28 Comments »

Kathy said:
This was a really great blog. I was more into recycling when my children were home and there was more to recycle. In the town we used to live in it was mandatory to recycle. We had to buy orange bags that cost 1 buck a piece to throw things in that couldn’t be recycled. For us, we could afford them, but there were alot that couldn’t. Where we live now, they have a giant compost area where you can take leaves and sticks which is really nice. I do alot of the things that you mentioned. I especially use the plastic bags you get at the grocery store for trash can liners. I should start taking a bag with me. Thanks for the info on green living…Blessings..Kathy
# 9 February 2007 at 1:04 am

Adam said:
Thanks for such a good, thought-provoking post. You’ve got me pondering other Rs, like revitalizing, reinventing and rescuing. By my favorite is from your list: rethinking. Keep up the good work.
# 10 February 2007 at 1:40 pm

Simplicity In Kansas said:
Enjoyed the post and believe in what you are communicating. When I shop and the clerk goes for the plastic bag, I know just ask for no bag. Some strange looks for sure at times yet one less bag is a small victory on each shopping trip. Also, I switch to kitchen towels recently from paper towels and what a difference! No more paper in the trash and the old fashion dish or kitchen towels work great. Thanks for the post and I am enjoying discovering your posts. Simplicity in Kansas
# 10 February 2007 at 11:51 pm

Jenny said:
Interesting post. I like your additional Rs. Frugality and green living do run parallel to one another.
# 15 February 2007 at 6:16 pm

davidbdale said:
What an amazing amount of valuable information for a single post. The earth would last much longer if everybody practiced just a few of these techniques.
I suspect you’re already familiar with the Freegan movement, but, just in case, I picked up a link the other day to some radical thinkers you might enjoy seeing.
I won’t clutter your comment area with somebody else’s link, but it can be found simply at freegan.info
# 17 February 2007 at 11:23 am

baxjul said:
Great ideas Sara! I have been taking my own bags to the store now. I also never buy styrofoam, or paper towels, etc.
# 17 February 2007 at 3:56 pm

FrugalMomof3 said:
You have such wonderful ideas and I too bring my own bags to the store, have cut down on using paper towels and paper plates. Thank for the info on green living, your posts are inspiring.
# 17 February 2007 at 7:53 pm

Marie78 said:
What wonderful ideas. I have stopped buying all paper products (except for TP). I like that idea for packing your lunch in a “wrap-n-mat.” These are great ideas to start reducing the amount of waste in our lives.
# 17 February 2007 at 9:12 pm

AheeK said:
Great post! I still remember the government commercials from when they were first trying to promote recycling. Most people take it for granted now, but there’s always lots more to learn. It’s amazing how many people still chuck their cans and bottles into the ditch. I love your list of R’s…especially retrying. If something doesn’t work the way you’re doing it, adjust it and try again. Thanks for all the great links, too.
# 17 February 2007 at 10:43 pm

Amy said:
It’s funny, I always think that I’m reusing and repurposing things constantly, but looking at the first thing on your list makes me feel lazy. I have at least 30 grocery bags in my pantry. My store pays me .02 per bag that I reuse. So, I could be reusing their bags and getting a little money deducted from my grocery bill, and yet, I still don’t do it. Thanks for giving me a kick to remind me that there are more ways that I can leave less of a footprint on the earth.
# 17 February 2007 at 11:11 pm

Bumplett said:
I’ve also been using a few egg cartons to start seedlings for the spring. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but it’s going great so far.
also, using the little soap scraps by putting them in a nylon stocking and then tie it around the hose nozzel outside - really works well!
I love your additional R’s - thanks!
# 18 February 2007 at 12:32 am

