Pip
Pip, thanks so much for that article. Wow, makes me sick to think about it.I'm really into recycling. We used to buy bulk but can't anymore in this apartment - no cupboards/pantry for storage. Whenever possible I avoid anthing with multiple packaging. Like why buy Crystal Lite in the individual serving tubs? I own a measuring spoon! And we reuse everything that's possible. Everybody, try this. Keep every disposable Ziploc bag in a pile for a week. See how big that pile gets and how fast? We wash them out with the dishes every night instead. That way we cut down on plastic waste and save money AND don't use what we're really at war for. Or how about washable shopping bags? We use the few plastic bags we get from shopping to line the insides of waste baskets. Not as pretty but just as effective and again; less money, less waste.
Katie - that's just wrong! Can you complain to anybody?
Ooooh, something else I almost forgot. Don't take a shopping bag for one item. If you can carry it, shove it in your purse. I once had a job that people would take a bag for a candy bar. Give me a break! They were going to eat the candy bar in the car!
Pip
Pip! I know you have great intentions about the ziplock bags but there are SOOO many germs on there even after you wash it. When Oprah had one of her shows about germs and such they had something about that on there.
I am a little OCD about recycling. Katie, I remember when recycling was first really big up here they used to charge us to recycle, not anymore though.
I rarely use plastic bags in the house; leftovers go into gladware semi-disposable plasticware. The containers last quite a long time; when they have developed cracks, then we recycle them. We generally recycle more than we throw away.We recycle as much as we can. I do the zippy bag washing too, depending on what was in it. if it was something like chips for son's lunch, we re-use it. I use unbleached waxed baggies for most things, but it doesn't keep air completely out, so sandwiches dry out if not eaten that day. We are slowly replacing our plastic containers with glass ones. They are expenseive, but I worry about using the cheap plastic in the microwave. I use laundry soap (Target) that is enviromentally friendly and recycleable dryer sheets (walmart) l also have cotton bags I take when I go to the market to put my groceries in. I am planning to sew loads of them for Christmas gifts this year.
I figure every little bit helps....
Deb
I tried using glass containers for storage; I ended up breaking most of them. The tons of methane gas that is made in this world each year is frightening and they are saying we are running out of land for dumpsites. My company has a recycling program for plastic bags, plastic hangers, the pill containers that pharmacies use, paperback books, shredded paper and hard plastic like jugs, containers, etc and we also recycle cardboard too. Did you know that the paperbacks that you purchase in the stores, when they appear not to be popular anymore, the front cover is ripped off then they are thrown away, they can not be donated to shelters, nursing homes etc, but we are now able to recycle them through my company. At home we have a recycling program and the city pushes for it because it comes out of our taxes, so you might as well recycle because you are paying for it even if you don't recycle. I use mason jars for putting noodles, nuts, etc in the cupboard the jars can used over and over and the same goes for the lids. I do the same with the plastic baggies too, but I don't recycle th ones I have used for raw meat. What amazes me is the paper that ends up in the recycling. So much of it is from the mail it is just disgusting. meme
We're big on recycling in our house, and although the city picks it up every two weeks, we have always filled the trash container to the top or overflowing. I'm so glad they started this here!
While working at a junior college, the office workers were very diligent about separating the trash. There was one solely for paper, and there was quite a lot of it. After beginning a later schedule, I noticed that the janitor put ALL the trash in the same bin!!!
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