I realize it comes a few days late, but I've had this post brewing for a while. April 22 was Earth Day. People all over pick up trash, are more conscious of recycling habits, and many go out and plant a tree. That's wonderful! Don't you think we should all be more conscious of the way the things we do and the products we use affect our planet every day, though?
One of the biggest things we do for our planet's sake in our house is avoiding disposable stuff, and also finding uses for stuff that would normally be disposed of. Using something once and then throwing it away is very common in our society today. It makes a lot of trash and burns through a lot of resources. Here are some tips you can implement in your household to stop some of the waste.
1. Use REAL plates. I know that dishes stink. I, for one, hate doing dishes (we've never had a dish washer). However, our family of 5 would throw away a minimum of 15 paper plates every day if we used them all the time. That's a lot of wasted paper. I am alright with the occasional paperware for barbecues or birthday parties, but I can't stomach the waste of using paper (or styrofoam, which is even worse) for every meal. Buy dishes that you love and you'll find yourself using them more often.
2. Buy some cloth napkins. They aren't all that expensive, and they are honestly much nicer to use than paper napkins. Plus, they come in fabulous colors and patterns, and they make your family feel fancy.
3. Keep a stash of refillable water bottles on hand. If you don't like your tap water (I don't), purchase a filtering system or buy refillable jugs at the grocery store.
4. You can make reusable sandwich-type baggies by sewing laminated cotton fabric into a bunch of handy sizes, or there are products out there that serve the same, use it again and again, purpose. You can even throw them in the dishwasher.
5. There are lots of folks out there that would LOVE to have your old tattered denim for sewing projects. Place an ad on Craigslist or on a local buy and sell site on Facebook. Chances are someone would love to come pick them up. The same goes for most fabrics. If they are too tattered to donate or resell, you can probably still find someone who can use them for something.
6. Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk reduces the amount of packaging used and you make less trips to the store. Plus, you're always prepared! No ice storm or hurricane is going to find you out of food or toliet paper if you buy in bulk. The bulk area at our local food co-op is also MUCH cheaper than buying the same food boxed in the aisles.
7. Use glass food storage containers or heavy duty plastic containers rather than the 'use it again..or don't' variety. I found the temptation to throw those ones out when they got gross almost irresistable.
8. Opt out of using facial tissues. Buy a couple hankies for each family member instead. My nose doesn't get so red and sore during allergy season and there is not a very tempting box of tissues for my small children to empty all over the floor.
9. Use real rags to clean. They work better, and you won't burn through a whole roll of paper towels every time you clean the house. I'm certain there are some old, holey t-shirts around that can be cut into handy, light-weight rags that you can use over and over again.
10. Start asking yourself every time you buy something, "How much of this will be thrown away?" A lot of packaging is nothing but waste. Nothing lasts forever. The product itself will someday have to find a home in the big trash-heap in the sky. Before you puchase something, think about what you would have to do to responsibly dispose of it, which will inevitably happen. Can you repurpose the item if and when it quits having the ability to perform it's original purpose?
11. Make your own cleaners whenever possible. It will keep you from throwing out the empty spray bottles full of residual chemicals. Find some easy, all natural ways in my post about natural cleaning here: http://therealfoodhouseholdresolution.blogspot.com/
Mostly, I'm asking everyone to be more conscious of their actions and how they impact the planet. Our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids have to live here long after we're gone. Take a small step to help preserve our world. Walk your kids the two blocks to school when it's nice out. Recycle and reuse what you can. Turn off the lights when you leave. Turn off the water if you aren't using it right then. If everyone would take part in small scale conservation, it could help to ensure future generations a healthy place to live. Another bonus? In the long run, these tips will actually save you money.
Do you have any great tips to keep the waste to a minimum at your house? Please share!
P.S., the picture is a fabulous Earth picture that my wonderful son made for me at preschool.
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