Going Green

In honor of Earth Month, I decided to write a post on my efforts to live an environmentally friendly life. Admittedly, I am not nearly as green as I'd like to be, but I'm proud of the few things I do for my part in protecting the planet. Some of the things I'd like to mention are:

Recycling: I think the is one of the most important thing our society needs to focus on. We have become a 'disposable society.' We buy more than we need, in much more packaging that is necessary, and toss it all in the landfill once we finish. I do try to buy things with less packaging, and use reusable packaging when possible, but I mostly try to just recycle everything that I can. Although the city does not offer curbside recycling quite yet (but it's finally coming this year!), we save up our recyclables and haul it to the nearest recycling dumpster about 2 miles away. I also collect certain items at work (yogurt cups, cardboard packaging) and recycle that as well. I recently found out that some of the items I was recycling are not actually recyclable at SWACO or Rumpke (the 2 Central Ohio recycling companies), so unfortunately, I've stopped saving those. Hopefully they will update their facilities to be able to accept all plastic items, #'s 1-7 someday!

Reusable Bags: This is one thing that I've greatly improved on in the last few years. I almost always use reusable bags when I go grocery shopping. I've collected lots of bags, and I keep them all over. I always have some in my car, so in case I forget to put them back after using them, I still have a few backups in the trunk. For produce, I use these mesh bags, which prevent me from having to use the plastic bags at the store. Also, my sister has given me a few fold up bags and I always keep one in my purse. It doesn't take up much room , and its saved me many times from having to use a plastic bag for a small purchase. Some places, like Target, even give discounts when you byob (bring your own bag). I will admit that sometimes I still get a bag from Target because their bags are sturdy and great for cleaning the litter box. Oh well, at least I'm reusing, right?

Reusable Water Bottle: I've always had some sort of Nalgene bottle, but lately I've been using all of my water bottles lots more! At work I use a stainless steel Camelbak that my sister gifted to me last year and I love it. The straw bit took some getting used too but I've found it helps me to drink more. The stainless steel case keeps the drinking fountain water cold longer than a plastic one. I also fill up a water bottle for every road trip, to have on hand for when I finish my obligatory coffee drink! My new favorite way to use a water bottle is when flying. Instead of paying airport prices for bottled Dasani, I throw an empty water bottle in my carry-on, and fill it up at the first water fountain I see after the security checkpoint.

Of course, there are many other changes I'd like to incorporate into my green initiative. I'd like to replace all of my beauty products with eco-friendly versions, buy more things in bulk to eliminate packaging, drive less (or get a hybrid!), compost food scraps, and grow more of my own food. Being environmentally conscious is a process, but it's an important one, so hopefully all of us can strive to make each of our lives a little greener. And not just during Earth Month, but every month!