I Resolve To…. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
December 30th, 2009 | 
Author: For 2010 I resolve to “Go Green.”
Or, I should say I resolve to “Go Green(er).”
Recently our city started a curbside recycling program, which my husband instantly hated.
“Until they clean up our water,” he says, “Its useless to do anything else.”
He wont even TRY to separate the recyclable stuff.
I try to keep it separate, but he ends up tossing my stash in the trash.
See, he refuses to put the recycling trash can in the back yard where I can reach it. In fact, he refuses even to put it close to the fence, near the regular trash can.
For me to reach it I have to either get the key and unlock the back gate, or go out the front door and around the house.
So, instead of taking one thing out at a time I try to collect a bagfull and take it all at once.
Robert inevitably thinks the “trash” is taking too much counter space and ends up tossing it out.
So, I plan on stashing my recyclables in a different spot and making sure I get them into the recycling can before hubby tosses them.
Other “Greener” steps I plan to take are:
1. STOP USING SANDWICH BAGS: When I take lunch to work I had been putting everything in sandwich baggies. This year I’m going to nix the bags and put everything in reuseable plastic containers.
2. “UPCYCLE”: I’m going to try to us as much “junk” as I can for a different purpose. Such as large boxes becoming toys for my rats, and magazines being scavanged for pictures for my art before being tossed into the recycle can.
3. TURNING IT OFF: I have a tendancy to leave lights on. I leave the TV on even though I’m not sitting where I can see it most the time. I need to focus on turning off lights when I leave a room, and turning off the tv. I can use my small radio for background noise if/when I need it.
Thats all I have so far.
I’m open to any suggestions. Give me your simple and easy Green ideas.
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December 30th, 2009 2:55 pm
H was anti-recycling as well, but now he has about five different bins for different things… just keep doing what you’re doing and Robert will realise it’s not actually that much of an inconvenience
December 30th, 2009 3:25 pm
Visit my site for lots of tips on being greener.
http://www.stoprecyling.com
You are on a great path by using “re-usable” containers for your sandwiches!
Mckenna
December 30th, 2009 8:20 pm
There’s nothing wrong with using sandwich bags, as long as you don’t throw them out after one use. We reused sandwich bags for about a week or more when I was a youth.
December 31st, 2009 6:52 pm
I gave up sandwich baggies a long time ago, and switched to Lock & Lock containers. I use them for literally everything…Mike’s lunch, leftovers, stuff I wanna freeze, sugar, noodles, etc. I have several different sets of shapes & sizes. I always buy mine off of QVC… here is the link to all the Lock & Lock collection if you are interested. They also have them selling in singles at WalMart.
http://www.qvc.com/cgen/render.aspx?qp=class|4531&rewrite=no&cm_re=LN-_-BRANDSHOPS-_-LOCKLOCK
I save plastic grocery bags, and use them for trash bags in my small wastebaskets. I save oatmeal containers & cover them in pretty scrapbook paper and use them as kitchen utensil holders without the lids, and as different storage containers for other knicks and knacks. Empty plastic soda & water bottles - I put them in an old sock and tie it up, and give it to my doggies as a chew toy. With 2 liters, I cut the top off and use the bottom as plant containers. Ive cut back on the amount of paper towels that I use by buying microfiber kitchen towels. Thats all I can think of right now! lol
December 31st, 2009 6:52 pm
Ooops the link didnt copy right. Oh well - you can always copy and paste if you are interested.