What are you doing to be more "green?"

[mmmmdeedee]

 

I just read an inconvenient truth, and although I am very conscious about the impact I have on the planet, it does make you more aware of things you can do over and above what you are doing now.

So what am I doing?

1.  Carpooling.
2.  Bought reusable grocery bags from Trader Joe's.
3.  Recycle.
4.  Get all my statements via e-mail.
5.  Recycle my batteries.
6.  Drop off electronics at specialty drop-off sites.
7.  Donate items I am not using rather than throwing them away.
8.  Shop locally and organically (when possible).

Your turn......

[MiSSis]

My husband and I are doing many of the same things as you.  We recycle newspapers, catalogs, plastic and cardboard.  Being on PD, I have LOTS of cardboard.     Dan retired 1 year ago and although we currently have 2 vehicles, we're finding we don't use the 2nd one as much as before.  I'm seriously thinking about going to only 1 vehicle which will save not only money on insurance, gas, etc. but also on emissions.  We've recycled used batteries for years as my husband's company used to have a drop-off location for these.  We've also dropped off used batteries at Batteries Plus but have recently bought a charging station for AA and AAA batteries which we use the most.  I'm a big fan of donation.  Our tax preparer told us years ago to donate rather than try to sell through garage/rummage sales.  We're in the process of remodeling/redecorating our kitchen/great room area and recently donated all of our kitchen appliances to a local non-profit agency that helps people with mental illness.  We're currently enjoying the fruits from our small garden, green and hot peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.  I'm lucky to be on PD so I've been able to enjoy the fresh tomatoes from our garden.  My husband and I just finished canning 20 qts. of tomatoes for use this winter in spaghetti sauce, lasagna and chili.  I just need to get a working kitchen back  so I have an oven!  Currently we're getting by with a microwave oven, 1 burner hot plate, electric skillet and a crockpot.  Most of all I miss my dishwasher and garbage disposal!!!  We're hoping to have our project done by early November so I can host a bridal shower for our niece.

[glitter]

check out the freecycle groups on yahoo, I belong to one locally, it is a great way to give people things that you have no use for, and it is also a great way to get things you need that other people are done with, keeping the landfills a little less full.

[Falkenbach]

I don't do an awful lot, but I do try to buy products that don't use excess plastic packaging, I have re-usable canvas shopping bags so I don't use plastic ones and I recycle. We are particularly careful with water, as Australia is in one of its worst droughts on record. Of course, we are on strict water restrictions anyway, but I've always tried to be careful with water.

[Zach]

Not showering as often.

Use one plate and fork for meals and don't wash them.
 

[Falkenbach]

ha ha, Zach has got it well sorted. 

[goofynina]

I definetly recycle anything and everything i possibly can    once our light bulbs burn out we are going to replace them with energy efficient ones 

[Meinuk]

Not showering as often.

Use one plate and fork for meals and don't wash them.
 

Let me guess Zach - You're single? 

BTW Kudos on the PBS Doc!

[angela515]

We recycle our cans and stuff, but thats cuz we pay a 5 cent tax on them and you can only get it back by bringing them in... and we recycle our canned food cans... My mom has a garden and canns.... I never will have a garden nor will I ever can when I get my own place.. so I guess i don't really do nothing.. oh well.

[Hawkeye]

We grow some of our own food in our garden, use as little water as possible, bring stuff to the local salvation army when we don't want it anymore, put in new low energy lightbulbs........

[Jill D.]

I recycle cans, glass, as much plastic as I can, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, batteries - Michigan has had a .10 deposit law for years on beer and carbonated beverage cans and bottles (which has made our state cleaner and provided income for many people). I bought into a garden share this summer to get fresh, locally grown organic fruits and veggies. I do what I can but feel I can do so much more.

[skyedogrocks]

We grow some of our own food in our garden, use as little water as possible, bring stuff to the local salvation army when we don't want it anymore, put in new low energy lightbulbs........

I do pretty much the same as Hawkeye, plus we recycle our cans.  Our son gets to keep the money from them, it goes towards his allowance.

[Hawkeye]

I do pretty much the same as Hawkeye, plus we recycle our cans.  Our son gets to keep the money from them, it goes towards his allowance.

Our area doesn't have a recycling program and the nearest center is too far of a drive especially with the gas prices.

[mmmmdeedee]

Wow, it's great to see so many people putting in the effort to make our environment a bit cleaner.

Our complex (condo) does not have recycle bins. What we do have is an older gentleman who rides around on a motorized bike who picks through the trash, bless his heart.

I pack up all my bottles and cans and put them on the side for him. He comes most everyday. Funny, but some people probably look at him as a scurge to the neighborhood but in fact he is doing all of us a favor.

[Falkenbach]

Whenever I'm in the city, there's always a homeless person searching through bins for cans and bottles, so I always hand over mine when I'm finished with them. Yep, I agree that they're doing a favour, and it provides them with at least a small amount of money to boot.

[mmmmdeedee]

I recycle cans, glass, as much plastic as I can, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, batteries - Michigan has had a .10 deposit law for years on beer and carbonated beverage cans and bottles (which has made our state cleaner and provided income for many people). I bought into a garden share this summer to get fresh, locally grown organic fruits and veggies. I do what I can but feel I can do so much more.

How does that garden share work? Is that like a community garden?

I wish I had space for my own garden. My dad used to have the entire backyard as one big garden. We had no grass! But the veggies were sooooo good.

