Power OF the People

Get off your butt and do something today


Or better yet, sit right there and do something today. If you're bored, and obviously you are, because you're sitting here reading this, then I've got a couple of projects for you. I promise they won't take long and they're all for very good causes!


Take Back The Filter Campaign

You all know Beth at Fake Plastic Fish is one of my favorite bloggers. She kicks plasstic and I wish I had half the energy, focus and dedication she has when it comes to following up gripes about corporate apathy with bonafide action.

Anyhow, Beth has started a grassroots campaign urge Clorox to take responsibility for the millions of plastic Brita water filter cartridges that are disposed of each year.

The original Brita company in Germany has had a program to collect and recycle used filter cartridges ever since 1992. They process them in their own facility, separating the materials and recycling or reusing them. The North American branch of the company was sold to Clorox in 2000. Clorox has not provided any way to recycle these used cartridges.

Clorox and Nalgene have teamed up with the FilterForGood campaign to encourage people to give up bottled water and opt instead for the combo of reusable bottle and Brita filter, to cut down the amount of plastic bottle waste. This is a great effort. But Clorox has not addressed the plastic waste from the water filters themselves, as the Brita company has done in Europe.

Beth is trying to convince Clorox to follow the principal of Extended Producer Responsibility and provide a way for its filter cartridges to either be refilled or returned and recycled.

So here's how you can help. Please go to http://www.takebackthefilter.org/ now (yes, "now", what the f? You're just sitting there... click on the freakin' link already. But then come back when you're done, because I've got more homework for you.) and sign the petition. Then, start sending your used Brita cartridges to Beth so she can deliver them en masse to Clorox.


The Gap Between Reality and Fantasy

This issue started last week when Orgie posted about the unsolicited plastic bag Old Navy sent her. Around the same time, my sister told me about how Old Navy doesn't reuse or recycle their plastic hangers -- they just toss them in the dumpster. Well, I told Orgie about this and she jumped on it like a drunken quarterback on the prom queen.

Long story short: Orgie is urging everyone to call The Gap (parent company of Old Navy and Banana Republic) and ask them what, exactly, is their policy on hangers. So far, Orgie, Arduous and I have all called and we've gotten three different answers. So just for fun, give them a call at 1-800-GAP-STYLE, option 4, option 4, and then option 2. Let's see if we can't get them to institute a company-wide policy on hanger reuse or, at the very least, a policy on giving a consistent answer to annoying eco-dork inquiries.

More Like a Don't

The Crunchtastic One has decided to bare it all for charity. No, she's not stripping down to let us see if she truly is green all over. She has challenged her blog readers to help her raise money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. If she can raise $10,000 by May 10th, she'll shave her head.

As of this writing, she's just shy of the $2,000 mark. So, if you haven't already contributed (oh hell, even if you have) please just drop a couple bucks in the plate. I'm telling you, every little bit does make a difference. Even if you just skip the morning latte today and donate the $3.00 you save, that would be AWESOME! Thanks!

350 PPM

OK, I've mentioned this new charity before, but wanted to let you know that they're starting to make the presses. After hearing about 350.org in my Riot for Austerity Group, I checked it out. It is a brand new organization that is trying to raise awareness of the general public about global warming. (350.org is from the same people who brought Step It Up to worldwide attention last year.) It has the backing of Bill McKibben, a long time environmentalist and author of several great books including The End of Nature and Deep Economy. (I just finished Deep Economy and I HIGHLY recommend it).

Anyhow, 350.org is just trying to get their name out there right now and I'm trying to help. Here's some info from their website:

350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.

We’re planning an international campaign to unite the world around the number 350, and we need your help. We need to make sure that the solutions the world proposes to climate change are to scale with the level of crisis that this number represents. Everyone on earth, from the smallest village to the cushiest corner office, needs to know what 350 means. The movement to spread that number needs to be beautiful, creative, and unstoppable.

What we need most right now are on-the-ground examples for how to take the number 350 and drive it home: in art, in music, in political demonstrations, in any other way you can imagine. We hope this project will grow tremendously in the months to come, and it helps all the more if people can see the great things others are doing already. We will connect actions all around the world and make them add up to more than the sum of their parts-but we don’t have all the ideas and all the inspiration. We need you to act on yours.

So if you've got any ideas to help these folks get the word out, by all means, stop by their website and lend them a hand!

