I read a lot of blogs and websites and books and Facebook feeds about eco-friendly endeavors far and wide.
It's hard to keep track of all of the products that might come in handy...someday.
Enter Pinterest.
Learn more about Pinterest and it's super fun new board widget and feel free to start following my adventures in green discovery.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Give That Back: Columbus Companies Who Reuse Their Packaging
Recently, I've been feeling a wave of nostalgia toward the age of the milkman. Reusing glass milk jugs, instead of treating them as disposable, just makes sense to me.
So when I heard that two of my favorite companies in Columbus, The Candle Lab and Sweet Thing Gourmet were offering to take back their glass jars for reuse, I got super excited.
I know I've mentioned The Candle Lab before. They sell create-your-own-scent or prefab soy candles (a preferable alternative to candles made with paraffin wax.) They also let you bring in your own jars, which means you could totally take in that sentimental pickle jar you've been hoarding for the right occasion and pay by the ounce to fill it with candle love.
Anyway, if you buy one of their jars, the beauty is that you can take it back when you've burned down every last bit of it, rather than chucking it in the recycle bin.
And what about when you dig the last spoonful of yummy goodness out of a jar of Sweet Thing Gourmet's jams & jellies. Hand them back the jar and you get a quarter. Woot, woot!
What an excellent way to encourage a repeat customer like me.
Do you know of any other Columbus companies who offer similar services?
Update: Middle West Spirits will take back their bottles for Candles with a Cause. Though they are recycling the bottles rather than reusing them, it's still a good deal. Especially when you consider that they give a 10% discount on one non-alcohol item in their gift shop when you return a bottle. Or you could make this outdoor torch.
So when I heard that two of my favorite companies in Columbus, The Candle Lab and Sweet Thing Gourmet were offering to take back their glass jars for reuse, I got super excited.
I know I've mentioned The Candle Lab before. They sell create-your-own-scent or prefab soy candles (a preferable alternative to candles made with paraffin wax.) They also let you bring in your own jars, which means you could totally take in that sentimental pickle jar you've been hoarding for the right occasion and pay by the ounce to fill it with candle love.
Anyway, if you buy one of their jars, the beauty is that you can take it back when you've burned down every last bit of it, rather than chucking it in the recycle bin.
And what about when you dig the last spoonful of yummy goodness out of a jar of Sweet Thing Gourmet's jams & jellies. Hand them back the jar and you get a quarter. Woot, woot!
What an excellent way to encourage a repeat customer like me.
Do you know of any other Columbus companies who offer similar services?
Update: Middle West Spirits will take back their bottles for Candles with a Cause. Though they are recycling the bottles rather than reusing them, it's still a good deal. Especially when you consider that they give a 10% discount on one non-alcohol item in their gift shop when you return a bottle. Or you could make this outdoor torch.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
3 Easy Ways to Reuse in the Kitchen
1. Reuse the coffee bag when you buy do-it-yourself ground coffee.
2. Reuse the rubber bands from produce (like broccoli stalks) for random household needs.
3. Reuse produce baskets to help organize your kitchen.
What everyday items do you reuse in the kitchen?
 |
| I have a few and rotate between them when I go to Raisin Rack for refills. The only trick is remembering to take them with you to the store. |
2. Reuse the rubber bands from produce (like broccoli stalks) for random household needs.
 |
| These tend to be thicker and shorter than typical rubber bands, which may be just what you need when you're in a "bind". Keep 'em around and I guarantee you'll find a use for them. |
3. Reuse produce baskets to help organize your kitchen.
 |
| A place to keep my reusable rags... |
 |
| A place to hold all of my odds and ends in the medicine cabinet... |
 |
| Or a place to keep all of my office supplies and aforementioned rubber bands. |
What everyday items do you reuse in the kitchen?
By Hand: Unplugged Utensils in the Kitchen
Using non-electric utensils in the kitchen is not always practical or preferable, but sometimes going old school isn't so bad.
Here are my favorite non-electric tools for the kitchen:
Here are my favorite non-electric tools for the kitchen:
- Can opener - Growing up, we always had an electric can opener. Not until I went to college did I find out that opening a can was just as easy with a hand-cranked can opener. Added bonus: it frees up prime real estate on the counter top.
- Garlic press - I know a lot of people who use mini food processors to chop garlic, but really, unless you're doing a whole jar's worth, it's a lot easier and a lot less messy to use a garlic press. (Confession: I only use the press to break the skin of the clove, then chop with a knife so I don't have to wash out the press, which can get a bit messy. I probably don't even need this tool, but as long as there's space in the drawer, I'll keep it.)
- French press - Although I still have to use an electric appliance (i.e. a microwave or stove) to heat the water, this handy dandy device is still one of my favorites. (Learn more from my previous post.)
