Many people have the desire to become more environmentally conscious, but they worry about the cost of “greening” their lives. However, there are many things that you can begin to do TODAY without any out-of-pocket costs. The concept of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is common place in today’s society and many people are already participating in some sort of recycling efforts. What most people do not know is that there are costs involved to turn all that recycling into something else, whether it be a notepad made from recycled paper or a bag made from recycled CapriSun pouches. The costs include not only monetary costs, but the recycling plants also use energy to transform that recycled waste. Below are 5 easy steps that you can do for FREE.
- Find innovative ways to reuse products in your home. For example, plastic bags, which can take more than 1000 years to deteriorate in a landfill, have many purposes. Some every day common uses include taking them with you to the store and reusing them for their original purpose – to transport your groceries or other purchases back home. Plastic bags can also be used as padding for shipping packages. I often use them in my packages and include a little note asking the receiver to reuse them for their own packaging needs. And of course, many stores now provide receptacles where you can return your plastic bags and they will send them for recycling. The center rolls of toilet paper and paper towels can provide endless art projects and hours of enjoyment for creative kids. Two toilet paper roll holders tied together make fun faux-binoculars for curious little ones.
- Reduce your consumption of products by purchasing larger items and breaking them down into smaller packages. This idea can, in fact, save you money. For example, instead of buying individual yogurt cups, buy the larger, 32-ounce containers. The cost per serving of the larger container is much less than the cost per serving of the individual cups. In fact, you can purchase the organic variety of the larger container with the money you are saving and still end up spending less per serving.
- Bring back the time-honored tradition of “hand-me-downs.” Once upon a time, there was a tradition in all lands far and near. It was a simple tradition, but one that most people followed without thought. What is this tradition that was simple, free and avoided massive consumerism? Why, it was the simple idea of giving the things that you no longer wore, used or needed to those that could wear, use or need them. Find a family in need – or even someone in your own extended family – and give them those things that you no longer use. Clothing that your child has outgrown? Pass it along. That vase that you store in the way back of the closet because you can’t stand the sight of it? Well, surely someone will find it to be a beautiful addition to their home. Simply passing things on reduces our consumption of new items. And others will find use for your castoffs! As the saying goes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Embrace this!
- Reduce (maybe even eliminate) all that (JUNK) mail. Most of us receive two types of mail: mail me want or need, and junk mail. Reducing the junk mail in your mailbox is an easy fix. You can reduce those credit card offers by calling 1-888-5OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). When calling, have your social security number, name and addresses for the previous two years ready. You can also reduce the amount of national direct mailing you receive through the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service. You can fill out the form on at the Mail Preference Service website to opt out of various forms of direct mail. Though not free, the fee to submit online is $5 or you can print the form and register for $1. In just a few simple steps, you can also reduce the amount of “necessary” mail. Request to receive your statements and bills, such as bank statements, credit card statements, and retirement fund statements, online or via email. Read newspapers and magazines online. Most banks offer to let you pay your bills online for no extra fee. These are just a few examples of what you can do to reduce your paper mail.
- Recycle, recycle, recycle. Most cities and towns now offer some sort of recycling program, whether it be curbside pickup or recycling stations at the local dump. Recycling your excess paper is one of the easiest types of recycling. When you are done with your newspaper, magazines, envelopes, toilet and paper rolls (see number 1 above about reusing these items), boxes and printouts, throw them in the recycling bin…not the trash can. Wash out plastic and glass containers and recycle them as well. Many cities are now allowing all types of recycling to be combined in what is called “Single Stream Recycling,” so you don’t even have to sort it! One of the most dangerous items that are being thrown into landfills are items that can be “E-cycled.” These include old stereos, televisions, computers, cell phones, and even batteries. If not properly disposed, these items can leach harmful chemicals into landfills and even contaminate the soil and groundwater. Most dumps now have e-cycling programs. Learn more about e-cycling and programs in your area at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Resource Conservation Challenge website. And of course, if your electronics are still in good, working condition, consider donating them to goodwill (and get a tax deduction!) or an agency in your area such as a retirement home, youth centers or shelters.
There are a number of things that you can do to reduce your waste, reuse your existing items and recycle your waste that cannot be reused. These 5 easy steps are just the beginning! In the spirit of Earth Week, take on a new “going green” challenge and start your own green journey with even just one of these ideas!
What steps are you taking to “go green?” I’d love to hear about your ideas and accomplishments. Tell me about your journey in the comments!
It is amazing to me the vast quantity of “stuff” my family has accumulated over the years. We have somehow, without any knowledge of how and without any cognizant behavior, managed to fill every possible nook and cranny of our home…and then some. There are days that I walk into the house and I just want to turn around and walk back out rather than deal with the clutter. This constant clutter has created such an obstacle to my ability to think, let alone accomplish anything. I feel as if I clear a space just to have it filled again within a day with more “stuff.”
