Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World!
If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.
This post contains great information and I encourage you to read through it at your leisure ... however, if you are short on time, you might find the following quick links helpful:
Were you able to find creative uses for grey water last week? I learned something important. Some communities regulate the use of grey water. In my area, for example, systems must be installed and approved by environmental inspectors in our county's planning department. I'm happy that our local government is concerned about what we release into the earth and our waterways. It is also a reminder that we must always use safe and Eco-friendly cleaning solutions, soaps, and detergents so that grey water doesn't contaminate our environment.
The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing an article about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments.
Lisa left a great comment on our "Reuse" challenge: "Scrap paper is an easy one for most people to try. Rather than recycling paper right away, keep any sheets that are single-sided (flyers, handouts the kids get from school, no-longer needed printouts, etc.) . Use the back side of the paper as scrap paper. We keep ours in a drawer in the kitchen so it's available for writing down phone messages, shopping lists, etc."
Argentum Vulgaris (AV) offers several tips for using grey water in Change the World Wednesday – 18th Jun. One of my favorites is his new method for washing dishes. We might also say that AV is an opportunistic grey water user ... he made good use, recently, of water from a leaky roof.
Deborah joined us and shared this: "Re: Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Grey Water -- It is so important to find ways to conserve and reuse our precious resources especially water. I am looking forward to paying more attention to this issue of grey water and identifying effective reduce & reuse ideas."
EcoGrrl always offers us interesting comments, like this one: "I like to save my big pots of canning water to use in the garden! I had tried the bucket-in-shower thing but my shower is just so teensy that it kept getting kicked :( But hey I only take 2 showers a week so I think it evens out. Our rain cistern in front and barrel in back are worth their weight in gold - we just want more of them!!"
Alicia accepted the challenge and said, "This is an area in which we could improve so I will look for new ways to accomplish this. We collect rainwater and then use it to water our plants which I know isn't a lot but I will be very aware of this and try to accomplish getting better in this area!" Can't wait to learn what improvements you make, Alicia!
Do you keep emergency water on hand? Katie does and her comment includes a great reminder: "I have fallen by the wayside with grey water reuse, so I look forward to reading the tips from other greenies. I recently refreshed the emergency potable water, using the old water to water indoor and outdoor plants. I also wash vegetables in a big bowl and then reuse the water for plants."
Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:
From @AndreaPtak (aka @GreenQueenofMod )
- #Greywater Action has all the scoop on collection and use: greywateraction.org #water #conservation #environment
- MENews tells how to "Tap into #Greywater" ow.ly/y3KSU #water #conservation #environment
From @GiveTreeGifts
- About greywater reuse | Greywater Action ow.ly/yb5r5 #CTWW
- From Laundry to Landscape: Tap Into Greywater - MOTHER EARTH NEWS ow.ly/yb5vZ #CTWW
- Greywater Reuse, Grey Water Reuse ow.ly/yb5EG #CTWW
- Greywater Recycling ow.ly/yb5T5 #CTWW
- Green irrigation: How to use a greywater system ow.ly/yb63E #CTWW
- Using Gray Water" ow.ly/yb698 #CTWW
- Graywater for Gardens ow.ly/yb6i4 #CTWW
- Save Money by Reusing Greywater ow.ly/yb6oT #CTWW
- Common Greywater Mistakes and Preferred Practices ow.ly/yb6xG #CTWW
- Gray Water for Residential Use - YouTube ow.ly/yb6BV #CTWW
The #CTWW Gang are those folks who tweet our challenges using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I recommend following them ... they share great things. Let's meet them:
My Final Thoughts:
Grey water is an under-utilized, often-wasted resource. If we use non-toxic, environmentally-friendly detergents and soaps, it can be used for watering our gardens, cleaning, etc. During our daily activities, a lot of water goes down the drain. Imagine if we were able to use it more than once. Whether we use bath water to flush a toilet or install approved systems for our yards, reusing water reduces our overall consumption. That saves us money and helps the earth.
Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share features located below this post.
This Week's Challenge:
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| The natural world is full of amazing critters! |
In our busy lives, we often rush, here and there, missing the beauty which surrounds us. Life is everywhere!
I think it's time to slow down ... to look with new eyes.
Here's your challenge ...
This week, go outside and spend some time. Perhaps take a leisurely stroll down a hiking trail or sit in a park. If you have a yard, find a comfortable spot and look at the world around you. Take your time and relish the experience. The idea, here, is to discover and appreciate the natural world around us ... to see what we usually miss ... to marvel at earth's inhabitants.
I wonder what you'll see?
Are you up for this challenge? I know that you are!
Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!
This post is shared at Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Hop and Share Your Stuff Tuesday