- Juicer - I don't do a lot of heavy duty juicing, so a simple citrus squeezer does the trick for me. Right now, the one I have is plastic. I'm tempted to upgrade to stainless steel, but don't want to be wasteful.
- Knife - The most versatile tool in the world. Although blenders and food processors and mixers might do it faster, there's something about the monotony of chopping up a mound of veggies that I find to be quite comforting.
- Potato masher - Yeah, it's a bit more work, but lumpy mashed potatoes can be charming, right? And hey, you're building muscle, or so you tell yourself.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
What Happens When You Try to Reuse, Recycle or Reduce...and Fail Miserably
So...my MacBook (circa 2007) was starting to run slow. It wasn't the worst thing, but I use my computer A LOT and it was getting to be somewhat frustrating, especially when I was trying to edit large images with Photoshop and so forth.
I had already upgraded the memory (RAM) the maximum amount possible and had upgraded the operating system as much as it could possible support (Snow Leopard) about a year ago. I knew there wasn't going to be much else I could do with it as it continued to edge toward retirement.
Rather than buy new, I decided to take my employer up on the offer to buy a used MacBook Pro that they had decommissioned a year or two earlier. There were a few discards that were deemed to be in decent condition and I knew the MacBook Pro would support more RAM, therefore allowing it to run faster than my current turtle.
I went ahead and shelled out a few hundred dollars and brought it home. Immediately I realized that it wouldn't hold a charge when not plugged directly into the wall. Though I often use my laptop at home near an ample power source, I knew this would get annoying fast, so I took it into the Apple store to see what they could suggest.
They ran some diagnostics on the battery and determined that, due to its age, there wasn't much they could do to fix it, so they sold me a new one. A bit costly, but definitely not a deal breaker.
Once I got it home (again), I started the process of migrating all of my data. There were a few "must haves" on my list, including iPhoto. Unfortunately, since my laptop was used and the original software had long been lost, I didn't have a copy of the version of iPhoto that worked with the installed operating system. I tried buying a used copy of an old version of the software, but it didn't seem possible. (Side note: This is one thing I did not consider about the fact that most software can now be bought from the app store directly; once Apple decides they no longer want to support old versions, and therfore, old computers, they can disappear them, POOF!, like magic.)
So...I needed to upgrade the operating system. In order to do that, I needed to upgrade the RAM. After a bit of detective work, I found out that I could double the RAM, so I bought some new online. Not surprisingly, during my investigation I found out that my new/used laptop was also a vintage 2007, the same year as my old laptop. Still not a deal breaker, but it made me realize that it had been decommissioned well over two years earlier and was maybe not in the most pristine condition.
Anywho, I learned how to install the new RAM and then proceeded to install the newest operating system (Mountain Lion). Again, I would have been happy to install Lion, a prior version of the software that might have run better on a older Mac and could also support the newest version of iPhoto, but it is no longer available through the app store. (POOF!, remember?)
But all was well. The operating system installed without any major hiccups. iPhoto installed without any major hiccups. I did have an ancient version of Photoshop that I had been using that I could no longer install, which was a bummer, but I decided to start using the similar online service Pixlr as an alternative. If I couldn't accomplish what I needed to with that, I'd take it to work or ask my lovely sister the photographer for help.
Relief. Everything was finally up and running. I transferred over all of my bookmarks, my Quicken file for money management, my photos, videos, documents and the like. I installed the super wonderful Open Office and life was good.
Until...
About a month later, the screen up and died. I had a faint hope that it wasn't fatal, but alas, it would have taken all the kings men to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
But there was a silver lining. Another MacBook Pro, also decommissioned from work, was still sitting around, so I requested a "trade". My boss was all too happy to accommodate and I skipped home with my second new/used MacBook Pro in hand.
And...it wouldn't boot up past the gray screen. I spent two nights looking up support pages on my phone and trying various options.
(Side note: This is one of the reasons I love Macs. They're not perfect and they're horridly expensive and they're almost totally proprietary, but because of these things, they are a lot easier to support than PCs, IMHO. Since you can't mess around with their inner workings as much, they don't get as jumbled as PCs often can. Therefore, their support options are much more simple, such as "press Command+Option+P+R" instead of "boot up command prompt, type in this crazy long string of numbers, cross your fingers, turn around three times and sneeze over your shoulder.)
Long story long, nothing worked. So off I went to the Apple store again.
(Side note: I have to say, I had the BEST customer experiences in the 3 different trips I took to the Apple store as well as the chat conversation with support and the phone conversation with support during this whole debacle. Even when they couldn't fix it, I left feeling like they'd just given me a puppy. How do they do that???)
The second new/used MacBook Pro was pronounced dead at the scene. It was determined that it would be extremely costly to fix the problem (most likely a motherboard issue) and it would probably not prolong the life of the computer more than another year or so.
