First things first, any tips on what to start converting first. Imagine someone is mainstream and wants to go crunchy, what would be the first things you'd recommend to them?

cloth napkins and washies are an easy beginning

Recycling more than you already do.

Buying natural alternative items when possible (i.e. natural cleaners, organic/whole foods, etc.).

Trying to combine errands into one trip to save gas.

Energy conservation around the house.

Tara

Buy local Buy organic. As much as possible.

Make some cloth grocery bags and leave them in a place you'll remember to take them to the store.

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, heheh, sorry I had to.

Get rid of your chemical cleaners. Make or buy earth friendly cleaners.

Cloth napkins, towels, grocery bags, etc.

Try to buy things that has fewer packaging like stuff in bulk.

If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down. LOL!

Originally posted by maxnmaizy
Buy local Buy organic. As much as possible.

Make some cloth grocery bags and leave them in a place you'll remember to take them to the store.

Do you guys think that other stores would let me use my cloth bag instead of thier plastic ones?

Originally posted by erm2170
Do you guys think that other stores would let me use my cloth bag instead of thier plastic ones?

everyone does around here...a lot of times it means they want me to bag my own stuff. (because using a cloth bag is sooo much more complicated ;) )

i hardly go to walmart...but if i do..i don't bother them with it b/c they look at me like i'm a space monster! but target is fine about it...and other little stores.

great, thanks!

- stop using disposable stuff like dishes, napkins, all that disposable cleaning junk (tossable toilet bowl scrubbers, common!)
- I 2nd the cloth bags. Get some pretty ones that you'll like using & showing off. Donate your plastic bags somewhere. Our library collects the used plastic ones for people to carry their books home in.
- Get a set of recycling bins and use them, use them, use them.
- get to know your local farmers market & join a CSA if you can. ie: support local & organic farmers.

Chole

oh..and when you do have nice grocery bags, remember to take them in the store with you. unlike me today! duh! pregnancy brain!

You could make a little gift package for her with homemade cleaning supplies and recipes and put them in some homemade grocery bags for her.

Maybe even a book like Clean House Clean Planet or The Green Kitchen Handbook.

Just a thought

The first thing I did was start educating myself. Read up on things... literally, this NATURALLY set me up to be more conscience and crunchy. I am far from the crunchy queen... but I feel as though I do my part, and I am educated about what I DO do... does that make sense? Like I totally allow my children to watch tv on the weekends, and we are really lax about what they can watch... but they don't watch comercials. I know the damages of tv... I have read about it... and I see it in my kids. But living in America it has been hard for me not to socialise them at the same time keeping these ideals. So I research. I know that a lot is bad... and that none is best... but I find somewhere in between... not for the sake of crunch, but for the sake of me.

That is where I would start.

Love Val

If you were making your choices solely based on enviromental impact and money was no object then this is what I would suggest

1) Switch to a whole food, organic, locally made vegan diet. No packaging and sustainably grown.

2) Cut your garbage output to as little as possible. Compost, recycle, don't use disposable products.

3)Make as many energy conservation moves as you can in your own home. A low flow shower head and compact floresent lightbulbs are good steps in the right direction. Let the house get colder in the winter and warmer in the summer by three degrees is suppose to be a big help too.

4) Really look at your modes of transportation. The less flying, driving and the like that you do helps the enviroment. The more natural forms of transit - walking and biking and the like - also help the enviroment. Help your car get teh best gas millage it can by getting it regularly serviced.

5) Reduce the amount of laundry you do. Line dry as often as possible.

6) When doing gardening plant native and low water using plants.

I guess the thing I always fight is junk mail and mail in general. I call and get removed from all the things I *don't* want sent to me. I make sure they don't sell my name even after they remove my name from their lists. I just had a catalog removed from this address from the *last* owners, who sold this home in 1998!