Itty Bitty Button Bags

 

You know those button bags that always come with sweaters, but you never seem to use the button? Don't throw those bags away! They are the perfect size for bagging and gifting earrings (or rings...etc). You can put the button safely away in a sewing box where it will not need its bag. Now the earrings can be safe too! So if you bought a lot of sweaters for yourself on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, now you have an idea for others for Christmas too!

Seatbelts First

  

When we get into our cars, the first thing that many of us do is turn the car on. Then we scramble around for gloves, put on our sunglasses,  look for directions...we do whatever. Instead, we should make sure to do those things first and then turn the car on. It's only a matter of a few seconds or minutes, but we really want our cars to be running for as little time as possible. So, when I get into the car the first thing that I always do is put on my seat belt. Then I turn the car on. That way I can just go and I minimize how much I idle.

Xmas Light Timer

 If you have lights up, either indoor or outdoor, get a timer! A timer ensures that your lights are only on when you need them. Because let's face it, you can't see lights in the day! An alternative is unplugging the lights, but I'm sure there will be nights where it is cold and snowy and you won't want to go turn te lights off or you're just too tired and will forget to turn them off. Therefore timers are a sure fire way to run your lights minimally and save energy this holiday. My tree is set to only be on between 5-10 pm.

LED Xmas Lights

If you're putting up holiday lights this week, look for LED lights to put up. My neighbors house is all lit up with them so you would think I would suggest using fewer lights to save energy. However, truth is that my little outdoor tree with some strands of old fashioned lights probably uses more energy than their entire house display does. Make a smart display with LEDS!

Recycled Toilet Paper

Just like with tissues and paper towels, we don't need a fresh new tree to make our toilet paper. Recycled sounds just fine to me. I knew switching to recycled toilet paper would be good, but I didn't realize how good. Did you know that if every household in America replaced one (just one!) virgin fiber roll with one recycled roll it would save 295,000 trees? So even if we all realize we hate recycled toilet paper but just give it a try one time, we would be doing good.

Ps. Seventh generation toilet paper comes in a paper wrapper, not plastic! Woo! Also, like most recycled paper products, it is whitened without chlorine which is a dangerous toxin for the environment. Remember to look out for things like that.

Keep The Front Door Closed

 

It is getting cold out! If you're looking to cut down on running your furnace make sure you keep the door closed! I have a double door where there is a glass door and a wooden door. It is easy to leave the wooden door open by accident. However, that lets in a lot of cold air! Keep that door tightly closed! 

If you have a large pane of glass like I do, consider putting some kind of curtain or covering over the glass. This should make sure your door isn't letting in too much air.

My Xmas Tree is Alive!

 

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we've all got Christmas on our minds, right? Are you thinking about buying your tree? Here's a tip! This year, buy a live tree rather than a cut tree! You can bring it inside and decorate it like normal, but afterwards instead of trashing it or burning it you can plant it! Mother Nature would appreciate gifts as well this holiday season, so give her a tree! (instead of taking one). This tree is being sold at Whole Foods Market. Pick one up as part of your shopping trip!

Here's another benefit: if you hate cleaning up the pine needles that get all over the floor, this live tree won't shed!

Tea Bags

 

Did you know that you can compost teabags? Not just the tea but the entire bag? Now you do! We will all be drinking a lot of tea this season to keep warm and to cope with sickness...it is inevitable! So don't worry about all of the trash you are making, compost it all! If you want to be extra good, look for tea bags that don't come in an extra wrapper, or ones that come in a paper wrapper rather than a plastic one. Then you could compost that too!

Parchment Paper

 

Baking cookies is easier and cleaner when you use parchment paper to line the pan rather than using grease. However, parchment paper is one use and toss. Instead, get some silicone mats! They work just as well if not better than parchment paper, clean easily, will last for years, and make a great gift for the holidays!

Do Some Math For Food

 

When cooking for a lot of people, it is easy to overestimate how much food you will need. You may be tempted to cook everything in sight for your guests, but hold back! Think rationally about what you will need. Do some math equations if you have to. Whatever it takes, just don't cook more food than you need to this weekend! On average Americans throw out 40% of their food, and I am sure that this number increases during the holiday. 

Entertaining with Cloth

 

When you're entertaining guests this Thursday, be smart about what you put on the table. Instead of using paper napkins, be sure to use cloth napkins! While these napkins may be slightly more of a hassle (you'll have to throw them in the washing machine and dry them and fold them) they do not generate any trash! Also, they do not come in plastic bags when you buy them (like paper ones do). I think that they look nicer anyways! Maybe your guests will be neater eaters when they're confronted with something so pretty!

