Donna's Eco tips-Refuse, THEN, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle......Respect. Rejoice. Ok. I'll stop now.
Refuse. BYOB. I'm not talking beer or wine here. Bring your own bag or bottles when you shop. Just make sure you have your receipt for proof of purchase! JIC. After reading Garbology by Edward Humes and learning about the Zero Waste family on the west coast I realized that we can all make a difference. One household at a time. For the future of our mother Earth and her children. Our children. Ignorance is not an option.
Many of the tips provided here you may already about but just humor me for now. We are all in this together. Learning and sharing at different paces. It takes 21 days to change a habit. Good or bad. That is what I learned from Tony Robbins many years ago. Its true! So feel free to add to this ever growing list so we can all share ideas.
BEFORE you throw anything in the trash can, ASK yourself "what else can this be reused for?"
Have family challenges. This week we are trying to see how long we can go without using a paper towel from the kitchen roll.
Cut up old towels and ratty t-shirts you wouldn't even think of donating for shear embarrassment. Smile. Use those rags in place of paper for quick clean ups or take an old towel and use it to wash your pet or throw in your trunk for an emergency. The list is endless of what you can do with old towels, wash cloths, and cotton T's. Old sheets can be used as drop cloths for painting projects or cut them down to make curtains. You don't even need a sewing machine. Use the iron fuse tape stuff like I do. You can fuse or sew the bottom of an old tank top and turn it into a carry sack or tote to use at the grocer.
Compost veggie peels, eggshells, coffee/tea grinds, pits etc. I throw this into a bowl and every few days go out and turn it into the soil as a fertilizer in my herb garden.
Use brown bags for disposal of the kitty litter 'presents' each day instead of the recycled plastic bags from the food store, etc.
And those few leftover pieces of rice and meat from the dinner table? Toss them into your dog food dish so long as they don't contain anything crazy like jalapeno or spices. My dog loves her 'treats'. I had a co-worker that cooked meals for her dogs (show dogs) every night that consisted of some meat like chicken or beef and rice in a broth. She said it was better for them. My Mia seems to enjoy this part of the day, too!
Reuse your plastic grocery bags or bring your cloth bags for your next shopping trip. I love bringing bags from Trader Joe's to Wegman's and vice versa. giggle Not intentional but just funny. Remember to use the same bags for meats/dairy and dry goods. Also wash them frequently to avoid the nasties and cross contaminating food, etc. You know what I mean. I just learned about PLARN!!! Yes, I'm a little behind but I'm off to crochet a yellow tote from my favorite local grocery store to re-use for future shopping trips. Stay tuned for that project. Picture will be posted. Yikes! Fingers crossed. Wine optional.
We have been using CLOTH napkins at dinner table instead of paper towels and paper napkins. It took a while to get use to but now its become commonplace. Remember the habit changing process takes almost a month! Toss the napkins in with your laundry when soiled and hang them to dry on a sunny, breezy day. Wow. Its Fab!