Tag Archives: reusable

Getting Wise(r) About Waste

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Green Goes Simple: Family Footprints

Getting Wise(r) About Waste

By Amy Levin-Epstein for Green Goes Simple

You already know to carry around a reusable tote. They’re not only better for the earth, but also cuter to carry! But there are so many other small changes that can make a big difference in the amount of waste we create. Here, green lifestyle expert Sara Snow, author of Sara Snow’s Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home, shares her five best tips for adhering to the adage “Waste not, want not.”

Use Reusable Pouches

Plastic baggies are super-convenient — and super-wasteful. But cute reusable baggies (such as Posh Pouches) are the equivalent of lunch bags for your leftovers. You buy them once and use them over and over.

“These are fully lined in a BPA-, lead- and phthalate-free lining that allows you to wash out PB&J spills, with a strong Velcro closure that will keep even the crumbliest cookies in place,” says Snow. “Use them for snacks, lunches — even makeup and art or craft supplies.”

Buy in Bulk

Plastic, metal and paper packaging is a huge contributor to household waste. “Instead of buying another box of cereal, simply fill a reusable bag with the cereal of your choice from a bulk bin and slip that back into the original box,” suggests Snow. “You can do the same for pasta, beans, rice, crackers, dried fruit, nuts, olive oil, vinegar and many other items.” Bonus: You’ll likely spend less money in the process!

Recharge Your Batteries

Nope, we’re not talking about a day at the spa. Bottom line? Stop buying disposable batteries. “Batteries are a tricky little trash number because they’re tough to recycle and not supposed to be tossed with your regular trash,” says Snow. “A simple way to solve the dilemma is to invest in reusable, rechargeable batteries.”

Go E for Everything

Paper bills, bank statements, greeting cards, business cards, magazines, newspapers, letters — oh my! If it seems like you’re perpetually recycling or throwing out paper, go paper-free, suggests Snow. With computers — and maybe tablets or smartphones — at your fingertips, sending your paperwork through cyberspace has never been easier or safer.

Share Your Treasure

Ever heard the expression, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? Make sure you’re sharing the wealth. “The next time you clean out your basement or attic, think twice before you declare something garbage; it takes just a little effort to drop those bags at Goodwill instead of in your garbage can,” says Snow. “If you live in a neighborhood, try leaving it at the end of your driveway for a day or two. Most things will disappear overnight, off to a good home where someone has the skills and time to fix that broken wheel, mend the tear or replace the electronics.”

Amy Levin-Epstein is a freelance writer who’s been published in magazines like Glamour, Self and Prevention, on websites like AOL, Babble and Details.com and in newspapers like the New York Post and the Boston Globe. You can read more of her writing at AmyLevinEpstein.com. Her articles have previously appeared on Green Goes Simple.
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Reusing and Recycling 101

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Green Goes Simple


Green Goes Simple: Conservation at Home

Reusing and Recycling 101

By Dana Goeglein for Green Goes Simple

You want to be green, but it’s hard to know the difference between reusing and recycling. Fortunately, it’s not that complicated. Recycling and reusing have the same goal: to keep items out of overflowing landfills. The two tactics just go about it in very different ways.

Recycling involves reprocessing an old item — such as a can, glass or newspaper — and turning it into something new. Recycled paper products may be reprocessed into toilet paper and old tires may become a compound used to resurface roads.

Reusing, on the other hand, means avoiding the reprocessing plant altogether. Old items like containers, bags and appliances can be used again in their current condition for a similar — or completely different — purpose. Takeout containers can be turned into food storage (think: free plastic containers!), and plastic bags can be transformed into waterproof liners for planters or drawers.

“Reusing extends the lifetime of a product, from the time it is purchased to the time it goes to a landfill [or recycling plant],” explains Janine Kubert, director of operations at iReuse, a company that helps businesses and individuals become better reusers.

When you extend the lifetime of a product, you not only reduce the need to buy something new (which takes energy to produce), but you also save on the energy it would take to recycle that product. “Reusing allows us to get the most out of our virgin products and raw materials, and aside from reducing consumption entirely, it is our best resource for waste reduction,” says Kubert.

Whether you’re an avid recycler or new to waste reduction, here are some simple ways to reuse and recycle every day:

Reuse

  • Reuse bags, boxes and containers. For example, turn old shoe boxes into storage containers, packaging for gifts or a treasure chest (have kids cut out pictures from magazines and glue them to the outside of the box for a customized container).
  • Rather than buying a new product, borrow, rent or share items you use infrequently or for a short period of time.
  • When babies and kids outgrow toys, books, cribs, high chairs and strollers, sell or donate the items rather than throw them away.
  • Invest in quality, durable products. You may spend more initially, but they’ll last longer, which saves you money over time.

Recycle

  • Become a full-circle recycler. Buy products that can be recycled; sort and discard them according to your community’s standards; and finally, purchase products made from post-recycled materials.
  • For more information about recyclable materials, check out the EPA’s website: Epa.gov/waste/conserve/rrr/recycle.htm.

