[Kitty]

Do you recycle? Do you incorporate eco-friendly practices into your daily life?

Now, more than ever, living a "green" lifestyle is encouraged. Big corporations boast about what they've done to be environmentally friendly. Seems every product and service offered has "gone green" to some extent.

What have you done personally to help preserve our planet? Has it made your life less complicated or is it a struggle to keep it up?

I've made some drastic changes in my basic everyday lifestyle. Some changes have been more difficult to adjust to but it's now become second nature to me.

I think the one change that's taken me the longest to adjust to is giving up my car. The money I've been able to save, though, is significant and makes the occasional inconvenience well worth it. I realize this might not work for everyone but I'm fortunate enough to have access to a car if and when I need it - which is about three times a month.

I've also just requested my sixth recycle bin from our trash collection company. Nearly everything that's not edible is recyclable......and I really enjoy watching my bins fill up throughout the week. It makes me feel like I'm contributing to the preservation of our earth.

I hope others here will share what they've done to "go green".

[Earl]

I save on water by going outside every time I have to pee. That way I only have to flush when I poop. My parents used to call it "cowboy peeing".

YOU asked.

[ewizabeth]

Earl,

Your neighbors have been posting pics so we already knew. (just kidding.)

But seriously, we recycle and also have a compost pile in the back yard. We have a very healthy cherry tomato plant growing in our compost pile too!

I also take my empty plastic bags to the grocery store to recycle them.

[freeinhou]

B207 is LEED gold. My design. B2N is LEED Gold. B26 is LEED Gold. B whatever at White Sands is LEED Gold. Actually I think it's silver. B265 is LEED Gold. B20 is LEED Gold but I didn't design it - I just got a couple points certified. B27 is LEED certified but I wasn't involved in the design.

I don't specifically recycle - I design buildings that are environmentally friendly. Half a dozen buildings at NASA. A couple GSA buildings. A couple Houston police station buildings. A fire station. I'm a LEED certified engineer - I do this for a living.

Our house - we pump the water out of the ground, use it, treat it, and return it to the ground. 100% recycled. We're kinda green.

Tom

[Blessings2You]

Mostly the things we do are second-nature. My mom "re-purposed" things decades before anyone ever used the term. We truly lived the adage "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." One of our "green" habits is not buying a newer, bigger, better thing if the old one will do. Too much stuff in the trash that didn't really need to be replaced.

My husband is a maniac recycler. I don't think a day passes that I don't hear, "Has that thing got a number on it?"

I've always been into scrap paper as opposed to little memo pads, etc. Passing magazines along to someone for another read. Waiting for full loads of laundry.

We went to Ocean State Job Lot and got 5 of those canvas totes (like the ones at Lands End/LL Bean) for about $3 each, and we use those for groceries.

We must do other stuff, but my brain isn't awake yet.

[Dejibo]

I recycle 99% of what we use.
I compost
We save scraps for the pigs at the farms.
I have an organic garden that supplies most of our veggies.
We eat from the farm next door for the rest. We eat locally.
All of our animals are spayed/nuetured.
I do many errands at the same time, so only one trip with the car to produce all those emissions.


I think we are pretty green friendly around here till...Winter time! Then we have to survive in this frozen wonderland. We burn wood, or pellets to stay warm. We dont like to use the oil fired furnace to heat the house, we use it to maintain a level of warmth that keeps the pipes from freezing, but past that we use the pellet/wood stuff for heat. We use a big old gas guzzling SUV to go to town and do our errands, because without it, we wouldnt make it out of our driveway. Winter time will teach you a thing or two in this state.

[Kitty]

I wonder if I could have a compost pile? I'll have to google and see how to start that. I've thought about it often but just never did anything about it.

I've started making most of my household cleaners. White vinegar, baking soda, water, (essential oils for scent).

I've also switched cat litter. Now I'm using something called Swheat Scoop. It's made from wheat and it totally biodegradable and non-toxic. And best of all.....it works! I was skeptical at first about it working to mask the odor but it works better than those perfumey litters that produce so much dust. This has almost no dust. And the cats took right to it. It's the same consistency as the other litter.....the only difference is when you pour it in the litter box it smells like you've just dumped a box of Raisin Bran in there! Seriously. It's flushable but I haven't gone that far yet. I just dump the contents I scoop out in the far corner of the backyard.

B2Y, I also take my own reusable totes to the grocery store. It is so much easier to carry in the groceries now. I used to use the plastic grocery bags to clean out the cat box....now I use little paper lunch bags. Once I dump the litterbox contents in the backyard at least the bag is recyclable.

Dej, I'd love to have a garden again. We did have one a couple of summers ago but not this year. I do buy locally from the farmers market. Organic veggies and fruits and locally produced eggs.

I'm lovin' reading all these things ya'll are doing. It's giving me some great ideas of things I can do, too.

P.S. Earl......I haven't tried your suggestion yet. But kudos to you for doin' what you can to help!

[SallyC]

I do as much as I can, for an old Lady.. Except for the new damn light bulbs...no way jose!!

[Dejibo]

I have home made cleaners, and those energy lightbulbs. When we are not using things we UNPLUG them, or flip the switch on the power surge protector. They drain energy just to run that blinking clock, or that red LED light to say "im off!" its a waste. I set most things up so I can just flip the switch.

[Kitty]

Originally Posted by Dejibo

I have home made cleaners, and those energy lightbulbs. When we are not using things we UNPLUG them, or flip the switch on the power surge protector. They drain energy just to run that blinking clock, or that red LED light to say "im off!" its a waste. I set most things up so I can just flip the switch.

Me, too! I unplug everything when it's not in use. I don't need the microwave clock.....I have a clock on the wall and on the stove. We have our TV, DVR, Wii and whatever else is in the cabinet all connected to a ower strip. It has an on/off switch but I go one step further and unplug the power strip from the wall. The TV stays off most of the day, anyway.

The only appliances I don't (or can't) unplug are the dryer and the stove. And of course the fridge. Lights are always off....I use the natural sunlight during the day.

I've gone paperless, too, for all my bills. Utility bills all come via email and are paid via bill pay online. Junk mail drives me crazy and it all goes into the recycling bin.

I just purchased a dozen kitchen towels so that I can wean myself off paper towels. I started buying the recycled paper towels and they're awful. Not even worth the bother. I do keep a roll of towels by the sink but have managed to keep the same roll for over a week....which is a record for me!