Things I use now that I’m green(er)
Last night, as I was sitting on the couch sewing the hook holes that had ripped through in my shower curtain liner, I was struck with the thought that it was the second time in a week that my sewing box was out. When I tell you I’ve gone entire years without pulling out the sewing box, I’m not lying. So for it to come out twice in one week, well, it’s evidence that the times, they have a changed.
Repairing things isn’t exactly something that is second nature to me. In the past when something got broken, I just grew tired of it, or it seemed useless, I’d dispose of it. Sometimes I’d dispose of it responsibly by donating it or handing it down, but often, it just went in the trash. Now I do things like repair rips in clothes (and shower curtains), reuse the liners to cereal boxes and keep using my chipped dishes because they are perfectly good to eat off of.
So I made a list of things that I use now because I’m trying to be greener that went unused in the past.
- my sewing box
- my bread machine – I bought it on a whim, used it a few times, then sent it to the basement. Now I use it frequently. I make healthier bread and save on plastic packaging
- rags – I ditched the paper towels except for big holidays. Now old dish towels get turned into rags and old t-shirts get ripped into pieces
- shoe boxes for storage – Shoe boxes are great for storing all sorts of things. I no longer buy the plastic shoe boxes from the store
- table linens – tablecloths and cloth napkins are the norm around here for parties, holidays and every day. I’ve bought some really great tablecloths at yard sales for next to nothing
Looking at this list, I realize something. All of these things save me money. So they are doubly useful. Nice.
What do you use now that you are going greener that in the past you would have thought was a hassle?
Image: Andres Rueda
Baking soda. Constantly! I use it to clean, to wash my hair, to get rid of stale smells, sometimes even in the catbox. Apple cider vinegar is a much bigger part of my life in the same way.
We’ve stopped using paper plates, paper napkins, paper cups, and paper towels. The only household paper product we still use is TP, but we use a brand that is all recycled.
One thing we use a LOT now is the compost bin. All kitchen scraps go in there, plus plant trimmings, leaves, and other yard waste. Then every spring we have free plant food.
We’ve gotten really creative about reusing things instead of throwing things out, or finding a new home for stuff we don’t use anymore. Better for someone to use it than end up in a landfill.
This is a great article. I could keep writing forever (but I won’t). Thank you for stimulating my thoughts about what else I could be doing.
In the last year I’ve started composting and made a pledge to air dry more laundry. I’m serving more made from scratch meals and using my bread-maker (sometimes). As you say, many green choices are frugal choices. I actually set out to cut my grocery budget by using bulk basic foods and ended up with less trash, better tasting food, and healthier meals.