Unfortunately, based on the two specific problems with the two new/used computers, there was simply no way to cobble them together to make one working computer. I asked. Twice. I looked on the Internets. I pleaded to the heavens. It just wasn't in the cards.
Having already sold my old/old MacBook to a friend and having already decided that I was in need of an upgrade no matter what, I ended up buying a new-to-me refurbished 2012 MacBook Pro from the Apple Store and called it a day.
Moral of the story: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And it still might not get you anywhere.
I sincerely wish that I would have been able to save a computer from the landfill and save the environmental cost of creating a new computer from virgin materials. I realize I could have looked on Craigslist or eBay and bought another used computer that could have worked out perfectly, but I just didn't have it in me to go through the process all over again and worry that the seller was giving me a bum deal.
Alas, I have typed all of this on my beautiful new computer that I hope will last me for at least 6 years, as my previous MacBook did. If I didn't use this thing an average of 4 hours a day, maybe I could have lived with less?
We suppose we find out all too quickly where we draw the line when it comes to eco-friendly endeavors...
Til next time.
I had already upgraded the memory (RAM) the maximum amount possible and had upgraded the operating system as much as it could possible support (Snow Leopard) about a year ago. I knew there wasn't going to be much else I could do with it as it continued to edge toward retirement.
Rather than buy new, I decided to take my employer up on the offer to buy a used MacBook Pro that they had decommissioned a year or two earlier. There were a few discards that were deemed to be in decent condition and I knew the MacBook Pro would support more RAM, therefore allowing it to run faster than my current turtle.
I went ahead and shelled out a few hundred dollars and brought it home. Immediately I realized that it wouldn't hold a charge when not plugged directly into the wall. Though I often use my laptop at home near an ample power source, I knew this would get annoying fast, so I took it into the Apple store to see what they could suggest.
They ran some diagnostics on the battery and determined that, due to its age, there wasn't much they could do to fix it, so they sold me a new one. A bit costly, but definitely not a deal breaker.
Once I got it home (again), I started the process of migrating all of my data. There were a few "must haves" on my list, including iPhoto. Unfortunately, since my laptop was used and the original software had long been lost, I didn't have a copy of the version of iPhoto that worked with the installed operating system. I tried buying a used copy of an old version of the software, but it didn't seem possible. (Side note: This is one thing I did not consider about the fact that most software can now be bought from the app store directly; once Apple decides they no longer want to support old versions, and therfore, old computers, they can disappear them, POOF!, like magic.)
So...I needed to upgrade the operating system. In order to do that, I needed to upgrade the RAM. After a bit of detective work, I found out that I could double the RAM, so I bought some new online. Not surprisingly, during my investigation I found out that my new/used laptop was also a vintage 2007, the same year as my old laptop. Still not a deal breaker, but it made me realize that it had been decommissioned well over two years earlier and was maybe not in the most pristine condition.
Anywho, I learned how to install the new RAM and then proceeded to install the newest operating system (Mountain Lion). Again, I would have been happy to install Lion, a prior version of the software that might have run better on a older Mac and could also support the newest version of iPhoto, but it is no longer available through the app store. (POOF!, remember?)
But all was well. The operating system installed without any major hiccups. iPhoto installed without any major hiccups. I did have an ancient version of Photoshop that I had been using that I could no longer install, which was a bummer, but I decided to start using the similar online service Pixlr as an alternative. If I couldn't accomplish what I needed to with that, I'd take it to work or ask my lovely sister the photographer for help.
Relief. Everything was finally up and running. I transferred over all of my bookmarks, my Quicken file for money management, my photos, videos, documents and the like. I installed the super wonderful Open Office and life was good.
Until...
About a month later, the screen up and died. I had a faint hope that it wasn't fatal, but alas, it would have taken all the kings men to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
But there was a silver lining. Another MacBook Pro, also decommissioned from work, was still sitting around, so I requested a "trade". My boss was all too happy to accommodate and I skipped home with my second new/used MacBook Pro in hand.
And...it wouldn't boot up past the gray screen. I spent two nights looking up support pages on my phone and trying various options.
(Side note: This is one of the reasons I love Macs. They're not perfect and they're horridly expensive and they're almost totally proprietary, but because of these things, they are a lot easier to support than PCs, IMHO. Since you can't mess around with their inner workings as much, they don't get as jumbled as PCs often can. Therefore, their support options are much more simple, such as "press Command+Option+P+R" instead of "boot up command prompt, type in this crazy long string of numbers, cross your fingers, turn around three times and sneeze over your shoulder.)
Long story long, nothing worked. So off I went to the Apple store again.
(Side note: I have to say, I had the BEST customer experiences in the 3 different trips I took to the Apple store as well as the chat conversation with support and the phone conversation with support during this whole debacle. Even when they couldn't fix it, I left feeling like they'd just given me a puppy. How do they do that???)
