It has been gradual, but over the last couple years we've been making small changes toward reducing waste - inspired by the Zero Waste Family and the fact that after an entire year they only produced one mason jar full of trash (if you can believe that!). I am the first to admit that we will likely never even come close to such an accomplishment, but I immediately recognized that we could do much better than a big trash bag full of garbage every few days.
We've all heard that we should Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, but my favorite "R" is actually one I just learned about recently and that is to REFUSE. Say "no, thank you" to the free pen at the trade show or hotel, stop entering those raffle contests, and don't buy any more cheap plastic toys that you know your child will forget about in 2.4 seconds! Already being a type-A "purger" at heart, this motto has really hit home with me. I strive to have all our rooms and closets clean and neatly organized, but guess what - I would have to spend a lot less time doing that cleaning and organizing if we had less unnecessary stuff! So I am doing my best to stop those garbage bags full of unnecessary trash and Goodwill offerings before they even happen.
So in light of this new motto (and Earth Day today!) here are 10 ways we're working to "reduce" our footprint that others can easily adopt:
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Cloth Napkins.Want to Save this Recipe?
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Ditching paper napkins was something I considered for a long time before I actually did it. Then once we made the switch (and I realized how easy it was!), I couldn't believe I had waited so long. The first step for me was to clear out a drawer in the kitchen to store our new cloth napkins (they take up a lot more room than a little stack of paper ones). So I finally dedicated a day to getting rid of more unnecessary stuff, ordered some attractive napkins that didn't appear to hold too many wrinkles (because I knew ironing them was an unrealistic expectation), and came up with a new routine. We decided we didn't need a "fresh" napkin every single meal so in-between uses we just hang our colorful new napkins on the back of our chairs. I also created a new spot in the laundry room for the dirty ones that I just add to a load of laundry as needed. And let me tell you what - this new routine is easy peasy and not only do we save money on not buying paper napkins, but we also enjoy the more "upscale" feel of using real napkins at the table!
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Reusable Grocery Bags.
This is nothing new, but what's new for me is that I finally have a good grocery bag "system" (so I don't constantly have bags scattered across the back of my car and in some cases throughout the house), and I also finally got the hang of this new routine so I remember to actually bring my bags into the store with me. My grocery bag system is big/strong enough to hold a week's worth of groceries - so I never run out of room. It took some getting used to, but I finally have this one down!
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Mesh Produce Bags.
I was finally doing so well with the reusable grocery bags I decided to take things a step further and get some reusable produce bags as well. But I admit I've forgotten to bring/use them the last couple times I've gone grocery shopping. I do have the best of intentions though and am determined to make this part of my new routine as well!
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- Less Bottled Water.
If I were to say NO more plastic bottles of water I would just be lying to myself. Let's face it sometimes you just need disposable (for example it was a requirement that I send a disposable marked bottle with my kids for field day).
Also sometimes I am already super late and flying out the door and don't feel like I can spare the extra minute to fill up my own water - and maybe I went running that morning so I am super parched. That may sound ridiculous, but that is just reality on a rare occasion. I will say though that we have reduced our disposable bottled water purchases a great deal, which is not only less wasteful but also a great way to save a little money as well. And that's in part because of how much I LOVE my reusable thermos cup. I seriously bring this thing almost everywhere I go including trips when I bring it empty through airport security so I can fill it up on the other side. The best part about this cup is that it's insulated and will literally keep ice for almost 24 hours, which - for someone like me who loves super cold water - is quite the incentive to choose this over the plastic bottled stuff that will be lukewarm in an hour! My thermos also does not "sweat" or leak so really a great all around investment if you are looking to make the switch.
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Buying in Bulk + Glass Jars.
Let's face it - the more processed food you buy the more packaging ends up in the trash. If you buy in bulk it's typically cheaper and you can store everything in your own reusable glass jars, which I also think looks kind of pretty in the pantry. :) I am not going to lie though when my neighbor recently came over she looked in my pantry and said, "Where is all your food?" I laughed because she was looking at it! I guess it's quite a different look than all the typical packages.
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Cloth Dish Rags.
I have a feeling I am little late getting on this bandwagon, but up until recently we were cleaning our counters with paper towels. I have some slight germaphobe tendencies therefore I usually feel like our sponge (that I regularly wash in the dishwasher) is probably dirtier than it is clean. But once again, for me it's all about coming up with a new system, and I've finally settled on one I am comfortable with and can keep up with here. I bought enough reusable microfiber dish rags to have a fresh one each day. I just plop them in the little basket of dirty reusable napkins I mentioned earlier, and all is well in the world. :)
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Recycle More.
