Earth Week, Day Six

Some tidbits you may not know:

Billions of diapers a DAY are thrown into landfills...Cloth diapers may take a little more work, and are a tad expensive to start out, but a billion times better than a plastic diaper! I've done a little bit of research about biodegradable diapers, only to find out that they really don't have any benefits for the environment if they are thrown out with the trash. There are some diapers that are supposed to be flushed down the toilet, but that just doesn't make a lot of sense to me, when you can just as easily wash a load of diapers and reuse them! You can find cloth diapers on ebay, etsy, and www.diaperswappers.com

Did you know that you can buy recycled toilet paper? I've used the Seventh Generation brand, and it works just as well as my other go-to brand (the cheapest, in the 24 pack, yikes paper for the bathroom is expensive!) I have also found great deals for such paper on http://www.amazon.com/ if you want to get into bulk buying, which in this economy is a plus, considering the amount you can save if you do the math!

Jay and I recently discovered biodegradable trash bags, and though they may be a bit more expensive, if you want to do a bunch of little easy things, this is one of those changes that won't cause you any extra work, and it does help. The website we found, which is a great site for a lot of the things I've been talking about is : http://www.greenerdaze.com

Another thing that I like to do is use recycled paper. I squeeze every bit of use I can, and at http://www.givesomethingback.com/newleaf.html you can purchase a TON of paper for your printer/fax/copier that is made with 100% post-consumer waste, and processed chlorine free. For extra awesome, use the backs of already used paper to make notebooks for notes, or to print homework on, or to make your grocery lists.

Each year, Americans throw away 84.000 tons of alkaline batteries. Google rechargeable (AA,AAA,D,C Etc) and you will see that they are about the same price as throw away batteries. Now it just makes sense to buy them....save the planet, save some money!

I heard this on Regis and Kelly the other day : a lady suggested that we take Tupperware to restaurants to avoid having to use Styrofoam containers for doggie bags. Great idea!

Also, if you take your own travel mug to a coffee shop, a lot of them will actually give you a discount if they fill yours up instead of one of theirs!

Have you ever been faced with a pile of old cans of paint, and not know how to get rid of them? Well, you can actually donate unused cans of paint to habitat for humanity! How cool is that?

And lastly, for today, a couple of things that will help both your budget and the planet. Instead of throwing away old clothes and shoes, donate them to Goodwill, The Salvation army, or Am Vets (they used to have thrift stores...but it's been a while since I've seen one. I've been in BFE for twenty years, lol.) When you aren't getting rid of stuff, take the time to actually shop in these stores. The money goes to great causes, and if you dig in a bit you will find huge savings, and if you are lucky enough to have a great Goodwill like in Clarksville, Tennessee you will find awesome name brand stuff. Don't forget that Goodwill is where I found that China set! I'm not ashamed to say that the majority of stuff I use is from either goodwill, ebay, or consignment shops. My husband IS a soldier after all, and they don't pay us enough to shop for clothes at the mall! (not that I really would anyway. I HATE the mall!!!!)

Also, you can check out www.freecycle.com to find or get rid of things for free. Awesome website! Just be darned careful about meeting people alone in your/their house. ALL meetings should take place in public for your safety!!!