While I always say that the good ole “3 Rs” should stand for “Reduce, Reduce, Reduce” they actually stand for “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.  In summary, that really is the crux of it all.

REDUCE! REDUCE! REDUCE!

First, and above all,  before you purchase anything, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Am I going to remember this purchase in a week, in a month or in six? Is it going to wind up on a shelf forgotten or in the landfill?

In Marie Kondo fashion ask yourself if it sparks joy – true JOY, as in the angels are singing. Loudly! As in, I, or the recipient, am so absolutely going to love this item forever and truly just can’t live without it.

Can you truthfully say, “If I don’t buy this, the quality of my life is going to suffer greatly”? 

When you look at potential purchases like that, it’s amazing to realize just how much unnecessary “stuff” we accumulate on a whim.

Second, think biodegradable footprint. Before you buy or use something, ask whether it will still be around in a year.  It will be? It won’t break down but will still leach harmful chemicals into our earth?  If that’s the answer you get, then find an alternative – I guarantee there’s one out there!

 Find Plastic Alternatives :

• Stainless steel & glass containers, bento boxes. You can find all types of these with covers. Use for lunches on the go, leftovers, snacks, etc. Going out to eat and know you’ll bring leftovers home? Bring a container with you!
• Straws– keep stainless ones or a box of paper or compostable straws in your vehicle and pocket book.  Tell the restaurant and drive thru you’re all set!
• Cups & Utensils– Party? All the time around here. If you can’t do reusable, ditch the plastic and do paper or compostable instead! Just say no to plastic water bottles too-always!- and have a pitcher or dispenser full of water.
• Plastic wrap– Try beeswax food savers or cloth bowl covers! I love these to wrap snacks, sandwiches, cover leftovers, etc.  Additionally, here is a compostable wrap.
• Plastic sealable bags– Wax paper snack and sandwich bags exist for when you can’t use a reusable stainless/glass container. You can write little notes on them too (ask my hubby!) Or compostable ones come in all sizes!
• Trash bags– Ugh. This one might be a tough one to get around as far as re-use goes. BUT! There are compostable ones out there. You might not be able to stuff them until they resemble the Stay Puff marshmallow man, but as my husband always reminds me, “go light and go often.” In this case, more “often” is better if you’re using compostable bags.  In the long run, it equals a huge reduction in non biodegradable heavy duty plastic.
• Doggie waste bags– Try a self containing scooper. If not, there are compostable ones of these too.  
• Gift cards– These plastic cards get thrown away after one use, unless someone reloads them.  Oftentimes, retailers even bank on the fact that they get lost and go unused. I seriously foresee in the near future a statistic about how many times they can circle the earth, like the plastic water bottles.  Just give green! In more ways than one. Ditch the plastic and give cash. Maybe even add a handwritten (yes!) note saying “I know you love your morning coffee! Have a few on me!” Stick those greenbacks into a stainless reusable travel mug and it’s a gift that gives back!
• Plastic cards for refunds and returns– Many retailers issue a one-use plastic gift card when you return an item. What an unnecessary wasteful practice! One big box hardware store recently tried to give me a plastic card for a return of a 94 cent item.  It was an extra pipe coupling.  I just gave it back to them because it wasn’t worth the environmental cost of the card! Contact the retailers and see if they’ll change their policy!

Other alternatives:

• Household products-  Many come concentrated in cardboard containers and are refillable to reusable containers!  Better yet, make your own very easily with 2 simple ingredients!
• Prepackaged food– Can you find food that doesn’t come wrapped in plastic (fresh produce, meat, bread)?  Bring your own mesh and washable bags to put grocery items in. Forgo the rolls of plastic bags at the produce and meat sections! Try local farmers markets and roadside stands, bakeries and butchers and bring your own container. Give yourself an extra shout out for supporting local and eating REAL food not laden with preservatives. Furthermore, get to know those local retailers and you’ll have new friends!
• Paper towels & Napkins & cotton balls– Try some of these reusable super cute ones I saw on Etsy. Bandanas also make great napkins.

Conserve Energy:

• Turn lights off when you leave the room
• Shut the fridge and freezer door quickly (I’m so guilty of waiting for food to jump out at me yelling “cook me! I wanna be dinner tonight!)
• Reduce appliance use (wait to run the dishwasher or washing machine)
• Hang clothes to dry (do a quick fluff in the dryer if needed)
• Don’t let the water (hot or cold) run while brushing teeth, doing dishes, etc. Pause the shower water while shaving or shampooing. Or take shorter showers (I’m so guilty of the long shower)
• Unplug the “energy vampires”! (Cable/satellite boxes, mobile devices, video game consoles, DVR/DVD/VCR players, coffee makers, anything that turns on instantly via remote, anything else you don’t use often)
• You can use Smart Power Strips that automatically cut off power when devices aren’t being used.
• Leave the thermostat at the same temperature (or within just a couple of degrees). Can you take the heat down just a degree or two to conserve? Use a sweater? How about turning that air conditioner down just a little or using a fan instead!

Fuel & emissions– Shut your vehicle off in drive thru lines. Better yet, run in and get some exercise! Can you walk, ride a bike, skateboard, rollerblade there? Celebrate that your body can move! Find or start a carpool.

Chemicals– so many in everything! They pose huge dangers to us and to everything that lives and breathes! Find non-toxic household cleaners and non-toxic skin care products. Use reef safe sunscreens. Use natural and chemical free lawn and garden care products that don’t end up on dog’s paws and kid’s feet and mutating frogs.

