Top 10 Tips for A Less Wasteful 2009 From ReusableBags.com:
One of our resolutions should always be to create less waste. The ReusableBags.com site has their top ten wasters we can improve on. They have some great products. I will probably make my own on some of these. The added benefit is saving money!
#10: Ditch the dryer sheets. Sure they are easy but they clog up lint filters over time, and add chemicals many people have allergies to. They have a product called dryer balls that can be used over and over to soften clothes and remove static cling without chemicals. These-I will get!
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/nellies-allnatural-dryerballs-p-1433.html
#9: Bring your own cup. Most coffee places, even truck stops will refill your cup. Then you aren’t thowing away more Styrofoam or paper. I do this on long road trips because it keeps my coffee hot longer (or a cold drink colder).
#8: Use a reusable utensil. Instead of throwing away plastic silverware along the way, consider having your own knife, fork, and spoon in your bag. It may end up being more sanitary in some eating venues. Small sets are available at camping stores, and ReusableBags.com has some of their own: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-utensils-more-c-4_28.html
#7: Bag the sandwich baggie: We throw tons of plastic sandwich and snack bags away every year. Cloth bags can be washed and reused. Again, you can get some ideas from here:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-sandwich-snack-bags-c-4_13.html
#6: Kick the water bottle habit. Save money and natural resources by saying 'no' to disposable juice bottles and sport drinks, by filtering and flavoring your own and using reusable bottles.
#5: Say “No” to gift wrap. Says ReusableBags.com: Reusable gift bags are a smart, sustainable alternative to disposable paper gift wrap. From production to consumption and disposal, paper gift wrap generates enormous waste (each year a staggering $5 billion worth of gift wrap is tossed in the trash.) Reusable gift bags save natural resources and money, too. When you restore the tradition of using cloth gift bags, you inspire others to do the same. You can make your own with fun cottons or some of theirs:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/gift-bags-c-29.html
#4: Reuse the plastic bags you do have, by rinsing out, turning inside out, and drying.
#3: BYO Bottle: Carry a BPA-free reusable water bottle with you to refill.
#2: Pack a sustainable lunch. From sandwich bags to utensils to cloth napkins (I mean, aren’t we worth it?) to insulated lunch bags, it can all be reusable. And my personal favorite:
#1: Always carry a reusable shopping bag with you. If it’s in the car in sight, you’ll remember to take it into whatever store you visit.
One of our resolutions should always be to create less waste. The ReusableBags.com site has their top ten wasters we can improve on. They have some great products. I will probably make my own on some of these. The added benefit is saving money!
#10: Ditch the dryer sheets. Sure they are easy but they clog up lint filters over time, and add chemicals many people have allergies to. They have a product called dryer balls that can be used over and over to soften clothes and remove static cling without chemicals. These-I will get!
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/nellies-allnatural-dryerballs-p-1433.html
#9: Bring your own cup. Most coffee places, even truck stops will refill your cup. Then you aren’t thowing away more Styrofoam or paper. I do this on long road trips because it keeps my coffee hot longer (or a cold drink colder).
#8: Use a reusable utensil. Instead of throwing away plastic silverware along the way, consider having your own knife, fork, and spoon in your bag. It may end up being more sanitary in some eating venues. Small sets are available at camping stores, and ReusableBags.com has some of their own: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-utensils-more-c-4_28.html
#7: Bag the sandwich baggie: We throw tons of plastic sandwich and snack bags away every year. Cloth bags can be washed and reused. Again, you can get some ideas from here:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/lunch-bags-sandwich-snack-bags-c-4_13.html
#6: Kick the water bottle habit. Save money and natural resources by saying 'no' to disposable juice bottles and sport drinks, by filtering and flavoring your own and using reusable bottles.
#5: Say “No” to gift wrap. Says ReusableBags.com: Reusable gift bags are a smart, sustainable alternative to disposable paper gift wrap. From production to consumption and disposal, paper gift wrap generates enormous waste (each year a staggering $5 billion worth of gift wrap is tossed in the trash.) Reusable gift bags save natural resources and money, too. When you restore the tradition of using cloth gift bags, you inspire others to do the same. You can make your own with fun cottons or some of theirs:
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/gift-bags-c-29.html
#4: Reuse the plastic bags you do have, by rinsing out, turning inside out, and drying.
#3: Carry a BPA-free reusable water bottle with you to refill.
