The 12 Least Intrusive Ways to
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
in the Suburbs
At least I can:
1. Feel guilty when I don't bring my own bags to the store. - Oh, the guilt when I forget and have too many items to carry out! There I am, doing the walk of shame in the parking lot with two plastic bags in each hand. Do most suburbanites tote their own totes? I really try.
2. Live in awe of friends who have fruitful vegetable gardens right now. - We grew tomatoes in planters on the deck railing last year. My tween really, really wanted to do a garden patch this year. Because we didn't, I am relegated to viewing photos posted by successful gardeners on facebook, enjoying "fresh from the garden" salad at book club, and purchasing other people's homegrown bounty at the Farmer's Market.
3. Use cloth napkins. - This, my family does well. I have a stash of paper napkins to cover food in the microwave, but the rest of the time we use cloth. It has been over 2 years! I even use cloth for entertaining kids, though often feel the need to explain, "Please do not throw the napkins away..."
4. Use cloth towels. - We do this well too. No paper towels in this house - except for the roll in the far bottom cupboard behind the microwave paper napkins. My sister left it when she visited. Cloth kitchen towels just don't work for her, so she brings her own roll. It's the least she can do.
5. Recycle, recycle, recycle! - Our suburb does not charge for recycling, so there is a monetary advantage here as well. I pick paper out of a trash can in our house if my hubby or kids have dropped it in by mistake. Recycling is more work - what with all the sorting of packaging, but it is the least I can do.
6. Hang to dry. - I never thought I would do this one, however...our dryer went on the fritz at the end of December 2010. We hung clothes for a couple of days, and then a couple more days. And then we worked out a system. And then the weather got warmer. And now here we are - over 6 months later. Never got the dryer fixed and have only had to hit the laundromat (which is not spelled "laundrymat") twice for major bedding loads. Gas and electric bill are each about 10% lower.
7. Wear less. - I have written about this on the blog before. Back in September, I attempted the "Six Items or Less" clothing experiment. Now, the average amount of clothing I keep in rotation is about 12 Items or Less - rotated monthly. For example, instead of purchasing a new shirt for "The 4th of July," I purchased a shirt "For July." I have 4 other shirts, 4 shorts, 1 pair of slacks, and one pair of jeans in rotation. That's it (+ a cardigan to ward off air conditioning and an extra tank top or two to catch sweat)! On August 1st, I will prepare another set of items. It really works for me. Oh, and I share clothes with my sister.
8. Avoid buying on impulse. - One of the most powerful weapons stores have is how they market items on the shelves. Have you have ever been tempted to buy a soft blue blanket when walking past an endcap? Remove it. Carry it over to an aisle that has colors similar to the interior of a room in your home. It doesn't look as good when it is not between the green and pink blankets does it? The least you can do is resist the urge. Put it back. Reuse what you already own.
9. Reduce whining. - No means no.
10. Resist spoiling my kids. - Proper nutrition, enough sleep, and plenty of time to play. This is advice I can give other parents: Reduce the number of "outings" you take. Kids don't need constant outside stimulation. I recently read that boredom breeds creativity. Reuse what you have. For example: ball mismatched socks for rainy day sock wars, teach them card games, build forts with couch cushions...make sure they have chores, and teach them help with dinner. You won't regret it.
11. Learn. - Currently considering rain barrels, composting, and a garden plot (or, at least, an herb garden).
12. Is have one responsible car. - Ok, so I drive a 2004 silver Honda Odyssey mini-van. But our other car is a 2008 red Prius. It's the least we can do.
I love creative solutions!
So tell me, "What kind of things do you do to
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle?"
LOVE #10! I do and will keep doing it!
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