Sara Noel (author) said:
Kathy-Here we have to pay for brown paper bags for leaves. The kicker is we have to pay for orange stickers that go on the bags too. Then the city picks it up. We also, during certain weeks, can just rake leaves to our curb and the city will pick them up.
Last year, I started sharing my leaves with my neighbor and we compost them all. I know it sounds funny to share leaves, but most of the leaves are from her maple tree. lol This wasn’t my idea, so hopefully I don’t sound like I insisted she take her leaves. lol
We share a garden between our property lines, so we just use a lot of it there. I also have a greenbelt behind my house and a good line of trees in one section. I compost there too.
Adam-I like your additional R’s. Too much comes to mind. I thought of things as diverse as community gardens to dumpster diving. Thanks for your comment.
Simplicity in Kansas-Happy to see you visiting. Refusing a bag or bringing your own bag is so simple. I wish people could see how this one small decision can make such an impact.
Jenny-It’s good to see you here.
davidbbale-Thanks for visiting. I am aware of freegans. I have an interesting video to share that was submitted to me from Laryn. The video is great.
http://www.larynandjanel.com/blog/a_shout_out_to_eating_garbage_on_dumpster_diving.html
I’ve written about dumpster diving before and may revisit the freegan topic soon.
Baxjul, Marie78 and Tracey- hugs to you.
Aheek-Here in MI bottle returns net a dime each. I don’t know how anyone could toss them.
Amy-I still have some plastic grocery bags here. I reuse them, but my house isn’t completely bag free daily either.
Bumplett-Good for you. I reuse solo cups, yogurt cups, milk jugs, and even newspaper for my seedlings. It’s almost time to sow. I’m excited. I didn’t do any winter sowing this year.
# 18 February 2007 at 11:14 am

Barb said:
Good post! I always reuse plastic bags for everything from garbage can liners, to wrapping fragile items in to lining the countertop when I am doing something messy! And I keep a supply in my car for shopping trips. I am also trying to look at the items I own and reuse them in different ways rather than trash any of them. Lastly, using cloth napkins, old clothes for cleaning rags and no plastic plates has made a big difference in my household!
# 18 February 2007 at 1:40 pm

emily_hope said:
I need to apply one of your Rs and do some rethinking. I need to do more recycling.
# 18 February 2007 at 8:29 pm

Maggi said:
This was a great post. I learned a little more information I didn’t even think about. If I go to a store that you don’t bag yourself I usually ask for paper. I can use the paper to send gifts or for other purposes. At Aldis or save alot I just take my mesh bags or the plastic I have already had at home. I really try to not buy products that have the syrofoam bottoms. I use my milk jugs for various things. For watering plants, making juice, storing oil. (My parents or I buy the bulk cooking oil in the big jugs and then split it). I save the newspapers from them and use for kitty litter, wrapping,etc.
# 19 February 2007 at 10:45 am

Michelle-Lea said:
I loved your additional R’s. Great post. I do alot of the things you mentioned. We are avid cloth baggers and baggie washer-outers!
# 19 February 2007 at 12:24 pm

SammeyG said:
I am doing a little recycling. What my dh and I do is that we have a 5 gallon contianer that we use for soda cans. We use it like an extra trash can just for that reason. Then when we get enough then dh takes it to a recycling center then we get a little cash for it at the same time. It has gotten to the point that I will go through garbage cans at work to see if any employees have thrown away any soda cans. Then take them home with me. I also try to reuse the plastic bags that you get for the store as lunch bags.I am also thinking about trying to think of ways to bring up to my manager of tring to recycle our extra papers that we get for guest to read.
# 19 February 2007 at 12:59 pm

bridge said:
reat post, It is amazing how much your trash can be reduced when your conscientious about what you use. It also makes me feel good knowing I am trying to do what I can to walk lightly on the earth.
# 19 February 2007 at 1:08 pm

jkelstaten said:
Great post! This year I got to thinking a lot about this sort of stuff. Instead of buying our kids a big set of blocks to play with we rinsed out the liter boxes our milk is in and they played with those. Trying to get better about other stuff like not using as many paper towels, but right now laundry is a problem for us so kitchen towels can be a big hassle.
# 19 February 2007 at 2:24 pm

MrsGixxer said:
I’m horrible when it comes to any of the R’s except for recycle. I am the recycle police at my house. I know that I need to get better but I still don’t.
# 19 February 2007 at 9:58 pm