We've always recycled, but were admittedly never very "hard core" about it. After a free little tour of our local recycling center last summer - along with some education on what can and can't be recycled - we finally kicked things into high gear. Down to the cardboard toilet paper rolls all the way in the upstairs bathroom we are much more diligent about not just trashing everything in sight.
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Compost.
Composting - or as some call it "rot" - is another one of those ideas we considered, and watched other people do, for a long time before trying it ourselves. And getting a compost bin for Christmas last year was exactly the push we needed to get started. I was surprised at how quickly we caught on to what to save (carrot peels, coffee grinds, egg shells, etc.) without accidentally putting those things down the drain, but what we still haven't quite caught on to yet is how to actually turn that waste into nice pile of beautiful compost instead of...umm, muck. We think we need more "brown" stuff, but we haven't quite nailed down the right combination just yet so to be honest our composting is currently on hold until we figure this thing out. Advice in the comments is welcome!
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Stop Junk Mail.
Another area where we've really been wanting to "reduce" is all those catalogs that oftentimes go straight into the recycle bin (which is certainly better than the trash, but still not as good as not getting them at all)! So we recently set up a free account with Catalog Choice and have already opted out of about 20 or so catalogs. They say it may take up to 90 days to take effect...does anyone else use this service or recommend another?
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Refuse.
As I mentioned above...my new favorite way to be less wasteful is to refuse anything that may become waste in the first place! One great way to do this is to "gift" experiences rather than more stuff. Consider going on a small trip together or giving tickets to a special ball game or a fun concert for birthdays. I also love the idea of asking party guests to donate to a charity (Bright Blessings would be a great one) instead of giving presents to the host - although I have not been able to convince my children to try this out yet. I am still holding out hope that one day they will agree it is a great idea!
Mesh Produce Bags.
Also sometimes I am already super late and flying out the door and don't feel like I can spare the extra minute to fill up my own water - and maybe I went running that morning so I am super parched. That may sound ridiculous, but that is just reality on a rare occasion. I will say though that we have reduced our disposable bottled water purchases a great deal, which is not only less wasteful but also a great way to save a little money as well. And that's in part because of how much I LOVE my 
Buying in Bulk + Glass Jars.
Cloth Dish Rags.
Recycle More.
Compost.
Stop Junk Mail.
Refuse.-
In addition to the suggestions above we also try to send an almost waste-free lunch to school everyday as well. Please share your own tips on being less wasteful in the comments below!
Kristin says
My cleaning rags are my old infant trifold diapers and cloth wipes. They are so much cheaper than microfiber rags and can withstand the disinfect setting on the washing mashine. We have a ton so I wash them all together (the only thing I wash with hot water) maybe once every 3 weeks. With 2 small kids, we still go through more paper towels than we'd like... but it's a work in progress. I also have been using the diva cup for a year now and love it (as much as you can love something like that!)
Steph S. says
Hi everyone!
Love the blog...love the topics....love everyone's commitment and feedback!
I got my grocery and veggie bags at branchhome.com. It's a great website that sells recycled and sustainable furniture/products for every day use. I also wash and reuse my ziploc bags!
Animonkey says
We never have enough compost for it to turn into compost. So we discovered trench composting right in our garden. And man do we now have amazing soil! I would go that route for a while, and see if it works for you. :)
http://organicgardening.about.com/od/compost/a/trenchcompost.htm
HeatherV says
How cool is that! I will have to try that. I took a break from my composting at home since I had young kids (we have curb side collection of organics here in Canada). My youngest is 4 now so I was thinking of getting back into it again. This is perfect.
Rebecca says
Take you extra newspaper, junk mail, scrap paper and run it through your shredder. Then throw it in your compost. If it's turning to mush, it might just be too wet. If you only have brown stuff, it will still turn to compost, it just takes a lot longer. It's called cold composting. If you want to get your compost hot, it will compost much faster. You need equal parts brown and green to get started. Don't just start with kitchen scraps unless you guys eat tons of greens! Kitchen scraps take longer and tend to be wetter than grass or leaves, so they will turn to mush if left by themselves. But once you have your greens and browns, you can throw in as much scraps as you want!
