Since it's the last day of January, I thought I'd sum up the green changes I made this month, with updates on some of them:
Green change #1 - Reduced the Junk Mail - Signed up for Catalog Choice, a website that lets me opt out of catalogs I don't want to receive. I've kept opting out of new catalogs as I've received them. I also later signed up to stop getting unwanted credit card and insurance offers. I can't remember which blog I found this on, so thanks for the tip, whoever it was.
Green change #2 - Reduced the Junk Bags - Started using reusable bags for grocery shopping. I've remembered to do this about 75 percent of the time; so has Glen. I hate it when I get out to the car and remember that I've forgotten to use them. Funny thing is, I almost always remember at Hy-Vee and almost always forget when I make a special trip to Everybody's to buy something organic or non-toxic, so I guess I'm about canceling myself out with those purchases. At least we keep improving!
Green change #3 - Reduced the Junk Packaging - Used reusable packaging for a gift exchange.
Green change #4 - Reduced the Junk Receipts - Declined receipts at both the ATM and the gas station; I've kept that one up.
Green change #5 - Reduced/Reused/Recycled Office Paper - Reduced by keeping my printing to the bare minimum. Reused by giving Jack my discarded office papers for coloring. Recycled by sending office paper out in the recycling bin instead of the trash. They're still picking it up at the curb, although I just saw another ad in the Fairfield Ledger yesterday saying that they won't!
Green change #6 - Reduced the Packaging and Artificial Ingredients - Made my own 100% juice popsicles.
Green change #7 - Recycled Everywhere - Started checking the upstairs and office garbages for recyclables and bringing them down to the kitchen recycling bin. Glen has started doing this, too.
Green change #8 - Reused an Old Magazine - Made a recycled magazine coaster. I still have only one coaster, but I plan to finish the set one of these days. I may even try making one of the cool recycled magazine baskets I've seen.
Green change #9 - Reduced Meat Consumption - Make one organic vegetarian meal each week. I haven't cooked tofu since that first night, but we've remembered how much we love breakfast for dinner and we've started having eggs (cage-free, of course) for dinner about once a week.
Green change #10 - Reduced Power Consumption - Unplugged appliances we don't use much to stop using phantom power; have also started turning off our two computers and printer at night. I'm curious to see if this makes a difference on our next power bill; I'll report back.
Green change #11 - Reduced Junk Batteries - Bought and started using a battery charger and rechargeable batteries. Used them to replace batteries in the camera and one of the remotes when they ran out.
Green change #12 - Gained a Green Ally - Had a conversation with Glen about approaching all of our purchases with a green mindset.
Getting to my twelve green changes this month was really pretty easy once it became top-of-mind. And we're keeping it up! I'll write about some of the additional things we've done tomorrow.
Good on you!!! What a great list. I'll be going through it and checking myself this weekend. Thank you!
Posted by: Lisa Kenney | February 01, 2008 at 01:00 PM
Nice job. I find it difficult to recycle in this town though. I'm confused by the collection instructions and they don't take junk mail?
I miss the curb side recycling system in Seattle.
Posted by: Will Merydith | February 04, 2008 at 11:53 PM