How funny cause I've been thinking a lot about this issue too lately. I started thinking about it the first day I packed my daughter's lunch for school this year. I put in a couple of napkins and thought to myself that's gonna be such a waste for the next 10 months. So I went out and bought a stack of fabric napkins to start putting in her lunch. Instead of buying little half size bottles of water, I got resuable plastic ones. I've been very concious lately about my waste. About how much garbage we generate in this house. I'm trying to make an effort to change.
Our family of 6 dish-users (the baby is still dish-free lol) only run the dishwasher once before bed. We re-use our glasses as mentioned above (although my dh is icked out by me as I will use mine for days, so he sneaks & washes mine out in the guise of being so kind & getting me a drink LOL). Dh has been known to eat out of the pot after everyone else gets their food just to save a dish LOL he also will wait til I'm done (since someone has to hold the babe while I eat LOL) & just use my plate.
I have been tempted to do as Janet Luhrs mentions in her book (I think it is her, its been many years!) & just have 1 place setting per person. (well, actually I'd have more but hide them away for company LOL)
I used to be so obsessed - never bought anything w/plastic. Only used bar shampoo even so as not to have plastic.
And to the mamas picking up pet ick -ewwww LOL
All the glass jar talk has me lol - I get so happy when I buy something in a glass jar & it has no brand imprint on it, cause then I can remove the label & use it for whatever I want with no sign of its prior life to show for it. My dh cant understand why that excites me so much. He also wasn't impressed by my formula can collection when we were fostering LOL I crafted up everyone of those babies! LOL I've got cans,bottles & other various containers in every cupboard of my house! LOL
Location: You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. ~ Maya Angelou
Posts: 6,672
Has anyone read Garbage land? I think that is the name. I will google it later. Anyhow, once you read that book, you will be forever changed about your former opinions of reycling and the environment.
I think we do an awesome job of recycling and compostin here. However, I do need to work on "pre-recycling" (that is choosing products more carefully before buying.
I do have to buy formula - about 3 cans per month. Otherwise, Vince gets breastmilk - I don't have a full supply, though. The cans are steel, so I throw them in the recycle.
Now we can only recycle 1 and 2 narrow necks here, so I haul the rest of my plastic to my mother's. (Which is not close by, lol). I take plastic on the plane with me. I am a nerd.
I also take cloth diapers on the plane with me. I am nuts, though.
We compost all scraps that the dogs won't eat.
We don't buy paper towel or pampers or disposable bibs or wrapped potatoes.
I hate to buy those terrible plastic strawberry containers - but for a treat I do like to get Garrett organic strawberries a few times a year. Otherwise, we get the frozen ones.
I re-use the empty plastic bags from cereal, frozen produce, etc. but I wonder about germs.
I use dish rags, but my mom bought a sponge when she was here in the Summer, so we still have that. I put it in the dishwasher b/c of germs/odors.
I am sure there is more, but I must go.
I really hate plastic, though. It is so bad in so many ways.
I am not keeping anymore glass - I have too much. I do love it, though but my cupboards are loaded with the stuff, lol.
so what's gross about using a cloth instead of a sponge????
Growing up it was the cloth itself more than the idea. I swear my mother *still* has the same 2 dish clothes. Using a cloth just brought back horrible memories of having to wash the dishes when I was a kid. Of course now I have this big collection of birdseye clothes that I made myself & they are kind of nice. Lots better than those green striped holey ones my mom uses!
Val what's a bamboo scrubbing stick?
Chole
__________________ 18th century Mama to a exciting 8yr old, SO to a graphic novel guy
oh, to all those that use a dish several times before washing. We did this when I was growing up too. My mom had a friend who called it "Second Use Dishes". We still do it & joke about 3rd & 4th use dishes too.
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,525
Quote:
Originally Posted by choleblack
Val what's a bamboo scrubbing stick?
You know those plastic ones that have soap in the handle and bristles on them? Well it looks just like that, only it is made of all wood and bamboo with no empty handle. I got it from my co-op about two years ago, and I use it everyday. I have never even had to think about replacing it. I still can't believe that it is in as good of shape as it is. (It was like $13 though) I do have to remember to rinse it (or more likely remind dh to rinse it... becuase I do it on auto now) or it can get grungy and I only run it through the dishwasher when I absolutly have to... the bamboo has a natural anti bac property, but I don't want to push it when there is 24hr old apple peices stuck in it, and I also don't want to ruin the wood by running it through too many times. lol... but if I rinse it I never have to worry. The thing is amazing!
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,525
Good news! The county we are in is getting recycling bins as of Jan 2007. Now we have a great program in our area currently, and we recycle so much we have a double set of bins and get $14 a month off our garbage bill... lol... but for the rest of the county this is a WONDERFUL development! And it also will free up other areas to start recycling #5 plastics (yogurt containers and butter tubs etc).... which will be wonderful! (I just have to say that because of the area we live in, I didn't even know until this newspaper came out that the rest of the county COULDN'T do that... we just always have been able to. Count me lucky!)