My Decorations Are Alive!

 

When decorating your house for the fall, look for living decorations! Flowers, pumpkins, and gourds all make beautiful, seasonal decorations for any room. I think this is better than going out and buying a lot of plastic nick-nacs that may break or go out of style within the next year or so. All living decorations can be composted and recycled into the Earth after they have done their job of brightening up the place. 

Poster Disaster!

 

For one of my classes I recently had to make a poster. I am not the most spatially talented, so I chose to print the information and glue it onto the poster. However, I did not really read what I had written before I printed it. I ended up having to print things 2 or 3 times due to small, careless mistakes...certainly more than necessary! I am always being told to proofread my things, which is obviously very important! But I never applied that logic to anything other than an essay. Avoid wasting paper! Proofread everything so that you only have to print once!

Pet Waste Baggies

If you have a pet, look for biodegradable pet waste bags! They are a good alternative to plastic bags, and feel about the same. They make great pet stocking stuffers!

Newspaper Bags Transformed

 

At my house we reuse newspaper bags as dog waste bags. They're similar size at shape to those that you can buy. Of course these bags go right in the trash, but at least we use them twice rather than only once. 

Other uses might include: packing material, bags for flip flops after a day at the beach...other suggestions are welcome!

Produce Bags Part II

 

Unless you're buying 24 limes or some amount of fruit that would be ridiculous to try to carry, skip the produce bag at the grocery store! Most times you don't really need it. We wash and peel most produce before we eat it, so it doesn't really matter what it touches in between the shelf and your home. If you're still die hard about having a bag, try bringing your own plastic bags, or reusing the produce bags each time. Either way, try to be more aware of how many plastic bags you use each time you go to the grocery store.

Produce Bags

 

If you go grocery shopping I am sure you've obtained your fair share of produce bags. Don't immediately throw them out. Reuse them as small trash bags, lunch bags or storage bags. You may only get one more use out of them, but two uses is better than one. 

Dryer Lint

 

Dryer lint is compostable! It is just a collection of fibers (probably mostly cotton). So don't throw it in the trash! One load may not seem to produce that much lint, but overtime it all adds up. Keep it in a bag somewhere and compost it when it gets full.

Winter biking

 

To all of you avid cyclists and bike commuters, don't let cold weather get you down. Obviously I do not advise biking through a blizzard, but there are ways to stay content when it's chilly out. Bike stores sell plenty of cold weather gear! Pictured above are booties that help keep your toes warmer and dryer (so I've been told). There are also big mittens, "lobster mittens" I like to call them, that will keep your hands happy. Since it gets darker earlier, be sure to buy a couple bright lights! Add some layers and I think you are all set. Be safe and peddle onwards! 

Double Cup?

 

So Dunkin' Donuts does this thing where they put a styrofoam cup over your plastic cup. I assume this is to keep it colder longer or to prevent sweating, but it isn't really necessary. As if one plastic cup every day wasn't bad enough, how about a plastic cup and a styrofoam cup daily? That is pretty wasteful. If you're really concerned about sweating, try wrapping (biodegradable) napkins round the cup. However, in a lot of areas this time of year I don't think your cup will get very warm...So next time tell them "no thanks" when they offer you a (non-biodegradable and non-recyclable) styrofoam cup!

No Packing Peanuts

 

It's getting close to the gift giving time of year, and I am sure many of you will be shipping boxes across the country or maybe even the world. When you ship these boxes, don't use styrofoam packing peanuts! As always, styrofoam is non-biodegradable and badbadbad. Try other options such as old paper. I've even shipped things with old socks and cloths as padding. Egg cartons probably work too...there's all sorts of options! Anything goes. Happy Shipping!

We're All Family

My family doesn't always eat at exactly the same time. I might come downstairs in the morning and want to make some toast but then find that my mom already had some toast! She used a plate to collect her crumbs, but the plate is never really dirty. I like to take her plate and reuse it for my breakfast. That way we don't need to wash so many dishes. Tonight we had apple crisp for dessert, and my mom finished before my dad was ready to eat. He was only going to put more apple crisp in the bowl, so reusing made so much sense! It's not gross I promise (depending on what food you're eating).

