Hi Lisa...welcome to the "green" side. :-) Personally, I think there are a lot of little changes we can all make that will be sustainable in the long run, simply because they don't require that much actual work on our part (making it that much more likely that we'll keep them going). And some things you have to balance out "eco-wise" (like whether you're willing to use more water for laundering cloth napkins rather than using paper towels, for instance). Things like solar panels would be great if you could afford them, because after they're installed, your maintenance probably wouldn't be prohibitive of continuing to use the solar power. We'd like solar panels, but can't afford them at the moment. I am going to try to start small with solar, and get panels to run some outdoor lights/fountain, etc.

In any case, it's only recently that we've gotten curbside recycling, and it's not our city that runs it, it's a private company. Before that, we'd have to take our recyclables to bins or the actual company that would take them. My advice is to get out your phone book, and look in the yellow pages for "steel", "recycling", and "paper", and see if any companies list recycling services. You'll probably have to haul your recyclables to wherever will take them, if anyone will.

If not, contact your local landfill (or whoever picks up your garbage), and ask them what can be done to get a recycling program started. Even if they don't sound hopeful, they can probably give you some ideas of who to contact for more information. Hopefully that will give you some leads, at least.

I've been working on "greening" up our lives since April or so, and here's a list of the changes I've made. I think all of these are sustainable for me in the long run, because while they've required a small amount of restructuring my organization, they really weren't that hard to implement.

- Started composting. 2 garbage can bins, 1 worm bin
- Signed up for our curbside recycling service (this month)
- Started buying more local food items (less gas to get it to me means reduced emmissions overall) This is a process, not something you just do overnight, for me at least.
- Started paying more attention to packaging - I try to buy things only in recycled, recyclable or compostable packaging now
- Using reusable bags for shopping. This one I started in January, and we've only had a few plastic store bags come into the house in that time.
- Using biocompostable plastic bags when I need to (for lining garbage cans, the compost crock, etc...we're still working on this one, switching over as we run out of the "regular" plastic bags)
- Using reusable feminine products
- Using cloth napkins in place of paper towels most of the time (hubby likes paper better for napkins, so we compromised there)
- Being more mindful of potentially wasted water. If there's a glass sitting out with water or melted ice in the bottom, I toss it in the garden or my houseplants instead of down the sink. Leftover iced tea and such gets put out in the compost pile. I'm not stellar at this yet, but getting better.
- Really being mindful of when I can reuse something I already have rather than buying something new. "Reducing" what we bring in is a "green" philosophy too. I'm buying more natural soaps now, and find that I can give up my shower gel since the soaps do well enough on thier own. That right there gets rid of paperboard around the conventional soaps (the natural soap only has a small compostable label), and also the plastic tubes/hangers for shower gels.

I already use cotton crocheted dishcloths rather than sponges or disposible wipes in the kitchen, so that was already "green". And we've been changing out lightbulbs in our house for the last several years, so there are very few that aren't flourescents already. We've been carpooling to work since we got married 4 years ago, and we only drive our truck when we need to haul something big, otherwise we share our car.

We choose not to save energy by switching power strips off - we use the clocks on our appliances a lot, and it would be frustrating and in the long run, unsustainable for *us* to have to set them every time we turned a strip back on or wanted to program the VCR. We're "bad" in that respect, but it's a choice everyone has to make for themselves, and something you could do to save energy.

Read through this forum...you'll get tons of ideas, and can then pick and choose what will work for your family. I think you'd be surprised at how many little things you can really do that aren't that much work to start doing! :-)

If you still get the newspaper either switch to on line reading or take the papers to a vets office or animal shelter they can always use paper.
Line dry instead of machine dry, that was a big one for us cause it not only saves resources it saves us money.
Landscape your home so it's cuts energy cost. Trees planted in the right place can save you lots of money on cooling AND heating cost. A yard that is landscaped properly can save money on watering, mowing and still provide a acttractive place to play.

Last night, I did some laundry. Hubbys work clothes do not go in the dryer, so I put them on a dryer rack outside. It was 8pm, but it was still hot here in Texas. In an hour, they were dry. Getting ready to hang some more now. Makes me think of my Mom-hung out her laundry on a line almost daily in NY, even on cold days.

Also going to look into a rain barrel. And as for the recycling, someone in our women's group is organizing a petition to get us one, so there is hope on the horizon!!

I also am putting up signs in the kids' bathroom and by their light switches to TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!! Maybe this will help them remember(I can only hope!!)

Thanks for the tips. Will continue to read...

Just an update on how it's going...

I got rid of the kitchen sponges about 3 weeks ago. Use washable cloths now, and have not had any issues. Using vineagar, baking soda and borax to clean with. Add some lemon essential oil to 1/2 strength vinegar solution. Also bought Mrs. Meyers counter spray to try it. I like it.

The kids are shutting off the lights, and tv's when leaving the rooms, which is a big plus! More clothes get hung outside to dry, which does not take long here in Texas.