Well, I guess that's enough homework for one night. But, if I catch you loitering around here again, you can bet your bippy I'll find you something else to do. Hoodlum.

#201 - Hoe Down

Joining Chile's "Cut The Crap" Challenge



Chile is at it again! She has created a new De-cluttering Challenge to go hand-in-hand with Crunchy Chicken's Buy Nothing Challenge. Chile challenges us to not only buy nothing new this month, but to rid ourselves of all the useless crap we've accumulated through the years.

Even if you've never read Affluenza, you know that most of us Americans are Kings and Queens of Consumption. We buy things we don't need, just because they're pretty, or shiny, or -- the big killer -- ON SALE. Now this wouldn't be too awful these purchases were consumables like local food and CSA subscriptions or if they were true daily use items like toaster ovens and drying racks. But they're not.

Testament to this fact is that most of us have closets or maybe even rooms bursting with pure, unadulterated crap. Shit we bought at the dollar store... Toys our kids got as presents that they don't play with and never did... Decorations that match neither our decor nor our taste... books that we've read once but won't read again... clothes that our fat asses will never squeeze into without removing body organs... need I continue?

No, I needn't. And you know why? Because one of those statements hit true with you. And if not, I'm sure you could think up your own statement to match your Personal Crap Collection.

Well Chile says "Enough! Hoe it Out! Pare it Down!" And I tend to agree. And so I will be Hoeing Down (or Paring Out, not sure yet) this month in an effort to de-clutter my home and my life. Keep a close eye on Chile's site as she is chock full of helpful information to get you started!

And stay tuned to Burbanmom as well. I've come up with my own little challenge to go hand-in-hand.... ummm....-in-hand with Crunchy's and Chile's Challenges. But don't worry... you know how lazy I am. Mine will be pretty easy. A challenge for the challengely-challenged, if you will. Watch for it on Monday* when I return!


*Big thanks to Melinda at Elements in Time who introduced me to her Technology-Free Challenge. I learned that the world does not dissolve if I'm not online (it only melts a little)**. As such, I am going Techno-Free on weekends and will no longer be posting on Saturdays in Sundays. This will give me lots of time to work on my garden! :-)

**That's a global warming joke. Get it?***

***I really like these asterisk-style footnotes today.

#152 - They Call Me Second-Hand Rose

And Not Just Because I'm An Overbearing Stage Mother Who Pushes Her Daughter into a Life of Debauchery

I've talked before about how buying used clothing is better for the environment. And I continue to buy a goodly portion of both mine and the kids' clothing from second-hand shops. However, to get even eco-friendlier I can take this concept a step further by cutting out the middleman: the store.

The store itself does serve a great purpose and provides a place for people to drop off their old and pick up their new. But in doing so, they consume a decent amount of electricity for lights and heat, as well as create a need for additional retail space. So whenever possible, I am going to graciously accept and happily pass along the kids' clothing.

I already have an AWESOME donor in my friend, Mary and her daughter Kayla. Every time I head north for a visit there is a huge bag of Kayla's outgrown but barely worn clothing for Daphne. Ethan's old clothes go to his little cousin Adam and Daphne's pre-worn items go to one of the moms in my playgroup. No wasted electricity, retail space, or trips to the consignment shop required.


Savings:

Cannot be quantified.


Difficulty Level: 1 out of 5

This is a super-easy change that I've actually been doing for a few months now, I just never got around to posting about it!

Day 148 - The Printing Press

Recycling Ink Cartridges

I mentioned just last week that I will be buying recycled copy paper from now on, for use in my home office printer. Well, somehow that small mention of the printer jinxed me, and now my ink cartridge seems to be running out. Grrrr.

There is good news, though. Right down the street from me is a Cartridge World store! For those of you who don't know about CW, they are an Australian based company with over 1500 retail locations worldwide. They were recently rated #1 Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine and they are a sponsor of the Go Green Initiative. They also back all of their work by a 100% money back guarantee. All in all, they are a company I would like to do business with. And now I can.

I will be taking my ink cartridge down to CW later this week for a refill. That's right -- refill. Prior to my greening, I didn't even know this was an option. I just always bought a new one at Office Max. From now on I will be refilling the little suckers instead. Not only is it better for the environment, but it's actually cheaper than buying new. :-) This is one change I might even be able to convince hubby to try at his office!


