Trying to Be More Ecology-Minded

When it comes to the debate between plastic and paper bags, I made up my mind a year ago: neither! I switched to carrying reusable cloth bags with me to the store, and enjoyed picking out the perfect shopping bags for my needs. The variety of reusable bags available today is vast, and there are some truly innovative products out there. My favorite so far is the Compact Acme Bag that folds up and fits in your purse or glove compartment. There is a product out there to fit every need and style that a person might have. So I wonder why people aren't using more of them?

The trickiest part of the whole equation for me is remembering to bring them into the store with me. To help myself out, I started keeping them in the car, but even that backfires sometimes. I usually always remember at the grocery store, but stores that I only make an occasional visit to present a bigger memory challenge. With practice, I'm slowly getting better.

I'll admit, it's a bit of hassle to bring my own bags with me. But only until I get into the store, and then I stow them in the cart or basket and forget about them until I get to the checkout. Over-zealous cashiers have also made the bagging process less than pleasant at times. When I hand them my cloth bags, some will look at me as if I just asked them to count out my change in pennies. I chicken out when I can and use the self-checkout lane. Some stores are getting more friendly to the reusable bag, though. In fact, at my local grocery store, I filed a request at the customer service desk for the store to start selling cloth bags. A few months later, it did! I'm sure there were other people also making the request, but it was exciting to see that switch. Now whenever I shop there and see people carrying the store's new cloth bags, I can't help but smile.

To get into the act, check out my favorite cloth bag website: Reusablebags.com. And don't forget to consider cloth produce bags instead of using the plastic bags at the store! Mine work great.

In East Hampton, New York, they don't have any garbage collection. Instead, you have to drive your trash to the town dump or the recycling center. Once you get there, you pay a $5 admission fee. Sound like a crazy idea?

When was the last time you paid attention to how much trash you produced? I know it's not the first thing on my to-do list. Our trash goes unnoticed, making the short trip from our kitchen waste can to the large garbage bin outside. But imagine if you had to literally put all your trash bags in your car and haul them across town. You'd sure pay attention then! You'd probably think of creative ways to cut down on the amount of trash you produced, right?

Well, I think that's the point of East Hampton's system. The idea of "pay as you throw" trash disposal may not make it to Harleysville, but I think the lesson here is to act like it did. Pretend for one week that there is no collection service, and see how much trash you produce. Would it fit in the trunk of your car? Your truck bed? Do you think you could find ways to cut down? Perhaps even look for products with less packaging?

There are so many greats products now that are made with the environment in mind. You can find toothbrushes from recycled yogurt cups, rugs made out of flip flops, even bowls made out of recycled chop sticks.

Here's a list of businesses that feature these and many more innovative products. Browse through them to see all the progress being made in the green industry, and hopefully get some great ideas on ways to reduce your own consumption.

	Do you bring a sandwich to work everyday? Try these reusable sandwich wraps.
	You may not be a fan of housework, but dusting is necessity. Make it more fun with these reusable dusting clothes from Star Fibers. Or try these biodegradable cleaning wipes from Method.
	Recycline sells those toothbrushes I mentioned earlier, plus recycled razors and tableware and kitchen products.
	Instead of buying cases of bottled water only to through all those bottles away after using them, get yourself a sleek Kleen Kanteen, which has the added benefit of not leaching any chemicals into your beverage. Or get one with a funky design from SIGG. If you're a Nalgene fan like me, they also have a line of BPA-free bottles.
	If you like to decorate your home with unique and unusual products, you could try a bowl, lamp or pencil holder made from recycled chopsticks. One of my personal favorite companies for decorative and creative products is Uncommon Goods, featuring the famous PeeWee teepees that some of you may be familiar with.
	If you're looking for a way to reduce your electricity consumption, turn to solar power. You can charge all your small appliances on the charger from Solio.
	Greenfeet sells all kinds of environmentally-responsible products, from decorative to garden to the ultra-practical. Green Home and Green Nest are two other retailers work checking out.
	Sometimes, being a friend to the environment means being responsible about where your products come from and how they're purchased. Buying fairly-traded is a great way to help other cultures become more self-sustaining. Locally, we have Ten Thousand Villages in Souderton, a very cool store to visit. Online, check out World of Good.
	To help the environment and stay safe on the road, join The Better World Club, an alternative to AAA's roadside assistance club. They donate 1% of their revenues to environmental cleanup and advocacy, and you can get discounts on hybrid car rentals, insurance services and auto maintenance, plus they even provide roadside assistance for bicycles!
	If you're disgusted by the amount of junk mail you receive, there are ways you can cut down on it. This article lists how to do that, or you can pay to have Green Dimes take care of all the details for you.
	Want to educate yourself on the best way to create a "green" home for yourself? The Green Home Guide offers all kinds of information, and Sustain Lane features reviews on products and links to other green businesses.

Most people think of recycling as gathering up their paper and aluminum cans to put out at the curb once a week. But you can recycle lots of different products! It takes a little research and some extra effort, but the reward is knowing that your stuff isn't ending up in some landfill where it will remain for centuries to come. In some cases, other people may even be benefiting from your old stuff.

	A good place to start is Earth 911. They have all kinds of information about what can be recycled and where to take it.
	Small one-use batteries can be recycled at Whole Foods stores, and portable rechargeable batteries are collected and recycled by RBRC. Rechargeable batteries are commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys.
	For info on recycling computers, eye glasses, cell phones and CDs, plus guidelines about how to dispose of non-recyclable materials, visit the recycle guides on here.
	If you're disposing of your cell phone, you may be able to get a little money for it. If it's on their list, Pace Butler will pay you for your phone. Or if you'd rather do something to help others, you can donate your phone to The Wireless Foundation, who provides phones to victims of domestic abuse.
	Computers and electronic equipment shouldn't just be thrown away. Find ways to recycle or reuse them on the EPAs website.
	Packing peanuts that aren't compostable (you'll know if they are by running them under water and seeing them melt) can be dropped off at UPS stores to be reused.
	If you have excess business materials or equipment, check out Throw Place, the internet's landfill alternative. They help businesses find ways to swap, donate or recycle their unneeded stuff. It's also worth checking it out before you buy something new—you might be able to find it there for free!
	One World Running collects donating sneakers and sends them to Third World countries to be reused by people in need. If shoes are too worn out, they donate them to Nike's recycling program.
	To give your furniture and other household goods a second life, and possibly even earn some cash for yourself, post them on Craigslist. Nate has done this lots of times and has always been happy with the results. If your stuff is still useful but not worth much, you can post it for free. One time Nate gave away a really old washer, dryer and refrigerator. You never know what people might want! We've also bought quite a few things on Craigslit, so check it out before you shell out big bucks for a new product. Another website to try is Freecycle, although I don't have any experience with this one.