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:
Last week we joined Mrs. Green in her annual Zero Waste Week event. The theme, this year, was "one more thing". The idea was that if we generate any waste at all, then there has to be one more thing (at the very least) which we can do to improve. I discovered something interesting during the event. Time helps us reduce waste. Let me explain. When we decide that we need an item, we can run out to the store and make a purchase. On the other hand, if we give ourselves some time before making a purchase, we can often find something in our homes which will meet our needs. By doing so, we've used an item which might otherwise be tossed out, and we've reduced the need for a new item (and all the energy and natural resources required by manufacturing processes).
By the way, Mrs. Green has begun a Zero Hero Facebook page and everyone is invited to join. The page will be a forum, of sorts, where the waste reduction conversation can continue. Have a difficult waste challenge? Post it on the page and see what solutions are offered. Have a great tip? Share it with others. This page promises to be a terrific resource. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/377509552402840/
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.
Alica not only reduces waste at home, she takes action at work as well. She says, " There is always room to improve in this area! We try to have very little waste not only at home but in our business also. We are going to be trying some new things for Eco Natural in the next few months and I am working on my grocery trips having less waste. Always looking for great ideas and tips concerning this."
Katie focused her efforts at the grocery store. In addition to shopping in the bulk-bin isle, she's going to speak to an employee about a possible change. Can you guess what it is? Find out in Zero Waste at the Grocery Store [#CTWW].
Mary shared a great idea: "Great idea - there is always something more we can do, and this is a great reminder! One idea is if you use a juicer, instead of throwing away the pulp, you could save it and add it to a casserole! There's a lot of food wasted, and it's possible to use it all!"
Lady JC decided to go paperless this week. In Zero Waste Week - Going Paperless - Change the World Wednesday she shares her beautiful cloth tissues, napkins, and (un)paper towels. Yep, paperless towels! Brilliant!
Aimee (aka EcoGrrl) reduced waste in a big way! Check out her comment: "Always good to have these reminders every few months! I'm proud to say that since my husband arrived on the scene, we have not seen any noticeable difference in the amount of trash that goes out once a month - still only about 1/2 a bin that's picked up every 4 weeks. I'd still like to improve upon that, of course! On a larger scale, we'd started talking about replacing our sofa because we didn't know it was possible to re-stuff a sofa whose cushions were sewn to the frame. Well it is! I posted the link to an article showing how on my EcoGrrl-icious column this Friday. What a relief - I mean we'd have gotten a vintage or eco-friendly sofa and this one would have been donated, but I adore this sofa and am so happy we get to save it - and learn a new skill!" If you'd like the link, check out her EcoGrrl-icious post.
Lois has recently purchased a home and has some unique waste challenges. In Change the World Wednesday: My biggest Challenge she explains. And be sure to scroll down to see a photo of her new house. Congrats, Lois!
Susan joined us. Welcome, Susan! She says, "Thank you for your tips! It is great to come together in accountability and save the planet!" By the way, check out Susan's site for some great cloth produce bags ... great for eliminating plastic and waste!
Change The World Wednesday got a nice mention in Hottest Writers on the Web. Thanks to Kayelle Allen for including us!
Welcome to Taylor Made Ranch. They shared this brilliant tip: "Keep a reusable canvas bag rolled neatly into a plastic sleeve and tuck it next to your car's seat. That way if you make an unscheduled stop by the store you can just reach down & grab your reusable bag. The plastic sleeve keeps everything clean & you don't have to bring home a plastic shopping bag."
(La) Alicia has been reducing paper waste for a long time. In fact, it's her business. Check out what she does with rescued paper: Layered Necklace on Cobalt Blue Cord - Eco Chic. Beautiful!
Welcome back to Cinella. She's been away from CTWW for awhile but she has returned, this week, in grand style. Zero Waste Week 2014: Can it be Easy? offers a place to start ... shopping. She goes on to offer links to giveaways of reusable items and invites everyone to her YouTube channel where she's sharing her waste-reduction efforts. So nice to see you, Cinella!
The kitchen is a great place to focus our efforts. In Zero Waste: Waste Not, Want Not, Laurel offers some fabulous ideas. She suggests soups, stews, and even breads as methods to eliminate waste. Thanks, Laurel ... so glad you joined us!
Lisa offered us some great ways to meet this challenge: "The list could go on for a long time. Buy products with less packaging, buy products that can be used for more than one thing, make a big batch of cleaner and pour it into reusable spray bottles."
Argentum Vulgaris (AV) celebrated a birthday recently and hosted his annual birthday BBQ Bash. Happy "Belated" Birthday, AV! In previous years, he's said that he didn't have enough plates and utensils for all of his guests, so had to resort to disposables. How did he do this year? Find out in Change the World Wednesday – 3rd Sep. Be sure to read the entire post because AV talks about how bringing trash home actually reduces waste.
Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:
From @GiveTreeGifts
- Reduce waste created by packaging. Buy produce at your local farmer's market & take your own cloth bags. #BuyLocal #CTWW
- 15 Ways to Reduce Food Packaging ow.ly/B28Pt #CTWW
- WWF - Waste Management: Evaluate How You Can Reduce Packaging Waste in Your Home ow.ly/B28W9 #CTWW
- Reducing wasted food & packaging ow.ly/B292t #CTWW
From @GreenQueenofMod
- #CTWW Eliminate single-use drip filters with a mesh insert. Save money. Save the planet. #reduce #zerowaste pic.twitter.com/xrAFHRAnnm
- #CTWW Say NO to single-use #diapers—use cloth instead. Better for #baby! 20 years later I have terrific dust cloths too! #zerowaste #reduce
- #CTWW Use a #Swifter when cleaning? Don't buy disposable cloths—use cut to fit rags from old Tshirts instead. #zerowasteweek #repurpose
From @AMCConsolidated
- we develop our product lines with ways to reuse products and thus reducing waste.
From @ConservationM
- Creative ways to use your overripe bananas #zerowasteweek #ctww squishablebaby.com/zero-waste-wee… … fb.me/IJasDBPn via @Squishablebaby
From @eitsart_design
- Wasting less food is definitely something I need to work on. Eat more leftovers!
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:
The price of waste is high. It costs natural resources to produce new items. It costs space for landfills, contaminated soil and water, and polluted air. It costs us money, time, and energy. In my view, the cost is too dear.
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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| Pest populations are increasing due to Climate Change |
Here's your challenge ...
All of the green-living activities which we, as Eco-conscious people, adopt help control climate change. But we need more people to climb on board. So, this week, encourage others to take action against climate change. Need some ideas? Write a post about the situation and ask your readers to take on an Eco-friendly activity. Open a conversation with friends and family. Write to officials with your concerns and suggest actions which they can take. The idea, this week, is to get other people thinking about climate change and acting against this threat.
Are you ready to reach out to the world? 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 Natural Family Friday