Savings:

According to CW, the average laser jet cartridge can be refilled six or seven times. So that's five or six cartridges I'll be saving from the landfill. I only go through about one cartridge per year, so that means this one cartridge will last me until I'm, um, older.


Difficulty Level: 1 out of 5

This is actually easier than buying new. The store is closer than Office Max and it's in a small strip mall, so it's a quick in and out. Here's a challenge to you -- see if you can get your office to make the switch! If you do, leave me a comment! :-)

Day 114 - The Gifts That Keep On Giving

Giving Pre-Owned Gifts

Nobody wants to get a "used" present, but who wouldn't love a nice, vintage, pre-owned gift? Hey, if the fancy, hyphenated wording gets us to buy cars and old clothing, won't it work for children's toys too? This is one of the ways I will be greening up my Christmas. It's all part of my plan to create an environmentally friendly holiday season.

Not all the gifts I give will be pre-owned, but this will be my "get out of jail free" or rather, my "give plastic crap from China without guilt" card. Of course I will avoid any recalled items, but other than that I will be allowed to buy as many used items as my budget will allow.

I already know of one pre-owned gift I'll be giving. The recipient is my very discerning nephew, who will be all of 11 months old this Christmas. He's a very happy-go-lucky little fella and I'm sure he'll be pleased as punch to get one of Daphne's hand-me-down toys.

I'm also sure his mom will be pleased -- since I'm not spending any money on new toys, he will receive the full $50 gift allotment straight into his 529 college savings plan. Hey, we've only got a few years to get away with this kind of trickery before the youngin's wise up. Might as well work it while we can.

I am so grateful that I have the kind of family that is not hung up on "new stuff" and is happy to oblige me and my green-ness. They geniunely prefer homemade to store-bought and wholeheartedly believe that it is, in fact, the thought that counts. They also agree that a pre-owned toy is just as good as a new one -- better, in fact, since someone else has already wrenched it from the packaging with the jaws of life.

So thank you, dear family, for being as green as a Christmas wreath and as sweet as eggnog (made from organic sugar, free-range-hen-laid eggs and locally-produced, happy-cow milk) You guys rock!


Savings:

I'll definitely be saving a lot of money on these toys! I'll also be saving the energy that would have been required to make and ship the original toy, plus the packaging. I've said it before but it bears repeating -- one of the easiest and most effective ways to have a positive impact on our planet is to simply reuse our existing items.


Difficulty Level: 3 out of 5

It's not a difficult task, but it is a difficult stigma that we all need to just get over, myself included. "New" is not synonymous with "better" and "used" does not necessarily mean "used up".

Day Ninety-Seven - Doublin' Up

Using Both Sides of the Paper

Paper is so cheap, isn't it? We treat it like it's garbage, rip it into pieces, crumple it up, throw it away. We forget that at one time it was a tall, strong, living tree sitting happily in a forest somewhere -- providing shelter for birds and squirrels and converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. We need to start treating paper with the respect it deserves. If a tree died so that I could jot down "eggs, milk and a gallon of milk" on something other than a slate tablet, I'm going to use every last inch (or side) of it.

Of course, if I can't be totally anal about it, it won't happen. So I set put one of my cheap plastic paper organizers downstairs near my laptop and printer. Now, whenever I'm done with one side of the sheet, it goes in the "half-spent" paper pile. This pile will now be flipped upside down and run back through the printer for garb orders, mapquest directions, grocery lists, etc. (Yes I DO print out my grocery lists -- it's a blank template with headings for each product type in Kroger's store, so that my list is organized by aisle. STILL think I'm not Obsessive-Compulsive?!?).


Savings:

A very straight-forward 50% reduction in the amount of copy paper I use. That would be roughly two reams per year, or 1000 sheets. I can also add in any standard-sized flyers that get stuffed in my "community mailbox". Hell, they might as well be used for something, right?


Difficulty Level: 1 out of 5

The key, for me, is to have a place to store it. If it just sat on my desk in an unwieldy pile, it would drive me insane and I'd never stick with it. However, having the little tray (which I already owned) makes the difference between failure and success. Well, that and figuring out which way is "up" in my printer.

