(Links are provided for further research. We are not responsible for the overall tone or content of those sites.)
We’ve all heard the saying garbage in, garbage out. Often, in the Christian community, the phrase is used to encourage us to monitor the inputs we allow into our minds (i.e. movies, music, books, etc.). But perhaps the issue of what we throw away is a spiritual one as well. It may be unrealistic to believe that humans can reduce waste to zero. But we have choices. Here are a whole slew of ideas, some are easy, some are *radical*. Choose one or two that might work for you in whatever way works for you. When you’ve integrated those into your routine, try another.
Make a list. Record EVERTHING you buy and EVERYTHING you throw away for one day, three days or one week (choose an attainable time frame, not something so idealistic that it will become a huge burden). Ask yourself if there are any changes you can make.
Take your own grocery bags to the store. Many stores (i.e. Kroger and Wild Oats) will give you a discount on your groceries or contribute to a non-profit for using your own bags. Other stores (i.e. Aldi) make you pay for bags anyways, so you can save yourself a few pennies. You don’t have to buy a fancy canvas grocery bag. Just take the plastic bags you brought home from your last shopping trip. Keep a stash in your car trunk for those last-minute trips to the store. You can also make your own cloth bags for produce or bulk foods (or use the plastic ones you’ve been storing under your sink for the past year).
Bring your own mug. Most coffee places will be happy to fill up your travel mug. If you don’t have a travel mug, use a regular mug (for more stationary experiences) or a glass jar with a lid. Bring your mug to church. Bring your mug to work.
Turn on the tap. Skip the bottled water or reuse the bottles. Cincinnati has great quality water. If you don’t have a water bottle, that’s okay, just grab a glass (recent studies argue it’s healthier to drink out of glass containers anyway.
Buy fresh. Choose fresh produce instead of canned or frozen. And skip the extra step of putting it in an extra plastic bag. If possible, choose the produce with no extra wrapping.
Buy local. The further your food travels, the more resources are used to get it to you.
Buy bulk. If you can get large packages of the things you use most, that helps reduce the packaging waste that you throw away. Or go to a store that has bulk bins. You can even bring your own bags to put the bulk items in.
Use cloth. Substitute paper products (i.e. napkins, paper towels, diapers, etc.) with a cloth alternative. Keep in mind that there is a cost-benefit analysis to be considered here: cloth items need to be washed, which take a few minutes of extra time and a bit more water/detergent. For some families this will be a no-brainer. For others, it just isn’t realistic.
Don’t print it. Read that newspaper article or email online. Copy and paste online purchase confirmations to a word document and save it in a folder. If you need to print something, try and use both sides of the page or print on the back of letters that come in the mail or other scratch paper (that’s a 50% waste reduction right there!).
Buy used. Check out the thrift store, freecycle or craigslist before buying something new. When you’re done with things, donate them. Or, get your friends together and have a SWAP, where everyone brings the things they don’t want/need anymore, throws them in a pile and let’s everyone else “shop.”
Give your a/c or heater a break. Turn your thermostat a degree or two toward the outside temperature. Close off rooms you don’t use regularly. Make sure your house is properly insulated. You’ll be saving energy and money.
Leave the car keys at home. Walk to the grocery store (added benefit: you’ll end up buying only what you really need), the library, friends’ houses, etc. Or ride your bike, carpool, or take public transportation.
Let the sun shine in. Turn of the lights and use God’s abundant solar energy. Turn off lights when you leave the room, and especially when you leave the house.
Drive like a grandma. Drive smoothly and conservatively, not racing around or hitting the brakes. You might just help your blood pressure as well as your gas mileage.
Turn it off. Turning off and/or unplugging electronics and appliances while not in use saves energy! (Some sources advocate buying a certain type of power strip that will help you to conserve energy. This may be a fine solution for your family. But keep in mind that “green consumerism” is still consumerism, and you have to count the costs.
Pack a lunch. First of all this is great for your pocketbook. But it can also save packaging: pack leftovers into reusable microwave-safe containers, store in the freezer and viola, super easy lunch prep.
These ideas merely scratch the surface. What are your energy and resource-saving ideas?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I read an article measuring the fuel consumption based on driving habits. The study used the same vehicle to travel the same route twice. The 85 mph driver consumed 30% more fuel than the 60 mph driver. The fast driver also had to frequently brake and accelerate while changing lanes.
We really like the "buy used" idea. Not only does it work better with our budget, but, especially clothing, I know that businesses that have a history of running sweatshops (like Gap, Old Navy, Walmart -- just about all of them unfortunately), don't get my money.
Post a Comment