Alexis Petru

Alexis Petru

Staff Writer

Alexis is a staff writer for Earth911. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alexis spends her spare time working on green home improvement projects and cooking locally and seasonally.



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How to Plan a Waste-Free BBQ

Alexis Petru, May 25th, 2012

A holiday weekend is the perfect excuse to invite friends and family over for a backyard barbecue. And while it’s great to recycle all those beer cans and tubs of spinach dip once the party is over, why not go further and try to reduce your waste at the source? Before you fire up the grill, here are six simple ... read more

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Tagged aluminumcan, aluminumcans, bulk foods, compost, composting, food, food waste, gallery, packaging, plasticbottle, plasticbottles, recycle, reduce, reuse

Published in Household


5 Simple Ways to Start Growing Edibles

Alexis Petru, May 23rd, 2012

There’s nothing quite as rewarding as stepping into your garden to snip a few fresh herbs or harvest homegrown vegetables to add to that evening’s dinner. That connection to your food – and commitment to sustainability – is a feeling Patricia Larenas enjoys as she tends to her own edible garden at her suburban home in the heart of Silicon Valley, ... read more

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Tagged compost, food, guide, leaves, mulch, organic, soil, tip, urban garden, water, weeds

Published in Garden


Photo Tour: Inside A Composting Facility

Alexis Petru, May 21st, 2012

Earth911 has brought you many stories about San Francisco’s successful composting program for food scraps and yard trimmings. But what happens after the materials are picked up at the curb? How are apple cores, chicken bones and fallen leaves turned into a nutritious soil amendment for farms and vineyards? Here's a behind-the-scenes look at Jepson Prairie ... read more

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Tagged compost, composting, food, food waste, gallery, organic, organic waste, san francisco, soil, yardwaste

Published in Garden


Special Preview: The Bay Area Maker Faire

Alexis Petru, May 17th, 2012

This weekend, thousands of artists, crafters, inventors and tinkerers will gather in the San Francisco Bay Area for the sixth annual Maker Faire, the world’s largest do-it-yourself festival that celebrates the spirit of creativity and invention. Organized by MAKE magazine, the event will feature a wide variety of exhibits and displays including robots, electric vehicles, green tech, ... read more

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Tagged bicycle, bike, compost, composting, DIY, electric, electricity, energy, etsy, food, haiti, recycle, recycled, reduce, san francisco, solar, solar panel, toilet, water

Published in General


San Fran Turns Transit Tickets into Trees

Alexis Petru, May 10th, 2012

It’s a common dilemma for regular subway riders: What do you do with all those leftover tickets with just a few cents of remaining value? San Francisco residents had a few disposal options for their old tickets from the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART): They could consolidate the tickets' value only at certain BART stations, or they could donate the ... read more

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Tagged curbside, Plastic, recycle, recycling, san francisco

Published in Plastic


How to Make Top-Notch Compost for Your Garden

Alexis Petru, May 9th, 2012

Have you mastered the basics of home composting and want to take your eco-friendly hobby to the next level? Here’s six tips to help you go beyond simply reducing your household’s waste and use composting to create a high-quality soil amendment to use around your garden. 1. Maintain the moisture You already know that you need to regularly water your compost pile, ... read more

1 Comment

Tagged compost, composting, food, grass, leaves, mulch, soil, water

Published in Garden


Green Lessons Our Moms Taught Us

Alexis Petru, May 8th, 2012

Moms teach their children a variety of lessons as they grow up – from how to tie their shoes to the importance of spending quality time with loved ones. As we get ready to celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, Earth911 couldn’t help but realize that many of the values our moms imparted are actually very eco-friendly – whether ... read more

1 Comment

Tagged bicycle, cell phone, electronics, food, ideas, kitchen, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse

Published in General


6 Inspiring Community Gardens

Alexis Petru, May 3rd, 2012

Community gardens can add much-needed green space to an urban environment, provide locals with affordable, fresh produce and bring together diverse members of the community. From a Santa Cruz, Calif. garden that creates job opportunities for the city’s homeless to a modest, 11-bed garden in Atlanta that united a neighborhood, here are six of the U.S.’s most inspiring community gardens.

2 Comments

Tagged food, gallery, organic, urban garden

Published in Garden


Must-Ask Eco Questions: Buying an Electric Vehicle

Alexis Petru, April 30th, 2012

If you’re shopping around for a new car, you may be considering one of the many electric vehicles (EVs) currently on the market. But will an EV really cut your fuel costs? And which type of EV works best with your driving habits: an all-electric car like the Nissan LEAF or a plug-in model like the Chevy ... read more

4 Comments

Tagged batteries, carbatteries, electric, electricity, electricvehicle, energy, fuel, gas, leaf, New Jersey, new york, recycle, reduce, rhode island

Published in Automotive


Skateboard Company Reuses Every Scrap of Wood

Alexis Petru, April 26th, 2012

Can a skateboard offer a smooth ride and be good for the planet? Bill Erickson thinks so, handcrafting his handsome longboard skateboards out of sustainably-sourced wood and recycling the leftover scraps into other gorgeous products. His Seattle-based company, Erickson Longboards, is currently selling two types of skateboards on its website: a $299 46-48 inch board made from eco-friendly United States ... read more

4 Comments

Tagged recycling, reuse, Seattle, trees, wood

Published in General


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