Green Household

December 11, 2007

GREEN HOUSEHOLD

Before you make that purchase:

can you borrow or rent the item?
Can you purchase with a friend and share?
Do you have a broken one that can be repaired?
If you really have to buy, can you buy something that can be upgraded rather than be replaced in the future?
Can you sell your old one on FreeCycle, Craig’s List, or eBay, rather than discarding? Or can you donate it to someone in need

Groceries:

Bring strong, reusable cloth bags on trips to the grocery store. Neither paper nor plastic is as good as a shopping bag that you can use over-and-over again.
Buy whole fruits and vegetables, rather than pre-cut selections that come in plastic bags or containers. Apply this basic principle to other types of pre-prepared selections.
Choose cereal in bags, not in boxes. When you get a box of cereal, you’re usually getting cereal that comes in a plastic bag, and is then placed inside a box. That’s just a waste. Try to find products that contain the minimum amount of packaging necessary to get the job done.
Stay away from individually-wrapped items. There are times when “snack packs” and cans of soda are particularly convenient, but you can save oodles of money and packaging waste by purchasing the big bag of chips or the two-liter bottle.
Buy bulk. When purchasing laundry detergent, bottled water or what-have-you, the largest package possible typically has the lowest unit cost and utilizes the least packaging material. You also save time, money and energy by having to take less frequent trips back to the store. (Don’t need that much? Get together and share with friends!)
Preference items packaged in materials that are easily recyclable. It doesn’t matter that some strange plastic can be recycled somewhere. Know what materials are conveniently recycled in your own neighborhood. Other materials are too likely to end up in the trash.
Reuse what you can. Things like glass jars and plastic bottles can be re-used before they’re recycled. Many grocery stores — particularly co-ops — will sell generic items like beans, grains, honey, syrup, peanut butter and more at a discounted bulk rate if you bring your own.
Buy concentrated products to reduce packaging. Examples are concentrated fruit juice, laundry detergent, fabric softener and window cleaner.
Avoid buying packaged foods with disposable, nonreheatable microwave dishes. If you must buy them, the dishes can be re-used as picnic plates, plant saucers or pet dishes.
If your favorite brands have excessive packaging or are not as durable as they should be, contact the manufacturers and express your concern about reducing waste and conserving natural resources.

Household Items:

Buy durable products instead of those that are disposable or cheaply made.
Repair/restore used items before replacing them.
Buy items you can re-use.
Buy items you can recycle locally through curbside collection or recycling centers.
Put paper towels out of easy reach so they will be used only when needed. Set up a countertop or wall holder for sponges, rags and cloth towels.
Buy products that are durable, well-made and repairable. Check warranties, repair services and availability of parts and accessories. Read consumer magazines (your library probably carries copies) to learn which products are more durable and have longer warranties.
Reduce toxic waste by purchasing paints, pesticides and other hazardous materials only in the quantities needed, or by sharing leftovers.
Use plug-in appliances instead of those that operate on batteries. Disposable batteries are discarded after one use. Rechargeable batteries are the largest source of cadmium in the municipal waste stream.
Americans throw away about 2.5 billion disposable razors every year. Use an electric shaver or a quality razor with replaceable blades.
Bar soap generates less packaging waste and is less expensive than liquid soap in plastic bottles with pump dispensers.
www.tenthousandvillages.com Purchase accessories and household items made from recycled products

Excess Paper/Junk Mail/Credit Card offers:

Too much junk mail? Contact the Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association (PO Box 643, Carmel NY 10512-0643)
If you receive mail from a marketer who does not subscribe to the Mail Preference Service, write directly to the company to remove your name. Enclose an address label from previously sent mail; the coding on the label will help the company locate your name on their list.
Letters and other correspondence that are printed on one side only can be cut along the folds and re-used to make shopping lists.
Cancel subscriptions to magazines or newspapers you don’t actually read, especially if you could read them at the local library. Give old issues to friends, co-workers, nursing homes, laundromats or libraries.
There’s also a toll-free number to stop mailings of credit card offers. One call to 1-888-5-OPT-OUT will reach the major national credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Have your Social Security number ready — they will ask you for it to confirm your identity.

Greeting Cards:

www.stjudesranch.org Whether you’ve decided to purge your old birthday cards or you’re buried under hose blank cards charities send out at this time of year, you don’t’ have to throw them out. Send them to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, a home and recreation center for abused, neglected, and disadvantaged children in Nevada. Volunteers among the kids take the fronts (unwritten on) from used cards and attach them to new backs to make recycled cards for sale. A portion of the proceeds goes directly to the kids and their college fund. Contact: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude’s St., Boulder City, NV 89005-1618

Packaging Materials:

Mail Boxes Etc. (and other packaging stores) Most Mail Boxes Etc. stores accept clean foam packing peanuts and bubble wrap.

Appliances:

www.recycle-steel.org Take your oven, washer, dryer, or other large electric and steel appliances to a Steel Recycling Institute drop-off site. Some cities even have yearly pickup weeks. Recycled appliances are reduced to scrap, which is melted down in steel mills and foundries to produce new steel. If the appliance is in good working order, call local soup kitchens or shelters to see if they can put it to use.

Furniture:

www.rmhc.com Ronald McDonald House charities provide homes for the families of hospital-bound kids and are always looking for gently used furniture. Local homeless shelters often need sofas, desks, and chairs.

Artwork:

www.elizabethgalecke.com Raleigh photographer also makes beautiful, rustic photo frames from found objects.

www.heartofclay.com Raleigh artist Jeanne Rhea creates amazing sculpture from found objects.