Kathleen says
We have used Catalog Choice--we got a glut of new catalogs after we moved five years ago. It took a little time, but now, we primarily get only the catalogs we want to receive.
Christi says
I wash and reuse my Ziploc baggies. My parents did it when I was growing up and i HATED washing them every night...now I'm CHOOSING to wash them to save money and not be wasteful (but I kinda still hate doing it, haha).
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Christi. This made me giggle because I so remember my grandmother rinsing out baggies and saving tin foil. I remember rolling my eyes and thinking "how old fashioned". Their wisdom humbles me now. :) ~Amy
Angela says
I know I should recycle more, but my garbage removal company makes it difficult because you can't just toss it in bins because they throw it in with the trash. I know it's silly, but I barely remember to take out the trash to the curb each week. For compost I end up with more brown than green and we just used to throw leaves and grass clippings in a pile that the previous owners did. I recently started composting as well after watching a great video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6cEUoN3NgI. You can put browns aside and layer them on as you add greens.
Sheila says
We have had a compost pile for nearly all 30 years of our marriage! And this is way before it was "cool". My husband puts the lawn/leaf trimmings in and I contribute all the eggshells/coffee grounds/teabags/veggie & fruit peels, etc. I have a home garden and use the compost there as well as on the flower beds. I even bring my orange peels/banana peels/apple cores home from work, when I take fruit to eat!
Having problems with the cloth napkins though. I already have a lot of them but they are just nasty to me, like a hankie in a pocket for nose-blowing!
TP roll centers are either composted or this time of year, I use them to shield baby veggie plants from cutworms and wind.
HeatherV says
Great idea for the paper towel cardboard. Here the paper rolls are too small for the paper recycling facility so they are compostable here. So we now can use them in the garden first before we compost them.
Sarah says
In our city, compost can go into the yard waste bin. I buy compost able bags at Costco and when full we throw them in with the yard waste to be hauled away!
Green Moms and Kids says
These are all great ideas and I applaud your efforts. I love Paperless Kitchen and even did a blog post about how to reduce all the junk mail that comes to our homes. Thank you for the information and Happy Earth Day to you!!
Ann Kirkland says
Do you know if there is another place to get the grocery bags that you have listed? The Amazon site has been out of them for a while now! Or does anyone else have any ideas that are similar to this product? I love how they nest into one thing to carry in to the store! :) Thanks~!
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Ann - We received ours as a gift but also noticed they stopped carrying them on Amazon. It looks like you can buy them direct at http://208.86.40.98/readMore.action?currentProductSKUId=854356002009&test=1.action. I'm not sure of any others like them...I will say the feature of them all zipping up into one pouch is huge! And these bags are quite large and durable, plus one is insulated for cold stuff.
Heather says
This made me think of you number 10 item. Sort of off topic here, but a great way to pay it forward for birthday gifts. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201036522424565&set=o.252965104768231&type=1&theater
Pam@behealthybehappywellness says
Great ideas! We have been composting (http://behealthybehappywellness.com/2013/04/composting-made-easy-and-fruit-fly-trap/), and making our own cleaners (http://behealthybehappywellness.com/2013/04/how-to-make-your-own-cleaning-products/) both of which add to less waste! I've also been trying to have a "clean out the fridge" night once a week for dinner or lunch to avoid throwing out those leftovers!
Brianne says
I have both a worm bin and a Naturemill composter (I live in an apartment with no yard otherwise I'd probably have one of those outdoor barrels...I'm in love with the idea of one of those). Anyways, not having a yard, trees, etc, I've learned a few tricks for balancing out the brown. As a side note, balancing the brown is key to every composting problem I've had. So for the worm bin, we mostly use our egg cartons. Just tear into smallish pieces and toss them on top. If that every is not enough, we'll tear up some newspaper and toss it on top. For the naturemill, those options didn't work b/c they got in the way of the turning arm. Naturemill recommends buying their wood pellets, but I'm not about to do that. Instead I buy feline pine cat litter (also conveniently the litter I use for my cats). Everyone once in a while, I just toss a few scoops in the composter. Way cheaper than shipping naturemill's wood pellets to me. Give the composter another try, I love mine to the point that I'm disappointed sometimes that I have to throw scraps out b/c both of mine are too full.
