Greening Up My Act – Details, episodes & analysis

**Ruby was Tiffany’s wonderful dog who went over the rainbow bridge this season. This Thanksgiving episode goes out to her. **

Want to have a less expensive and less wasteful Thanksgiving meal this year? Ok, we can’t promise it’ll be the best Thanksgiving ever, but we can give you tips to reduce how much food you waste and the overall cost of the meal. Plus, get some of our favorite recipes for day-of and leftovers in the last episode of this season. Bonus: ASMR pretzel eating!

Sources:

• University of Minnesota: https://sustainable.umn.edu/thanksgiving 
• NRDC Guestimator tool: https://savethefood.com/guestimator 
• Hungry Harvest: https://hungryharvest.net/blog/2017/11/9/the-makings-of-a-zero-waste-holiday
• Move for Hunger: https://moveforhunger.org/blog/mindful-meals-cultivating-low-waste-thanksgiving-meal 
• Going Zero Waste: https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/ways-to-use-your-thanksgiving-leftovers/ 
• Sugar Spun Run (recipe): https://sugarspunrun.com/homemade-cranberry-sauce/#recipe
• Add a Pinch (recipe): https://addapinch.com/turkey-salad-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-31953 
• NPR https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-11-15/is-it-ok-to-keep-reheating-leftovers-honest-questions-about-food-safety-illustrated
• Ohio State https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/cooling-pasta-changes-starch

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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PFAS and other "forever chemicals" have been around a long time, but in recent years, they've been getting a lot of news. What are they? Why are they scary? And can you avoid getting them in your food? Get the scoop with a dash of measured hope in this week's episode of your favorite sustainability podcast.

Sources

• NIH - Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) - https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc
• EPA - Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS - https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas
• EPA - Meaningful and Achievable Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your RIsk - https://www.epa.gov/pfas/meaningful-and-achievable-steps-you-can-take-reduce-your-risk
• BBC Science Focus - Forever Chemicals Are Now in Half of Your Fruits and Vegetables - https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/forever-chemicals-food-risks
• The Guardian - It’s Almost Impossible to Eliminate Toxic PFAS From Your Diet - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/22/pfas-forever-chemicals-diet
• FDA - Questions and Answers on PFAS in Food - https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/questions-and-answers-pfas-food
• ITRC - History and Use of PFAS Found in the Environment - https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/history_and_use_508_2020Aug_Final.pdf
• NIH - The Devil They Knew - Chemical Documents Analysis of Industry Influence on PFAS Science - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10237242/
• ELG Law - https://www.elglaw.com/faq/most-pfas-contaminated-states/
• Consumer Reports - https://www.consumerreports.org/water-contamination/how-to-get-pfas-out-of-your-drinking-water-a7303943293/

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
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Say "artificial food dyes" and someone will inevitably start screaming about Red 40 (or FD&C Red 40 if they're really obsessive). Are these dyes really poisoning our children? Is natural food coloring better, or might there be unintended environmental consequences? Join us as we look at everything from MAHA to McGill University to get to the bottom of artificial colors.

Sources

• The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/08/white-food-dye-titanium-dioxide-maha/683806/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
• International Dairy Foods Assoc: https://www.idfa.org/idfa-ice-cream-commitment
• Make America Healthy Again report: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MAHA-Report-The-White-House.pdf 
• FDA: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/hhs-fda-phase-out-petroleum-based-synthetic-dyes-nations-food-supply 
• Yahoo News: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-calls-rfk-jr-three-211918075.html 
• UPMC HealthBeat: https://share.upmc.com/2024/07/is-red-food-dye-bad-for-kids/ 
• UC Berkeley Public Health: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/spotlight/research/new-report-shows-artificial-food-coloring-causes-hyperactivity-in-some-kids 
• Michigan State University Today: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/07/ask-the-expert-whats-the-problem-with-artificial-food-dyes 
• McGill University Office for Science and Society: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/food-health-news/food-dyes-science 
• NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/no-artificial-dyes-atkinson-candy-company-replace-natural-colors-rfk-rcna220485 
• Foods (Journal): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10093929/ 

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
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This week, Kat and Tiff reveal their 3-ingredient recipe for cheesecake — err, laundry detergent. This DIY laundry detergent is so easy (and sustainable!) that it might become your  gateway drug to homemade products, like it was for Tiffany. These two marketing writers also talk you through a simple way to uncover green hooey for yourself and learn the true sustainability of your household products in this green living podcast.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

What We Recommend:

• Dish soap (Palmolive Ultra Pure + Clear Liquid Dish Soap Detergent - Fragrance Free is actually sustainable, affordable, and easy to find)
• Arm & Hammer washing soda
• Enzyme stain remover from Truly Free (this is optional but helps with stains)