#2: Pack a sustainable lunch. From sandwich bags to utensils to cloth napkins (I mean, aren’t we worth it?) to insulated lunch bags, it can all be reusable. And my personal favorite:
#1: Always carry a reusable shopping bag with you. If it’s in the car in sight, you’ll remember to take it into whatever store you visit.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Something New Has Been Added
Just as the seconds of our lives are ticking away, we are amassing a huge ecological debt of disposable plastic bags. Up the in the right hand corner of the blog the number of plastic bags used (and discarded) are growing at an alarming rate. Our thanks to ReusableBags.com for their help in illustrating the magnitude of this problem.
Farther down on the right sidebar, you will see a link to their store where you can purchase a wide variety of eco-friendly reusable products. 1% of their sales goes to environmental projects, beyond the activism they have assumed to get the word out worldwide about how we are trashing the only planet we have.
Farther down on the right sidebar, you will see a link to their store where you can purchase a wide variety of eco-friendly reusable products. 1% of their sales goes to environmental projects, beyond the activism they have assumed to get the word out worldwide about how we are trashing the only planet we have.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Strategies for Improving our Planet
So now that you all have your cloth bags handy in your cars, and automatically reach for them before you go into ANY store with an intention to buy something, let’s look at the larger picture.
I live in the city where trash is as ubiquitous as flowers in the spring and snow in the winter. No matter how often I pick it up, it resprouts. Here’s an idea, whether you are walking in the neighborhood or out on a trail somewhere:
Take a bag with you. I have some really lightweight cloth bags that will crumple up and stuff into a pocket or waist pack. Stuff a bag in along with your other stuff. Then pick up trash as you go and dump it in the first available trash bin. I’ve regretted several times not having a bag with me when I was out in some pristine wilderness that some jackass thought could be improved by his (or her) empty beer cans. Pick them up, take them home to recycle, and make the walk more pleasant for the next hiker.
In the city, I don’t have a bag large enough, but since I walk almost every day, I do a little at a time. One bag full is an improvement. Sometimes I find a plastic bag along the way (big surprise here!) so I can fill two. So you look like a bag lady to passer-bys, you are also setting an example. And sometimes, examples catch on. If enough people see you picking up trash, they may think twice about throwing it. It shows someone cares enough about the neighborhood to try to improve it.
With all the other really serious problems in our world, just making it look better can make us a little happier while we’re working on those. Urban studies have consistently shown that cleaning up blighted areas, painting over graffiti, etc., reduce crime in those areas. Since I’m living in a crimeful city, I’m all over that one! Plan ahead next time you step out for a healthy walk. Take that bag along; the worse that can happen is you won’t see any trash and will just bring it back home. How bad is that?
Tip: Keep those bags separate from the ones you use for groceries and throw them in the wash more often; wash hands thoroughly after trash pick-up. Let’s spruce up our world.
I live in the city where trash is as ubiquitous as flowers in the spring and snow in the winter. No matter how often I pick it up, it resprouts. Here’s an idea, whether you are walking in the neighborhood or out on a trail somewhere:
Take a bag with you. I have some really lightweight cloth bags that will crumple up and stuff into a pocket or waist pack. Stuff a bag in along with your other stuff. Then pick up trash as you go and dump it in the first available trash bin. I’ve regretted several times not having a bag with me when I was out in some pristine wilderness that some jackass thought could be improved by his (or her) empty beer cans. Pick them up, take them home to recycle, and make the walk more pleasant for the next hiker.
In the city, I don’t have a bag large enough, but since I walk almost every day, I do a little at a time. One bag full is an improvement. Sometimes I find a plastic bag along the way (big surprise here!) so I can fill two. So you look like a bag lady to passer-bys, you are also setting an example. And sometimes, examples catch on. If enough people see you picking up trash, they may think twice about throwing it. It shows someone cares enough about the neighborhood to try to improve it.
With all the other really serious problems in our world, just making it look better can make us a little happier while we’re working on those. Urban studies have consistently shown that cleaning up blighted areas, painting over graffiti, etc., reduce crime in those areas. Since I’m living in a crimeful city, I’m all over that one! Plan ahead next time you step out for a healthy walk. Take that bag along; the worse that can happen is you won’t see any trash and will just bring it back home. How bad is that?
Tip: Keep those bags separate from the ones you use for groceries and throw them in the wash more often; wash hands thoroughly after trash pick-up. Let’s spruce up our world.
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