Some Green
I am not sure why I get to thinking more about green aspects of life during the holiday season, but I do. Maybe it because I start thinking about the primary colors of Christmas or maybe it is the green of the Christmas tree? Really I should be thinking more about it all the time and I suppose in some ways I am doing that. Anyway, all that aside I have a few more green tips that I have been keeping in my head for a bit and thought I would get share before the end of the year.
- Use clothe for blowing the nose and such instead of paper. I have been practicing this one for awhile myself. It just occurred to me one day when I was about to buy a box of tissues. Besides, the stuff they put in all the tissues now makes this one just make sense. I have a flannel (soft) that was cut from a pair of worn out pajamas (so even more recycling) but hankeys and bandanas are cheap enough too.
- Limit the use of straws as much as possible. Lets face it, you get the plastic straw, use it once and dispose of it. Worse is the fact that 90% of the time they are wrapped, in usually paper but a lot are in plastic these days too. I know it does not set well with some folks, but give it try. And if that does not work, buy some of those heavy duty straws to use at least at home – that can be washed and re-used.
- One thing that has bugged me a bit of late is the propensity for coffee shops to try and serve with paper cups even when I specifically say, “for here please.” They have mugs and those are washable – if I am getting it to go, first I will not go to the coffee shop – but second I would bring in my travel mug fro the truck
- On the same vein, think about not getting the lid if you do get a soda the quick mart or fast food place. As I have gotten used to not having them, I drink down enough before I get in the truck and I am good. Of course the better option is to have a refillable cup/mug anyway that you just rinse out.
- I have gotten to the point of thinking about restaurants and how much trash they generate. Fast food clearly be bad already and on my list just because of what they do to the food system anyway, but my what an amount of waste they generate. Up the scale a bit but still making a lot is all the places with paper napkins and of course a of lot of those use plastic or styrofoam based plates. Think about it the next time you pay a bit more but dine somewhere with clothe napkins and actual dishes that can be washed. Thinking along this line makes me think of a restaurant concept of both locally produced food and serving it in the greenest way possible – minimizing to almost no waste produced. Would people pay the slightly extra for it?
- I mentioned these last year around this time, but a few quick holiday suggestions:
- get a life tree with root ball and plant it after the holiday season
- or use a life tree and mulch it later and in the spring plant a few saplings for much of nothing
- use minimum wrapping paper
- or better yet, recycle with the color comic pages from you Sunday papers or some brown paper bags that you and the kids decorate
- recycle all the wrapping paper and packaging material from the Christmas morning present frenzy