To the person who asked about bringing your own bag to buy in bulk,I also use my mesh produce bags for that. With the exception of flour and sugar, nearly everything can go in those bags. As for the weight, keep one empty and ask them to weigh it and they'll take that off for each bag. Do that once then just remember what the bags weigh and let them know when you are checking out. Not only will you not pay that extra money, but my experience has been that many places will give you the 10 cents off for each reusable produce bag, just like they would for a reusable grocery bag! I have the bags listed above and I love them!
Laura says
We use cloth diapers and I use a Diva Cup and Mama Cloth for my cycle.
Amy says
I love your first point of refusing!
I already follow most of the points that you've laid out, and I am also trying to get in the habit of using my reusable produce bags. Have you ever tried them for bulk items? I always end up with plastic for those purchases, and I wonder if anyone has tried something else.
I recently learned that microfiber cloths will last much longer if washed in cold water. I use them for dusting, not dishes, so I don't feel the need to wash them in hot water, but if you are using them on dishes you might have to replace them more frequently.
Since it is Earth Day, I also want to share that we (mostly) cloth diaper our daughter, and I haven't used a dryer in 6 weeks since it broke...and I've been thinking that maybe we should keep using the line, even if we decide to repair the dryer. ;)
Kelly H says
Thanks to some inspiration from a friend. We registered for cloth napkins when we got married. I haven't purchased paper napkins in almost five years. My 2.5 year old loves to color coordinate her napkin with her plate and cup!
PaperKarma is a good app to help reduce unwanted mail. PaperKarma lets you take photos of the unwanted mail you want to stop. Snap a photo, and you're done. They will contact the mailer and ask that you be removed from their distribution list.
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Whoa that app is slick! Thanks.
Jennifer says
Great post and reminders, we become slackers once in a while and I need a good kick in the pants to remind me! However, I have a question about buying in bulk. I love to buy in bulk but haven't seen alternatives to the plastic bags for getting the stuff home? Any suggestions? I could probably bring containers from home but I'm guessing it would also throw off the weight. Any tips???
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Jennifer - I haven't done it yet but just had the idea a few nights ago to buy an extra set of jars and label them with the product # and container weight (tare) for easy check out. We buy the same stuff over and over from the bulk bins, so it would be a real time saver in addition to cutting down on waste. I'm going to ask our Earth Fare grocery store employees about it soon.
Susan says
I use mason jars for bulk food purchases - just take them to the service desk and ask them to weigh them for you BEFORE you put food in them. The checkout clerk will then subtract the "tare" of the jar from the total weight and only charge you for the weight of the items. Take a Sharpie with you to write the tare on the lid.
You can also bring your own containers to the deli and meat counters - they'll either weigh the food first before putting it into your container or they'll put your container on the scale and then zero it out before putting the food in it.
If you're handy with a sewing machine, you can follow Bea's tips to make your own bulk bags: http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/2010/01/zero-waste-grocery-shopping.html Whole Foods also sells some muslin/cotton ones in the produce section.
Jennifer says
Thanks for the info, I was wondering if they would be able to do that (subtract the container weight) but hadn't tried it. I'll do that from now on because I had often wondered which was better (buying a paper bag of flour where the bag could be composted or recycled vs. the bulk and then tossing a plastic bag)
WebPixie says
Anyone know how we stop getting telephone books delivered in socal?
Shallon says
Try calling the phone book company (who is probably not the phone company)
ChrisBeatCancer says
We actually started eating our garbage instead of throwing it out.
Just throw it all in the vitamix with a banana and voila!
LOL! I'm kidding of course!
All great tips Lisa, especially like the stop junk mail link, gotta get on that pronto.
Investing in a good water filtration system eliminates the need for bottled water.
Make sure it's one that removes fluoride.
We used a distiller for years and now use a Big Berkey. Love that thing!
It even goes on vacation with us.
Hey if you haven't seen them, you should check out the Lifefactory glass beverage bottles.
They are super sweet.
Lisa says
Ha ha ha...hilarious!
Tracy says
A few years ago we moved to a place that recycles almost everything. You don't have to separate, all in 1 bin. Now, for me, I wish that garbage was every 2 weeks and recycle every week, our bins (we have 2) overflow by the time it is recycle week! Sadly, I notice most of my neighbors don't recycle anything. It amazes me. We HAVE to pay for it, so why wouldn't you do it? We also use reuseable grocery bags. The only time I get plastic bags from the grocery store is when I'm running low. I keep a stash for kitchen garbage (I don't need anything bigger) I have a large yard and started composting as soon as we moved in. No bin really, just a big heap at the end of the garden. Last year, I had 6 tomato plants grown out of it! I transplanted them and got grape and cherry tomatoes out of it. I never eat cherry tomatoes so I think they were actually a cross pollination of some sort. We also end up with a pumpkin plant every year. I donate almost everything even if it looks unsellable. I think the thrift store actually recycles things they can't sell and throw out very little.