Styrofoam– Like balloons, it makes me cringe.  I have walked out of places that still unconscionably use it because it’s “cost effective”. To who??? Those toxic chemicals leach into us and our environment!  Ask before taking out food or leftovers if they use styrofoam. And then…Go. Somewhere. Else. If they care so little about the health of their customers and our planet over their own wallets, they do not deserve your support.

REUSE! (And REPURPOSE!)

• Packaging– Bought something in plastic bags? Reuse them. Going somewhere that you can’t carry reusable containers?  Use the bread bag to wrap sandwiches or snacks. Same goes with the plastic bags the crackers were in. Or bring it to the grocery store to put the meat in. Or save them to put stinky trash in to cut down on larger trash bags.
• Empty plastic cleaning bottles– Make your own non toxic cleaning products and reuse that bottle.
• Compost– Turn kitchen scraps into compost. There are great looking, functional, non disgusting ways to do this. Kitchen composting has come a long way. Bonus, you can then easily grow your own herbs and veggies!
• Thrift– Thrifting rocks. It is the rage.  I love thrift stores, tag sales, estate sales, auctions, local landfill “shops”, and online vendors (Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, Poshmark, eBay and more!)

It is awesome to put money back into another individual’s pockets. It helps them, prevents items from ending up in landfills, and keeps more stuff from being commercially produced.

How much of what you need can be purchased via thrifts? Everyday items, growing kid’s clothing, your clothes, gifts, decor…the options are endless! So many items are brand new, with tags on them.  I have three clients, all of whom have The. Best. Wardrobes.  I’m forever commenting on their clothes, shoes, pocketbooks, coats, and jewelry.  Each one of them literally gets most every single item from thrift and consignment shops. I. Love. This.

I’m also betting that you can find a DVD of “Fried Green Tomatoes”. Probably for a buck!

Furthermore, you can also donate your items, sometimes getting a receipt for a tax write off, or even receiving a small stipend or store credit for items you bring in to thrift stores. Home run! Additionally, you can find a charity (like “Dress for Success”, Big Brother Big Sister and other shelters) that will take items too. Even animal shelters can use old linens.

• Yard Sales– Have your own yard sale or let your grandkids or the neighborhood kids be in charge. It’s a great business opportunity for them over the summer…”Lemonade and knickknacks”. All natural lemonade (without artificial ingredients and served in paper cups of course!) and treasure!  I’d stop daily!

RECYCLE!

But I recycle! Isn’t that enough? 

Everyone thinks that this is the most important part of protecting our planet. While it is 100% necessary, it is still the third line of defense after Reduce and Reuse in finding environmentally friendly solutions for your home.

Note here, if we didn’t use it in the first place, we wouldn’t have to recycle it!

Check the little recycle symbol on packaging before buying a product. (This can be very confusing, I know.) If it isn’t biodegradable and can’t be recycled, TRY to find something else that is.  Can’t live without it? Contact the company, send letters, have the kids send letters, plead with them to change their packaging.  Companies do listen!

If it is recyclable, do it properly. Many local towns and landfills may have their own system. Check with yours make sure you’re doing it correctly. Find out if they have annual recycling drives for items such as paint, batteries, lightbulbs, motor oil, tires, and even prescription drugs, etc.

There are programs that will even come collect furniture as well as old refrigerators and freezers.  In like fashion, local repair shops will take small appliances for parts. In either case, it’s worth a quick call.

By the same token, you can try Habitat for Humanity and/Re-Stores for both donating and purchasing preloved items- everything from paint to windows (like the one I purchased for our chicken coop.  It was a brand new double hung for 35 bucks!)

Additionally, you can check with local scrapyards. They’ll often take Christmas lights and you’ll be amazed at what all.  Get the kids or schools to do a collection of the neighbors used up lights after the holidays to scrap for cash.

Collect refundable cans and return them or donate them to a charity. After a quick call, many will come get them from you.

What other environmentally friendly solutions can you incorporate into your home and others?

BRING AWARENESS & EDUCATE OTHERS!

All in all, a lot of us simply do not know that what we’re doing or what we’re using isn’t environmentally friendly. Perhaps we’ve just never stopped to think about it.

Here’s a good “for instance”.  I turned the tv one day on to catch the weather report.  A local live program was on  featuring a local museum.  The children’s art director was  just about to demonstrate a craft project that taught kids about our oceans. “Awesome!” I thought. Perfect timing!

And then. It all went to hell in a hand basket.

This craft project required each child to use several zip seal style bags and food dye.  Mouth agape, I couldn’t actually believe that this museum employee was using one of the ocean’s biggest threats (plastics!) to demonstrate how the oceans are endangered!!! Come on!

This frosted my behind so badly that I just couldn’t let it go and kept thinking about it for days. Soon, the kid’s school vacations were coming up and I was sick about the number of plastic bags that one museum was going to throw away over that next week. By the same token,  how many others in children’s home were already thrown away because of that hugely wasteful project?  And chemical colored dye besides? For what? OM GOSH!

I did it. I had to. In all good conscience I had to. In my email to the museum director,  I first applauded them on their efforts to bring awareness re environmental concerns to parents and children alike. Second, I thanked them for their availability to the surrounding communities.  And finally, I gently pointed out THE ABSOLUTE HYPOCRISY OF THEIR ACTIONS!  Oh, and then I did also ask them if perhaps there were other areas that the museum needed to devote some attention to when it came to the three Rs?

As it turned out, I subsequently learned that I wasn’t the only one who was distressed by their poor judgment.