Use reusable bags or shopping, and compostable bags for the kitchen crock, which goes into the compost bin. Still looking for stores that stock large compostable bags, instead of buying on the internet. The other day I was in a grocery store, and used my reusable bags. Whatever could not it in those bags, they placed in paper bags! I asked why, and they figured I would want them. They are right-I am using them or my new lasagna flower beds.

There is a few more things, but I am drawing a blank. The biggest thing is hubby is not fighting these small changes. Will continue to read and make more small changes!!

It is absolutely unbelievable to me that there are still towns that have NO recycling program. We've started some of our green habits more recently but we have been recycling plastic, paper, etc. for more than 15 years. Regular trash and recycling bins are put out together at the curb one day a week.

You might want to check out Earth911. You can find information about what is going on in your state. Here's the link for Texas:

http://earth911.org/texas/

Links to all states and Canada can be found there as well.

Well, ya can believe it!

Here, trash service is private, & it just isn't economical for the trash haulers to recycle.

We not only have no recycling program, we also have no separate pick-up for yard & tree waste, no "city" or "county" compost, no requirement for compostable or biodegradable bags for yard waste.

*Everything* goes to the dump.

Same here Sylvia, and I am in Texas also. No recycling for our neighborhood, so I have to haul it 5 miles to a grocery store to drop it in their recycle bins. Thankfully we have cut back on water bottle use!! Paper can go to the elem. school recycle bin. Yard waste goes to the dump, unless I put it in my compost pile.

I am curious to know how many states do / don't have programs.

Here in Florida we have curb side recycling pick up from our trash company - supported by the county . Papers go in one bin and the rest in another - they provide bins .
At every Fire Station are containers to accept ALL recyclables even batteries , used motor oil and paint .
Many people here compost which is THE best identity theft protection plan . If you shred or tear all your papers and then add them to a compost pile - good luck to anyone who tries to recover that mess ! Check out the Soil & Compost forum here on GW . Tons of great ideas there . Everyday I learn of another thing I can add to my compost piles - like dog fur or stale or moldy dogfood .

I find some of my problems with trying to be 'greener' is that I'm looked at as 'weird', hippie, simple, cheap and the list goes on. I find it hard to listen to some people describe their fantastic shopping trips and the deals they got on items that I question they need. Compost? Gross. Pee twice in the same toilet bowl before flushing - unsanitary (I don't share that with too many people).

The awareness thing is key, I think when people first start hearing about 'green' and ways to cut back to save resources, they don't want to know about it, because it's difficult to accept they are part of the problem. Or compare themselves to someone who's really hogging resources, they're certainly better than the other person so let's leave well enough alone.

I have to do all the 'green' thinking and doing in my family, dh looks at it only from a financial point of view (which is a start I suppose). I took the footprint test that is on that 'Story of Stuff' blog site (different thread on this forum) and I so get what Annie has to say, but I know a few people who would need more time to 'get' it, or feel they should start thinking about how to 'go about it'. Oh, anyways...I'm too embarrassed to even post annonymously what my family's footprint is (read: my boys love steak! Hate fish), and I know in my circle of people I know - I'm the nonshopper (aside from groceries and toiletries) amongst them.

I'll just keep pluggin' away best I can,

kioni

Kioni - you have the right attitude "I'll just keep pluggin' away as best I can." And who can ask for more?

Question - why do you think people think you are weird for being "greener"? How would they know? If you can get past that thinking you might just set an example.

Keep doing what you are doing! I started a compost pile back in April, much to hubby's dismay. Now he saves kitchen scraps when he cooks and puts it in the kitchen crock for me. He even asks which vinegar (half strength or full) to use to clean. He is coming around, slowly. Especially after I did our footprint off the Planet Green website. Things take time, and like you, I have to do the green thinking for the family.

This weekend we had some friends over. One of the guys said why go green? He then made an offhand comment, which I won't repeat. I just told him it was better for my family, and the earth. My choice. Again, some comment. I don't let it bother me. I know what I am doing and why.

You all are right, I should not allow the thoughts of others who aren't thinking my way not interfere with how I want to live my life.

I compost. And I've got a worm bin that I began with 20 worms and have slowly fed up to a now larger (I'm guessing 80? - there were at least 40 squirming under the mango pit I gave them a few days back, and another big pile under some recently finished scraps). But I've only told my sis about the worm bin, she's not into it, but doesn't pass any judgement about it to me. I have a few other people in my life that I would describe as 'fussy', they would raise their eyebrows, but now I realize I wonder why they aren't doing the same with their veggie scraps instead of tossing in the landfil (because it's just so easy). That's the same thing, right? Probably if I fess up and let them know more of how I feel about sending compostable items to the landfill, and buying endless quantities of bottled water when our tap water is considered above excellent for quality and taste, it'll plant a seed, then down the road they may be more accepting of incorporating little changes in their lifestyles, which can as a total amount to a big amount of change.

My new quest (for right now) is to find out just what the tetra juice boxes are recycled into. I watched the Annie Leonard video and one of the kids distracted me just as I thought I heard her say those juice boxes are garbage and are taken in for recycling but not recycled into something else. Ack! I send one per kid per day to school, and multiply that by the majority of kids in the school each day, and that's a major mess load of garbage generated.

