Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Start! (Insert dramatic music here)

Ok, I'm going to try to update daily or weekly with my waste numbers and with anything I've done to cut back. I'll also (hopefully) continue to update my goals as they are completed. Eventually, I will go into more detail about each of these things and give tips and other experiences I have.

So here's the first installment.

What I've done already to be green:

1). Use my own bags at the grocery store or don't get a bag whenever possible. I do this to the point of carrying a collapsible shopping bag in my purse at all times.
1.5). When/If I do need a bag, I try for paper.
1.75). Try to avoid even produce bags for anything not wet/loose/fragile.
2). Don't drink bottled water whenever I'm near a tap (and the water is decent/good. Boulder water, for example, is quite nice!)
3). Use ceramic dishes or tupperware instead of paper/plastic/baggies.
4). Rinse/reuse Ziplocs if not too nasty.
5). Take stairs instead of elevator - this is good for my health too!
7). Donate used cat toys/supplies, blankets, clothes etc. to the Humane Society, shelters and thrift stores
8). Recycle glass, paper, plastic, metal
9). Turn off lights whenever possible
10). Use dish towels/sponges instead of paper towels as much a possible.
11). Bought a reusable "take out" cup for cold drinks (and have some for hot).


My ECO-Goals:
1). Compost - apartment complex might have this soon.
2). Buy biodegradable bags for kitchen, cat and dog waste
3). Bike/walk/carpool more places including sharing 1 car w/ my Honey.
4). USE my reusable mugs.
5). Carry a water bottle around to avoid need for plastic water cups.
6). Cut Ziploc/plastic wrap useage down as much as possible.
7). Switch to mostly glass storage containers.
8). Buy local/organic produce more
9). Help other ppl see the benefit in doing at least one of the things in either section.

Waste for Day 1:
1). Bought Honey's daughter new shower curtain and hooks which came with 2 separate pieces of (non-recyclable) plastic. Curtain came with cardboard that I can recycle and a zippered bag that can be reused.
2). Got salad which came w/ tinfoil for pita and a plastic container with sauce. Didn't have a recycle number on it.
3). Got Styrofoam takeout container at lunch. That will be trashed.
4). Various other plastic-food packagings and paper napkin trash.

Ok, well that's a start. I will also be posting YOUR green solutions on this blog (anonymously) so send 'em in!

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