Day Ninety-Six - Skip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Resurfacing Damaged DVDs Instead of Replacing Them

News flash: I'm a horrible mom who forces her children to watch Disney and Pixar films until their little eyes are bloodshot and bleary, and daylight makes them recoil in horror. OK, maybe I'm not THAT bad, but I definitely let me kids view their fair share of toddler-appropriate cartoons. In fact, the little ones boast an emarassingly large collection of DVDs.

The kids are allowed to pick out their own movies for "rest time" each day and this means the DVDs are generally mishandled and abused. From being scraped across the floor to having cinnamon-toast-dust ground into their data grooves, you name it, they've endured it. The result? A bunch of DVDs that skip like Shirley Temple on the Good Ship Lollipop.

The old me would have simply tossed the scratched disks into the trash and bought shiny, plastic-enshrined replacements. The new eco-me can't do that. Not only because I would be creating waste, but I'd also be violating my compact. Again.

I have tried "polishing" the DVDs with everything from mineral oil to peanut butter, but these disks are way beyond that point. They need professional help.

Clickety-click-click on the web -- and I find Skippy Disc who promises to make my old, worn out DVDs play like new again -- for much less than it would cost to buy new ($3.95 per DVD). Why would I ever throw another disc away!?

I'm gathering all the kids' skiptastic DVDs and will be mailing them off this week to Skippy Disc in Arizona (I did try to find someone local, but was unsuccessful in my search). I'll let you know how it works out.


Savings:

I will be saving roughly 5 DVDs on this mailing, and can assume I'll be resurfacing about five per year. Not a huge quantity for me personally, but imagine all the other moms with Disney flicks who toss and replace each year. What if we ALL resurfaced our damaged movies and music?


Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5

Ugh, I have to find one of those cardboard DVD mailer thingys. Hopefully they'll have some right at Krogers and I can just get them when I go grocery shopping Sunday morning. Otherwise, I'll have to stop by Office Max one day next week.

Day Ninety-Three - Appliance Heaven

Recycling Our Old Washing Machine

If you recall, a couple of months ago our washine machine bit the dust. We replaced it with an uber-efficient LG Front Loader and I tried to Freecycle the old one. This is the first time I have offered something on Freecycle that absolutely no one wanted. I mean, these people gobbled up my used cleaning supplies and old air fresheners, I can't believe no one would want a broken washing machine -- even if it's just to geet some cash for the scrap metal. Oh well. Looks like I'll have to take it to the dump :-( Or do I?.....

Clickety-click-click, enter The Steel Recycling Institute (dun-da-da-DAH!). The Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) is an industry association that promotes and sustains the recycling of all steel products. The SRI educates the solid waste industry, government, business and ultimately the consumer about the benefits of steel's infinite recycling cycle. They rock.

On their site, I was able to access a database of appliance recyclers in my area and found that Gene's Appliances right down the road would be delighted to take my dead washer. I am hoping that they are able to 1. fix it and sell it or 2. harvest its internal parts so that other machines may live. Either way, I will be a happy little camper know that I kept a 150 pound chunk of metal out of the landfill. And I'm sure my washer will be happy to be helping others clean clothing and linens once again.


Savings:

One greatful wachine machine and one eco-conscience.


Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5

Not as easy as Freecyclin', since I'll have to load it and take there (Gene doesn't have a truck) but no more difficult than taking it to the dump or any other disposal facility.

Day Seventy-Two - ReStore-ing Faith in Humanity

Donating to and Buying From The Habitat ReStore

Our home is definitely a "DIY" kind of household. Hubby is a PM with a good-sized construction company and I've always had a "well how hard can it be?" attitude when it comes to home improvements. We own every hand and power tool known to man, and have duplicates of most. In fact, we even built a house - literally - in 2001, when we didn't feel like getting "real jobs" and decided start a residential home design/build business. So, needless to say, when it comes to ripping out walls, replacing tiles or installing new flooring, we almost never call a professional.

When we relocated to Richmond two years ago, we were lucky to find an affordable lease on a large house in a newer subdivision. The housing market was ballooning so quickly, though, that we immediately started looking for a house to buy -- before we could no longer afford it. Coming from Upstate New York where your average house costs $125,000, we experienced quite a bit of sticker shock when we found that houses in our neighborhood were selling for over $400,000. There was no way we could afford that kind of a mortgage, so we looked for something smaller, with a much smaller price tag.