Kristin says
Yes, I too wish recycling was every week and garbage was every other week. Though, recently I found out I could request a larger recycling bin from our cities waste management company, so yeah, now all of our recycling actually fits. I too reuse plastic shopping bags for household garbage. We probably fill about 2 bags per week. In fact, I haven't bought garbage bags since I lived an a collage apartment.
We also do a lot to reduce waste like: cloth diapers, composting, using cloth shopping and produce bags, removing our name from junk mail & catalog lists, using reuseable water bottles, line drying clothes, using low flow shower heads, sink aerators and duel flush toilets and and buying used toys. Though I agree, it is best to stop items coming into the house in the first place.
I would highly recommend the low flow shower heads and sink aerators for one's bathroom. We had them installed for free by our local energy company through a green initiative.
Lastly: composting isn't just for produce scraps. You can compost: paper towels, "If You Care" brand parchment paper and muffin liners, toothpicks, bamboo skewers, dryer lint, hair, and many more items.
Getting a rain barrel is next on my to-do list.
Carolyn says
Opt out of credit card offers along with your catalogs. We were getting 2 or 3 offers a day per adult in our household until I found this link: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0148-prescreened-credit-and-insurance-offers. We went the permanent route a few years ago and it makes a huge difference in the amount of junk mail we get. Wish there was a way we could do this with political mailings as well. Election season made me really sad...
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Great tip! Thank you Carolyn. Just opted out of CC offers as well.
Elizabeth says
I recommend Deborah Niemann's EcoThrifty. Her book has inspired me to do a lot of reusing and making my own things to reduce chemical and packaging consumption!
Lisa in IL says
Just remember to wash the reusable grocery bags every once in a while. I'm sure you wash your produce when you bring it home but if you're putting meat/poultry in a bag one weak & produce in the same bag next week and then dairy the next week you're setting yourself up for cross contamination. I "color coded" mine so meat goes in red, dairy white, produce green just because it kind of grossed me out. And I never put my bags on the table or kitchen counters because who knows what sat on the conveyer belt or car floor?
caroline says
and you can get the bagger to put the items in the proper bags? When I lived in NJ everyone complained about bagging their own groceries but now that I live in TX I miss it and try to bag myself whenever possible. Personally I'd rather bag my own groceries and have someone else stand outside in the 100 degree heat and pump my gas! (It is illegal to pump your own gas in NJ).
Molly says
I just discovered the same produce bags! Love them! Also posted today similar changes I've made over the past year -
http://lovewell-livewell.com/2013/04/22/10-simple-green-living-tips
Composting is on my to-do list. For some reason I can't quite get it right either. And also just found Catalog Choice. Thanks for the tips!
Stefanie says
I love your site. I co-own a blog, greeninspirationblog.com and an eco friendly bag website, baginspiration.com, which sells the Flip & Tumble produce bags you mention. Love them. Another great grocery system, that is made from recycled plastic bottles, is the Esse CarryAll system. Check them out at: http://www.baginspiration.com/grocery-system-esse-carryall-tote/. Thanks for all your great tips and recipes.
Robin says
As far as I know worms are only good for bins in the kitchen. If you have the outdoor compost bin that does not have a bottom, you do not need worms. Microbiological organisms will migrate to your bin on their own and I heard the worms cause future problems, in outdoor bins. You are right that you need more brown stuff to break it down, leaves and shredded paper (using sunday newspapers will keep your recycle bin a little less crowded) or cardboard are great ways to do that. The ratio of brown to green is recommended to be 4:1. Also, you have to turn the mix, I use a fire poker for an outdor firepit or sometimes a shovel. The more you turn it the faster it will break down because you are adding oxygen to the pile. These are all things i recently learned because I just got my own bin. I hope these tips help, good luck!
Shawna says
I have been using reusable cotton produce bags.
http://www.reuseit.com/store/reuseit-produce-snack-organic-cotton-muslin-p-689.html?slave_id=549
But I like the ones you selected better. The checker needs to be able to see what you have without digging around. They put up with me at one produce store, but regular grocery store people seem a bit exasperated.
