit

Consider donating to a worthwhile cause that interests you. Most non-profits allow you to donate in the name of a loved one. It is the perfect gift for the person who has everything or to teach children the value of giving back. Find a charity at CharityNavigator.org or check out some of Cali Bamboo’s favorite causes here.

Choose Green Stocking Stuffers

If you have stockings to stuff, you can still stay on track with your eco-friendly mindset. Choose items that are handmade and/or recycled. Try handmade gifts from Etsy.com, where you will even find jewelry and clothing made from bamboo, or perhaps give a recycled 2011 calendar to get your friends or family ready for the New Year.

Wrap Smart & Save the Ribbons!

Get creative with wrapping gifts by using decorated grocery-store bags (a fun activity for kids) or pages from glossy fashion magazines. Or try giving items in reusable baskets and bags. If you want to stick with tradition, recycle your wrapping and save your ribbons! If every family in the US reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet!

Recycle your Christmas Tree

Every year 50 million Christmas Trees are purchased in the US and 30 million end up in a landfill. Recycling your Christmas tree is easier than you think. Most communities have Christmas tree recycling centers sponsored by the local governments. Visit http://earth911.com/ to find one near you.

The greener alternative to a cut tree is a Living Christmas Tree that comes with its roots intact. After decorating it for the holidays you can plant it in your own yard or donate it to a plant-a-tree organization. You can also rent a living tree for the holidays!

Remember, burning should never be in your plans for Christmas tree disposal. It creates unnecessary air pollution, and the turpentine in pines and evergreen trees is very flammable.

Project of the Month

Congratulations to December’s Project of the Month Winners!

1st Place Matthew H., Santa Barbara, CA

2nd Place Iva T., Ontario

3rd Place Adam T. Grand Prairie, TX

Wishing you a happy holiday,

This November brings the opportunity for you and your family to discover new, green ways to celebrate old traditions. Also discover a few tidbits of good green news we are particularly thankful for this year. And be sure to check out our yearly Thanksgiving Sale for your winter home improvement projects. Happy Thanksgiving!

THANKSGIVING SALE

Get 10% off fencing, slats, and thatch
and HUGE savings on our flooring!

Hurry, sale ends 11/24 at 6pm PST!

Easy Eco-Tips for Turkey Day!

1. When using your oven, pre-heat for no more than 10 minutes. Otherwise, you’re just wasting gas.

2. Use your best puzzle-master skills when loading the dishwasher, and don’t allow it to run until it’s completely full.

3. Venture to a farmer’s market for your Thanksgiving veggies. This supports local farms and makes for a great fall family activity. Find your local farmer’s market.

4. Go classy (and green) by opting for washable cloth napkins instead of paper.

5. Opt for an organic, free-range turkey!

6. Are your eyes bigger than your stomach? Save food (and calories) by only serving yourself what you’re sure you’ll eat.

7. Be sure to save all those tasty leftovers! Check out some delicious leftover recipes here.

Things to be Thankful for in the World of Green

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act which has lead to countless environmental benefits and public health improvements. Since being signed into law, total emissions of the six principal air pollutants have decreased by more than 41%.

The Federal Government recently approved the world’s largest solar project to be built in California’s Mojave Desert saving us 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year starting as early as 2013.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab stated that if the U.S. develops offshore wind farms in the coastal waters of 26 states, we could generate 20% of our electricity from wind energy by 2030. Read more about harnessing offshore wind power here.

The awe-inspiring beauty of some of our country’s greatest landscapes remains protected thanks to the National Park Service. Plan a trip to one today by visiting www.nps.gov.

Project of the Month

Congratulations to November’s Project of the Month Winners!

1st Place J. Sexton, Altamonte Springs, FL

2nd Place A&G Mauriello, Sparta, NJ

3rd Place D. Braddy, Sneads, FL

Your Friends,

It’s October, the leaves have changed, the weather has chilled and it’s time for Halloween! Halloween is a favorite holiday among children and adults alike. Unfortunately it can also be one of our most wasteful holidays with disposable decorations, costumes, bags, and the litter produced from all that candy! With just a few simple tips from Cali Bamboo you can have a Green Halloween this year.

Trick or Treat with Reusable Bags

Gone are the days of plastic bags for collecting candy. Hit the neighborhood in style with reusable treat bags. An even more unique option are bags from Terracycle made out of recycled candy and food wrappers you send in. You send them your trash and they make recycled goods from it! Consider sending them your post-Haloween wrappers too!

Satisfy a Sweet Tooth While Doing Good

Dentists may not agree, but candy can be good for you! Purchasing fair trade certified chocolates supports fairly paid farmers and sustainable farm practices all over the globe. These treats have a larger price tag than their bulk name-brand alternatives, so consider mixing both types of candy if you need to.