The second new/used MacBook Pro was pronounced dead at the scene. It was determined that it would be extremely costly to fix the problem (most likely a motherboard issue) and it would probably not prolong the life of the computer more than another year or so.
Unfortunately, based on the two specific problems with the two new/used computers, there was simply no way to cobble them together to make one working computer. I asked. Twice. I looked on the Internets. I pleaded to the heavens. It just wasn't in the cards.
Having already sold my old/old MacBook to a friend and having already decided that I was in need of an upgrade no matter what, I ended up buying a new-to-me refurbished 2012 MacBook Pro from the Apple Store and called it a day.
Moral of the story: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And it still might not get you anywhere.
I sincerely wish that I would have been able to save a computer from the landfill and save the environmental cost of creating a new computer from virgin materials. I realize I could have looked on Craigslist or eBay and bought another used computer that could have worked out perfectly, but I just didn't have it in me to go through the process all over again and worry that the seller was giving me a bum deal.
Alas, I have typed all of this on my beautiful new computer that I hope will last me for at least 6 years, as my previous MacBook did. If I didn't use this thing an average of 4 hours a day, maybe I could have lived with less?
We suppose we find out all too quickly where we draw the line when it comes to eco-friendly endeavors...
Til next time.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Sandwich Bag Drying Rack
I decided to start reusing sandwich bags. This seemed like a daunting task, but then I discovered this pin on Pinterest.
I decided to make one of my very own, but I was even lazier and eliminated the rice. Voila!
One glass (that I can use for other purposes when not in need of a sandwich bag dryer) + wooden skewers (that I got in a swap) = Easy peasy.
I decided to make one of my very own, but I was even lazier and eliminated the rice. Voila!
Bikes and Books
I'll be the first to admit it; the new bike rest stop on the Ohio to Erie Trail behind the Westerville Public Library is awesome.
Its official name is the Westerville Legacy Train Depot and it features:
Isn't it purty?
Its official name is the Westerville Legacy Train Depot and it features:
- Shelter with picnic tables
- Benches
- Tire air pump
- Bike racks
- Bike lockers
- Water fountain with pet bowl
- and best of all, Bathrooms
Isn't it purty?
Let's Talk Litter
So, I've written about cat litter before.
There are some good reasons to eliminate clay litter from your household. But if you're like me, your cats are picky and they won't put up with many of the alternatives.
Besides the litter itself, however, I've also been plagued by the packaging. All litter I've encountered has been sold in disposable bags or buckets. Until now.
Yesterday I found out that Petco is selling litter in refillable buckets.
Anyone tried it yet?
There are some good reasons to eliminate clay litter from your household. But if you're like me, your cats are picky and they won't put up with many of the alternatives.
Besides the litter itself, however, I've also been plagued by the packaging. All litter I've encountered has been sold in disposable bags or buckets. Until now.
Yesterday I found out that Petco is selling litter in refillable buckets.
Anyone tried it yet?
Friday, September 21, 2012
Norman, the Eco-Friendly Cat Hero
Cats + eco-friendliness? Sold.
As cute as this video is, it is also trying to shed light on the state of Canada's seas.
The takeaway: Try to buy seafood products harvested using methods that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ecosystem for the future. Look for the MSC label.
More information.
As cute as this video is, it is also trying to shed light on the state of Canada's seas.
The takeaway: Try to buy seafood products harvested using methods that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ecosystem for the future. Look for the MSC label.
More information.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
When Good Bathrooms Go Bad...Then Green?
Ugh. The dreaded bathroom renovation.
Even before I bought my condo, I knew this was a project I would eventually have to undertake. The inspector had informed me that there was water damage that was making the floor unstable. Fast forward seven plus years and here I was, still living in fear that the tub would one day fall through the ceiling.
My brother is an awesome handyman, so I planned to have him do most of the work. But I wanted to do things the "right" way. Turns out that is much harder than I expected.
Rule #1 about eco-friendly home renovations: Many of the green options on the market are the privilege of the rich. Rule #2: Finding eco-friendly products is akin to finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
But in case you want more information, here's the rundown of what I discovered, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Shopping Tips: I read that you should look for the WaterSense label and that the toilet should use less than 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF). I also knew I wanted to try a dual-flush toilet. (You know, less flush for number 1, more flush for number 2.)
What I Got: Glacier Bay's Dual-Flush Toilet
Fan
Shopping Tips: The fewer sones, the better. Look for the EnergyStar rating.
What I Got: This one.
Faucet
Shopping Tips: Look for the WaterSense label and a flow rate of 1.5 GPM (gallons per minute).