Within a few months we had settled on a particular development that we liked. Great schools, walking trails, playgrounds and a small lake. We looked at a number of houses and finally picked one in a great location, but small, and with the strangest floor plan you'd ever see. We bought the house knowing that we would completely gut the interior, move the kitchen, redesign the floor plan, replace all the flooring, and install a second floor sewing room in what had been a two-story living room.

Needless to say, there was quite a bit of demo to be done. Everything from appliances to cabinets, fixtures and doors were being removed. Rather than see it all go into a debris dumpster (and have to pay dumpster fees), we called our local Habitat for Humanity to find our nearest ReStore.

For those of you who've never heard about this, here's a blurb from their site:

Habitat ReStores are retail outlets where quality used and surplus building materials are sold at a fraction of normal prices. Proceeds from ReStores help local affiliates fund the construction of Habitat houses within the community. Many affiliates across the United States and Canada operate successful ReStores—some of which raise enough funds to build an additional 10 or more houses per year.

Materials sold by Habitat ReStores are usually donated from building supply stores, contractors, demolition crews or from individuals who wish to show their support for Habitat. In addition to raising funds, ReStores help the environment by rechanneling good, usable materials into use.

Of course, since it's a donation to a charity, you also get a tax deduction for your donation. Bonus.

You can either take your items to the local ReStore, or, if your donation is large, give them a call and schedule a time for a pickup. It's a great alternative to Freecycling, if you don't feel like listing items and dealing with all the emails. You can also poke around and see if someone else's discarded ceiling fan is just the right size for your place. Often times, you can find unique fixtures, sinks and whatnot there, all at a fraction of the price of retail.

Hubby and now are no longer in the demo phase, (we're currently in the procrastination phase of re-construction) so we're not contributing right at the moment. However, we will continue to re-purpose our salvaged materials while at the same time contributing to a great cause.


Savings:

Wow, at last count, one fridge, stove, dishwasher, washer, dryer, three doors, kitchen sink, disposal, fixtures, about half a dozen light fixtures and more stuff I probably can't remember. All saved from possible dumpster-death.


Difficulty Level: 2 out of 5

I gave this one a "2" only because I am afraid of driving downtown by myself (can you say "wuss"?). However, I am saving our salvaged items in a corner of the garage and hope to work up the courage someday soon to go downtown. I'm dying to visit the Farmer's Market and check out the local food scene anyhow and while I'm down there I could stop by our ReStore to make a donation. Maybe if I just apply my "well how hard can it be?" attitude to inner-city navigation, I'll be ok.

Day Thirty-Nine - Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

Stop Throwing Good Things Out After only One Use

This idea is very similar to my Reuse Ziploc Baggies except that it encompasses perfectly good items that you and I would otherwise throw away. I figure that even if I only reuse an item once, I am actually doubling its normal life use and, in most cases, I am avoiding the purchase of a new item to meet my need.

Here are some of the items I'm either reusing or repurposing:

• Plastic Bread Bags - These are great for packing picnic lunches in, storing homemade baked goods, rolling out pie dough on.
• Cereal Bags (the ones inside the boxes) - these are great "gloves" for when it's time to poop scoop behind the dog. Practically guaranteed not to poke a hole through!
• Toilet Paper Rolls - Lint holders, craft projects for the kids
• Oatmeal & Other Round Containers - Art Supply organizers, cookie storage, change holders, craft projects for the kids.
• Non-Recyclable Plastic Containers - Assuming they were used for food storage and NOT chemicals, I give them to the kids to use as bath toys or use them for organizing the their small toys (think Legos).
• Used Toothbrushes - Cleaning scrubbers (need a little more elbow grease now that I don't have scrubbing chemical bubbles and Clorox)

Do you have any items you repurpose in an interesting way? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Savings:

Again, by repurposing these items at least once before they are tossed, I am doubling the useful lifespan of each one. Also, I am avoiding the purchase of an alternate item to suit my need. Why anyone would actually pay money for doggie-poop bags is beyond me, and yet, they exist! Let's stop the madness, folks!

Difficulty Level 2 out of 5

It takes a while to get into the habit of really looking at each item instead of mindlessly tossing it in the trash. And, to make it worse for me, I have very little imagination. What I usually end up doing is putting something that I feel has "potential" in the virtually empty cupboard in the downstairs bath. Then, when I'm looking for something for a particular need, I check there to see if any of my used stuff will work. I'm surprised how many times I come up with a match!

