|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 7:13 pm
How do you all avoid generating trash?
I'm having a hard time with this because of things like...
food packaging (i.e. the plastic seals over a recyclable tub of butter, or ramen plastic packages)
hygiene items (like toothbrushes... what else do you do with one after it's past its prime?)
etc...
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 8:34 pm
It's practically impossible to avoid generating trash exactly because of food packaging etc. What you can do is try purchasing items that have less plastic and paper in them. Paper is the number one trash that is taking up space in our landfills so maybe you could pay those extra few cents and buy recyclable paper. You don't have to deprive yourself of buying the things you like, like ramen for instance, but maybe you could try buying less of it. About tooth brushes and anything past its prime, check to see if it has that triangular recycle symbol on it, if it does, then simply place it in the blue bin and recycle it. If it does not, throw it away and next time look for a tooth brush etc. that does have that symbol on it. My family shops at Costco all the time and Costco has major packaging going there. We try to buy things that have that symbol or have the least packaging possible. We also have a Costco bag so we don't have to keep using the cardboard boxes they have there. That is another thing you can do. If you're tired of throwing away plastic bags, don't do that, recycle them at your local supermarket or buy a special green bag and reuse that bag every time you or your family goes shopping.
Remember, It is always good to recycle things but you don't have to deprive yourself of the things you like.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 10:50 am
Here are my suggestions:
Look for larger sizes of the items you are purchasing. Buy the largest size tube of toothpaste- you will use it all eventually- instead of buying a small tube now and a small tube later. You will use less packaging in the long run.
I stopped using paper towels and instead bought cheap reusable terry cloth towels. You can find a package of them in the automotive section of most super-stores. Look in the aisle with the car wash supplies. The towels can be washed in with your regular bath towels. They are fairly sturdy, but once they fall apart you can take them to Goodwill which turns worn out clothes and rags into stuffing.
Used food containers also can be reused for many other things. For example, those resealable butter containers are a great place to store beads, paperclips, or pretty much whatever.
One of my favorite crafts is making collages. Take the paper labels off of the cans and containers you use and circulars you receive in the mail and cut them into small shapes. You can even cut out the pictures on the labels if you like. Choose the item you want to decorate- notebooks, cardboard containers, and cards work well. Arrange the shapes and glue them down with a craft glue such as Elmers. After all of the shapes have all been glued down, brush a thin coat of glue over the entire work of art and let it dry. The extra coat of glue acts to protect the image and keep the pieces from peeling up.
Also, old toothbrushes can be used for a number of things, such as cleaning in small places and splatter painting (dip brush in paint and rub over a metal screen held above the item to give it a speckled look).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 12:05 pm
Start composting for organic wastes.
Plastic grocery bags can be used as garbage bags instead of buying actual garbage bags. I also use grocery bags to store gym clothes and swimming gear on the go.
For the ladies: use a menstrual cup and/or reusable pads instead of regular pads and/or tampons.
Some things can be bought in bulk with less/reusable packaging. My current diet includes a lot of rice and beans so I just buy gigantic bags of them instead of one tiny bag every week. You could also go to more traditional stores where you buy food by weight and simply bring your own storage containers.
Do your banking, pay your bills, etc. online or by phone instead of having them mail you every month.
For things that are trash to you but still useable to someone else, donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army.
BYOB/M: Bring your own BOTTLE - not "booze" gonk - or mug! This applies if you're always getting drinks at coffee shops on the go.
About toothbrushes, I save them... all of them... for god-knows-what. A few have been used to clean the bathroom tiles and the vacuum filter. The rest might turn into some horrific dragon-like project at a later date.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 8:22 pm
I wonder if it's possible to generate no trash aside from food scraps. Wouldn't that be something?
These are good tips -- but it still generates trash, albeit less trash overall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 9:21 pm
I am MoonBunny I wonder if it's possible to generate no trash aside from food scraps. Wouldn't that be something? These are good tips -- but it still generates trash, albeit less trash overall. At this point, I'd just refer back to what sakura-chan said. I forgot to note: I almost never use plastic grocery bags because I store my groceries in a large backpack and a couple cloth bags. So you could also completely eliminate plastic grocery bags. I still get them from time to time on purpose because of swimming and well... they're free garbage bags!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 6:33 am
I just found this which might be useful for toothbrushes. I'm gonna look further into it after work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 7:06 am
A couple more suggestions.
If feasible, start shopping at Whole Foods, Greenlife, Earth Fare or the like. They are fantastic on recyclable/reusable packaging. It tends to cost a little more, bit it's worth it.
If that's simply not possible, reuse. Be creative. I keep a couple of those plastic milk jugs for watering my plants. Old newspapers and old packaging (shredded ramen packets are good for this) make great packing filler for boxes, moving, fragile letter post, etc.
