Next time you need a shower curtain, choose fabric rather than plastic. Fabric shower curtains are easier to wash and reuse, and don’t emit toxic fumes like PVC curtains do. Photo: Flickr user kissyface under Creative Commons
If you don't raise chickens for eggs, you can make a more sustainable choice at the grocery store. For goodness sake, stop buying eggs in Styrofoam! You may pay slightly more for eggs in fiber cartons but those cartons can be composted! And if your neighborhood egg sellers are offering you eggs in plastic (one of the dumbest things marketed to egg people), let them know that you'd prefer yours in a basket.
Next time you need a shower curtain, choose fabric rather than plastic. Fabric shower curtains are easier to wash and reuse, and don’t emit toxic fumes like PVC curtains do. Photo: Flickr user kissyface under Creative Commons
With the encouragement of my son, I finally did something I’ve been meaning to do for a long time: I gave up my kitchen sponge. That may seem like no big deal, but breaking lifetime habits is hard. I’ve been listening to all the talk about just how scungy sponges are and how they harbor germs, but instead of giving up my favored method of dish washing, I just replaced my sponges regularly. Yeah. Not exactly environmentally friendly. Not only do kitchen sponges come wrapped in plastic, but the process of making a synthetic sponge requires the use of chemical softeners and bleaching agents. I suppose I could have switched over to a natural sponge, but those seemed clunky to me. We’re now using dishcloths. It’s taken some getting used to, but I like that I can wash the dishcloths regularly without wearing them out. Plus, dishcloths generally come with less packaging than sponges and there are even organic cotton options available. And someday, I may even take up crocheting again so I can make my own. What long-time habit are you having trouble breaking? Does it impact your ability to live a more sustainable life? Photo: Flickr user...
I heard lots of success stories from the people who tackled the no drinking straw challenge. And the one local food a day challenge seemed to go well. But now I’m really going to ask you to stretch a bit! Throughout the month of July I invite you to go plastic bottle free. Yes, in the middle of the heat of summer! It is pure craziness that Americans consume two million plastic bottles every five minutes. Pure craziness. I know this is a tough challenge, but will you join me? Just think of the waste we could eliminate! This means you’ll have to plan ahead a bit; no quick stops to grab a bottle of water or a soda when you’re hot and thirsty. Invest in a reusable bottle or travel mug to take drinks along with you. We have one for every member of the family (and then some) and my kids rarely leave home without filling their own bottle. If you’re a fan of sodas and juices, find a couple of juice recipes that you can make at home to take with you. Liliko‘i gingerade is very refreshing and if you don’t have passion fruit growing in...
If it’s time to replace your broom, reconsider the modern day plastic option and choose a straw broom with a wooden handle. If you’re looking for something really different (what a cool gift!), check out these hale (house) brooms made in Hawaii using traditional methods. Or if you’re super handy, you might consider making your own broom.
I’ve written about our goal of including at least one locally produced ingredient in each of our dinners. As farmers market season kicks off in the USA and gardens begin to offer up some produce, I invite you to commit to doing something similar. (If you’re in another part of the world, this may be a bit more difficult, but play along if you can – preserved foods from your garden count!) Our June challenge is to use one locally produced ingredient at least once a day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If you already include at least one local or home grown ingredient in your diet each day, push yourself further – aim for something local at every meal. Besides locally grown fruits and veggies, your ingredients might include pasture raised meats, eggs, local dairy products, honey, herb teas, baked goods, or fresh caught fish. Are you in?
I’ve been meaning to make my own vanilla for ages, but I keep forgetting. My husband (the baker in the family) sees that we’re low and picks up a big bottle at Costco, perpetuating a vicious vanilla cycle. Every bottle we get from the store is one more piece of plastic that we have to figure out what to do with, so making my own in a reusable glass bottle makes sense from a waste perspective. But here in Hawaii, it makes sense from a locavore perspective, too: we have a vanilla farm right down the road. How ridiculous to buy imported vanilla in plastic! Even if you don’t have access to locally grown vanilla, it makes sense to make it yourself simply because it eliminates waste and a single batch of homemade vanilla can last indefinitely, since you can keep topping off the jar as you use the vanilla. Inspired to try? Split two vanilla beans down the center with a knife or scissors and slip the beans into a recycled glass jar (one that holds roughly 2 cups of liquid) or a pint-sized canning jar. Fill the jar with vodka and allow it to sit for three...
I stopped buying drug store variety shampoo many years ago because of the questionable ingredients (in particular sodium lauryl sulfate, which is also used as an industrial degreaser). After much searching, I found a natural shampoo that I was happy with. Trouble is, 1) it’s expensive and 2) it comes in a ridiculously small container. Each plastic bottle holds just slightly more than a cup of shampoo. As I was tossing yet another of these plastic containers in the recycle bin it occurred to me to see if I could find this shampoo in larger container. And I did! Even with shipping costs, the gallon sized container costs less per ounce than the small bottles and will generate a lot less waste. If you’ve got a similar dilemma, I suggest that you use Google or Bing and search for your shampoo’s brand name along with terms like “bulk” or “gallon.”
How about a dozen red roses to celebrate your mom for Mother’s Day? Or not. Instead of giving mom a bouquet of roses that have likely been trucked in from a distance and grown with chemical pesticides and fertilizers, seek out locally grown flowers (try your farmers market!) or buy her a plant that she can add to her garden for a long lasting reminder of your love. And for goodness sake, don’t buy flowers that have been bundled up in plastic.
It seems like a silly thing. Can a simple plastic drinking straw really make much of a difference? But take this into account: One Virginia manufacturer makes four BILLION drinking straws each year. Imagine how much plastic that uses. Imagine how much waste that produces. What if for the month of May, we gave up drinking straws? Sure, many of us may not use drinking straws much. But if you dine out, whether it be at fast food restaurants or nicer establishments with glass and silverware, you get a plastic straw by default. If you’re not bringing your own reusable mug to Starbucks, you’ll get a straw if you order a cold drink. My challenge to you this month: tell your server in advance that you DON’T want a plastic straw. If they are flummoxed by your request and give you a straw anyway, hand it back to them. You’ll make a statement, and possibly recruit a new no-straw convert. It’s all about being aware of what we consume. I don’t think your dining pleasure will be diminished by drinking without a straw. However, if you really love your straws, please considering investing in a glass straw or one...
While it’s not going to make you any more self-sufficient, here’s something to be aware of. If you toss your paper trash into a receptacle at your United States Post Office, it might be going straight to the landfill. Not all offices recycle their paper waste, due to privacy issues (mine does not). Ask; if yours doesn’t, bring the junk mail home with you and add it to your recycle bin.
