It seems a lot of people and places are boasting the vegan label these days, but when we saw an announcement for a vegan house cleaning service, well, let's just say it caught our attention. Chelsi Shedd is a young entrepreneur in Manchester who's putting her passion for protecting the environment, and ability to concoct a mean cleaning solution, to work. Shedd, 20, offers an Earth-friendly home cleaning service that includes using her homemade products, special allergen-reducing vacuum filters, and reusable cloth towels for cleaning and dusting.

Why not take that great feeling you get from dropping off all those plastic bottles for recycling and double it by dressing yourself in clothes made from those bottles?
Not only can you reduce the amount of waste on this earth, you can rest assured that you’re doing your small part to reduce the work in sweatshops across the world.

Reduce your carbon footprint by keeping as much of your shopping as possible within the Granite State. From furniture to home decor to food and beverage, the more you buy from local producers, the less waste in shipping and packaging. Log on to NHMade.com and download its “Guide to NH Products and Services.” Familiarize yourself with the state’s vast offerings and discover what area in your life can be upgraded to local-only products and services. The website is also a great resource for quick searches.

Christmas is a holiday noted for conspicuous consumption, and many people tend to give themselves a break from responsible living around that time, but there are numerous ways to introduce conservation and recycling into your holiday habits. And perhaps your green holiday spirit will rub off on your loved ones.
Here are a few ideas to get your started:

The debate of real versus fake when it comes to Christmas trees is always evolving, but if you want to make less of an impact on the planet, you should know real is the way to go.

A good place to start when trying to determine your carbon footprint and find solutions for your household is myenergyplan.net. The site offers several web tools, courtesy of the New England Carbon Challenge.
First, there’s the Personal Energy Planner, which will help you calculate your carbon footprint by asking you information on your home and vehicles, then give you an action plan to reduce your energy use.

Everyone has a little Clark Griswold in them, but most can agree the National Lampoon’s character could’ve benefited from taking it down a notch or two. While it may be Christmas tradition to make your house shine bright, limiting the lights would make a major contribution to the cause.

No matter how gung-ho you are about making fresh-from-the-farm meals in your kitchen, sometimes it’s just nice to go out and pay someone else to feed you. You shouldn’t deprive yourself entirely, and while you could look at eating out as an occasional decadence, there are a number of ways to ensure that even with this experience you’re making less of an impact.

Why not get rid of that spice rack and replace it with an indoor herb garden: It’s an easy way to provide fresh herbs year-round for all of your culinary, aromatic and ornamental needs while also cutting out the wasteful packaging from store-bought spices. Here are some tips from the UNH Cooperative Extension Service on getting started:
Indoor plants will need essentially the same conditions as herbs grown outdoors – sunlight and a well-drained soil mix that is not too rich.

While CSAs require a season-long commitment, shopping your area farmers market is a great way to ease into the locavore movement. And you no longer have to hold out till spring to indulge in local goods; more and more communities are offering winter farmers markets as well. Here’s a list of winter farmers markets in New Hampshire. For more information, visit nh.gov/agric. And if you don’t want to leave home, visit the virtual farmers market at nhfarms.com.

• Concord: Every other Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Cole Gardens, 430 Loudon Road. Jan. 8 through March 26.

CSA seasons typically run from late spring through early fall, but a number of farms in the state are continuing their programs through the late fall and winter, with some even operating year-round.
Community-supported agriculture lets people subscribe to a farm for a season, receiving a weekly basket of produce. Most CSAs ask that members pay for the season upfront, but some accept weekly or monthly payments. Some require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during growing season, and some trade the fresh produce in exchange for help with harvesting or deliveries.

Milk. It’s good for you, and good for our state, too.
Dairy farms in New England have been fighting to stay relevant when most national business has gone out west. And they’re putting up their promoting dukes by highlighting a few benefits that anyone looking to live a more sustainable life can reconcile: Buying locally made dairy products cuts down on travel and packaging that would come with a national brand, and maintaining local farms will also maintain open space. We get to enjoy the land and the working of that land provides jobs, sustenance and revenue.