Buy Organic Pumpkins and Use Every Bit

Conventional pumpkin growth requires the use of pesticides, and most people buy pumpkins, use them for decoration and then throw them away. After making your jack-o-lantern try to make use of the rest of the pumpkin. – start with baking and eating the seeds and then after Halloween use the pumpkin to bake a pumpkin pie or try other interesting recipes. If you can, compost the rest of your pumpkin too!

Hold a Costume Swap or Get Thrifty!

Instead of buying a new costume every year, considering having a costume swap with your friends and neighbors. You will be saving money and resources at the same time. Another way to avoid the plastic costumes sold at mega-stores, is to visit your local thrift store. You can find great gently used items at fantastic prices.

Show Your Love & Support Our Green Workforce

Cali Bamboo is proud to take part in Intuit’s Love a Local Business contest. Fans like you can vote to help us win a $25,000-$50,000 Intuit Hiring Grant. The grant money will be used to hire additional Cali Bamboo team members, supporting our “green workforce”. Vote Now!

Cali Bamboo Donates $25,000 to Surfrider Foundation

Since 2005 Cali Bamboo has participated in 1% For the Planet, donating 1% of its product sales to environmental groups that are seeking to make a difference in the future of our planet. This year Cali Bamboo donated $25,000 to Surfrider Foundation. In addition to Surfrider, this year Cali Bamboo also made significant donations to San Diego Coast Keeper and other nonprofits.

Project of the Month

Congratulations to October’s Project of the Month Winners!

1st Place Robert Gillis, Methuen, MA

2nd Place Kathleen Sowle, New York , NY

3rd Place Kevin Pearson, Mound House, NV

Your Friends,

September is an exciting month here at Cali Bamboo. We are proud to announce our new HD floors have tested as the hardest flooring in the world! We also traveled to Malibu to meet up with our Green Home Challenge winners and help the Surfrider Foundation raise $29,600!

We’re Making History with the Hardest Floors on Earth!

Bamboo flooring has come a long way. The history of bamboo floors date back to over 5000 years ago when Chinese peasants slashed and placed bamboo on the ground to cover their dirt floors and keep their homes tidy. Man has certainly made improvements since then, and we can now mark another moment in history for bamboo flooring.

Cali Bamboo’s new HD floors have tested over 5000 on the Janka hardness scale by an independent laboratory, making them the hardest floors in the world, even surpassing Brazilian Walnut! Read our Press Release here.

What is Janka Hardness? The Janka Hardness Scale test measures the force required to embed a 0.444 inch steel ball into wood to half its diameter. This method was chosen so that the result would leave an indention 100 square millimeters in size. It is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear. It is also a good indicator of how hard a species is to saw or nail. Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janka_hardness_test.

Bamboo flooring is a perfect way to reduce our dependence on dwindling timber resources and make a green choice for our homes and businesses! Once again the awesomeness of bamboo proves you don’t have to sacrifice, strength, beauty, or function to go green!

Cali Bamboo and Some Famous Friends Help Raise $29,600 for The Surfrider Foundation

Cali Bamboo was proud to be a sponsor at the 5th Annual Celebrity Expression Session on Sept. 11, 2010. Part of the Malibu Surfing Association’s MSA Classic, the Celebrity Expression Session is a great opportunity for fans to watch their favorite celebrities show off their surfing skills in a 45-minute free surf, while earning money for a good cause. Hosted by Christina Applegate and Martyn Lenoble, the event drew a mix of celebrities including Anthony Kiedis and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction’s bassist Eric Avery, and actors Austin Nichols, Brian Geraghty, Eric Balfour and Sam Trammell. Cali Bamboo and other sponsors donated $200 for each wave caught to the Surfrider Foundation!

View photos and video from this amazing day catching waves and saving our planet!

Green Home Challenge Winners Surf with Cali Bamboo

Winners Jennifer and Tony Butler from Wilmington, NC joined us in Malibu
at the 5th Annual Celebrity Expression Session as part of their grand prize for winning the votes for the greenest home. Both being surfers, the trip was especially meaningful for the couple. They both surfed Malibu’s famed First Point with rockstar Martyn Lenoble from Porno For Pyros. The Butler’s shared, “This is unreal! We feel like celebrities too!”

Project of the Month

Congratulations to September’s Project of the Month Winners!

1st Place Jon Black, Moncton N.B.

2nd Place Scott Johnson & Susie Knoll, Woodside, CA

3rd Place Adam R Johnson, Cinnaminson, NJ

Your Friends,