If you have a garden, pot pie tins, old tin cans and string make good scarecrows. And don't forget the ol' Arts and Crafts bin! It's astounding what a little "garbage" and a heapin' helpin' of creativity can do!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 1:12 pm
Soul of Winter If that's simply not possible, reuse. Be creative. I keep a couple of those plastic milk jugs for watering my plants. Good point. About plastic containers, if you live near a sailing or boating club/school, you could donate them. We need bailers. Kids - sometimes adults - do their capsize test and always forget to tie their bailers down no matter how much remind them. gonk 1. Make sure the cap is screwed on tight. 2. Cut the bottom and throw it away. 3. You now have a bailer!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 3:55 pm
i like your ideas nomnomnominal! i also reuse my toothbrushes to scrub stains on the floor or clean my shoes. my parents buy in bulk at costco (although there are some items that are over packaged and we dont get).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 4:30 pm
Snipped for clarity dragon_of_emry I stopped using paper towels and instead bought cheap reusable terry cloth towels. You can find a package of them in the automotive section of most super-stores. Look in the aisle with the car wash supplies. The towels can be washed in with your regular bath towels. They are fairly sturdy, but once they fall apart you can take them to Goodwill which turns worn out clothes and rags into stuffing. The Goodwill stores in my area (Seattle, WA) don't want and will not take anything they can't resell. Each region's Goodwill stores have different management and a slightly different focus though, so they may do it in some areas. Call ahead and ask please.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 12:47 am
My family are not big consumers of much of anything, therefore we generate very little trash. The absolute only trash we get is from food packaging and feminine products, but that is still very little in comparison to others in our community. The less you buy, the less you throw away.
We have always tried our best not to wear out our clothes, furniture, appliances, etc. not because we were environmentally conscious people, but simply because we were poor and could not afford to replace what gets ruined. We are not quite as bad off now as we were then, but we still maintain the same lifestyle as far as being conservative with our spending and wastefulness goes.
For example, when something in our house breaks, we fix it. If we don't know how, we research to find out. (We have libraries and the internet at our disposal after all! smile ) If there is no possible way we can fix it and it is not economical to pay to have it fixed, then we carefully place it near the dumpster where someone else can pick it up and fix it themselves. (People visit the dumpster in our community regularly to do so.)
We never let children climb on furniture, or allow people to curl on the couch in a way where they stretch or damage the cushions, we do not wear shoes inside the house or put shoed feet on furniture. Be careful with everything, treat all of your possessions like they are irreplaceable. My biggest horror is when I see people tossing around things like phones, MP3 players, and other electronics. It even bothers me when someone carelessly throws a tv remote onto a coffee table. If we value the possessions we already have more, and covet new ones less then the cycle of buy, break, replace can become less common for us.
Clothing is another thing people tend to not take into consideration. Many think that they are cutting back waste because they donate their old clothes to Good Will, but it is not cut back because every lot of clothes donated is still replaced with new clothes purchased from a store. You can cut down on waste better if you can keep your clothes longer.. years longer in my family's case. Donating is always our last resort (mainly because we just can't afford to give much away).
When we buy new clothes we always keep them for best and wear our older clothes inside the house, or when we play, work, etc. (New clothes are meant for work and school, and are changed out of as soon as we get home.) We keep clothes in excellent condition for years by not abusing them. Carefully put away all clothes, don't leave them crumpled and laying about, even when they are dirty. Put them in a hamper where they cannot get stepped on or kicked.
Same goes for shoes and handbags. Do not stack them or leave them where they can get kicked around. You can keep all of your shoes for years if you take care of them and have a designated set of shoes that you just run errands in. Also when you do buy your clothing and shoes, be sure they are good quality fabrics which will hold up well over time. Oh yes, and invest in some moth balls..
Old clothes that are no longer in good condition for hand-me-downs or Good Will should not be thrown away just yet, but used as rags or possibly sleep wear if they are comfortable. Stretched out or moth-holed clothing is still fine to sleep in.
Do not try and save too many clothes for nighties and rags though. If you have enough rags and your worn out clothes just aren't comfy for sleeping in, you could also try your hand at sewing for craft projects. Herb pouches can be sewn to keep under you pillow or in your closet with your clothes. Explore every possible use that you might have for it before giving up on it and throwing it away.
Don't be afraid to throw things away, however. If you can't mend it, find a use for it or recycle it, hanging onto it in hopes of one day finding something to do with it will only eventually turn your own home into a miniature land fill. Believe me, with my pack-rat father and sister I know this personally. xd
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 12:07 am
Using bar soap instead of bottled body wash is a HUGE one.
Or if you need to get something in a plastic bottle get the biggest container possible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 5:16 pm
Bracelets? smile Recycling Toothbrush Bracelets Craft For KidsYou can save plastic to fuse them together to make things like envelopes, bags, etc. Here's one craft: Fused Plastic EnvelopesBuy in bulk. Usually there is less packaging. Instead of buying books, borrow from the library. It's so much that means less books and paper processed. ........ Anything else? I gone blank.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
