If you didn't already know, I'm a greenie. A tree-hugger. A lover of nature. An environmental champion. A Green Panther? Thesaurus.com lists that as a synonym for environmentalist so I'm going with it. I try my hardest to reduce, reuse, and recycle everything I come to possess. I'm working toward a no-waste household but it's going to be a long process. I'm going to share with you a few things that I do differently than most to save energy and reduce waste.
I've been recycling for years. For those in my area, the Solid Waste Authority holds a collection event every Saturday from 9:00-1:00 pm at their location on North St., if you didn't know. They take paper, cardboard, plastics #1, #2, #4 & #5, magazines, books, cans, and glass. If you have any questions about that, please leave them in the comments and I'll do my best to get you answers!
Please recycle. Seriously, just do it. Please? I said please....
I recently started composting. This is a great way to reduce waste and enrich your garden at the same time. I throw very little away now (except hard, plastic, microscopic pieces of demolished dog toys that my feet have a knack for finding...in every room of the house). Things I consume almost daily, such as eggs (shells), coffee (grounds and filter), and bananas (peels) can all go in the compost. Cardboard can also be composted so if I'm unable to reuse a box I get from Amazon to sell something on eBay (my other hobby), I can cut it up and throw it in. Junk mail, packaging from anything I buy, such as plastic, cardboard boxes, paper instructions, etc., and containers (that I don't reuse, usually as planters) go into my recycling bag, below. I tried taking a picture of it without Sansa but she wouldn't get out of the way. She insisted on showing her love for recycling.
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| My recycling bag and Sansa, the recycling enthusiast |
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| Composter |
We've traded in our modern, convenient coffee maker for a pour over contraption. The Chemex glass system and kettle take slightly longer to brew but the taste is way better and totally worth it. We have two stainless steel filters that we use on weekends, when we're not in a hurry and on our way out the door. They take about twice as long to filter the water through. We use paper filters during the week, which I was originally against but changed my mind when I realized I could compost them, and therefore, not waste them. This doesn't save a ton of energy since I have to heat the water on the stove, but I'm not a fan of eating or drinking from plastic and this eliminates that issue.
I HATE plastic bags. I hate that it's common practice in stores to give everyone a bag. I don't need a bag for my jug of milk...that has a handle, thanks. I've read some of the controversy surrounding the recently installed self check-outs at our Walmart, how they take jobs away from workers. However, I choose to use them because using my own bags is much easier with those than having the cashier hand me everything she/he scans. And I can bag things the way I want them. Apparently, not everyone thinks all cold things should go together in one bag and some people think it's appropriate to put raw meat on top of my produce 😖
These bags are Baggu brand and I found them online somewhere. They're adorable and they fold up into small bags that I keep on my handy dandy binder ring. The notebook in the picture above is a dry erase book that I write my store list on. I'm slightly addicted to organization so I like to write my list of things in the order they are located in the store. I erase my list as I go and keep a running total so I'm not surprised at the register. By the time I'm done shopping, my list is clean and ready for next time.
Speaking of dry erase, I also use one at my desk at work. I rarely use paper notes, except to give to other people. I also have my reusable cup with me at all times and drink water like a fish.
That sums up this Green Panther's tips. To finish out my post, here's another picture of Sansa. It's your lucky day 😂
(She's awesome, guys!)
The Dog Father (he likes when I call him that) and I try to achieve the goals set for us on our Apple watches so our daily routine usually includes taking Sansa for a 2+ mile walk. TDF always walks her on the way down and he rewards her when she's a "good girl," which means walking by his side, not pulling on the leash. If he doesn't notice she's being a good girl, she'll tell him by sticking her wet nose in his hand to check for a treat. Every 7 seconds until she gets one. This is her showing him she's a good girl 😃
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