I have a huge balcony that I could container garden in but it gets so hot. Any ideas people?

[mmmmdeedee]

My husband and I are doing many of the same things as you.  We recycle newspapers, catalogs, plastic and cardboard.  Being on PD, I have LOTS of cardboard.     Dan retired 1 year ago and although we currently have 2 vehicles, we're finding we don't use the 2nd one as much as before.  I'm seriously thinking about going to only 1 vehicle which will save not only money on insurance, gas, etc. but also on emissions.  We've recycled used batteries for years as my husband's company used to have a drop-off location for these.  We've also dropped off used batteries at Batteries Plus but have recently bought a charging station for AA and AAA batteries which we use the most.  I'm a big fan of donation.  Our tax preparer told us years ago to donate rather than try to sell through garage/rummage sales.  We're in the process of remodeling/redecorating our kitchen/great room area and recently donated all of our kitchen appliances to a local non-profit agency that helps people with mental illness.  We're currently enjoying the fruits from our small garden, green and hot peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.  I'm lucky to be on PD so I've been able to enjoy the fresh tomatoes from our garden.  My husband and I just finished canning 20 qts. of tomatoes for use this winter in spaghetti sauce, lasagna and chili.  I just need to get a working kitchen back  so I have an oven!  Currently we're getting by with a microwave oven, 1 burner hot plate, electric skillet and a crockpot.  Most of all I miss my dishwasher and garbage disposal!!!  We're hoping to have our project done by early November so I can host a bridal shower for our niece.

Wow, that's fantastic. Can I live with you guys?? Canning brings back such good memories of my mom. We had a grapevine in the backyard so she made homemade grape jelly. yum. We got to eat the scuzzy stuff that formed on the top.

Good luck with the renovation!

[Falkenbach]

I have a huge balcony that I could container garden in but it gets so hot. Any ideas people?

Are there any partly shady areas? Or you could set up a shade-cloth cover to put the containers under? What kind of heat do you get where you live - is it dry, arid heat, or is it humid? Perhaps look into the different type of veg that grow in your specific environment.

[Romona]

Not showering as often.

Use one plate and fork for meals and don't wash them.
 

 
Think of the savings, soap, water ect..........

[Jill D.]

I recycle cans, glass, as much plastic as I can, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, batteries - Michigan has had a .10 deposit law for years on beer and carbonated beverage cans and bottles (which has made our state cleaner and provided income for many people). I bought into a garden share this summer to get fresh, locally grown organic fruits and veggies. I do what I can but feel I can do so much more.

How does that garden share work? Is that like a community garden?

I wish I had space for my own garden. My dad used to have the entire backyard as one big garden. We had no grass! But the veggies were sooooo good.

I have a huge balcony that I could container garden in but it gets so hot. Any ideas people?

It's actually a friend of ours that puts in a huge garden and his wife went nuts last year because it was way more food than they could ever eat or give away in a timely basis (she canned and froze like a fiend too!) So, he decided to sell shares. It was $75.00 for the share, or if you work in the garden at least 5 hours during the summer it was only $50.00. It's been awesome...he would pick on Tuesday and Saturday and have everything waiting to pick up. Of course, you were free to pick more on off days too, He had ever blooming strawberries and raspberries and he has tons of pumpkins along with tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, spinach, green beans, wax beans, carrots, onions, cauliflower, corn, beets, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash and watermelon. Yum!

[mmmmdeedee]

I recycle cans, glass, as much plastic as I can, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, batteries - Michigan has had a .10 deposit law for years on beer and carbonated beverage cans and bottles (which has made our state cleaner and provided income for many people). I bought into a garden share this summer to get fresh, locally grown organic fruits and veggies. I do what I can but feel I can do so much more.

How does that garden share work? Is that like a community garden?

I wish I had space for my own garden. My dad used to have the entire backyard as one big garden. We had no grass! But the veggies were sooooo good.

I have a huge balcony that I could container garden in but it gets so hot. Any ideas people?

It's actually a friend of ours that puts in a huge garden and his wife went nuts last year because it was way more food than they could ever eat or give away in a timely basis (she canned and froze like a fiend too!) So, he decided to sell shares. It was $75.00 for the share, or if you work in the garden at least 5 hours during the summer it was only $50.00. It's been awesome...he would pick on Tuesday and Saturday and have everything waiting to pick up. Of course, you were free to pick more on off days too, He had ever blooming strawberries and raspberries and he has tons of pumpkins along with tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, spinach, green beans, wax beans, carrots, onions, cauliflower, corn, beets, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash and watermelon. Yum!

That is a fantastic idea! Wish we had something like that around here. Or friends that were into gardening. Just kind of cathartic to be able to dig in the dirt.

[mmmmdeedee]

I have a huge balcony that I could container garden in but it gets so hot. Any ideas people?

Are there any partly shady areas? Or you could set up a shade-cloth cover to put the containers under? What kind of heat do you get where you live - is it dry, arid heat, or is it humid? Perhaps look into the different type of veg that grow in your specific environment.

I live in Ventura County (So. Ca). So it is pretty cool most of the time. Just the fact that the balcony pretty much gets full sun all day long and it's a large balcony that just eats it up and holds onto the heat all day! I might try some tomatoes as they like the heat, but I like green beans, etc. We'll see. If I get my butt off the couch this year, I'll try it. Maybe try some winter crops! You guys have inspired me so much to plant something!