Day Thirty-Three - You Win Some, You Lose Some

Giving in on Reusable Coffee Filters

As most of you know, I'm married to a great guy, who is not always 100% enthused about the strange changes I'm making here around the house. He has been a great sport, occasionally applauding my efforts, but in general, just going with the flow and trying not to ask too many questions ;-) What can I say? He loves me and my green-ness.

But not at 5:00 am with bad coffee. You see, I was all prepared to run out of our sparkly-white, bleached, disposable coffee filters and replace them with my homemade, natural muslin filters. I figured I'd better do a "test run" though before D-Day to make sure it worked correctly. I usually make the coffee anyhow, so I figured if it didn't work, I could just destroy the evidence before he saw the mess and find another alternative.

I got up EXTRA early to tiptoe down to the coffee pot. I opened the top of the machine and slipped in my lovingly hand-sewn muslin filter, piled in some great-smelling, coffee-house roasted grounds, added the water and waited. And Waited. I got nervous. Maybe the fabric was too thick and the water wouldn't penetrate it. Maybe the side of the filter would cave in and I'd end up with crunchy coffee. Maybe I need to see someone about the nervous episodes -- after all, it's only coffee.

Lo and behold, it worked! I was so excited! I didn't say anything to hubby and, sure enough, he drank down half the pot. And this is where I messed up. I took the last cup and didn't make more. When he went to make a fresh brew, he saw my little handiwork and asked curiously "what the hell is this?". I explained to him my desire to save the planet by foregoing such luxuries as disposable coffee filters. He explained to me the importance of being able to make a pot of coffee without doing laundry first. We argued. He won.

We will now be switching to unbleached, biodegradeable coffee filters instead. Life is all about compromises, you know. Especially when you're married to a coffee-aholic. Besides, a smart woman knows to pick her battles and I'm holding out for a home compost station.

Savings:

None. Yet. I'm down, but I'm not out! Besides, I'm at least going to switch to unbleached filters and that's a step in the right direction. If YOU are feeling brave and want to try my stylish homemade, reusable coffee filters, drop me a note and I'll send you a couple. I'd love to know how they work out in the long run and how well they hold up. I only know how to make the basket style ones, though, so if you need cone ones, let me know so I can pick up a sample disposable one to model it after.


Difficulty Level - 2 out of 5

Making the filters was easy. Making the switch, as you can see, wasn't.

Day Thirty-Two - Charge It

Switching from Alkaline to Rechargeable Batteries

You would not BELIEVE the number of batteries we go through in this house. It's downright embarrassing. Remote controls, flashlights, wall clocks, walkie-talkies and a whole boatload of toys, toys and more toys. We go through the economy packs of AA's the way Lindsay Lohan goes through tequila. Neither is a pretty sight.

I started saving our dead batteries just 29 days ago and have accumulated 12 AA's and two 9 volts. At that rate, we would burn through (and toss out) over 175 batteries each year. Yuck. To make matters worse, I always used to just toss those puppies right in the trash (these should be taken to your hazardous waste collection site because the acid could leak out into a landfill and possibly leach into the surrounding soil and/or water supply).

Today I made my first purchase of rechargeable NiMH batteries (4 for $9.99) along with a little recharger to, well, charge them ($9.99). Supposedly, this $20 investment will give me the life-use of 2,000 alkaline batteries (500 charges each), which generally cost 4 for $2.95. This makes the cost per use more like $0.004995 (less than half a penny) per rechargeable vs. $0.74 per alkaline. Of course, this does not factor in the cost of the energy required to recharge each battery, but I'd guarantee I'm still coming out ahead. But this isn't about cost savings here, although can I just say "Wow!", this is about saving the planet.

I know, four little batteries will never run all my gadgets and gizmos, but here's my plan of attack. Since I cannot afford to go out and purchase 50+ rechargeable batteries right now, I will purchase them as I do disposables, buying a package every time something runs out of them. At the same time, I will stop purchasing gizmos and gadgets that require batteries. Eventually, the kids will either outgrow or destroy the majority of the toys and by simply refusing to buy more energy-sucking toys, I will reduce my need for battery consumption. Simple? Yes. Will it work? No clue. Have to wait and see.

Savings:

I am saving 175 alkaline batteries per year from the landfills or, hopefully, from the hazardous waste collection site. If only 2,500 other people like me switched, we could save nearly half a million batteries from being tossed out this year! That's huge and a very, very attainable goal. So, if all 25 of my loyal readers convince ten friends to make the switch, and those ten friends tell 10 friends, we're there, baby!

