Keeping the Pet Of The Day world a green place?

[RICHARD]

What are you doing to keep the planet green?

I am not a tree hugger or activist. I am concerned about where the planet is heading and what we are going to leave for the people that follow us.

I know that simple things done by many are more productive than many complicated things done by one person are.

I have gone ahead and really stepped up my 'greening' and have seen some positive things come out of my efforts.

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I get two regular waste cans, one recycle can and one green/veggie trash can to put out for the weekly garbage pickup.

I have a compost heap that has reduced my 'Green Waste" output to less than one can a month. It's so good I already have plants growing out of the pile!

I have my steel "compost bowl" in the kitchen that I fill with the stuff that I have left over from cooking-no meat products! - and it's making me walk to the back yard and has opened my eyes to some of the projects I can start. I look at the place where I can grow some veggies and trees that need to be pruned so I can build the comnpost pile up!

My waste can output has gone from 2 - 60 gallon cans to 1 per week and my
Blue recycle can has threatened to pull my groin muscles!

All aluminum and plastics are taken to the recycle center and traded in for cash!

I flatten all my cardboard and try to rinse out all the food cans.

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I have changed to some flourescent lights-the output sucks on them and I still need a regular bulb to read by!

It's not a whole bunch that I have done but I was wondering what are some of the things that you have done to try and go green?

Hybrid cars don't count-that's not working to clean things up. Driving is not work!

[Sevaede]

We have the energy saver bulbs throughout the house (and in the outside lights). We, also, have a compost pile.

There is an organization here called "The Mission". It is run by a church, I believe, and they have built big red boxes all around town. Put in your paper and cardboard and they come pick it up for free!

I try not to throw anything away, at all. I usually always find a way to reuse things. Old, lumpy pillows? Sew up a pillow case, stuff the pillow inside, and sew it shut for a pet bed. Etc.

[shepgirl]

We have cut our garbage in half, use the recycling boxes and never use pesticides, for myself and my dogs as well as the environment. I clean out the closets 2X/yr or more and donate everything to charitable organizations instead of just garbaging it. We use washable dustcloths and cloth napkins instead of paper ones to limit the amount of garbage. All cleaners are environmently friendly. We compost everything instead of garbaging it, except meat products, and dairy. All bath and shampoos are natural and biodegradable. So much more that I can't think of off hand but our lifestyle has taken a real turnaround. The only thing we haven't switched to are the energy saving bulbs and that was because they exacerbated a health condition I have.

[Freedom]

We have the energy saved bulbs all over the house.
Use the recycle bins - blue one is for plastic, glass, metal; green one is for paper, cardboard etc.

We have a compost pile, that serves the veggie garden. Even the clippings from mowing the lawn go in that pile. (We mulch in the heat of summer, bag the clippings Spring and Fall and empty the mower bag to the compost.)

Avoid chemical fertilizers on the lawn and veggie garden. Marigolds go around the tomato plants as those keep the aphids away, and other things like that.

I never used paper towels or paper napkins until Dad moved in with me, almost 8 years ago. Now, between him and 14 pets, it seems inevitable.

[Karen]

We recycle paper, as well as cardboard, glass and plastic. Our city is very big on that, and if you you have cardboard boxes - say, for example, 50-year-old ones from your basement that might disintegrate if flattened, you can bring them to the recycle depot and there's a dumpster with a compacter attached.

I also direct Freecyclers there who wants books - there's a bring-a-book/take-a-book shed, and no one polices you, so you can either just leave a few books and abscond with taking any away, or vice versa!

We don't mow the lawn too short, so it conserves water better, and builds better roots.

[kitten645]

I do most of these things however living in an apartment is an additional challenge as there is no composting/gardening options. I'm also in a confined space to have more than one garbage can so I make lots of smaller trips to the recycling bin down by the dumpster.
I'm continually appalled at what is left at the dumpster. Perfectly good furniture, books, bikes etc. I try not to be a packrat so I virtually never take home anything I won't use. I LOVE Freecycle! There's NOTHING that SOMEBODY can't use! I went thru all my cleansers and switched to natural ones (white vinegar, lemon juice for spiders etc) I freecycled the things I won't be using anymore. I know it technically means someone else will do the polluting but I figure they'd buy the stuff anyway and my changing my ways helps. I've freecycled a bunch of broken appliances that "fix it' type's could use. It's great! Try it out!

[Russian Blue]

Environmental initiatives have been drilled into me from a young age. My grandparents used to recycle, reuse and reduce everything! They showed me I didn't need a Swiffer to properly clean the floor, or Fabreeze my make my home 'smell' fresh. I'm really shocked at the number of new products on the market that are popular yet so environmentally irresponsible. So many are one use, and they're in the trash.

