Recent developments in my life have encouraged me to take a look at my own footprint on the world, and ways that I could be living a little greener. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a die-hard environmentalist and probably never will be. But there are a lot of little things that make a difference, things that don't take much extra effort on my part, and I find that I feel better and I'm having fun doing it!
Things I have learned:
There's more than one way to recycle. With a little online research and a little creativity, I've been finding fabulous ways to steer clear of the trash can, although I think my poor husband is a bit baffled by the weird new collections that surface here and there. Plastic grocery bags are now piling up beside my side of the couch, as I've learned to cut, loop, and twine them into balls of plastic "yarn"...to crochet! I recently used a bunch of said shopping bags to crochet - ironically - a shopping bag. (But this one is strong and reusable, so there.) Glass jars get rinsed and reused for all sorts of purposes, bits of twine and twisties and colored paper go into the crafts drawer...even corn husks have been saved and dried for projects, and hollowed out light bulbs will make great ornaments for next Yule, or even little planters for small herbs and flowers. That's right folks, I'm turning into the ghetto Martha Stewart.
There's more to recycle than I thought. Sure, the city supplied me with a small recycle bin to put out beside my regular garbage bin, and I did generally put my soda cans in it. But it never occurred to me just how much else I could be putting in it until I began to think more before tossing. All the paperboard - cereal boxes, Pop-Tart boxes, soda cartons. ALL the cans - tomato sauce, coconut milk, canned veggies, emptied in the course of preparing supper all get rinsed and thrown in. Milk jugs, plastic creamer bottles from my coffee addiction, yogurt cups. I may have to ask the city if I can have two bins, as it's getting to be a big game of Tetris each Garbage Day, trying to cram everything into the wee recycle bin sitting next to my big half-empty garbage bin.
I need fewer chemicals than I thought. If McGuyver were to go into the cleaning business, he'd so call me up for tips. Turns out a few choice ingredients will create just about anything. Keeping a few basics such as vinegar, baking soda, and washing soda in ready supply, I can create everything from soft scrub to disinfectant spray to furniture polish, all environmentally friendly and very inexpensive....and goodness knows I've got the empty jars and bottles to mix 'em up!
It's not as far as I thought. I used to take the car everywhere. If absolutely necessary, I would walk or bike Duncan to school. It was hard, the first few times, convincing myself to take the bike instead. But with each errand I've run on my bicycle I've had the same thought as I arrived, namely, "I'm here already??" Just a few days ago, in fact, when I found myself low on a few groceries, Duncan and I helmeted up and hit the street. We arrived home a short while later, my basket filled with sodas and a few groceries (all packed in my crocheted plastic grocery bag!), energized from the ride and having a great time together.
I'll say it again, I'm far from perfect. I still buy my sweetener in those convenient little individual packets...and go through lots of 'em. I'm still overly fond of paper towels. I still can't convince myself to invest in seven-dollar 'energy saving' light bulbs when the cheap old 60-watts sit on the shelf beside them at four for a dollar...but I might, if I ever get up the gumption to buy one and see how much longer they really do last. And I do not compost. But the little steps go a surprisingly long way towards making me feel a bit better about myself, and towards working a little exercise and Fun Mommy time into my busy schedule.
And of course, with gas at $3.20 a gallon these days, the nod to my inner Scrooge doesn't hurt either.
Things I have learned:
There's more than one way to recycle. With a little online research and a little creativity, I've been finding fabulous ways to steer clear of the trash can, although I think my poor husband is a bit baffled by the weird new collections that surface here and there. Plastic grocery bags are now piling up beside my side of the couch, as I've learned to cut, loop, and twine them into balls of plastic "yarn"...to crochet! I recently used a bunch of said shopping bags to crochet - ironically - a shopping bag. (But this one is strong and reusable, so there.) Glass jars get rinsed and reused for all sorts of purposes, bits of twine and twisties and colored paper go into the crafts drawer...even corn husks have been saved and dried for projects, and hollowed out light bulbs will make great ornaments for next Yule, or even little planters for small herbs and flowers. That's right folks, I'm turning into the ghetto Martha Stewart.
There's more to recycle than I thought. Sure, the city supplied me with a small recycle bin to put out beside my regular garbage bin, and I did generally put my soda cans in it. But it never occurred to me just how much else I could be putting in it until I began to think more before tossing. All the paperboard - cereal boxes, Pop-Tart boxes, soda cartons. ALL the cans - tomato sauce, coconut milk, canned veggies, emptied in the course of preparing supper all get rinsed and thrown in. Milk jugs, plastic creamer bottles from my coffee addiction, yogurt cups. I may have to ask the city if I can have two bins, as it's getting to be a big game of Tetris each Garbage Day, trying to cram everything into the wee recycle bin sitting next to my big half-empty garbage bin.
I need fewer chemicals than I thought. If McGuyver were to go into the cleaning business, he'd so call me up for tips. Turns out a few choice ingredients will create just about anything. Keeping a few basics such as vinegar, baking soda, and washing soda in ready supply, I can create everything from soft scrub to disinfectant spray to furniture polish, all environmentally friendly and very inexpensive....and goodness knows I've got the empty jars and bottles to mix 'em up!
It's not as far as I thought. I used to take the car everywhere. If absolutely necessary, I would walk or bike Duncan to school. It was hard, the first few times, convincing myself to take the bike instead. But with each errand I've run on my bicycle I've had the same thought as I arrived, namely, "I'm here already??" Just a few days ago, in fact, when I found myself low on a few groceries, Duncan and I helmeted up and hit the street. We arrived home a short while later, my basket filled with sodas and a few groceries (all packed in my crocheted plastic grocery bag!), energized from the ride and having a great time together.
I'll say it again, I'm far from perfect. I still buy my sweetener in those convenient little individual packets...and go through lots of 'em. I'm still overly fond of paper towels. I still can't convince myself to invest in seven-dollar 'energy saving' light bulbs when the cheap old 60-watts sit on the shelf beside them at four for a dollar...but I might, if I ever get up the gumption to buy one and see how much longer they really do last. And I do not compost. But the little steps go a surprisingly long way towards making me feel a bit better about myself, and towards working a little exercise and Fun Mommy time into my busy schedule.
And of course, with gas at $3.20 a gallon these days, the nod to my inner Scrooge doesn't hurt either.
2 comments:
Okay, E, you've GOT to tell me how you did the bag crocheting! When Owen was in surgery almost 2 years ago, we had a LOOOOOONG wait, and I spent some of it watching a woman knit (crochet, maybe, I don't remember) a shopping bag made of bags. She pointed out that they make good beach bags (getting 'em wet isn't a problem) and she was very creative w/ colors (Victoria's Secret bags used for pink stripes ... that sort of thing).
So is there a "recipe" for such a thing??? Where???
...of course, dont worry about the increased carbon cost of the actual recycling. Burying our garbage actually does more to lock carbon away from the environment than recycling does...but I digress.
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