What I Got: I chose the Delta Lahara 25938LF-SS. There was nothing on any of the boxes at the store that would tell the GPM rate, so I had to go with just the WaterSense label. Turns out that this one has a GPM rate of 2.2. Ah, well.
Lighting Fixture
Shopping Tips: Look for the Energy Star label. Use CFL bulbs. The usual...
Paint
Shopping Tips: I've read a lot about milk paint, but it's not recommended for high-moisture areas so it was a no-go. The other option is low-VOC paint.
What I Got: Low and behold that major retailers like Lowe's don't make low-VOC paints easy to identify. But the nice man at the paint mixing station told me that this one was awesome. I definitely liked it better than the one I tried from Sherman Williams a few years ago.
Here are some more paint tips, from yours truly, in case you're curious.
Shower Walls
It seems that using backerboard for the shower walls, rather than greenboard will help prevent mold and deterioration over time, so I went that route.
Trash
Due to water damage, I literally had to gut this bathroom down to the wall studs. This meant a lot of trash. Rather than trying to fit everything into a few Bagsters, I ended up renting a dumpster from Frog Hauling.
Unlike a normal dumpster, Frog Hauling will sort through the junk that they remove and salvage or recycle as much as possible before taking the remainder of the trash to the dump. This makes me happy.
As for some of the small stuff, such as shelves and towel racks and half-used gallons of paint, I plan to drop it all off at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Tub
This is the one item I was successfully able to reuse. It was disgustingly dirty after all the big demo and rebuild, so I scrubbed it down with a bit of Borax, which is the most magical cleaner ever in the world. My tub has never been so sparkly white.
Bath Mat
I think I'm going to try this one, which is made from something called vetiver root or this one, which is made from cork.
I wanted to go with something vintage or something made of FSC-certified wood or bamboo, with environmentally-friendly finishes, glues, etc.
Um, yeah, good luck with that. I tried all of the major bathroom retailers in Columbus, including retail stores like Crate & Barrel or Restoration Hardware as well as Columbus Architectural Salvage and bathroom & kitchen specialists like Bath Works. I found only three vanities that were in any way eco-friendly and that were small enough to fit in my seemingly super tiny bathroom, but they were literally 10 times the cost of a basic vanity unit at Home Depot or Lowe's.
The two places I didn't try but probably should have were antique stores (which would have taken a ton of time to peruse) and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore (which was closed the one Sunday I chose to visit).
Flooring
All of the eco-friendly books suggest using cork, natural linoleum or recycled rubber flooring. Come to find that the only cork flooring available at Lowe's and Home Depot is interlocking, which means that it is somehow affixed to a bed of particle board or MDF, which makes it not nearly as eco-friendly. As for natural linoleum or recycled rubber flooring? I am most certain these are figments of the imagination, as I couldn't find them anywhere.
So I went with ceramic tile. (And not even recycled ceramic tile, as it only seems to exist on the interwebs.) In any case, ceramic tile is durable and long lasting and is better for the environment than vinyl and more suitable for bathrooms than hardwood.
Miscellaneous
Solvent-free adhesives? Didn't see one label that mentioned solvent-free. Baseboards with a low-VOC, water-based finish? No dice. Low-toxic grout and sealants? Puhshaw. Who would think to ask for such silly things?
Also suggested by the eco-friendly gurus that write books? A tankless water heater and a circulation pump. I didn't even look into it.
I looked for shower curtains made from organic cotton or bamboo fabrics. There were a few, but not many and the patterns were very grandma-esque. I also looked on Etsy for shower curtains made from scrap fabrics, but there weren't any worth noting. Oh, well.
I wanted to get a vintage medicine cabinet or mirror, but so far they are freaking expensive. The jury's still out on that.
Looks basically the same, huh? :)
Even before I bought my condo, I knew this was a project I would eventually have to undertake. The inspector had informed me that there was water damage that was making the floor unstable. Fast forward seven plus years and here I was, still living in fear that the tub would one day fall through the ceiling.
My brother is an awesome handyman, so I planned to have him do most of the work. But I wanted to do things the "right" way. Turns out that is much harder than I expected.
Rule #1 about eco-friendly home renovations: Many of the green options on the market are the privilege of the rich. Rule #2: Finding eco-friendly products is akin to finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
But in case you want more information, here's the rundown of what I discovered, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Green Accomplishments
Dual Flush ToiletShopping Tips: I read that you should look for the WaterSense label and that the toilet should use less than 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF). I also knew I wanted to try a dual-flush toilet. (You know, less flush for number 1, more flush for number 2.)
What I Got: Glacier Bay's Dual-Flush Toilet
Fan
Shopping Tips: The fewer sones, the better. Look for the EnergyStar rating.
What I Got: This one.
Faucet
Shopping Tips: Look for the WaterSense label and a flow rate of 1.5 GPM (gallons per minute).