Difficulty Level: 1 out of 5

Another easy one -- just changing my buying habits. As old alkalines die out, replace them with rechargeables. The monetary savings will be offset by the initial investment in just a matter of a few charges, so it's not breaking the bank. And, again, in the long range, the rechargeables will net major savings over alkaline.

Day Twenty-Three - The Quicker Picker Upper

Stop Using Paper Towels


Note: Sorry for the apparent lack of posting. Blogspot's highly trained spam-prevention robots locked my apparently spam-ridden blog for two days while they personally reviewed it for content. If I were paranoid (and I am, btw) I'd think "the man" was trying to bring me down. ;-) Oh well, we're now "cleared" and back to posting! Thanks for checking back!

Can you tell that I am slowly but surely running out of disposable items here and are simply not replacing them? Yeah, sometimes it actually is easy going green. Last week I ran out of paper napkins and we've been using the cloth ones since then. My husband complained a little at first, but he seems to be over it already. Today I pulled the last paper towel off the dowel and I won't be buying any more.


I already have a drawer chock full of towels, washcloths and sponges in my kitchen -- why do I even need paper towels? I have no idea --- probably just because everyone else does. I'm a follower, you know. But not today, today I boldly go where no suburbanite has gone before -- paper towel-less.


I've found the best substitute for the paper towels to not be towels at all, but baby washcloths. They're smaller than regular waschloths and much thinner too, but they're still quite absorbant. This means they get the job done, without creating a whole extra load of laundry at the end of the day. If you don't already have a bunch of these, you can probably find them at garage sales or thrift stores. But if you have to buy new, try Walmart or BabiesRUs. They sell them in packs of 10 or 25 and that should be plenty.



Savings:

I used to buy a roll of Bounty about every 2 weeks. Now I won't be buying any. Zilch. Nada. That's a savings of 26 paper towel rolls per year (Roughly $50 in cold hard cash plus all the trees I'm saving!)




Difficulty Level - 1 out of 5


Another super-duper easy one. Simply do nothing. The rest will work itself out. I promise you will not sit around wallowing in a puddle of your own, umm, puddles. You'll find something to wipe the mess up with. Hey... maybe that's another use for lint!

Day Seventeen - One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

Using Freecycle to Keep Stuff Out of Landfills

I hope you all know about Freecycle! If not, you're about to learn. Freecycle is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer and membership is totally free. The Freecycle Network was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. Since then, it has grown by leaps and bounds and now boasts over 4,000 communities with 3,540,995 members.

Here's how it works. Say you've got an old chair or mirror or 1,000 feet of aluminum foil that you're about to throw away. Instead, you log on to your local freecycle group and post an OFFER. Next thing you know, you've got a dozen emails from people who would LOVE to take you chair, mirror or foil. You can also post WANTED items, if there's something you're looking to pick up.

Anyhow, last year I threw roughly 100 pounds of fabric scraps in the trash (I sew part time). Thanks to Freecycle, I now have three "regulars" who take these scraps. One uses the larger scraps to sew quilts for charity, another uses them to teach a homeschool class on quilting and the third is just starting her own business making handmade hairbows for little girls. I'm happy to know that instead of contributing to landfills, I'm helping people.

It's amazing too, what types of things get posted and that there always seems to be someone who's willing to take what you've got. From crafters to scrap metal recyclers, there's always a taker for what you've got to give. So check them out and join today.

Savings: At least 100 pounds of fabric, a worn out playset, lots of baby toys, the list goes on and on. I'd say I've freereycled about 500 pounds of "stuff" this year. Not all of it necessarily would have been destined for the landfill, but I'd say, conservatively 200 pounds would have been. That's a pretty nice savings. If only 10 other people did that, it would save A TON (literally) of trash each year.

Difficulty Level: 1 out of 5

Once you find your local Freecycle group, you just post, arrange for pickup and be done with it. You can also find an occassional nugget for yourself - totally guilt free because it's FREE and it's RECYCLING! Let me know how it works out for you :-)

Day Sixteen - Ms. Manners Would Approve

Swapping paper napkins for real ones

I ran out of paper napkins today and I'm not going to buy anymore. I have a perfectly good set of 12 linen napkins that only get used on Thanksgiving and they have just been promoted to "Daily Use" status. I'm sure they'll enjoy being brought out of the closet, so to speak.

