Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

By Merriam-Webster's Definition

Reduce: to diminish in size, amount, extent, or number

Reuse: to use again especially in a different way or after reclaiming or repossessing

Recycle: to pass again through a series of changes or treatments

Sounds simple enough, right? Well not so fast. In the big scope of things, we go in a certain order and there is a reason...there is always a reason. But hear me out. Reuse comes before recycle, and here is the reasoning. When you reuse something you will save some, if not all of the energy that went into it's making. For instance. You have a wagon that is on its way out or the children no longer use. Why not turn it into a planter. The wire hangers (I will refrain from my Mommy Dearest moment) can be returned back to the dry cleaners. Empty food cans can become pots for plants. How retro is that?

Some simple stupid ways to reduce. How about checking out a book from the library. Some libraries even have a table with withdrawn books at a fraction of the cost. Flea Markets, Garage Sales are great ways to get books on to your shelf with no extra energy wasted.

How about renting movies from the video store instead of purchasing them. Same goes for music. Buy them used or download.

Old clothes can go to consignment shops or donated to charities. Let someone else enjoy the fabrics you once did.

Plastic bags. Do you really need all those bags? I highly doubt it. I have been bringing my reusable canvas bags with me for a while now. I used them mostly at the grocery store, but I have taken to bringing them to every store I visit. The produce stand, the mall, or better yet, I just tell them I do not need a bag. Do you really need a bag for your CD/DVD? When you are going right to your car? Yeah, I thought so. You will get funny looks, so either you ignore them and keep going or you tell them the truth and by explaining yourself, you may get someone else to have their light bulb go on.

You have a treasure trove of items for crafts siting around your home. How about empty bottles, boxes being used in an art project? Old T-shirts can go for the cleaning box, or a dogs pull toy. Finished up plastic containers can be used to house small items, such as rubber bands, paper clips, buttons, nut and bolts, the list goes on.

And the ever useful Internet. Ever heard of Free Cycle? Then you need to get out more. It is there goal to reduce, reuse and recycle. And it's all for free. Give them a check out. they stared out in 2003 and have now grown to over 3,700 communities.

I hope I have given you some food for thought. I say this always, will you do every single thing I post about? I doubt it, but if you walk away with one piece of inspiration, then I have done my job. So go and do the three R's, and I ain't talking about Reading, Riting and Rethmatic.

Drip...Drip...Drip

It recently dawned on me how much water we waste. And trust me, if you looked hard enough or just paid attention to what you do with your water, you would easily see how much we waste. It hit me just recently that I let the water run when I was washing my hands. And what was that water doing while I was washing my hands? Absolutely nothing. That's my point. It was running down the drain, yeah, being what? Wasted.

That is when I did some minor research into how I could conserve water. And I now do things differently. Do I implement every single suggestion on the water conservation site? I think not. But every little bit helps. Small moves people. If everyone did one implementation think how much water we would save. And we all know we cannot live without water. Dying of thirst does not sound fun in my book.

I will give you some easy things you can do and it won't take any effort. The biggest one we are doing is saving our grey water. Mostly from the water the is running when you are heating up your shower water. We take that water and use it to flush our toilets, water the plants around the house and plants outside. I no longer let the water run when I do the dishes that cannot go into the dishwasher. I make sure that the dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before running them. Again, you would be surprised where you can make a difference. Ooo Ooo, My husband now washes the car on the lawn, that way we do not have to water the grass that day. See, who would have guessed.

Water Conservation Tips

And, if you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you will see a link that shows you how much water we do use. It is sinful. Take a gander, and see what small little bit you can contribute to helping our planet and keep as much water on her as possible.

Soft Alternative

No...I am not talking about Skin So Soft. But for those who have been followers a decent amount of time, you know my commitment to doing what I can to help out Mother Earth. Most folks do give a rats hiney what they do with their recyclables, or left over food, or food that could be used to make soups, my list goes on. But suffice it to say, I am wee but greener around the gills. And so much so that I have been Hanging Clothes for quite some time. About a month or so before my surgery(July 15, 2008).

And I gave up fabric softener sheets(they have animal products in them, long story) and we now make our own Clothes Detergent but even thought I LOVE clothes hung on the line, they lacked that dryer softness, especially our towels. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled I have the advantage of having a dryer. Women years ago were stranded. It rained for days, you were fresh out of luck. But today I discovered something. I had been putting white vinegar in where you usually put our liquid fabric softener. So everything is copasetic, and then I bring in the towels that are dry and man oh man, they are soft. Don't get me wrong, they are nowhere near the softness of a dryer, but they are darned tootin' close. So Viola, another break through in the Green world. Hah!

I Did It

Yep, I have started conserving energy. I am definitely on the side of doing what is right for our planet. I know I know, I am beginning to sound like my tree hugging daughter. that is a good thing to me. And this may sound old, but when your grandchildren come to you and say, "Grandma(pa), what did you do to help save our planet?" What are you going to be able to tell them.

I use canvas bags, and not even take bags when I run into the Quickie Store. Come on, do you really need a bag for that gallon of milk when you are 1 block away from home. Come on! We do not buy excessively packaged products. Bulk is best of you can find it. We have just about lost processed foods.

But today I tried something different. I didn't know if I could do it, but I have been reading other blogs, and if they can do it, then I surely can. So, I had three loads of laundry to do today. So I took the first load and when it stopped I took all hangables and put them on coat hangers and hung them around our patio, and laundry room. When the second load of laundry was done, I did the same and added what was left over to the first load I had not dried as of yet. VIOLA! I saved one load in the dryer. I was so proud of myself. And yes, it is the little things that make the difference.

We will be looking into a clothesline in the next few weeks, but with 8 bills due all in the first week of the month, the clothesline may need to wait. My jury rigging will suffice until then.

I am also washing dishes differently. I used to let the water run a bit more freely. So now I fill one side of the sink with a bit of hot water and only rinse when there are enough dishes to make it worth while. I feel rejuvenated. Does that make me a cheap date...no wisecracks from 'ANY' peanut gallery.