green

I've neglected the green stuff for a long time. I think I started out too ambitious and thought I could change our habits in a week. I was wrong.

Things I have stuck with:
1. BYOB (bringing my own bags) to the grocery store, Target, etc. I confess to forgetting them a few times, and I feel badly when I do. I always recycle the ones I end up taking home, but I know that just taking the bags in the first place is the problem.

2. milk in glass bottles or cardboard cartons. I prefer the glass bottles because not only does it taste truly amazing, but there's no trash with it at all. It is more expensive than buying milk in other containers, however. I occasionally buy milk in cardboard cartons, but we are still mostly drinking Shatto milk.

3. no more bottled water. We bought a Brita pitcher and although the filters are not yet recycle- able, it's still better than all those little individual bottles. unfortunately, we sometimes buy some vitamin water, which, as far as i know, only comes in individual plastic bottles. we don't buy it often, but....ugh.

4. i am using biodegradable detergents and hand soaps. it recently occurred to me that if we switched to all bar soaps we'd be using fewer plastics, too. but i do buy a lot of the Method hand soap refills, which is better than buying a whole new bottle of soap.

5. we participated in our local CSA, which just recently ended for the season. and we do buy a fair amount of organic/local foods & produce.

6. Potty trained those kiddos over the summer so we're only using diapers at night---and only 1 diaper each night because Abby is dry all night long.

Things I'd like to work on more:
1. not using the fruit/veggie plastic bags in the produce section at the grocery store. but how to get around this, especially on a big shopping trip when i have lots of varieties, and several of each thing?

2. stop using plastic wrap and use only foil. but plastic wrap is just better for some things. argh.

3. stop using ziploc bags. i'm an addict. i do re-use when i can, but i am not great about it.


I wish I was better about this stuff. I need to quit being so lazy.