Use It Up

So, you've made the decision to go green and now it's time to throw all that bad stuff away and start anew. After all, being environmentally friendly costs money and we are good consumers, right? Wrong! Use up what you've got first or give it away. Want to get those toxic cleaning products out of the house? Don't toss them - see if your church or community center would make use of them. Ready to ditch the sulfates and parabens in your showergel and lotion? See if there's a women's shelter that would accept your gently used products. Alright, so nobody wants your old junk that's 2/3 used. Dispose of it properly and recycle the container.

Got a suggestion? Post a comment.

But I don't have the money to be green...

Hybrid? Whole Foods? Making changes that make an impact doesn't have to be expensive. Just by changing some of our daily habits, we can make some great changes! Let's consider reduce, reuse, recycle...

REDUCE
Sometimes it takes a change of mind to change our behavior. The great American dream seems to be based quite a bit on consumption. Quit worrying about what the neighbors are doing. Conspicuous consumption is out - saving is in! Check out my new blog Penny Wise for some great money tips!

REUSE
Some simple things that usually make it to the trash bin can easily be reused. What about that empty yogert or sour cream tub? It would be perfect to take those almonds to work! Also those plastic bags we seem to get everywhere [or used to before we got our tote bags, right?] make great trash bags. Give things a thought before you toss.

RECYCLE
For some of us this is easy; we've got those great blue bins and don't have to give it a second thought. If you city doesn't have recycling pick up - demand it! Pick up the phone, start that letter campaign. If you're sick of collecting it yourself, make a plan with family, friends, or neighbors and take turns lugging it to the recycling center. Make the effort and a tree will hug you!

Have some suggestions for a way to be green on the cheap? Post a comment.

Voice Your Opinion

Ever get mad because you have to wade through stores, aisles, counters, sites, ingredient lists just to find something you feel comfortable putting on your body and that you wallet can also agree with? Well, speak up! Demand that your favorite company clean up its act. Ask for organic products, ask for recycled packaging, ask for fair trade ingredients. Peer to peer transmission of information (and advertising) is one of the most powerful vehicles in determining how consumers spend their money. So start that letter campaign, blog about it, post about it and get your online buddies to champion your cause. There's power in numbers and with the internet you're far more likely to get the kind of support you've always dreamt of. Looks like your soap box just got a little bigger.

If you have blog or a cause and would like to share a link, please post a comment.

Why I'm Here

by L. Ash
Why bother to write a blog? Who will read it, or better yet, who will care? Well, this article on slate.com is what started it all for me - Scrubbing Out Sea Life: Exfoliating plastic beads feel good—unless you live in the ocean. After reading it, I knew I had to pass this along with the sincere hope that you will read this and that you will care. The article explains that the "oh, so, soft" feeling you have after your morning scrub might come at a very high price. This might sound a bit puzzling since you think your Dove scrub is a steal from the drugstore. While your outlay may be next to nothing, the price the planet might pay for the plastic microbeads that exfoliate your skin is immeasurable. You see, after all evidence of your scrub has disappeared down the drain this plastic winds up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans, eventually winding up in the stomachs of marine life. So, the next time you're considering a shrimp cocktail you might have more to worry about than mercury levels or whether or not your potentially not-so-appetizing appetizer was farm raised. Please don't cover up your concern in cocktail sauce and forget about it; think twice and consider finding an alternative to your plastic scrub.

Have a great natural alternative you'd like to recommend? Please share it in the comments!

Check back soon for some homemade scrub recipes!

[Photo courtesy of Holly Clark on Flickr]