Sarah Bounds says
Lisa, we are on a very similar journey. Nice to see I'm not the only one with just gunk in my compost so far (after 3 years of composting... which I think is not enough leaves as well)... still makes me feel good to reduce my waste / trash bags though! Keep up the good work!
Michelle S says
As for the composting, it's not that hard. I have seen a lot of people overthink it. We have a black plastic commercial made bin that we bought at Sam's club. We put all our kitchen scraps in it plus weeds, deadheaded flowers, leaves in it from our yard. You could add newspaper if it's too wet and you don't have any "brown" material. Can worms get to yours? Ours is open on the bottom. We've been working on it for a couple years now and finally got some really great material out of it a couple weeks ago. The eggshells don't break down very easily so I'd mash those up quite a bit if you can. Mine never gets "hot" so it takes longer. That's also a problem with killing the seeds. It's not unusual to find potatoes, squash or something else growing in it. I hope you figure it out because it saves so much from the trash! The other option is to get a couple chickens to eat the food scraps :)
Courtney @ FamilyGoneHealthy says
We plan on starting a compost bin later this summer. I would love to read any advice you have once you figure it out!
Susan says
I too was inspired by Bea's Zero Waste family and have adopted all of the above habits (last week we were at Whole Foods and when I told the cashier "I don't need a bag" my 2.5 yo piped up, "we brought our own!" so I must be setting a good example for the next generation!).
The next step I took was to start down the path toward a plastic free home (see Beth Terry's blog My Plastic Free Life), which also cleared out a few more cabinets (no more towering stacks of mis-matched Tupperware, it all goes into Pyrex - with plastic lids, unfortunately).
Honestly, I would pitch the biggest fit if my kids' school insisted on plastic water bottles - but my boys have been drinking out of Klean Kanteens literally since they were old enough to hold them up. They (2.5 and 4.25 yo) also eat out of Pyrex bowls and drink out of little jelly jar glasses (that I buy at the thrift store for 25 cents).
We've composted for a long time, and we are LAZY lazy lazy about it - we just have a big bin next to our veg garden and we throw mostly kitchen scraps in there. Every few months DH goes out and mixes it around (we have a 3-compartment bin so he moves it from one compartment to the next) and says hi to the little mice living in the corners (it obviously does not stay as hot as it's supposed to). If you're not too uptight about it, compost WILL happen eventually. =]
Have you used reusable sandwich/snack bags? This week Reusies has their $5 clearance bags for $4 each. I LOVE these bags (though bread dries out if you make the sandwich the night before) - they're also great for small toy/craft storage.
Raluca, are your strawberry containers clear plastic or the green plastic "baskets"? The clear ones are recyclable; I'm not sure about the green ones.
Even with one kid still in diapers (we mainly cloth diaper but use disposables at night) our family of four puts out one not-full bag of trash a week.
Kirsten says
We don't have enough brown for our compost as we don't have a tree that loses leaves or any of the other large sources of brown. I did a bit of research and found that shredded paper is suitable for composting. I bring home shredded paper from work and just dump that in our bin. Most inks are soy based, so they're fine for compost. We typically don't shred fancy fliers or anything, but typical shredded docs with black ink are working great. I found this easier than hand shredding newspaper to add. We keep a bucket in our freezer that holds all our compost until we're ready to take it outside so we don't have attract any fruit flies or odors in the kitchen.
Jennifer says
I second a worm bin in the kitchen. Doesn't have to be fancy, we have 2 shallow sterlite containers nested together with the worms in the inner bin, holes for air on the upper sides and in the bottom of the inner bin, and the outer bin to collects any water. The worms work super fast at breaking food down into usable compost and it makes for a healthy garden. And there is no smell as long as you don't put things like onions into it.
Sandy says
Hi! A few words on compost-you probably do need more carbon in your bin-paper, cardboard, nutshells, dryer lint, dry grass and leaves, etc will help. Worms will also help to process the material faster and with less odor, both because the worms eat some of the food and they also aerate the pile, keeping anaerobic microorganisms at bay (the anaerobic ones create stinky gases like methane). I have had a worm bin in my kitchen with no odor problems whatsoever. You seem to know what can and can't go into the bin, a few things that trip people up and cause odors are beans and brassicas (pretty much anything that will make a person gassy will make a compost bin gassy, too!)