What I Got: I chose the Delta Lahara 25938LF-SS. There was nothing on any of the boxes at the store that would tell the GPM rate, so I had to go with just the WaterSense label. Turns out that this one has a GPM rate of 2.2. Ah, well.
Lighting Fixture
Shopping Tips: Look for the Energy Star label. Use CFL bulbs. The usual...
Paint
Shopping Tips: I've read a lot about milk paint, but it's not recommended for high-moisture areas so it was a no-go. The other option is low-VOC paint.
What I Got: Low and behold that major retailers like Lowe's don't make low-VOC paints easy to identify. But the nice man at the paint mixing station told me that this one was awesome. I definitely liked it better than the one I tried from Sherman Williams a few years ago.
Here are some more paint tips, from yours truly, in case you're curious.
Shower Walls
It seems that using backerboard for the shower walls, rather than greenboard will help prevent mold and deterioration over time, so I went that route.
Trash
Due to water damage, I literally had to gut this bathroom down to the wall studs. This meant a lot of trash. Rather than trying to fit everything into a few Bagsters, I ended up renting a dumpster from Frog Hauling.
Unlike a normal dumpster, Frog Hauling will sort through the junk that they remove and salvage or recycle as much as possible before taking the remainder of the trash to the dump. This makes me happy.
As for some of the small stuff, such as shelves and towel racks and half-used gallons of paint, I plan to drop it all off at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Tub
This is the one item I was successfully able to reuse. It was disgustingly dirty after all the big demo and rebuild, so I scrubbed it down with a bit of Borax, which is the most magical cleaner ever in the world. My tub has never been so sparkly white.
Bath Mat
I think I'm going to try this one, which is made from something called vetiver root or this one, which is made from cork.
Green Failures
VanityI wanted to go with something vintage or something made of FSC-certified wood or bamboo, with environmentally-friendly finishes, glues, etc.
Um, yeah, good luck with that. I tried all of the major bathroom retailers in Columbus, including retail stores like Crate & Barrel or Restoration Hardware as well as Columbus Architectural Salvage and bathroom & kitchen specialists like Bath Works. I found only three vanities that were in any way eco-friendly and that were small enough to fit in my seemingly super tiny bathroom, but they were literally 10 times the cost of a basic vanity unit at Home Depot or Lowe's.
The two places I didn't try but probably should have were antique stores (which would have taken a ton of time to peruse) and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore (which was closed the one Sunday I chose to visit).
Flooring
All of the eco-friendly books suggest using cork, natural linoleum or recycled rubber flooring. Come to find that the only cork flooring available at Lowe's and Home Depot is interlocking, which means that it is somehow affixed to a bed of particle board or MDF, which makes it not nearly as eco-friendly. As for natural linoleum or recycled rubber flooring? I am most certain these are figments of the imagination, as I couldn't find them anywhere.
So I went with ceramic tile. (And not even recycled ceramic tile, as it only seems to exist on the interwebs.) In any case, ceramic tile is durable and long lasting and is better for the environment than vinyl and more suitable for bathrooms than hardwood.
Miscellaneous
Solvent-free adhesives? Didn't see one label that mentioned solvent-free. Baseboards with a low-VOC, water-based finish? No dice. Low-toxic grout and sealants? Puhshaw. Who would think to ask for such silly things?
Also suggested by the eco-friendly gurus that write books? A tankless water heater and a circulation pump. I didn't even look into it.
I looked for shower curtains made from organic cotton or bamboo fabrics. There were a few, but not many and the patterns were very grandma-esque. I also looked on Etsy for shower curtains made from scrap fabrics, but there weren't any worth noting. Oh, well.
I wanted to get a vintage medicine cabinet or mirror, but so far they are freaking expensive. The jury's still out on that.
The Big Reveal
 |
| The Before |
 |
| The After |
Looks basically the same, huh? :)
Sunday, July 8, 2012
5 Ways to Eliminate Plastic from Your Life
So, I recently watched Bag It.
Just like King Corn a while back convinced me to give up my 20oz Mountain Dew bottle-a-day habit, Bag It has me convinced that I need to kick my plastic habit. Turns out this is much much much harder undertaking. I hadn't realized how many plastic bottles and wrappers and caps and lids existed in my life.
Here are 5 places I've been able to make a difference, so far...
1. Switch to bar soap: I used to use bar soap all the time as a kid, but for some reason when I became a teenager I switched to body wash, which comes in a plastic container. Over the last two years I've broken the habit and gone back to bar soap, which has significantly less packaging. I like Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Magic Soap Bars, but my new obsession is with Honeyrun Farm's Peppermint and Tea Tree Wake Up Bar, which I found at the Olde Worthington Farmer's Market. Just one tiny paper wrapper for packaging and a local product. Love.
