More Eco Ideas

We got so many awesome responses to our eco contest that we've decided to post as many as we can. We can't post every response from every reader, but we did try to post at least a part of every response from everyone. We're really encouraged by what our readers are doing, and we figured that if we learned new things while reading them, we should POST them so everyone can learn! Does that make any sense? We just ate so much fruit cup that we are having trouble with basic sentences. Anyhoo.

In no particular order:

I am saving and reusing the glass spaghetti sauce jars as candle holders – as seen for about $20 in crate & barrel.

Not buying water in plastic bottles, instead making my own lemon and mint
and tap water mixture in a mason jar. [can we just say we are so trying this when we go home?]

Instead of buying plastic jars for storage I've been saving glass jam
jars.

Trying to bring an extra tote with me shopping or not getting an
unnecessary bag.

My next goal is to stop buying things with tons of plastic packaging.

I'm becoming more eco-friendly by doing as much food shopping as I can at my weekly local green market.

Replacing my lightbulbs w/ CFLs and LEDs.

Use canvas bags for all shopping

Reuseable cloths for cleaning or washing dishes (take that, sponges)

Biking everywhere

Reuseable containers for lunch, etc

Composting!

We're not having children. No diapers  or big wheels going to landfill but, more importantly, we're not adding  extra people to use resources and leave carbon footprints.

Keeping reusable shopping bags in my home, office, and purse so I'm never without one when I need it. I try to avoid plastic & paper shopping bags as much as I possibly can.

I've moved to cleaning my entire house exclusively with vinegar, coarse salt, baking soda, and dr. bronner's sal suds. they work great and i don't miss the chemicals at all. I'm trying to keep my roommates on board with this as well.

Buying lots of my food items in bulk, and reusing the containers for them

Shopping for most of my produce at local farmers' markets

Nagging everyone about recycling

Washing dishes with as little water as possible

Using Freecycle or Craigslist instead of throwing things out. I've found that there's almost always someone who can use even the weirdest things.

I bought a sigg, compost, take back bottles, use canvas shopping bags,
and read magazines at the library instead of subscribing.

I rehomed the bike that was too tall for me to ride comfortably
and which i never rode and rescued another old bike from my friend's
dusty garage, cleaned it up and now use it as my primary mode of
transportation instead of my car. This year, I've filled up my gas tank 4 times. FOUR!

I fixed my motorcycle. now, on the occasions when I can't use the
PATH train to get into manhattan (line being closed, or I'm crunched
for time), I can ride my motorcycle instead of taking my car.

I am a runner and am very fitness-minded. I was very close to
joining a gym this past fall. ultimately, I opted out -- not so much
due to the expense (my health insurance helps out with gym fees) but
because I realized that running on a treadmill is a) unnecessary and
b) therefore wastes energy.

I've modified my diet to be much greener.

  Iquit using the driers at the laundromat to completely dry all my
clothes. I wash with cold water, then do one 8-minute drier cycle.
then I lug everything home and hang it up to line-dry on the line I
strung up all zig-zaggy across my fire-escape.

I've been using a diva cup (reusable menstrual cup) for 5 years
now. see ya, pads!

I am becoming more ecofriendly by only driving to and from work and biking everywhere else i need to go!

Picking garbage with friends in park (self organized)

Double side print everything

I’m re-using (bonus points?) my mom’s old road bike from the 70’s to commute to work.

I live in

New York

so I live in a very small studio (about 250 sq feet) which requires less electricity to keep the lights on and heat the place.

We keep whatever our curbside recycling doesn't pick up and my
husband takes it to the university where he teaches and recycles it at
their facility.

We had rain sensors installed in our irrigation system, so it won't
water our yard if it has recently rained or is currently raining (I am
baffled by this whenever I see it, especially when it's at a
city-owned property).

I don't use drive-throughs anymore.

Even though we live in

Florida

, we leave our thermostat at 78 or
higher to save energy.

 I use old-fashioned cloth dish towels (the kind that you hem) in lieu of paper towels

I use the disposable bamboo plates sold by Greenfeet and thrift-store-gathered cutlery instead of plastic for picnics – the bamboo plates are always a major hit and have now caught on with other families and friends

I do not purchase food or drinks in single-serving-sizes and otherwise try not to patronize companies that use egregiously excessive packaging

I read my favorite publications in online format only, if available, and otherwise patronize the library

Started recycling at parties - when I'd ask for the recycling location, I got told to just throw my can or bottle away. That didn't sit well, so I just created a recycling bin at parties I'd go to, or family gatherings!

Trying to be conscientious about buying local and in season.

See? We told you guys you were amazing. Keep it up!

-LB

Comments

[Andrea]

So glad you did this, Little Bunny. I was hoping you would. Great to see all the ideas.

[Jen A. Miller]

For one month, I'm not buying anything new except food, medicine, and running shoes. It's made me really think about everything I buy, and how I can re-use stuff (bag the bread came in? Dog poo bag). It's made me conserve everywhere else, too. I'm learning a lot, and it's only been six days.

[anonymous]

Ugh, I'm going to be a total party pooper, but is ANYONE else totally sick of this whole "green" craze? It's EVERYWHERE!
And honestly, I've been living green for years, but now it's this whole trend and it's cool, b/c that's awesome for the environment!
But I'm just sooo sick of hearing/reading/seeing it 24/7!!! Why all of a sudden does everyone care, this isn't some new problem!

[Martha]

I haven't used my clothes dryer in over a year. We strung up a clothesline between the house and garage, so that takes care of drying for spring,summer, fall. In the winter I hang everything in the basement. I had my unit of the duplex insulated.We now have a compost bin and will soon have a rain barrel.