Now if I can just find a way to deal with my guilt over this, and the fact that dh still buys bottled pop when he's on the road and thirsty, and the guilt over the saran wrap I use on his cookies because I can't find a reusable plastic container the right size that fits his required amount of cookies (for his lunch) that ALSO fits in the lunch cooler with the plastic container that contains his sammie (sandwich) and container with his cut up veggies etc......(sigh)

I have a plain, meager wardrobe, and it does need upgrading, but I know I will never get to the point of being able to wear a different shirt each day for 2 months straight and never repeat. That seems excessive.

My kids do not (as a rule, sometimes dh interferes) get the newest gadget when it first comes out (or not at all). Not because I'm stingy, I think a lot of people feel the desire for something and then get it (whether on credit or their last dime) and I want my kids to realize (or learn) that it's okay to want something and not be able to afford it, or to choose not to have it, even though they still want it. This also falls under the 'anticlutter' program I am trying (vainly) to instill in our lives.

Off to work now - everyone have a great day! Thanks for listening.

kioni

Kioni,

You can tell people what you are doing (as in no need to hide it) and just leave it at that. People don't like to feel guilty. Someone will eventually get curious and you can explain what you are doing.

I don't think you need to feel guilty about the plastic containers because you are reusing them, right? My family is breaking away from the bottled water gradually - developing the habit of refilling the plastic bottles. As far as your hubby when he is on the road, if that is the exception and not the rule and he doesn't do it at home then at least it's an effort. It takes time to develop habits.....slow and steady wins the race.

Maureen

Thanks Maureen, that's like a pat on the back for me. I know I can do more, but it's convincing the people who live with me to jump in, hopefully over time they will.

It's the Saran wrap I feel guilty about using, yet I'm not quite able to do with out it. The other plastic containers are all reusable. Today dh and kids are on an outing, so 8 pop bottles that are 1/2 froze with ice and then topped up with tap water are packed in a cooler, and lunches were made, using purchased containers, and one kid's snack of Honey Nut Cheerios is in a Bari ricotta cheese container, just because it was the right size for the amount he'd need. But other days I find I may need to wrap an item, and that's where I get the guilt, or I use it when I repackage meat for the freezer that I've bought in bulk.

It's the same with using the grocery bags to line my bathroom garbage cans, even though I use reusable grocery bags, I still end up bringing home 2 or 3 plastic shopping bags per week (grocery wraps meat in a bag before I notice, then places in my other bag, or I've just plain run out of bags on a bigger shopping day).

I think the guilt may be good though, keeps me thinking about what I can do different or better, right?

Enjoy your day!

kioni

You are setting an example for your family and by being consistent eventually it might rub off. My attitude is "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink". As an example, my family thinks that I do some odd things, particularly when I started collecting kitchen scraps, etc. for the compost bin. The other day my husband asked me if I wanted him to turn it. Excuse me? (To tell you the truth I know that he has turned it a few times without telling me because I tend the stack it high against the back wall of the bin and it has been more spread out a few times - lol!) Yesterday my 17 year old daughter went over to the bin and went "Hmmm...this smells so good....very natural and earthy.". Hello? What did you say?

I was wondering about tin foil myself. Not sure what to do with it. I'll start a thread to see if anyone knows. An internet search too.

You really should stop beating yourself up and feeling guilty though. Rather you should pat yourself on the back for having it on your radar and doing the things that you can.

Maureen

kioni, I feel the same way about the plastic wrap. As a matter of fact, last summer I froze vegetables for the first time for use in the winter, and I felt incredibly guilty for using the ziplock-type plastic bags. But I'm not sure what else to do.

I have cut down somewhat on the plastic wrap, by using plates to cover bowls in the fridge, but we still use aluminum foil and plastic wrap more than I'd like.

BTW, you might want to rethink re-using the plastic bottles. I used to do the same thing when my kids were younger - refill halfway with water, freeze, and then fill with water (not to mention wrapping with paper towels and aluminum foil to keep dry and cold, lol). But lately there has been talk of not re-using the bottles because of leaching from the plastic. I don't know exactly what's up since I hardly ever drink out of plastic bottles anymore, so I didn't pay very close attention, but you might want to look into it.

:)
Dee

Sometimes waxed paper can be a substitute for plastic wrap .
The advantage ? Waxed paper can go in the compost pile .
Use it to cover items in the microwave or wrap sandwiches with it .
Any one else have any waxed paper ideas ?

I no longer use plastic wrap or paper towels to cover items in the microwave. I got a mesh fabric splatter screen and love it. It fits over any container, keeps in any splatter, but allows just the right amount of steam to escape. At the same time, it keeps steam in - I use it to steam my veggies when I'm in a rush. One caveat: it says it "can be laundered", but don't try the washing machine unless you stick it in a lingerie bag.

I swear I am not an Amazon shill. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Microwave Spatter Screen