2. Buy wooden spoons: Or get them as gifts. :) I've always been mystified by them, but it turns out that they are extremely simple and they don't break or melt like my plastic utensils used to. Just don't put them in the dishwasher! (P. S. I'm now eyeing the most spectacular wooden spoon that they sell at Encircle in Uptown Westerville, whose handle is in the shape of a cat tail. Yes, I am that person.)
3. Use laundry powder: It took me a long time to break my liquid laundry detergent habit. Growing up, we only ever used Tide. I finally moved away from that and started using Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena laundry detergent, but it comes in a large plastic bottle, of course. So now I've started using Ecover's laundey powder. I've only had one mishap of packing my load too tightly and having temporary powder residue appear on my freshly-laundered clothes. Lesson learned.
4. Try glass containers: Confession time. I still use a lot of plastic containers in the kitchen. I take reusable Ziploc containers to Raisin Rack to stock up on their bulk bin goodies like bulgar and granola and hot & spicy trail mix. I also store all of my fresh produce in large plastic storage containers in the fridge because I find it makes it last significantly longer. But I no longer use it for prepared foods or to microwave meals in. Instead, I use these nifty Pyrex glass containers. Although the lids are still plastic, they are BPA free and I never use them in the microwave. I'm hoping they will provide more lid options in the future. I also found that somehow I've lost or ruined a few lids over time and you can buy replacements separately through the Corningware Corelle Revere Factory Store outlet store in Lodi, Ohio.
5. Get mesh produce bags: I hated the fact that I would dutifully take my reusable shopping bags to the grocery store or farmer's market only to use plastic bags to store green beans and spinach and other loose produce that requires its own bag. Now I don't have to waste the extra plastic. These mesh bags are large and flexible and easily laundered in the washing machine. Yippee!
Just like King Corn a while back convinced me to give up my 20oz Mountain Dew bottle-a-day habit, Bag It has me convinced that I need to kick my plastic habit. Turns out this is much much much harder undertaking. I hadn't realized how many plastic bottles and wrappers and caps and lids existed in my life.
Here are 5 places I've been able to make a difference, so far...
1. Switch to bar soap: I used to use bar soap all the time as a kid, but for some reason when I became a teenager I switched to body wash, which comes in a plastic container. Over the last two years I've broken the habit and gone back to bar soap, which has significantly less packaging. I like Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Magic Soap Bars, but my new obsession is with Honeyrun Farm's Peppermint and Tea Tree Wake Up Bar, which I found at the Olde Worthington Farmer's Market. Just one tiny paper wrapper for packaging and a local product. Love.
2. Buy wooden spoons: Or get them as gifts. :) I've always been mystified by them, but it turns out that they are extremely simple and they don't break or melt like my plastic utensils used to. Just don't put them in the dishwasher! (P. S. I'm now eyeing the most spectacular wooden spoon that they sell at Encircle in Uptown Westerville, whose handle is in the shape of a cat tail. Yes, I am that person.)
3. Use laundry powder: It took me a long time to break my liquid laundry detergent habit. Growing up, we only ever used Tide. I finally moved away from that and started using Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena laundry detergent, but it comes in a large plastic bottle, of course. So now I've started using Ecover's laundey powder. I've only had one mishap of packing my load too tightly and having temporary powder residue appear on my freshly-laundered clothes. Lesson learned.
4. Try glass containers: Confession time. I still use a lot of plastic containers in the kitchen. I take reusable Ziploc containers to Raisin Rack to stock up on their bulk bin goodies like bulgar and granola and hot & spicy trail mix. I also store all of my fresh produce in large plastic storage containers in the fridge because I find it makes it last significantly longer. But I no longer use it for prepared foods or to microwave meals in. Instead, I use these nifty Pyrex glass containers. Although the lids are still plastic, they are BPA free and I never use them in the microwave. I'm hoping they will provide more lid options in the future. I also found that somehow I've lost or ruined a few lids over time and you can buy replacements separately through the Corningware Corelle Revere Factory Store outlet store in Lodi, Ohio.
5. Get mesh produce bags: I hated the fact that I would dutifully take my reusable shopping bags to the grocery store or farmer's market only to use plastic bags to store green beans and spinach and other loose produce that requires its own bag. Now I don't have to waste the extra plastic. These mesh bags are large and flexible and easily laundered in the washing machine. Yippee!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Neutralizing Nostalgia
Nostalgia makes simplifying your life difficult. When objects hold memories and emotions, it's easy to become attached to them.
Given that my "keep" rule involves getting rid of objects that I haven't used in a year or can't foresee using in the coming year, what of nostalgia? Most mementos, souvenirs and family heirlooms don't have a purpose outside of the memories that store.
Pictures, home movies, trinkets, jewelry... Unless you're planning to hang them, watch them often, display them around your home or wear them, their future is one filled with dust and dark basements.
