Green Daily

So, if our confused climate figures out it's autumn soon, we can start enjoying some chilly nights by the fireplace. But the eco-conscious may feel conflicted about the traditional winter warming activity.

As the Environmental Protection Agency explains, wood smoke is waste that will stick in chimneys as creosote or be released as air pollution. Although the agency also claims that properly installed EPA-certified wood stove and fireplace inserts burn wood with much less smoke, I haven't come across any offers from the government to install the things for free.

But there's another option for the green-conscious consumer who doesn't want to give up those warm and cozy evenings. Burn, coffee, burn -- in your fireplace, that is. Java-Log has been around for a few years, but I discovered it last year and will be stocking up for this winter as well.

In short, it's a log made out of recycled coffee grounds and wrapped in recycled paper. The company claims a whole slew of environmental benefits and other perks, including fewer emissions than firewood and diverting 10 million kg/year of coffee waste from landfills. The price is comparable to other manufactured fireplace logs and it's available at my local grocery store. Heck, it's even good enough for Ellen Degeneres.