1. Recycle
One of the things I love more than anything about the Northwest is that it is weird if people DON'T recycle. It is a way of life here. From the time we're in pre-school, we're exposed to those beautiful blue bins for paper and how to separate out cans, bottles, cardboard, tin, glass, plastic and the oh-so-many more things that can be recycled. When I see people put paper, cans or anything that can be recycled in the trash, it literally hurts my heart. It is SO WASTEFUL not to recycle. We use the trash cans such a small amount that we only end up emptying for smell, not because they're full. We only have to have the trash taken every other week and could easily get away with only once a month, but our company doesn't offer that. However, the recycling bin (which is twice as big as the garbage can) is FULL every week!
2. If there's a reusable version, rather than disposable, we try to use it instead!
(this is a cloth diaper, incase you haven't seen the type we use)
In our house, this includes (but is not limited to): cloth diapers, homemade wipes, cloth towels, real dishes, table cloths, grocery bags, lunch bags, tupperware instead of baggies, wash cloths, containers that held other items previously (ex, sour cream container reused to store leftovers), cups, silverware, YOU NAME IT!
3. Buying Organic
After researching so much about how food is raised and processed in our country and world, it only makes sense to buy organic as much as possible. I want to go to local farms to be even more green and start buying more food that way. This saves so much in so many ways.
4. Breastfeeding
It may not seem like it, but nursing is so green!! It eliminates or greatly reduces bottles, formula, raising cows for milk (and ALL that goes along with that), chemicals in so many of the processes for getting these things, the gas, the materials, etc, etc, etc. AND it's kept my child healthy and not having to go to the doctor as much to help with THAT part of being green!
5. Eating meat once a week or less
I wish this could say vegetarian. Or vegan honestly. But, I don't think our family will ever quite be either. The way meat is raised, processed and shipped is awful for our planet. There are so many ways that the meat and poultry industries could improve this, but it's taking a looooong time to get there. We are trying to help a little by eating less meat than the average American.
(this is a cloth diaper, incase you haven't seen the type we use)In our house, this includes (but is not limited to): cloth diapers, homemade wipes, cloth towels, real dishes, table cloths, grocery bags, lunch bags, tupperware instead of baggies, wash cloths, containers that held other items previously (ex, sour cream container reused to store leftovers), cups, silverware, YOU NAME IT!
3. Buying Organic
After researching so much about how food is raised and processed in our country and world, it only makes sense to buy organic as much as possible. I want to go to local farms to be even more green and start buying more food that way. This saves so much in so many ways.4. Breastfeeding
It may not seem like it, but nursing is so green!! It eliminates or greatly reduces bottles, formula, raising cows for milk (and ALL that goes along with that), chemicals in so many of the processes for getting these things, the gas, the materials, etc, etc, etc. AND it's kept my child healthy and not having to go to the doctor as much to help with THAT part of being green!5. Eating meat once a week or less
I wish this could say vegetarian. Or vegan honestly. But, I don't think our family will ever quite be either. The way meat is raised, processed and shipped is awful for our planet. There are so many ways that the meat and poultry industries could improve this, but it's taking a looooong time to get there. We are trying to help a little by eating less meat than the average American.
Runners up: washing almost all of our loads in cold water, using natural cleaning products, halogen light bulbs, etc.
Ways that I want to improve on green living (once we're in our own house): a clothes line, start composting again, buying most of our produce, eggs and meat from local, organic farmers, growing our own garden, raising chickens (some day....), using Lunapads, driving even less, and so many more!!
1 comment:
I hope you are able to have a clothesline - I just brought my sheets in and I can hardly wait to crawl in tonight because I know how wonderful they will feel and smell!!! A clothes line is almost a necessity for me - I don't put "personal" stuff out because of the openness, but I intend to get a clothes horse (harder to find than you'd think)and most likely not use a dryer at all this summer - plus the clothes horse puts nice moisture in the air - not something you need there but something good here! I also use only cold water.
I'm not as green as I'd really like to be - but, to be honest, you have inspired me for quite some time now and I make every effort - in a town that doesn't recylce nearly enough.
Teresa puts buckets under the gutters at her house, to collect H2O and then put on trees - as well as almost all water she uses for dishes, etc. I'm not quite that good yet. She has a compost bin that I need to empty into the garden when it warms up a bit - and, I need to start leaving my food scraps in the frig or freezer until I go to her place...she also "recycles" food scraps and feeds a reservation dog :)
Your Grandma was "green" before many in PR - she recycled everything she could - she hated plastic - and, that continues to inspire me.
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