Lauren says
Oh, and we started the compost thing recently too...any tips anyone can offer are appreciated!!!
Tracey says
Love to see you are becoming more waste free!!! Reading your comment about the "required water bottle" for a school field trip, parents do have the right to refuse to do that! As an elementary school teacher, I have seen parents refuse to have their kids do certain "requirements" and at least this one is good for all involved. Keep up the great work. I am constantly giving out yours and the zero waste home blog address to people all the time. Love what you do!
Lisa says
That is actually a good point Tracey! Thanks for helping me spread the word :)
Lauren says
Question on the dishcloths- do you use them just for cleaning, or for actually washing dishes as well? Or do you still use a sponge for washing dishes? Thanks!!
Lisa says
I only personally use the dishcloths to clean our counter (although I am sure they would work on dishes)...I use a sponge with a rougher side for any hand wash dishes.
Kathie says
Lisa,
Have you ever considered Norwex cloths? I do not sell these, but I LOVE them! Washable, anti-bacterial, no extra cleaners or paper towels or swiffers...EVER!! They have mesh dish cloths, floor mops, window/mirror cloths, and general anti-bac cloths - these all use just water (except the dish cloth, which you're using in soapy water anyway). They are embedded with silver strands, which are anti-bacterial in and of themselves. I now have no cleaners or dish sponges or swiffers in my home! Oh, and they cut grease on your stove and counters like you wouldn't believe ;)
Theresa Groskopp says
Kathie, those sound like they would work great on a ceramic stove top!
Kathie says
Theresa,
I haven't found anything they don't work on! I've gotten permanent marker off my countertops, grease off my ceramic stovetop, soap scum out of my tubs and sinks, fingerprints and dog slobber off my windows - all with nothing but water. In fact, they sell a multi-color pack of "travel size", and I bought a pack of those so my kids would each have their own color. Then, when it's time to clean, I say, "Go get your cloth and clean what's on your list." Easy. Wish I would've had them years ago!!
Shelly says
I second the Norwex cloths - LOVE them!
Denise says
I definitely endorse Norwex too! They're popular in the Midwest and are gaining popularity in other areas. Because you're just cleaning with water and the naturally anti-bacterial cloths, there's no residue, no smells, no chemicals, etc. I have skin issues and since using Norwex products I have been so much better. I even keep a small one in my purse for traveling and used it to wipe down my entire airplane seating area when I traveled overseas. I used to get sick when I flew but had no problems! I have not been sick in the almost 2 years since starting to use Norwex at home and when out and about. I use my purse one before eating at any restaurant, etc. Just get it wet and put it in a zip top baggie (that I reuse forever!) and it's ready to go. For starters I recommend the Envirocloth and the Window Cloth. You can clean your windows streak-free without chemicals! Here's a link to my friend's Norwex page, but you can find one in your area if you prefer. http://www.norwex.biz/pws/melissatomas/tabs/home.aspx
Raluca says
We moved to Portland, OR 6 months ago. Originally, we lived in an apartment with big dumpsters for recycling and trash. We moved to a house and were surprised to learn that we have 4 bins - one for trash, one for plastic and paper, one for glass, and one for compostable stuff. Recycling and compost bins are picked up weekly, but the trash is only picked up every two weeks. This is forcing us to compost and recycle even more than we had been. It's a great idea and making me aware of how much we used to throw out, but I am a little stressed out! We also can't put extra bags of trash out next to the bins or they will charge us $5/bag! Do you know if the plastic strawberry containers are recyclable?
Lisa says
Wow Raluca...I love how it works out in Portland! We lived there briefly a decade ago and even then I remember how "strict" they were about recycling compared to the SouthEast! I think it's great.
Melissa says
I live in Oregon, too, and I don't think they want the "clam shell" type containers in the recycling. I keep all of mine to reuse them in the summer when the "pick your own" places open up.
Shallon says
I am glad to see you reducing waste too.
One way to reduce the catalogs is to call the company directly. This is easy when you have just gotten a catalog that you realize you don't want anymore. I think we now get regular flyers/catalogs from only 3 companies now, and we actually use those ones. Most websites are better than the catalogs anyway.
I am trying to figure out how to minimise the use of new plastic bags in the freezer for things like the extra pancakes or shredded cheese. A ziplock only rezips so many times, but I find plasticware is so bulky and unforgiving in my small freezer.