Rags to Riches

Every so often we make big updates to our Environmental impact. I think we are doing really well, but there are always ways to improve. I have role models in my life to look up to in this department, Environmental crusaders, so to speak. No Impact man went an entire year without, among other things, electricity. This was while he was living in down town New York City. I also read a blog by a couple who vowed to make NO garbage in one year, they called it The Green Garbage Project. This is inspiration!

The small steps we have taken recently, are to stop buying plastic sandwich bags and plastic cling wrap. It is easy to rely on disposable plastic to carry and store food but at what cost?
The amount of plastic consumed (as a percentage of total waste) has increased from less than 1% in 1960 to around 12% today. I blame this on how much food is sold in plastic these days, and alot of the time it is plastic that isn't recyclable.

We try to do our best and every day our best is getting better, its the least we can do. We get outdoors as often as we can camping and traveling. We'd never leave our garbage at the campsite because we can immediately see its impact. You don't leave garbage on the earth, it makes everything look crappy and the animals don't want it there either. So why are we so disconnected from our own trash in our household?

Another small step we made recently was to stop buying paper towels. Yes they are compostable in our area, but they are still a resource I don't need to consume, made of cotton/wood pulp and wrapped in plastic. So I pulled out some old t-shirts and the sewing machine and made my own light reusable cloths.

Being more environmental doesn't always mean making sacrifices. If you are creative you can always find a way to replace a disposable item with a reusable one. We do laundry regularly, so we throw in a few dirty rags every time and keep our cupboard full of usefull cloths.

What small step can you make in your home to reduce your impact?