LiveGreenNOW

By Traci Claussen

The countdown has begun, with only a few more hours left of a decade that will hopefully be known as the last of the disposable decades. That is, the end of pouring all our Post-War convenient garbage into the bowels of the planet. You can do it; we all can do it at work and at home.

Commit to end the cycle of buying these seven disposable products and you’ll save money along with the environment as we enter the next decade.

1. Facial Tissues ~ did Santa put some reusable handkerchiefs in your stocking this year?  If not, after-Christmas sales are a great time to stock up on some.  Remember the old days when a gentleman always offered one to a lady in need? This could very well be the decade for them to make a comeback.
2. Swiffer and other disposable mops/cleaners ~ Love Stinks?Actually, the trash that swiffer leaves in its wake really stinks. Why not make your own reusable “swiffer” pads, or order some handmade locally by Mama’s Little Monkeys & Company
3. Paper Towels and disposable hand wipes ~ it’s really not as hard as you may think to reduce your dependency on the paper towel cycle. In the past year, this girl who used to LOVE her paper towels has used less than four rolls, and all from recycled paper. Cotton hand towels just feel better, and bamboo cleaning cloths make picking up spills a breeze. And remember, bamboo has natural anti-biotic properties. Use cotton washcloths for wiping your kids’ faces, and reusable microfiber cloths for dusting and polishing.
4. Disposable plates, cups, utensils ~ when tailgate season began, Live Green NOW suggested switching to reusable tableware made from recycled plastic or eco-friendly bamboo.  Food as well as your guests will love it.
5. Disposable razors ~ this will no doubt be the hardest one for men and ladies alike. However, think about how crazy expensive it is to buy those monthly razor refills.  If you have to buy disposable, then insist on recycled plastic from your brand.
6. Disposable batteries ~ hopefully, Santa also filled your stocking with rechargeable batteries for all those holiday toys.  If not, then expect to be on the naughty list next year.
7. H2O bottles and coffee mugs ~ for all you water-boys who insist on buying a case of plastic bottled water every week, this resolution is a MUST. Here’s a suggestion: let those bottles pile up for one month in your house so that you have a visual image of what damage you are doing to the planet. RE-solution: keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times and buy water in 5-gallon jugs. For all you Coffee-housers (and this is #1 on my personal resolve list) why not actually bring that travel coffee cup with you every day and save the planet, as well as 10% on that cuppa-joe?

Geaux for Lagniappe:

Resolve to only purchase products with packaging made from recycled materials.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 27th, 2009 at 11:36 pm and is filed under Green Growth, Green House, Live Green Picks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.