Collectively, small lifestyle changes can make a huge impact on the environment-and your life. Looking for happiness and health? What’s good for the environment is also, it turns out, great for you. Here’s a collection of tips from the No Impact community.
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I’ve got a daily tip: When boiling vegetables like corn or potatoes, I reuse the water after it cools to water indoor and outdoor plants.
And I have a lifestyle-changing tip. I’m starting a Neighborhood Food Share: A List-Serve of shared emails where neighbors can post leftovers or opened spices or condiments they haven’t used in a while, or maybe they’re going on vacation and want to get rid of. Once a month, I’ll host a pot-luck where dishes brought are made from “in-house” ingredients. Nothing new or fresh can be purchased for this dish unless it’s from a garden or Farmer’s Market or local farmer purchased within the last week. An evening of shared localvore, shared community, and shared recipes!
This post was submitted by Joan Brook.
Waste has been a tremendous concern of mine for many years. I buy as much as I can locally, without packaging from the local markets in Nicaragua. Living in a tropical climate, there is always fresh produce! I use canvas shopping bags, and also carry in my backpack a collection of plastic bags for any spontaneous purchases. At home, I compost and recycle glass, plastics, paper, cardboard and metals- mostly stuff that I pick up during the day. With the inorganic waste that is left over (plastic bags from pasta, etc.) I make what we call in Nicaragua Eco-ladrillos (Eco-blocks). Basically, you compact clean, dry inorganic waste into empty plastic bottles. These can later be used for construction! The end result is very nearly zero waste! Here is a site about Eco-blocks. http://ecoladrillo-lafabulosa.blogspot.com/p/prueba.html
This post was submitted by Peter Schaller .
I have been using menstrual cup for many years now and I have saved lots of money because of that. Not to mention about reduced waste because I’ve stopped using tampons and sanitary napkins.
First when I heard about the m-cup I was very suspicious and felt a little disgusted. But after all, period is very, very natural phenomenon and you should just take that kind of stand to this.
The cup is very easy to use and clean. Many of us have cleaned our children’s poop and we have been in contact also with other not so pleasant secretions. Menstrual blood is no different to those. Cleaning the m-cup can be dealt with the same casual attitude that you use when wiping your own butt.
And the great thing is, you can use the m-cup for longer times than tampons that needs to be changed every, what, 6 hours or so. I can sleep with the cup, swim with it and use it over and over again with zero waste and money.
This is a clear win-win situation. Me and my planet both win!
This post was submitted by Kikko.
After reading (and highlighting) this book, it has changed the way I think about food, resources, and trash. I will not contribute to water bottles or plastic bags ever again. I have told myself to start eating better so I can lose weight, but that was not working. Now, I will eat better for my planet.
This post was submitted by Roxy Murray.
When you say no to disposable culture and invest in more permanent products you take less trips to the store, which saves time and money, and eliminate the waste you generate. Here are a few of the simple lifestyle changes that have made a big difference in the way I consume:
- Carry reusable bags in your car all the time and use them at ALL stores. Ever notice how much trash you have to throw away after a trip to the grocery store (packaging, tons of small plastic bags, receipts, etc.)?
- Stop using the little plastic bags in the produce section. Put your fruit & veggies straight into your cute cloth bags or ask “does this vegetable that I’m going to wash & peel really need to be transported in it’s own plastic wrap?”
- Give up paper towels. Seriously, you won’t miss paying for them, using them, or carrying the huge bulk pack home. Invest in more kitchen towels, use old t-shirts as cleaning rags, get pretty cloth napkins.
- Use cloth bags to buy from bulk bins when you purchase food such as beans, rice, nuts, etc. instead of buying from a box or can. When you get home, transfer the food into glass canisters & jars (I save all glass jars from pasta sauce, pickles, etc., remove the labels, and wash them for this very purpose).
-Invest in a sturdy set of tupperware (all different sizes) so you never have to buy plastic baggies again. I use my tupperware for everything from sandwiches to pre-portioned homemade trail mix. Best of all it can go in the freezer, oven, and dishwasher.
-If you order take out or delivery, save the plastic containers and utensils to reuse. Let the restaurant know if there is anything you won’t use, such as ketchup or napkins. They’ll appreciate saving their product & you’ll appreciate not wasting.
-Buy larger bottles of items such as shampoo in order to save money and generate less waste
-Lastly, choose your stores wisely. Every shopping trip and every brand selection is a ballot cast. Make sure you are voting for the company that respects your health and values.
This post was submitted by Destiny.