1 Small Green Change: Silicone Ice Cube Trays. This month’s One Small Green Change is to switch from plastic ice cube trays to silicone ice cube trays.
Silicone is synthetic but it is considered safe because it does not contain BPA or phthalates. While the cold in my freezer makes the transfer of possible (and probable) BPA in my old plastic ice cube trays very low the silicone ice cube trays make it zero. DIY Faux Paper Towels. One of the first unsustainable products I “disposed of” when I made the decision to stop using single-use products, was paper towel.
Old rags made from torn up pieces of old cotton bath towels worked beautifully. They absorbed more than paper towels, they were free, and they washed up nicely to be reused again. They weren’t, however, attractive. I like beautiful things, and when I first came across faux paper towels (also known as un-paper towels) on etsy I was attracted to them.
Not only are they functional, eco-friendly and cheap to make: they are a beautiful addition to the kitchen! I hit up the thrift stores and purchased a few towels in good conditon, as well as a few pillow cases and napkins, also in good condition, made with a fabric pattern that suited what I was looking for. 1 large towel makes 12, 11 inch un-paper towels. Perhaps the most challenging part of the un-paper towel project is what to fasten them together with so they roll up nicely and stay together on the roll. DIY Reusable Food Wrap. Reasons To ♥ Reusable Food Wrap If you’re like me, there’s probably no love lost between you and plastic.
Except, well, plastic cling wrap is just so convenient. I mean, Pyrex glass storage containers are fantastic, but sometimes you already have something in a container that just doesn’t have a lid. Green Living Ideas - Sustainable, Eco, and Green Living Tips. The Green Guide - For Everyday Living. Green Living. Green Idea Reviews: Testing Sustainable Ideas So You Don’t Have To. Household Products Database. Homesteading. Homesteading: Food. Green Laundry. LILI - Low-Impact Living Initiative. Off Grid Living: Homesteading, Living Off The Grid, Sustainable Living, Survival, Prepping, Zombie Apocalypse, Disaster Relief – Living Off The Grid.
Homemade Sanitary Pads. In the article Food Storage Basics: Step 4 — Non-Food Items I explained the importance of storing non-food items as part of your emergency essentials.
However the ultimate long-term solution is learning the skills to be self-reliant. That way you’re not dependent upon your supplies. For example, a very important part of many women’s monthly routine is the use sanitary pads. But what if there were no stores available to get them? Well, since I’m definitely no expert on this myself, I thought I’d pass the baton to some of the ladies out there that have some experience with this. Keep in mind that the link descriptions are snippets taken from the webpage directly and are not mine How To Make A Circle Pad: When the sides fold in they make a wing unlike any other pad out there. 5 DIY Deodorant Alternatives - Mother Nature Network. Interested in uplifting stories on the natural world, sustainable communities, simple food, and new thinking on how to live well?
Please enter a valid email address and try again! No thanks. Homemade Fly Catcher. Concord, MA: Bans Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles. Cities across the country have already worked towards banning plastic bags, and now Concord, Massachusetts has become one of the very first communities to ditch the single-use plastic bottle.
The result of a three-year effort by local activists and an effective Ban the Bottle campaign, the new bylaw would make it illegal to sell non-sparkling, unflavored liquids in single-serving polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of 1 liter or less. With exceptions for emergencies, a first offense will garner a warning, the second infraction incurs a $25 fine, and the third transgression earns a $50 fine. Concord’s Health Division is in charge of enforcing the ban starting the first of this year.
According to Ban the Bottle, single-serve plastic bottles take 17 million barrels of oil a year to produce, enough fuel to power 1.3 million cars a year. In 2007, Americans used 50 billion bottles, recycling only 23% of that amount. . + Ban the Bottle Via Huffington Post. Hawaii: 1st State To Ban Plastic Bags. Plastic Bag photo from Shutterstock Los Angeles may have recently become the largest city to ban plastic bags, but Hawaii just knocked it out of the park by banning plastic bags statewide!
Honolulu County just joined the ranks of the ban, making every city in the state part of the plastic bag ban. Hopefully Hawaii’s rejection of plastic bags will inspire other states to follow their lead. Photo © Zainub Hawaii’s statewide plastic bag ban was not actually a decision made by state legislature – the banning of plastic bags is a decision left to each city. Maui and Kauai were the first to prohibit plastic bags at retailers, and the city and county of Honolulu finally joined their ranks with last week’s decision. New Homemaker: Homemakers & Moms. Top 40 DIY Projects For Natural Living. Junk Mail Madness - How To Make It Stop! Every time we embark on a new year, I think about all the extra junk and clutter that has accumulated over the last.
Two areas that I would like to cut down on even more is junk mail and phone calls from telemarketers. One is downright wasteful and the other is utterly annoying. We’ve been working on the many harassing phone calls we get each day using caller ID and blocking through the Do Not Call Registry, but my mail is still teeming with junk.