My educational background is in Environmental Management. About 15 years ago, I helped plan recycling initiatives for the City of Toronto. The committee I worked with examined initial plans/costs to bring organic recycling to Toronto. Fast forward 15 years and Toronto now has weekly pick-up of organic recycling (called the Green Bin Program read more here), weekly blue box pick-up and remaining garbage gets picked up once every two weeks. The success rate of diverting organic waste from landfill is amazing with the Green Bin program!

We had an Energy Audit completed on our house and are almost finished implementing the energy recommendations. We live in a century old home, so fixing it up to save energy costs and help the environment is a win-win situation. Many of our home renovations were completed using re-used materials from renovation stores and we donated many items back to these stores to continue the cycle.

We will be converting our outside gardens/landscaping using Xeriscaping methods. If you're unfamiliar with this, check out this link: Xeriscaping

At the cottage, we use all natural products, keep the landscape as natural as possible, and will be installing a solar hot water tank.

On a day to day routine in the city, we try to use public transportation whenever possible, we buy things with the least amount of packaging and the least impact on the environment.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I take my own reusable bags with me...not just to the grocery but to the department store, the drug store...any shopping.

I unplug rechargers and the power strip to the computer when not in use.

I air dry many clothing instead of using the drier.

And the light bulbs, the sorting of greens and recyclables.

But I have to giggle...changing light bulbs is work but driving a hybrid isn't!

(yes, I drive a hybrid...and I keep the rpm under 2K as much as possible...but that is probably not as much work as changing a light bulb.)

[pitc9]

I use reuseable grocery bags.
Recycle everything that can be recycled.
Don't use the a/c in the house or car if I don't really need it.
Don't water my lawn.
Don't leave the water running when I brush my teeth and take short showers.

[catlover4ever]

- We recycle all plastic, paper, cardboard, and aluminum foil products.
- Turn off the water faucet when brushing our teeth or when my husband shaves.
- We use only organic products on our lawn and gardens.
- We keep the back field as high grass for the wildlife to use for coolness, food and shelter.
- No watering of our lawn and we leave it on the high side as well, the birds also love all the bugs/insects they can find when it is like this. I have nest boxes up on my property to encourage the birds to nest in our yard, they help to eliminate the bugs and insects, thus saving us from having to use pesticides.
- My flowers do get watered twice a week but I have spanish moss and other moisture retention things in or on top of the soil.
- Energy star appliances.
- Air dry the clothes as much as possible.
- We have a compost pile for leaves, grass clippings, weeds, etc in the back yard. I am working on a compost bin for household things.
- I just recently ordered energy saving blinds for all our rooms, this will help to keep the house cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. With the cost of energy and oil, anything I can do to help reduce our cost is worth the little bit of extra money that the blinds cost.

[cassiesmom]

i'm gradually replacing light bulbs (as they burn out) with CFLs.
My building doesn't recycle so I take newspapers and aluminium cans to my mom and dad's when I visit them.
I am trying to be good and give up plastic grocery bags! I keep a reusable bag in the car.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Let's see,
I also air dry my clothes (I the smell in the summer).
I use cloth bags when I go shopping (as much as possible).
I take public transit as much as possible.
I recycle as much as possible every week (if I miss recycle day it starts to take over the kitchen )
I use a push mower on my lawn (and it is good exercise ) and I never water it.
All my curtains and blinds are either lined or room darkening (which help keep the heat out).
I have bought a new furnance, A/C, and other appliances that are all Energy Star.
During the winter I keep the house about 70F, so it is a little cooler than normal.
I have a large organic vegetable garden and I do not use any herbicides on the lawn.
Even the cats are going green ... I have switched everyone over to the Feline Pine which is biodegradeable.

I would love to have a compost bin, but my HOA does not permit them

[jazzcat]

I'm slowly doing better.

I recycle what I can - plastic, paper, cans and cardboard.
I don't compost but I do throw all the fruit and veggie stuff over the fence into the woods for the wildlife to eat. Something out there LOVES watermelon rind.

I've changed some bulbs to CFLs.

I bought a large bag of chamois cloths to use instead of disposable swiffers.

We also installed watersaver shower heads and my new washer and dryer are HE and energy star. I've already seen a difference in my water bill from the HE washer.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Well, my soy milk has a green cap. That means they offset the energy used to make the milk with wind power.

Sadly with no car, recycling is impossible in my town. No one will pick the stuff up so it all goes in the trash. I can't haul it all on the bus either.

I can't see by the new light bulbs. They just aren't bright enough. So, all in all, I'm not doing anything I guess. Well, I am saving gas because I don't drive any more and by taking the bus, I don't go as much.
Sorry Planet!!!

[RICHARD]

I just got a solar powered tea maker.

It's the top of the line model too. Made of recycled plastic and has a recloseable cap, I can put it into the fridge and when I am done I can
throw it away!


It's a two liter soda bottle. I rinse it out and roll up a tea bag to put inside, fill it with water and in the evening I have the best tea!

I go until I get ticked off trying to get the old tea bag out, then I chuck it!

To me, solar tea is better that the tea I make in the coffee maker!