Books
Do you have an attachment to your childhood library? I spent a lot of time reading as a kid and I love to reminisce about the books that kept me company throughout my formative years. But I don't need to keep boxes of books that I don't plan to reread around the house. So I've chosen to rebuild my childhood library using GoodReads.
I could have created a simple list with an Excel worksheet, but GoodReads automatically provides the title, author, description, and best of all, the book covers. I can even include my memories as a review.
Other options include LibraryThing or Shelfari.
For clothes that hold special significance and have gone out of style or no longer fit, try making something new from the scraps. You can brainstorm ideas with craft books for scraps.
Have a handful of event tees that you've worn thin? Try making a t-shirt quilt.
Home Videos
I recently digitized all of our old home videos. I was happy to get rid of all of the old, bulky VHS tapes that I couldn't watch anymore due to the lack of a VCR. I was able to transfer our home videos to DVD (and subsequently, to digital files) thanks to Keepsake Solutions.
Afterwards, I checked to find out if there was a way to recycle VHS tapes. The best option I found was GreenDisk.com. However, you have to pay for shipping and it would have cost me almost $50, so I opted to do the much less eco-friendly option, trashing them. :/
Over time, I plan to take the digital files and create a highlights montage. It will make the collection much more accessible and fun to watch.
Knick-Knacks
Take pictures of your favorite objects before you find new homes for them.
It seems silly, but an image can bring back just as many memories as the item itself. My parents used to have these strange hexagonal end tables in our family room. They disappeared between moves and I had totally forgotten about them until I was flipping through an old photo album. Even the smell of them came rushing back when I spotted them in the corner of a picture. I'd hate to keep them around, because they were truly ugly, but I love that I can still keep the memory of them close.
Still not sure about sending something you once cherished out into the world? Why not swap the item with a friend? They might have the perfect use for it and if they know how much you loved it, they will be sure to keep it safe from harm. And if you decide later that you truly can't live without it, you can swap it back.
...And A Bit of Mind Trickery
Aren't sure what you hold most dear, what you'll miss when it's gone, what you can't live without? Try putting some unused items in a box and setting them in an unused room. Wait a year and go through the box. What do you want to pull out first?
Given that my "keep" rule involves getting rid of objects that I haven't used in a year or can't foresee using in the coming year, what of nostalgia? Most mementos, souvenirs and family heirlooms don't have a purpose outside of the memories that store.
Pictures, home movies, trinkets, jewelry... Unless you're planning to hang them, watch them often, display them around your home or wear them, their future is one filled with dust and dark basements.
Here are a few tips if you're looking to reduce, but aren't sure how.
Do you have an attachment to your childhood library? I spent a lot of time reading as a kid and I love to reminisce about the books that kept me company throughout my formative years. But I don't need to keep boxes of books that I don't plan to reread around the house. So I've chosen to rebuild my childhood library using GoodReads.
I could have created a simple list with an Excel worksheet, but GoodReads automatically provides the title, author, description, and best of all, the book covers. I can even include my memories as a review.
Other options include LibraryThing or Shelfari.
For clothes that hold special significance and have gone out of style or no longer fit, try making something new from the scraps. You can brainstorm ideas with craft books for scraps.
Have a handful of event tees that you've worn thin? Try making a t-shirt quilt.
Home Videos
I recently digitized all of our old home videos. I was happy to get rid of all of the old, bulky VHS tapes that I couldn't watch anymore due to the lack of a VCR. I was able to transfer our home videos to DVD (and subsequently, to digital files) thanks to Keepsake Solutions.
Afterwards, I checked to find out if there was a way to recycle VHS tapes. The best option I found was GreenDisk.com. However, you have to pay for shipping and it would have cost me almost $50, so I opted to do the much less eco-friendly option, trashing them. :/
Over time, I plan to take the digital files and create a highlights montage. It will make the collection much more accessible and fun to watch.
Knick-Knacks
Take pictures of your favorite objects before you find new homes for them.
It seems silly, but an image can bring back just as many memories as the item itself. My parents used to have these strange hexagonal end tables in our family room. They disappeared between moves and I had totally forgotten about them until I was flipping through an old photo album. Even the smell of them came rushing back when I spotted them in the corner of a picture. I'd hate to keep them around, because they were truly ugly, but I love that I can still keep the memory of them close.
Still not sure about sending something you once cherished out into the world? Why not swap the item with a friend? They might have the perfect use for it and if they know how much you loved it, they will be sure to keep it safe from harm. And if you decide later that you truly can't live without it, you can swap it back.
...And A Bit of Mind Trickery
Aren't sure what you hold most dear, what you'll miss when it's gone, what you can't live without? Try putting some unused items in a box and setting them in an unused room. Wait a year and go through the box. What do you want to pull out first?
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