Going Above and Beyond
While waste reduction starts at home, communities nationwide are forming around the premise that less is more. Freecycle (Freecycle.org) — started in Tucson, Ariz., before spreading throughout the U.S. — helps people be the best possible reusers. Through the Freecycle network, members are able to donate — or pick up — used products, such as appliances, furniture, toys and bikes.

In need of a reduce, reuse and recycle tutorial? Companies like iReuse (iReuse.com) give personalized consultations to help you reduce waste, donate reusable products and save money.

If you’re not sure about your community’s procedures or standards for reusing and recycling, check your town’s government Web site or ask a neighbor. Through community boards, donation banks and home and school recycling programs, it’s getting even easier to do more to waste less.

Dana Goeglein received a bachelor’s in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a master’s in food studies from New York University. She is a writer, yoga instructor and whole foods educator in New York City, where she strives to help others create harmonious, connected lives.
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Give a Better Gift

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Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop

Give a Better Gift

By Cynthia Ramnarace for Green Goes Simple

When I was a child, my sister and I treated piles of torn Christmas wrapping paper as if they were freshly fallen leaves — running through them, jumping on them and then helping to throw them in the trash. (Yes, I’m old enough to remember the days before recycling bins.)

Now that I have my own kids, Christmas mornings are still known for their piles of spent paper. I know all this holiday waste isn’t good for the environment, and it always makes me feel a little eco-guilt. So this year I made a plan based on a simple question: How can I waste less stuff?

Try these easy ideas for minimizing your family’s holiday waste:

Reusable Bags
Instead of wrapping presents, I’m buying a few dozen blank canvas grocery bags. My daughter Mira, 6, will love using fabric paint to personalize each one!

Recycled Gift Tags
Gift cards are lovely, but they hit the recycling bin once the holiday is over. Not this year! I plan to cut out designs from last year’s cards to reuse as gift tags. As for the cards I send, I’m going to send greeting cards with imbedded seeds that can be planted in your garden and sprout flowers come spring. (Check out the cards from the Greenfield Paper Company

Green Gift Wrap
Giving Grandma a sweater? Why wrap the garment box? Instead, I’ll tape the sides shut and glue one of my kids’ many pieces of artwork to the center.

Natural Ornaments
A few tree ornaments will inevitably break each year. In the past, I always bought new ones to replace them. But I love this idea from foodie and mom Damaris Santos-Palmer: Dry orange slices in the oven and then hang them from your tree. “They look like beautiful stained glass,” says Santos-Palmer. “After we’re finished with the season, we just put it in our compost bin. Done.”

What I love most about these ideas isn’t that they reduce holiday waste — although that’s great! It’s that my kids can help me accomplish them. I can’t wait to see those orange slices shining on my tree, breathe in their scent, and tell my kids: “Hey, we made that!”

Cynthia Ramnarace is a freelance writer in Queens, N.Y. She is a regular contributor to iVillage.com and AARP Bulletin. Her work also appears frequently in American Baby and Kiwi magazines.

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An Eco Chic Must Have – Reusable Produce Bags!

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Are you tired of having loose fruits and veggies roaming around in your reusable grocery bag? Or worse feeling guilty for using one of the plastic bags off the roll in the produce section?

Carebags can help, they are reusable bags for produce. I love them. Here’s why

  • Machine washable
  • Can clean produce while it’s still in bag
  • Reusable – super eco-chic
  • Perfect for snacks on the go
  • Great for grains

For more information check out their site http://www.carebagsonline.com/

Win Bags!

Great news! I was given a couple bags to test out and a handy pouch of three GotIt bags to giveaway(see photo).

If you want to be entered in the giveway please email alesha@ecochicmommy.com with Carebags in the subject line.

Friday, November 26th at midnight I will randomly pick a winner. Good Luck!

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Mother Nature and Motherhood

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I have always been a fan of the outdoors but since becoming a mother it is different. I feel a connection to the earth that I didn’t feel before becoming a mom. I see things through a child’s eye again, like getting up close to a blade of grass or playing with a bug.
I keep thinking of the movie Wall-E and how that could be our future. From the garbage covered earth to the immobile humans relying on technology for their every need and want.

We can’t let that happen. Mother Nature deserves our respect and appreciation, she has given us everything.

I am far from perfect when it comes to being eco-friendly/green. I believe you don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. Small changes make a difference. Here are some easy changes to do

1.  Use the reuseable bags, make it a habit to bring with you everywhere you go. I’ll admit it took some time for me to make this a habit.

2. Buy local whenever possible, I know this is easier for some then others depending on where you live.

3. Teach your children all about recycling and reuseing – one mans junk is another man’s treasure.

4. Know where you are going before you leave your house, this saves gas. Parents check out this great website/app for help in this area www.mommaps.com If your area isn’t covered contact Mom Maps and they will add it.

These aren’t huge changes but they help and they make a difference you can feel good about.

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