Yesterday...

Green Thing #6- Hiking :)

I took a hike yesterday.  My camera was the only thing that took energy (it has rechargeable batteries), but my camera takes up little compared to a TV or laptop.  I did this while Greg was working so I did not have to drive extra since he works at a camp ground.  I also got some amazing pictures out of the deal, and got some exercise without using a machine.  Very green day!  Now I have to go hang dry my laundry =)

 

 

Green Thing #5- Books!

Greg and I love to read.  We don't even have cable...and why would we, when books are so much better?!  Unfortunately, a steady reading habit isn't the most green thing in the world.  Books have to be printed, bound, shipped, and sold, so each book has a fairly big ecological footprint (see here: http://myfootprint.org/)

So what we did today was we went to our local library, which was having a used book sale.  Not only did we get about a dozen USED books (nothing new printed!), we got them for cheap, and a few of them will even be used for decorations, instead of heading to the landfill.

Some other things you can do are:
1.  Buy books at yard sales, thrift stores, etc.
2. Use the library (borrow books) and look for used book sales.
3. Share/trade books with others

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Green Thing #4-Reusable cup with a lid and straw.

I know I should not go to fast food, but it is convenient since Greg and I are in an unending process of moving.  So one way I have been able to stay green during this move is to take my own cup with me everywhere. 
The only downside is I do forget it sometimes and I can't go all the way home to get it, because that would be wasting gas and that's not very green either.  The other downside is you have to wash it, but that is a small price to pay to keep it out of the landfill.

                       

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Green Thing #3- Stovetop cleaner

Have you ever read the back label of a bottle of stove top cleaner?  The warnings are enough to make me stay away.  This is the first green thing I replaced in my cleaning products because they seem to be more harmful on the environment than any other cleanser I use.

I now use vinegar on the stovetop.  It is not necessary to mix anything with it, I actually pour it straight from the bottle now but I used to put it in a spray bottle; either way works.  I have found that vinegar works better than normal stovetop cleaner because it does just as good of a job and I don’t have to wait 20 minutes for it to start cleaning.  I also don’t have to wear gloves, which I am allergic to anyways.  And, of course, vinegar is super cheap.

The downside?
…I've got nothing!

Dryer vs. Hang Dry

Green Thing #2-

I have been hanging all my clothes to dry for about 4 years.  I live in an apartment and every cycle costs $1 to dry.  I wash about 2-3 loads a week and if I dried those clothes in the dryer it would cost me $104-156 per year.  I do not plan to live in these apartments forever so when I do move into a house I will only buy a washer.  The cost of a nice quality dryer cost $700+, so right off the bat I will save that much money.  I am not sure how much it costs in electricity, but I will be cutting down on that bill too.

The downside is that it is time consuming.  I probably spend 15-20 minutes extra per load.  To save time I have learned a few tricks.

• If it is something I hang-up I put it on a hanger to dry, unless it needs to be flat to dry or is a pair of jeans.
• I take the clothes out of the washer immediately so that they do not wrinkle.  If they stay in the washer I end up ironing and then it is a waste of time and electricity.
• This may sound gross, but if it is not dirty, don’t wash it.  I used to wash my sweaters after each time I wore it even if I did not wear it for long.  Also, I would wear my nicer clothes to go to church or special occasions for just a few hours, those clothes are not really dirty in less you sweat, spill or forget to wear deodorant.  This not only cuts down on laundry but it also saves your clothes, because the washer and dryer put a lot of wear and tear on them.

Another downside is it takes longer to dry.  If you are planning to wash something in the evening and wear it the next morning, you won’t be able to.  I don’t have problem with this anymore because I have learned to plan ahead.  The first few months were the hardest.

The easiest way to hang dry clothes is buying or making a clothing rack for inside so that you can use it all year long rain or shine.  I have had some cheap ones that break after a few months of using.  The best ones will run about $20-50, but they last a really long time. The small one I use is perfect for an apartment and is only $13.99 from Target.

Green

I have been "going green" for a few years now, but now I would like to start sharing my experiences.  I would like to start by saying, I am not a hippy, crazy PETA person (I don't even know what it stands for, Greg always says "People Eating Tasty Animals"), or any other organization for that matter.  I am just a person who has many allergies and cares about the green earth that God in trusted to us. 

I am going to try and add one green thing a day, and tell of my experience on the matter.  I will only add things that I have tried and tell you if I think it is worth the time.

Green Thing #1-

No more paper towels!  Cloth towels work exactly the same if not better then a paper towel, and since rags are so small I have not noticed an increase in my laundry.

I have also saved a lot of money by  using rags. Paper towels are around $1.50-2 dollars per roll and if you use one a week you will spend at minimum about $75 per year. Let's be honest here, most people who use paper towels will use more then one a week so it will be more like $200+. If a person is using two+ rolls per week, from the age of 21-80 they will spend $11,800+ in their life time. Um... I am done using paper towels for good!

What does this do for the environment?  This of course is a no brainer... Save trees.  Also less will go to landfills and less pollution from the manufactures and shipping of paper towels.


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