Audrey said:
I agree that frugality is generally fairly good for the environment. I stopped using many tossable items, using washable reusable products instead. We reuse things till there is barely anything left to them and then sometimes they can still be used in other ways outdoors for the pets or yard work.
My DH has rolle dhis eyes a few times but sometimes he’s the one who thinks of ways to repurpose things too now. It’s catchy
# 20 February 2007 at 1:08 am

monkeywrangler71 said:
Great article, I love the ‘rethink’, that really says it all. I remember being told once that the 3 r’s are in order of importance, that reducing & reusing are the crucial elements and recycling is a last resort.
My mission these days is to find ways to reuse packaging. Our milk comes in bags here instead of jugs, last fall I started cleaning out the bags to reuse in the freezer (they are good heavy plastic), I haven’t used a ziploc bag since. I actually just posted on the gardening forum today asking if I could use egg crates for seedlings, I see Bumplett is already doing that. I’m using an empty case of pop as a plastic bag dispenser in the closet, and I’m going to use kleenex boxes to organize my kitchen drawers. I’m still looking for ideas for small margarine containers and the stryofoam trays that our meat comes on.
Yesterday I went to the store and bought a bag of milk and a bag of chips. The girl asked me if I wanted to buy a bag, and it struck me as kind of funny that I should buy a bag to put my bags in. Guess I’m doing some rethinking
# 20 February 2007 at 1:41 am

Darlene said:
You have me thinking Sara…:)
I try to buy less processed/packaged items and cook more from scratch. I control the ingredients and have less packaging that goes to the dump or to recycling.
It amazes me how many things are packaged to the hilt, do we really need to package drink mixes in those plastic tubs that are then in another plastic container?
I buy large sizes of all kinds of things and refill containers, everything from shampoo to spices & cooking oil.
It’s fun to take an item and ask yourself what else can I do with it. Hubby has cut up plastic and made new hinges for an old cooler, plastic bottles become funnels or scoops when you cut out the bottom… all kinds of things. You are only limited by your imagination and level of enthusiasm.
# 20 February 2007 at 10:47 am

Dee said:
great post! We just had an “aloha run(8K)” and a after run party at my house and everyone contributed to the washing dishes and utencils and recyling containers - they understand my need to not throw away… parties are the most wasteful. I get so annoyed when I go to parties and see how many unneccessary bags of rubbish are hauled away! Here in Hawaii we use a lot of chopsticks at parties, I read somewhere that millions of trees every year are chopped for this in China, so I bought a bunch of unused ones from my thrift store - so happy with that purchase!
# 20 February 2007 at 7:03 pm

crazymomto1 (Julie) said:
Thank you for the great tips! We are trying to go as natural as possible, but it definitely strains the budget sometimes. Especially with the prices! these are great ideas!
# 20 February 2007 at 7:49 pm

mom23boys said:
This is a great article! I try to do as much as I can to reuse items. I hate to toss out something that I know will just clutter our landfills. I never buy ziploc type containers because I just reuse butter, yogurt, and cottage cheese containers to name a few. I try to find similar uses for milk jugs. I use them as funnels, scoops, bird feeders, etc. I can’t do that to ever milk jug of course, but I do what I can.
# 25 February 2007 at 6:40 pm

lili said:
Thank for all of these wonderful tips and ideas. I have been trying to cut back on my waste for a long time. It really helps when I read articles like this that point out the different things that I can do to make a difference.
Thanks
# 8 June 2007 at 3:11 am

Mare said:
I also use many of these great ideas. Most recently I repurposed old clothing into attractive cleaning clothes and washable replacements for the Swiffer. I love reusing containers (ice cream, mayo jars, sour cream, oatmeal tubes, anything at all) for gift giving. I enjoy doing collage and do my work on these throw away items. The vessels are attractive and most people keep them to reuse in their home for storage. I’d love to post a picture so you could see what they look like! It’s an excellent way to “recycle” and “reuse” and also fits in with frugality and fun.
# 27 May 2009 at 6:23 pm

Leave your response!