Dried herbs

 

Want to make your own dried herbs? Take some leaves from your live plant, place them on a paper towel, and microwave them for a short period of time (1 minute-ish). Then crunch them up a bit, find an old spice jar to reuse, and voila! You just eliminated some packaging and some shipping emissions! But still got your basil. Life's great!

If you're plant is dying, it would be a good time to try this! That way you do not lose or waste any bit of flavor!

Bulk Benefits

 

Are there some items that you buy constantly at the grocery store? Do you find yourself throwing out a lot of packaging? You should consider buying in bulk! Buying in bulk uses less packaging because the item comes in one big bag/box, not a lot of small bags/boxes. Items like grains, nuts and berries are popular bulk items. If you eat oatmeal every morning - stop buying individual packets of oatmeal! Buy your oatmeal in bulk, and then you can divide it and store it however you want to after that. No matter how you do it or what you buy, less packaging is the way to go.

Bulk is also cheaper, so you will save money in the long run.

More Than a Birdhouse

 

Birds are losing their habitats as humans continue to chop down trees and construct new buildings. Think about all of the birds that you see in cities...where do they live? Luckily birds seem to be able to adapt enough to continue to live in cities and suburban areas. However, I am sure they would appreciate some help! One artist started a project where he makes birdhouses out of trash and turns them into functional art. He hold workshops to get kids from the communities involved. (see this link for more info: http://www.treehugger.com/culture/artists-takes-trash-new-heights-habitat-urban-birds.html) I love this project because it does 3 things at once: reuses trash, gives birds a place to live, and inspires kids to take care of the environment. 

Think about making your own birdhouse! Use an old milk carton, some scrap wood...anything you can imagine! The artist even used things like skateboards and speakers. This could be a fun project for yourself, or for an entire classroom. Try it out! Bring the idea up to an art teacher... get people involved!

If you are thinking about Christmas, here is an idea: If you are buying a present for someone who likes arts and crafts, maybe you were thinking about buying them an art kit? Like a bird house kit? Don't! Give them a nice kit of trash, test their art skills, and see what they can make out of it. Sounds fun and challenging!

Take Care

Use a laundry bag for washing delicate items. The bag will help prevent stretching or pilling, which will help your clothes last longer. If your clothes last longer, you won't have to shop as much and will have less of an impact on the cotton world! (or silk, or spandex....)

Most ladies probably already put their delicates in one of these bags, but if you don't you should! It will prevent hooks and things from destroying other clothing or getting attached to something and stretching out. 

Take care of your things, and you'll take care of the world.

Rewear jeans

Personal hygiene is a virtue, but we don't always have to be perfect. Usually, our clothes don't get too dirty in just a day. Things like jeans can be worn a few days. Sweatshirts and other layers probably could be reworn for a few days as well since your body doesn't come in direct contact with them. Use your judgement, but oftentimes we wash our clothes too much! If you find yourself constantly doing laundry, try to put some clothes back in your closet for another wear! See if you can cut down on how often you run the machine.

Delectable, Responsible, Selective

When you are buying seafood, be careful that it is sustainable, fish-friendly seafood. One way to do this is to keep an eye out for Blue Ocean Institute ratings and Marine Stewardship Council Certifications. These markings inform you on how sustainable or harmful a certain fishing company may be to a particular kind of fish. A green rating tells that the fishing practices are sustainable and the fish populations of the ocean are relatively unharmed. Rankings below that signify some or serious harm to the fish populations and their surrounding habitat. I am not sure what companies display these ratings, other than Whole Foods Market. The rankings are clearly displayed right in front of the seafood so that there is no confusion about it. Last spring, WFM banned the sale of all red ranked seafood in their stores. 

 

 

 

 

Keep an eye out for this ranking, and let me know if you see it anywhere else! Fish tastes better when you know it is responsible!

Illuminating Screens

 

So we have all heard that we should shut off the lights when we leave a room...but what about when we are still in the room? If you're using something like a computer or iPad that makes its own light, turn off the lights! You don't need a light bulb to see the screen, right? Sometimes it can be hard on the eyes or you might need to see a book off to the side, but do it when you can! If you don't want the lights totally off, try dimming the lights instead.

Roses Are Red

 

What the heck are those things? No, those don't belong in a lab. Those are water containers that florists put on the end of singular flowers. The water keeps the flowers fresh until you can put them in a vase. I recently received two and wasn't sure what to do with them.I am sure you can use them for some weird science or food coloring experiment, but that's not the most obvious answer. If you ever cut your own flowers from a garden and want to bring them into work or give them as a gift, you can reuse the containers for their original purpose!