We use a pitcher to collect the cold water that comes out of the faucet while waiting for it to turn hot to take a shower. At our house, it’s about a full pitcher every time. We use this perfectly clean water for watering plants, boiling pasta, and even drinking after putting it through our filter pitcher.
When I started doing this after seeing it online, I thought it was way “out there,” but then I spent the summer in rural Guatemala where there is no such thing as safe tap water (or even constant tap water) and I would have killed for those pitchers of American treated water!
This post was submitted by Karen.
Eating vegan/organic and local foods and dumpsterdiving for Foods. Not buying clothes, shoes, accesories, etc . Using my bike, walking and taking public transportation 95% of the time instead of driving a car. The extra 5% I carpool with friends and family. No drinking bottled water. Using recicled and used stuff instead of buying new. Not using AC at home, watching 0 TV. I have been shopping for food and medicines mainly and want to reduce every day the number of things I buy that aren’t food or medicines; right now the number of things I buy dayly is almost cero so I am almost there!
This post was submitted by Gerardo Tristan.
One of the hardest things for me to give up in my eco-concious lifestyle is long hot baths. So I’ve found a way to justify my luxury.
In the winter time, when I indulge in a bath I leave the hot water in the tub when I’m finished. The heat from the water dissipates into the house and it also helps to humidify that super dry winter air. I also use some of the “grey water” for cleaning and for watering house plants once it cools.
The way I figure it, for the same amount of hot water, I can indulge in an hour long bath instead of a 10 minute shower. And I’m not just letting all of that heat go down the drain. It’s even better if you turn off all of the lights and bathe by candle light. That’s an hour spent in complete self-indulgence with no TV, computer, stereo or lights burning electricity!
This post was submitted by Rebecca Miklich.
every holiday season, my boyfriend’s mom gives us holiday stockings filled with toiletries.
we have so much that our linen closet is packed with extra shampoos etc.
but since we use shampoo bars, i dont want to just put this stuff down the drain.
so i hand wash my delicates in it.
the chemicals in shampoo are just as strong as those in laundry detergent (thats why conditioners are often made so thick to moisturize the damage caused by the shampoo)
i rather use it in some form than to just pour it down the drain.
that or you can donate it to local shelters.
This post was submitted by mabel.
I sold my car a few years ago and rely on my bike, public transportation AND City Carshare, a car sharing service where you pay a membership fee and rent cars by 15 minute increments. Save on parking, on insurance and ONLY use a car when you really need it. Good weening strategy for those extremely attached to vehicles plush they have a variety of cars in their fleet, including Prius’s. http://www.citycarshare.org.
This post was submitted by Deborah Crooks.
Sign up for Online Banking and Bill Pay, or use vendors’ websites to receive and pay bills electronically. Use a debit card instead of checks. Sign up for eStatements, or electronic statements, that you can save on a computer.
I work as a graphic designer. One of my clients is a community banking group that serves outstate Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.
There are two levels of ecological benefit to using electronic banking services.
Banks promote electronic banking services because it saves paper costs, heated/cooled building space for storing checks and statements; it eliminates check scanning time (and scanner costs and space), mail transportation costs, and reduces staff time.
Customers see that it reduces paper use, saves time used for balancing accounts and processing bills, and helps people monitor spending better. It also allows users to create easily portable computer files of banking records, and preserves a backup accessible online.
This post was submitted by Val Escher.
Just heard you on NPR – fantastic – can’t wait for the movie!
We make somehwat common efforts to reduce our impact (although most of our friends and family do not do the same, so maybe we ARE special, come to think of it!)
* I take recycling (office paper, paperboard, cardboard boxes, cans, and plastic bottles HOME to recycle with our stuff because the office park where I work replied to my letter to them about getting recycling recepticals that it was too expensive??
* My husband walks 1.5 miles to and from work now instead of driving his truck.
* We take our own shopping bags to the grocery but also use them for other stores
* We use tupperware instead of ziplocs more and more often
* We use cloth dishtowels in the kitchen to save on paper towel use
* We garage sale, shop at or donate to thrift stores regularly
* I unplug our phone chargers during the day at home while we’re not using them
* We use the airconditioning only on terribly hot days and bought a programmable reostat to replace the standard one that came in the apartment we’re renting
* We used to drive our recycling to the recycling center from our apartment but NOW they take everything except glass and egg cartons
* I take books and magazines I’ve read to the 50% OFF Bookstore and shop there rather than Borders etc because they sell used items!
We do more, but that’s a start!
This post was submitted by Anna.
I used to work at MTV Networks, living a great life in NYC and consuming like crazy. When i finally got the courage to follow my heart and make my dream of becoming a social entrepreneur, i did it. Now I try to consume less, trying to recycle as much as I can, my business partner and i try to use all the greenwise products and do everything energy efficient as much as we can.
We’re not not the most green and environmentally conscious people, but we’re learning and we’re getting there.
BY the way, my business partner/best friend (Gloria Camacho) is a vegetarian, super animal lover and activist for animal rights.
We try to live healthier lives, we consume less and we are the happiest we’ve even been.
Our company Aceneth is a social entrepreneurship venture aimed at educating, enabling and empowering social entrepreneurs around the world thru film, documentaries, programming and events. We are in the beginning stages of our social venture but we love it!!!
Please check out our blog (www.latingipgy.com) a blog site focused at empowering and educating young social entrepreneurs around the world.
We’re at the beginning of our journey and we love what you guys are doing and what you stand for… thank you for getting your story out and empowering others to also follow their passions to make our world a better place.
Changemakers here we go!!!!
This post was submitted by Johanna Salazar.
Lots of people now bring their own shopping bags to the grocery store, but a lot of folks are still using *many* plastic produce bags while shopping. About a year ago my husband and I started to reuse our plastic produce bags. Most of them just carry bulk stuff (grains, granola, trail mix) or organic produce and can be reused without washing. When they get sticky or wet, we wash them in the sink with mild soap and hang them to dry. We also reuse the bags our bread comes in (sandwich bread, burger buns) — they tend to be really sturdy.
It’s good to bring your own shopping bags to the market, but even better to bring shopping bags and a healthy supply of produce bags, too! An easy way to reduce your impact. You can also inspire other folks who will see you shopping with reused bags and follow your lead.
An added plus: some stores will credit you $.05 or so for each bag brought from home.
This post was submitted by Karen.
Instead of using the paper towels available in the bathrooms, I bring a cloth with me to dry off my hands.
This post was submitted by Hallei.