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What do you do to help the Environment?

Over the last few years I realized that the way I lived was not very earth friendly. So I have gradually made some changes.

  1. I don't buy bottled water (I drink from the tap or filter my own.)
  2. I use re-usable bags when I shop, all stores not just grocery. Plus instead of using the bags in the produce or bulk item sections I bring my own containers or mesh bags.
  3. I've cut down on the use of paper products. In the kitchen I use mostly cloth towels. 1 roll of paper towels can last me over 1 month.
  4. I make most of my own cleaning liquids, primarily consisting of white vinegar & water, some applications I also use baking soda.
  5. I use vinegar in my laundry in place of bleach and softener (I'm in Nevada, very dry, some items require softener.)
  6. I use food storage hacks to extend the life of produce (I HATE throwing away food!)

Do you have any suggestions? What do you do?

BeeHappy 9 Dec 14
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34 comments (26 - 34)

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2

Recycle or compost most household waste so I trash very little, and use biodegradable garbage bags for kitty litter. Use the library. Do fewer, larger loads in an HE washer. Keep the thermostat low. Walk/bus when possible.
Ooh and pick up litter. About once a week when they weather is nice I use trash pickup as my workout.

@A2Jennifer, what a great exercise hack! Love it!

2

I burn plastics.

This may seem like a good idea because plastic takes any where from 450 - 1000 years to decompose depending on the type of plastic. However, burning plastics also send a lot of carbon into the atmosphere which contribute to the Greenhouse effect. It's kind of a damned if you, damned if you don't kind of situation.

Presuming sarcasm...

Ahhh.... doesn't that emit toxins?

Well yeah, but I have fun with it and plastics are no longer a part of the matrix.

Irrevrant sarcasm yes. No harm intended.

1
  1. I did not breed & still strongly advocate no-kidding.
  2. during the 20 years of dwelling in countryside (no or little public transport) I had a car only for 7 years. during my citylife never. I hitchhike & cycle.
  3. my diet is vegetarian, if not entirely vegan.
  4. I use no more than 1.2kw in electricity per day.
  5. I rarely buy new clothes.
  6. I use ecologically accepted washing detergent, shampoo (not tested on animals), & all other soaps. I do not use dishwashing detergent at all - the perk of consuming watersoluble vegetable fats only 🙂

the last 4 points were just bluntly cut off 😟
7. home-filtered water in glass bottles only.
8. paper towels & tissues a total no-no. fabric only.
9. i bring my own bags & glass jars when shopping - in bulk mostly.
10. i am as aware & grateful with what i have as possible - not constantly wanting more.

1

I'm a freak about recycling paper & cardboard.

I use a set of fabric shopping bags to offset the amount of plastic bags brought home, altho do need those, for dog poop.

I give away swamp milkweed every year for monarchs, even if I have to post it on craigslist and leave it on the curb. I used to rear but too busy and fugitive caterpillars aren't fun to worry about.

1

I realized we all have a negative affect on the environment, myself included and I actively sought ways to minimize my impact. It is an ongoing process. Moving to a rural location was one big step.

  1. I installed a rainwater harvesting system. No water comes from a commercial source.
  2. I have acquired a lot of bags from different organizations. I reuse plastic bags, even the wax paper bags from the cereal boxes.
  3. Ditto with the paper towels. 1 roll lasts several months.
  4. Salt and baking soda are good for scrubbing pans. “The Queen of Clean complete cleaning guide” is a good reference book.
  5. I have a septic. Our county is one of he few counties that allow owners to inspect their own system. But first one must take a course about how the system works and ways to preserve it. No chemicals whatsoever go into the septic. Vinegar instead of fabric softener (the worse thing for a septic). I also have small towels soaked in vinegar and a scent for dryer sheets. I have a shop and have to be careful with solvents. I try to use water solvent paints and after cleaning the brushes the solution goes into a bucket, which is set out in the sun to evaporate. The solids go into the trash.
  6. Extra food is frozen or canned. There is a big locavore movement here so a lot of food comes from my or somebody’s garden. We have a gleaning group and extra food (especially fruit) is shared. I am a food label reader and avoid things (like olive oil) that come from outside the U.S. The thing that has the biggest impact is food choices. I became a vegetarian, it wasn’t that hard. I also compost everything even paper towels and used Kleenex's (shredded paper can form a nest in the compost bin to soak up extra moisture).
  7. I insulated my house and keep the thermostat at around 66. I have also installed solar panels and built a South facing sun room to take advantage of passive solar.
  8. I bought a small PriusC but since I live near our town center I walk or bike when possible.
  9. I try to not use gasoline powered lawn equipment. I get laughed at for my wusy electric blower and weed whacker.
  10. We have a special transfer station (dump) and we take pride in our clean recycling process. Rinse out cans/jars and sort. We also have a big take-it or leave-it section. My toaster oven and microwave came from there. Stuff brought in is inspected to make sure no trash or broken things are turned in. Used clothing is very popular. Oh, and we also have a thrift shop.
  11. One biggie is money. Years ago a book came out (it’s on it’s 2nd printing) titled “Your Money or Your Life”. This book and a movement called ‘Voluntary Simplicity’ gave me a new way of viewing money and consumption. It is a big deal and well worth looking into. There were workshops all over the Pacific NW and it even extended to the LA area (the symbol was a hearse with a luggage rack). The initial meeting had over 700 people attending.
  12. The most important thing is to be informed and questioning everything. Activities as protests, writing what is known as scoping letters (this is a big and important deal in our part of the country), attending meetings, joining groups especially boards, taking and giving classes and workshops and basically being involved (like being a part of this site) and asking questions like this.

Way to go Jack!!

@BeeHappy Be assured this did not come suddenly. It took a lot of time. There are even more but so much depends on one's locality.

@BeeHappy I just saw this and thought of 2 connections with this site: your question and and a previous one of tiny homes. This is such an amazing space with almost no footprint I thought of putting it out to the group. Scroll through the pictures

[seattletimes.com]

@JackPedigo Very cool! I've thought recently that going small might be an option. I definitely love the idea. Thanks.

1

Pisses me off that my township's recycling program no longer takes plastic bags. Would anyone know why? A quick perusal on Google showed that only half of municipalities and townships accept plastic bags for recycling. I hate sending anything to the landfill I don't have to.

1

#1 I don't usually drink bottled water even if I didn't buy it.
I'm trying to find a ride to work so I don't have to drive. Smaller carbon footprint.
I enjoy cooler temperatures in the house.

1

No A/C in house
Cloth towels instead of paper napkins/ towels
Compost
Recycle
Very Rarely eat meat

twill Level 7 Dec 14, 2017
1

I make my hookers drive hybrids to meet the johns!

Zeus9 Level 2 Dec 14, 2017
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