You know those plastic ones that have soap in the handle and bristles on them? Well it looks just like that, only it is made of all wood and bamboo with no empty handle. I got it from my co-op about two years ago, and I use it everyday. I have never even had to think about replacing it. I still can't believe that it is in as good of shape as it is. (It was like $13 though) I do have to remember to rinse it (or more likely remind dh to rinse it... becuase I do it on auto now) or it can get grungy and I only run it through the dishwasher when I absolutly have to... the bamboo has a natural anti bac property, but I don't want to push it when there is 24hr old apple peices stuck in it, and I also don't want to ruin the wood by running it through too many times. lol... but if I rinse it I never have to worry. The thing is amazing!
Val
Oh, I need to find one of those! I use a dishwasher, but I notice I run it a lot less when my dh is not here! Plus, he *insists* on buying detergent for the dw, and I just use baking soda. He would argue that it does a better job, but he hasn't noticed when I use the baking soda! I also stopped buying the disposable cleaning wipes. I don't buy paper towels anymore either. there are areas I need to improve, but I am much better than I was before. my favorite thing is to use the cloth diapers for Stephanie- but that's not so selfless, as I buy pretty ones Most of the girls' things now come from thrift shops, though. Lurking on this forum has really opened my eyes!
__________________
Just a small person
But a soul there
Eyelashes of fairy dust
We wrap you in our arms
Sleep sweetly
Precious angel
Close those eyes and rest
We are here with you
(For Eleanor)
I do use paper towels for the really gross stuff too. Otherwise, I have a big bag of cloth towels to use. So, my really bad use of plastic is two plastic bags a day to pick up after the dogs. I really hate throwing these bags in the trash every day. I use the ones from the store (Target, etc--I use cloth for groceries) but it would be better to skip the bags more at the store.
__________________ My feedback thread
Sybil~ Mama to two adorable boys
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once
[s]he grows up.--Pablo Picasso
I dislike our disposable society too, but stressin' about it isn't going to make it better really. I'm often shocked to see throw away items they come up with at the store. It's all about makin money. A new product they swear makes your life easier, but does it........ nope!
__________________
'Simplicity clears our vision, frees us from false values,
brings greater beauty to our lives'
Valerie, mama to Noah (9) and Zach (7)
and expecting a wee one Nov 3rd
Location: When I dare to be powerful -- to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
Posts: 9,525
What blows me away is all the people who fall for the marketing that these throw away co's produce. I have "tried and true" things that I use that are disposable... There arn't many, but I have them... but fall for the newest fastest, cheapest, throwaway something or other? Na... I just wasn't raised that way. I was raised by people of the 'use it up, use it again' world and was taught about marketing at a very young age. I try to pass this on to my children (Alex and I have had some WONDERFUL conversations about marketing ploys) and if the trend continues, then I will have informed consumers as grandchildren too. What more can I ask?
I have a friend who is a 'user of all new fad things', and I adore her. I just don't comment, and resolve my recycling whenever we hang out. lol...
__________________
Val; Living the dream we have been working towards for over 5 years.
Mama to Alex, Cyan, and Logan. Wife to my very best friend.
It really irks me also. I hate trash days around here. The amount of trash I see each family dispose of really sickens me. I can't believe it when I hear more and more disposable products coming out. We definitely are a throw away society. Seeing all that stuff only makes me more vigilent in making sure i don't fall into the disposable products pattern. I feel pretty good about what we do to help.
__________________
Laura Mama to Kaitlyn
Megan Elizabeth
Very few people alive remember the Depression, or WWII for that matter. Those were times when people HAD to be frugal, HAD to re-use (in fact, that's where the "Use it up, wear it out..." saying comes from - it was on propaganda during the war).
Having grown up with older parents who had been through both the Depression and WWII, I grew up frugal. I don't emulate everything my mother did (jeez, I remember our holey old dishrags, too) but I try. The biggest bane of my existence in Missoula is the fact that they no longer recycle glass here, but we are finding ways around it.
One thing not mentioned but probably something many of you do already is to get smaller linen produce bags so you don't have to use plastic at the store. They're lightweight so they don't add to your cost, and they're washable. Most things we don't bag at all, but when it comes to green beans, peas, etc. most cashiers don't dig it when you plunk a handful down on the scanner...
I just realized all the political overtones of this discussion. In WWII they cut back drastically on manufacturing goods such as tires, clothing, etc. for production of 'war goods.' Those were the days when we actually MADE STUFF IN THIS COUNTRY. It's interesting that our current conflicts (or whatever you want to call them) have had virtually no impact on the nation's buying/using of goods. We truly have become a thoughtless society - people thoughtlessly putting stuff in their carts, their mouths, their homes. Half of me is a Luddite who wants nothing to do with cell phones, SUVs, shopping malls and the like, the other half of me heats up coffee in the microwave, loves watching DVDs and thoroughly enjoys the luxury of the internet.
I am a nerd.
Most of the girls' things now come from thrift shops, though. Lurking on this forum has really opened my eyes!
Mama to Kaitlyn 
Julie 
Linear Mode