Sure, it seems a little fancy to be using the cloth napkins on burger & chips night, but what the hey. Besides, I can make really cool looking stand-up crowns and swans out of them. Try that with paper ones!

Our family of four typically uses about 40 napkins per week. These are the standard buy em at your grocery store, jumbo pack of 500 napkins, bleached nice and white with chlorine and wrapped in a non-recyclable plastic. I buy a pack about every three months. I couldn't find any stats showing just how many trees were required to make them, or what the carbon emissions calculation was for their production and delivery, or how much space they take up in the average landfill. All I know is I am avoiding ALL OF THAT nonsense by using my real, already-have-em-so-why-not-use-em napkins.

Savings:

So now my family is saving 2,080 napkins per year :-). Just think, if half of America did that, we could save over 156,520,000,000 (yes folks, that's 156 TRILLION) napkins. Now that's GOTTA have some sort of impact!

Difficulty Level 1 out of 5

I already had the napkins so this is super easy. When dinner (or lunch) is over, I inspect for nastiness, set aside the ones that can withstand some more use and toss into the washer the ones that managed to get chocolate milk spilled all over them. They don't really add any significant volume to my laundry, as I generally have a full load every day and adding 3 -5 napkins in there doesn't really make a dent.

If you don't already have cloth napkins, you can usually find them super-cheap at garage sales or thrift shops, so don't think this will end up costing much upfront either. So join me in some fine dining... even if it is just PB&J.

Day Ten - A Cup o' Joe to Go

Using My Own Coffee Mug at Coffee Shops

Yeah, ok, some of these tips save a LOT and some save a little. This is one of the latter ones. But hey, it's relatively easy to do and it's another way to satisfy my caffiene addiction.

Pretty much any coffee shops and most gas stations are happy to let you use your own travel mug at their establishment. Why wouldn't they be? It saves them $0.03 a cup. In fact, if you happen to favor one particular coffee shop (or chain) check to see if they have a refill-a-mug type program, as it could save you money too. Sometimes they have “buy the travel mug and get the coffee free” or “coffee and travel mug special” or “travel mug refill” specials.

It's easy to do. Just keep a clean travel mug in your car at all times. That way, whenever the urge hits, you're prepared.

SAVINGS:

I hit the coffee shop, on average, once a week. By simply bringing my own cup, I reduce my disposable cup usage 100%, saving 52 paper (or sometimes styrofoam - YIKES!) cups each year. I already own a couple of travel mugs, so there's no initial investment for me.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL 1 out of 5

Super-Duper easy, as long as you always leave a fresh mug in the car.

Day One - Out of the Bag

Alrighty folks, my first step to a greener life is....... (drumroll, please)

NO MORE PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS!

I hopped online yesterday and found pretty detailed instructions for making my own bags. Then I realized that, even though I'm a seamstress, I'm just too swamped with work orders to make them, so I bought them online. (Again, I'm just your average suburbanite slob here, making small changes with minimal effort. Afterall, isn't that how the majority of Americans feel? I'm not saying it's right, I'm just tellin' it like it is. Please don't send me angry-grams about how I'm wasting resources on the gas to deliver the product, afterall, resources would also have been wasted on having the fabric delivered) Anyhow, I got six of 'em for $24.99. I'm sure if I searched around I could have found a better price, but I don't have tons of time to comparison shop these days.

To convince you of the evils of plastic bags and get you to start using cloth bags, here's a nice little article title No Bag, Thanks!

SAVINGS:

So, let's do some math (did I mention I'm a bean-counting geek?). I grocery shop once per week and generally spend about $175 for my family of 4. This leaves me with an average of 12 plastic bags. Add to that the weekly trek to Walgreens or Target and whatnot and we'll round it up to an average of 15 bags per week. I shouldn't have to us ANY from now on. That's a savings of 780 bags per year!!! WOO HOO!


DIFFICULTY LEVEL: 2 out of 5

This is a relatively easy change to make. Even easier for me, since I wussed out and bought the cloth bags, rather than make them. The toughest part will be remembering to bring them to the store. Luckily, my nearly 4-year-old LOVES to be in charge of remembering things so I have enlisted his help! Let me know how this change works for you!