The Experiment. I have decided that I can take no more. As an experiment, I bribed encouraged my husband to spend the day with the kids out of the house (doing what, I could care less…just go, go, go). I descended upon toy room #1 (yes, there is more than 1) loaded with bins and bags. I labeled the bins, because G-d knows I lost my memory years ago after the birth of child #1, as KEEP, DONATE and TRASH.
I relegated all broken toys, missing parts and endless art projects gone bad to the trash bag. I loaded up the donate bin until I had no more room…then put it all into bags and loaded it up again. Those items in the KEEP bin were reorganized and properly stored. In the end, I filled 3 large trash bags with toys. 3 weeks later…my kids have not asked for even ONE of the toys in the bags. I now realize, as Peter Walsh has counseled us for years, that “It’s All Too Much!”
With the success of my experiment, I am now motivated to purge even more. And with yard sale season approaching, I hope to make some cash to put towards my greening efforts – namely, the Vermicomposter that I’ll write about in detail when I am closer to purchasing it.
So, the Great Purge begins…
I’ll be posting before and after pictures as I work my way thru the house. Please check back often to see my progress. I’ll also be talking about ways that I can “green” up the spaces that I purge and organize along the way.
What are your best organizing strategies? How do you clear clutter from your house? Better yet, how do you prevent clutter from entering your house in the first place? Let me know in the comments section.
So, on Sunday, I went into Target to fill my prescription and grab a few odds and ends. I pick up my prescription and they give me a FREE reusable shopping bag. Sweet! Then, I go to the checkout to purchase my odds and ends and they give me…ANOTHER reusable shopping bag. Now, I know that Earth Day is Thursday, April 22nd. What I didn’t know is that many companies are celebrating this whole week as Earth Week! How wonderful that so many companies are recognizing the growing “green” trend and celebrating it not just one day per year, but for an entire week.
Another example. Since The Home Depot was having a Buy One, Get One sale on many of their herb and vegetable plants on Sunday, I headed on over to grab the herbs I love the most to start my container garden (yes, yes…I will be doing a container garden this year, which will be the subject of many, many, many posts, I am sure!). As I walked in, I was handed a weekly flyer, a green Guide and a FREE faucet aerator! After doing some research, I realize that installing this aerator can save water usage without affecting the water flow. Sweet!
Finally, I spent Sunday afternoon with my husband and the boys at our local science and nature center. To celebrate Earth Week, the center was having an all-day event filled with activities and “make and take” projects. First, we made kites out of recycled paper bags and twine. They were so adorable! We also took a nature walk, which included the boys running through open fields with bug catchers (however, once they brought me the spider they caught, I decided that project needed to end!). We participated in a drum circle where all the children used their hands to play drums and shakers and tambourines. There were many other activities including decorating clay pots for planting seeds, creating a “pizza garden” with tomato and basil plants, playing games that did not require anything other than hands and feet (think tag, relay races, crab walk races) and learning about the trees and animals/insects living in the woods.
Doing these types of activities with my children gives them the opportunity to learn about the great outdoors even though we live in a suburban jungle. I encourage you to find activities to do yourself and with your children that do not require electricity, driving your car or some plastic toys. It really is refreshing to get back to basics and traditional play!
What plans do you have for Earth Week? Here at The Going Green Project, we will be having a week filled with earth-friendly activities and projects as well as informational tips and advice about becoming more green in your everyday life. Please feel free to post a comment about your plans for Earth Week and Earth Day. I look forward to hearing everyone’s ideas (and may just incorporate some of them into my own journey towards a greener life!).
As with any great project, preparing is KEY. As the great Benjamin Franklin said: By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. For whatever reason, I have taken this “mantra” to heart.
How do I prepare for a big project? I make lists…LOTS of lists. My family is constantly finding scraps of paper with my lists laying around the house. Usually, they all have the same items on them, as I desperately try to do too much in one day. But I still prepare for each and every day with a fresh list.
This project is no exception. So, if I want to succeed, I need to prepare both my life AND my living space. Which brings me to Step #1: The Great Purge.
Why, you may ask, did I choose to do this transformation as a “project?” Especially when the mere mention of the word project causes my husband to roll his eyes and sigh. And my children become super-excited thinking I mean a tree house/fort building or make your own kite project, and then run screaming when they realize the project will involve work and sacrifice on their part.
Well, quite honestly, I chose to do a “project” simply because I am a “project person.” I like the idea of a beginning, an end and specified steps that lead to that end. Steps – that I can do. Give me a list to follow and I can do it. Having a goal without predetermined items to check off? I’ll probably fail miserably.
So, welcome to my Going Green Project. Each week, I will be highlighting a different step in my journey towards the end goal of my project –> greening my house, my kids and my life. Along the way, I will be blogging about my successes, my failures and the cool stuff I find along the way. If possible and where appropriate, I will provide tips and insights, reviews of products I try (whether I like them or not) and things I find helpful to me and my family.
I look forward to the journey and hope you will join me for the ride!
