4.22.2009

Earth Day












It's Earth Day! I just love the essence of this day and what it stands for. I've been called "Ms. Green" but I really not as green as I'd like to be.
I am certainly conscious of it. I focus more on the aspect of "Reuse" in the "Recycle, Reuse, Reduce" slogan. I'm constantly trying to figure out how I can reuse something. I learned this from my grandparent's mentality. We call it 'green' but to them it was just the way of life, a logical way, I think. Why would you throw away the sour cream container when you can use it again to store leftovers in?

Here are just a few ideas that I do on a regular basis:
[1] Use bottles again. I know we all know that - don't buy bottled water, refill it or use a nalgene type bottle over and over. But there are other bottles to reuse too.
Once in a while we'll hit up Wendy's for a kids meal. When you order the chocolate milk it comes in a Nesquik bottle. Tear off the label, wash it, and it's a GREAT bottle to reuse. This is what I send in Skylar's lunch.


[2] Now I know this next one, not everyone is up for, but I just had to try it.....
We get SO many printed annoucements, info, reminders etc. from church, preschool and school, all printed on just one side, so I decided to keep them, cut them down to the same size, add a reused cardboard backing and put bonding compound on them and now I use them as a notepad! Yes, I could recycle them, but I will have at leaset used them twice before that!
[3] Here's a small simple thing:
I save my egg containers to use for crafts, especially paints. This way the different colors are all separated out for the kids, less mess and I just toss it when I'm done. Reused.
oh and they're painting on paper packaging from a mail package I received.

[4] This is a quirky one: Keep toilet cardboard rolls and use them to organize extension cords. Just put them over the extension cord rolled up. Keeps it together and separated from the others.

[5] COMPOST! I hate throwing away food! Even if it is a stalk or the seeds of a green pepper. I keep a bowl out on my counter and fill it with scraps of fruit and veggies. Composting isn't rocket science. Just layer. Green (grass, leaves)-Brown (dead leaves, sticks, mulch)-Food, stir. I've been working on mine for a while now and we had some really great dirt to mix in our garden for this year!
You can compost tea bags, egg shells, coffee and coffee filters, peelings, etc.

Okay, that's enough for now! Please let me know your ways your implement the 3 R's!

-joy

3 comments:

  1. I miss JJ's curls

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  2. hi friend. i sure do love you and your green ways!

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  3. i saved my egg carton today...will reuse before recycling. i am desperately fighting the urge to get it out of my cabinet and toss it in the recycle bin. =) also went to the bakerella site for the first time today. how in the world does she have the time and patience?? i want to make those pops, though. really cute and definitely not as hard as the donughts. i got dunkin' for that. ha

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