If you don’t want to make your own and are a millionaire:

• Aspen Clean is great but expensive
• Dropps laundry pods

What We Mentioned:

• Nancy Birtwhistle’s book, Clean & Green: 101 Hints and Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Home
• Safer Choice label from the EPA

Source Links:

• An article from Apartment Therapy on liquid laundry detergent facts
• AZCentral: liquid detergent is up to 90% water
• Environmental Working Group for product ratings
• The Spruce’s breakdown of the chemistry of laundry detergent
• A breakdown of enzymes in detergent from Novozymes

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act

This week on your favorite green living podcast, Tiff and Kat learn about compostable trash bags -- or, more accurately, food scrap bags --  and what they can and can't do. Join as we discuss what the bags mean to cockroaches and sea turtles, and add a few new lines of "green hooey" to your dictionary.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

What We Bought
100% Compostable Trash Bags
EcoGuard compostable 3 gallon food scrap bags

Sources:
You Asked: What Are The Most Eco-Friendly Garbage Bags?
Are biodegradable bags better than plastic? It's complicated.
Biodegradable Plastic Bags Aren't Better for the Environment

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act

In the first episode of this new green living podcast, learn all about unpaper towels -- what they look like, feel like, maybe even taste like. Tiffany and Kat help you understand whether unpaper towels are worth your money and time, or whether you might already have something in your home that will do the trick.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

What We Bought:

• Bamboo unpaper towels

What We Mentioned:

• Swedish dishcloth  we recommend
• Recycled paper towels
• No-sew and sewable unpaper towels 
• Look up brands’ stance on viscose
• See the roadmap from Dirty Fashion to get to closed-loop viscose systems

Source Links:

• https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/ask-mr-green/2014/03/hey-mr-green-it-more-ecofriendly-use-rags-or-paper-towels  
• https://www.patagonia.com/on/demandware.static/Sites-patagonia-us-Site/Library-Sites-PatagoniaShared/en_US/PDF-US/bamboo_rayon.pdf 
• https://cfda.com/resources/materials/detail/rayon-viscose 
• https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp111-c1.pdf 
• http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ 
• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/22/eco-guide-to-cleaner-cotton
•  https://cfda.com/resources/materials/detail/rayon-viscose 

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act

In the intro to this seasonal green living podcast, meet Kat and Tiffany. They're both marketing writers  who will use their professional insights to spot "green hooey," or products that claim to be eco-friendly but actually aren't. 

Learn which products are worth your time and money and which aren't. The first 12-episode season will focus on cleaning products like:

• Unpaper towels
• Compostable trash bags
• Homemade laundry detergent
• DIY window cleaner
• and more!

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act

Welcome to your new favorite green living podcast from your hosts, Kat and Tiffany.  We're marketing writers, so we know how to spot "green" hooey.

In the first 12-episode season, we'll cover cleaning. We'll research green cleaning products and methods, discovering whether they are:

• Actually less harmful to make and use
• Truly nontoxic
• Overpriced for what they're made of
• More effective than the other options — or effective at all

Can't wait for you to join us every week!

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act

The average American is spending 25% more on groceries than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, so folks are looking for ways to save money. Growing your own vegetables is rewarding, but is it worth the cost? What's the cheapest vegetable to grow? Get tips on deciding what to plant and whether growing your own veg will save you some dough in your favorite sustainability podcast. 

NOTE: Some of the links below contain affiliate links, which we make a little cash from.

Sources:

• LA Food Bank - https://www.lafoodbank.org/stories/usa-food-prices-rose-by-25-percent-from-2019-to-2023/
• Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/comments/19a7tbm/best_food_to_grow_to_save_money/
• USDA Prices - https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/fruit-and-vegetable-prices
• Harvard Health Letter - https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/backyard-gardening-grow-your-own-food-improve-your-health-201206294984
• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map - https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
• The Farmers Almanac Planting Calendar – https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar
• Ecology Center - Organic Fertilizers - https://www.ecocenter.org/avoid-greenwashing-gardening-ecolive-event
• Grow Safe - https://amzn.to/47sxWPb

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act

Feeling isolated? You're not alone (ironically). Community is probably the solution, but how do you find it or build it today? Let's talk about what community means, how to build it, and why it's not your fault if you feel like it's harder today than it should be. Plus: can community be dangerous? Find out this week on your favorite sustainability and joy podcast!

Sources

• Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/202307/the-importance-of-community
• Ikeda Center: https://www.ikedacenter.org/resources/what-community-and-why-it-important 
• Motherly: https://www.mother.ly/relationships/community-friendship/making-mom-friends-viral-reel/ 
• The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/feb/05/how-to-build-community 
• The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging 

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act