The First of Many

Hello and welcome to the first post on Econduct, a blog about going green! Since this is the inaugural entry, it will be quite lengthy. The rest of the entries on this blog will go more in-depth about the finer points of going green. For this entry, I have broken down some tips by using the three R’s: Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. You will notice that the Reducing section is the longest. That’s because I feel it is the most important. This initial method nips environmental harm in the bud.

Reducing (replacing all disposables and shrinking your carbon footprint overall)

1.      Stop using paper towels! Use hand towels instead. Afraid of germs or mixed contamination? Let me share my tried and true color system for hand towels:

a.       White is for water (drying dishes and surfaces)

b.      Green is for gross (cleaning up biospills)

c.       Clay is for cleaning (using cleaning sprays)

d.      Blue is for you (hand drying)

This method helps avoid contamination. If you are still concerned with real disgusting messes, like cleaning out a litter box, use newspapers in lieu of paper towels.  Also, replace paper napkins with cloth napkins.

2.      Don’t use disposable plastic or paper ware. Here are a few tips on avoiding use of these:

a.       Keep a plate, bowl, coffee mug, water cup, and set of metal utensils at the office or in the car

b.      Put together what I like to call a “Traveling Triple R” kit (Three Rs are for Reduce, Reuse, you get the idea).  This kit consists of the following:

                                                              i.      A set of collapsible utensils, like the ones seen here

                                                            ii.      A handkerchief

                                                          iii.      A small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s, as seen here

Take this kit with you everywhere you go. Use the soap to clean the utensils in a public restroom.

c.       Bring a food storage container with you if you plan on eating at a restaurant. Use this if you have leftovers.

3.      Don’t buy bottled water! Not only is this a tremendous waste of money, its havoc on the environment. Buy yourself a stainless steel water bottle and carry it everywhere.

4.      Buy in bulk (and within reason). Buying in bulk reduces packaging. But don’t buy anything you won’t use.

5.      Don’t use paper if you don’t have to.  If you have a mobile device, use it for notes and directions. Like to send letters and notes? Generally, an email can be just as heartfelt.

6.      All of these sound like everything you’ve heard before? Try this: instead of buying DVDs or books, use Netflix or the library. It will save you money, and you won’t have to sacrifice entertainment. Think of these as the Zipcar for movies and novels. Speaking of which…

7.      Get rid of your car, if you can. If you live and work within walking distance to a subway system, you don’t need a car. Look into using Zipcar.

8.      Consider going vegetarian. I will be posting several delicious recipes on this blog that will help smooth the transition.

9.      Make your own cleaning products. I will be posting some formulas on this blog in the future.

10.  Unsubscribe from all junk mail services. I will post more later on how to do this.

11.  Turn out the lights when they are not needed.

12.  Unplug all appliances when they are not in use.

13.  Finally, check all your utilities to make sure they are working efficiently. Make sure the faucets aren’t leaking, make sure the stove is working properly, and replace all light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.

Reusing

1.      Think twice before disposing glass. Glass jars can be reused for all kinds of storage

2.      If you must use paper, think twice before disposing any of it. Paper can be used for cleaning or scrap.

3.      Have old clothes or textiles that are too ratty to give away? Consider using them for crafts! Unravel old sweaters and reuse the yarn! Turn an old t-shirt into a satchel! I will be posting craft ideas here in the future.

4.      Don’t throw away bags or non-recyclable plastic containers! You can use these for non-food storage or for gifts.

5.      Don’t throw away cardboard boxes. Use them for mailing or storage.

6.      Donate before disposing! Need to get rid of stuff? ALWAYS donate it before disposing it.

Recycling

1.      Contact your local waste management about obtaining a recycle bin.

2.      Look up recycling rules on your local government’s website. Learn them, love them, live them.

3.      Compost all non-animal food items. I will talk about composting at a later time on this blog. Don’t have a garden? Some cities collect compost, and you could always try donating or selling it to a community garden. Contact your local government for answers.

More to come! Stay tuned!