How Enviromental are you...

dwest2201 · July 2010

We are not super Eco-friendly, but we do some things.

We recycle. I use reusable bags and we save most things that we think we will have use for again. If there is an option of buying something with less packaging etc I do. I try to use kitchen towels mostly and reusable rags rather than roll after roll of paper towels. We use CFL bulbs in all the fixtures that we can. I wanted to have a garden this year but didn't get around to it... we will have one next year for sure!

I have been wanting to put a clothesline up to dry some things outside... should get on that as the weather is good and the killer pollen is now past. We are getting ready to upgrade to a new washer and dryer and will get energy star and will with any other upgrades as well.

I plan to do a little more green every year until I am satisfied.

[Deleted User] · July 2010

I've recycled for a long time - mostly just my newspapers and milk jugs. My mom & I both agree on some other plastic packaging that we would just end up wasting a lot of water to clean the containers that it doesn't make sense to recycle all items (they won't take them here if they're not clean). We take all aluminum cans to our church who has been turning the cans into cash to pay the gas money to send our kids to summer camp for the past 20 years.

I also have the spiral light bulbs. I've gotten a couple of the canvas bags that I've used a couple times for shopping, but most of the time I forget to take them with me, but I do reuse the plastic grocery bags as much as possible and take any that I'm not using back to the stores.

I live in a townhouse, so I can't use a clothesline (I always loved watching my grandma hang the clothes in OK), but even if I had a backyard, the HOA's out here all have rules that won't allow you to use clotheslines (they call them unsightly items). But I do try to always do my laundry after 7pm when the energy costs are lower, so that helps some and I have balanced power (gas & electricity).

loves2shop4shoes · July 2010

Let's see... I turn off the lights after I leave a room, I shop at WholeFoods and Trader Joe's, and I take public transportation everywhere.

Narwhal · July 2010

Button isn't enviormental at all though. She leaves on her bathroom light and kills whales.

BCRockies · July 2010

[QUOTE]Another thing you can do, with yard waste anyways, is to gather it in the fall (leaves, grass clippings, etc), shred it (with a mower is easy) and then spread it over whatever garden you have. By the spring it should be composted and it will have protected your beds:)
Posted by PaigeMcC[/QUOTE]

I'm going to have to try this! Thanks for the great tip!

We try to be as 'green' as we can. Unfortunately, haven't been able to use the clothesline much lately as it's been raining nonstop.

HST - Not happy with this...at all. Just got my first gas bill with the new carbon tax and HST and it is definitely a jump from what we've been paying.

hetshup · July 2010

Oh, and I buy as little plastic as possible. Did you guys know it takes three times the amount of water in a bottle to make it. Glass and aluminium are my favorite materials for disposables, they have the fewest toxins and are the cleanest to recycle.

PaigeMcC · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_enviromental?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:dc45256d-3141-4115-9b8e-1f1b2f0c643fPost:9f8f6fe9-2a62-4679-8950-7c31301ad7a9">Re: How Enviromental are you...</a>:
[QUOTE]Button isn't enviormental at all though. She leaves on her bathroom light and kills whales.
Posted by Narwhal[/QUOTE]

NOT THE WHALES!!!!

prasad007 · July 2010

I love the environement-- always have (having ageing hippy parents will do that to a kid).

I recycle everything (yes, even toilet paper rolls). I buy recycled toilet paper. I don't buy paper towels. For cleaning, I buy all-natural products if I need to, otherwise I use baking soda, vinegar, borax, and rags (no sponges or scrubbies!). I buy food as local as possible, and organic when I can afford it. I only buy bottled water in an emergency. I compost. If it was possible, I would hang my washed-in-cold-water-only clothes outside... etc.

Over the last 4.5 years, FI has really become involved with all of this. We plan on eventually having a couple of acres, and growing most of our food (I day dream about our someday goats!)

The next thing I will do to green-ify my life/ our lives is stop using shampoo and conditioner (if it works out for me, FI will try it too!). I know it sounds crazy, and the stuff I use now is pretty good (SLS free, etc) but I have read such great things about "no poo" that I want to try it for myself. Anyone else ditched the shampoo/ conditioner?

What's the next thing you want to do to green-ify your life?

nefariousmango · July 2010

We can't compost anything food-related because of bears, so last year most local cities started collecting food scraps for compost along with trash and recycles. Too bad we're rural!

My parents are both professional expert witnesses and consultants in environmental cases, so I'd say I'm about as enviro-minded as they come. We replace all our bulbs w/ CFs when they burn out (don't want to waste perfectly functional bulbs), wash all our clothes cold and dry most of them on a line, don't have AC and keep the heat turned down, try to buy local as much as we can afford, etc etc etc

I think it's easy to become overly passionate about, but most reasonable people who aren't enviro minded are easily converted if you don't make a big deal about it. My FI never was, but with me it's become habit for him to do all the "right" things :-)

nefariousmango · July 2010

For those of you who drink bottled water: http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

Narwhal · July 2010

I tried recycled toilet paper once. It tore my butt up.

prasad007 · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_enviromental?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:dc45256d-3141-4115-9b8e-1f1b2f0c643fPost:c2967577-eb5f-4c82-8a2b-86f6df7959fc">Re: How Enviromental are you...</a>:
[QUOTE]I tried recycled toilet paper once. It tore my butt up.
Posted by Narwhal[/QUOTE]

It took a while to get used to, I tried several different brands. Cascades is the winner for my butt! FI grew up with like, Charmin (shudder) type tissue, and it is WAY too soft! I've only bought it a few times when it was on super sale and I couldn't afford my usual... it's like wiping with a t-shirt. Apparantly the Purex brand recycled tissue is really good, but it's more expensive.

* I don't know if you have these brands in the States... I'm up in Canada, eh.

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