Neighborhood Trash Service: Stage 1 of Communal Living?

I'm stingy.  About as stingy as they come.  When our weekly trash service company began increasing my rate by $10 a month for 4 consecutive months, I got fed up.   I called around and was thrilled to discover that another company (Waste Management) was nearly 1/2 the cost and provided WAY better service.  This event was coupled with an ordinance in my town called "pay per trash" or something similar.  It basically rewards you for recycling more and throwing away less.  My new trash company offers 3 different sizes of trash cans and 3 different sizes of recycle cans (with lids AND wheels).  My old company offered none of these options and we just got a crummy tub to put our recyclabes in, had to sort it and most of it would blow away every week.

Since the new ordinance passed, I decided to opt for the giant 96 gallon recycle can and the medium sized trash can (about half the size of the recycle one).  I was nervous to use a smaller trash can but with all that room in the recycle one, I figured we were up to the challenge. 

I am very satisfied with my new trash company and we are generating surprisingly small amounts of trash.  Most of our things are recyclable and that combined with composting means that we only throw away meat scraps, oils, non-recyclable plastic stuff, styrofoam and odds and ends like light bulbs.  We haven't taken our trash can out to the curb for 4 weeks now and it is only half full!  Our recycling cup runneth over.  I think I'll switch to the even cheaper 25 gallon trash can!

Your task this month is to find a lower rate and better service for your trash/recycling needs.  If you want to take it a step further: once you find the lowest rate/best service, talk to your neighbors about switching with you.  This has multiple benefits:

1.  Fewer noisy/smelly trucks going down your street each week making it safer for the kiddos running around
2.  Better for the environment: pooling your trash needs to one company will help the company be more efficient in their travels
3.  You might be able to talk the company down even further on rates if you explain that your entire street has switched to them!

Get your friends on the "bagwagon"

3B Bags sent me some samples!  3B is offering a free shipping deal through Dec. 5th. Their reusable produce bags would make great stocking stuffers not to mention a nice, gentle nudge in a green direction!
3B Bags Website




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Greenbaby series 3 of 5 - Cloth or Disposable Diapers?

If you are aiming to be green, using cloth diapers instead of disposables may seem like a no brainer. I don't believe, however, that the choice is that black and white. With disposables, you have to consider land fill waste, and chemical/gas use in manufacturing, shipping, and the associated packaging. With cloth diapers the main consideration is water use for washing, and some possible chemical use for cleaning. While water use may not seem to outweigh the factors involved with disposables, I have actually read research stating that, depending on where you live, it does. If you live in a place where land fill space is plentiful, but water resources are scarce, it was recommended that one use disposables. And vice versa. Using a cloth diaper service can reduce water/energy use for cleaning because they are able to be more efficient with washing large numbers of diapers at once. The drawback is that, most of the time, they will use some kind of bleach agent to disinfect between multiple customers, whereas at home you can use natural cleaners. Cloth diaper services are also considerably more expensive than washing your own.

There are some other good alternatives on the market today. My favorite is gbaby diapers (stands for green baby diapers) at http://www.gdiapers.com/gdiapers101 . They have reusable cotton covers with plastic free, biodegradable inserts. You can toss, flush, or compost the inserts. You get the best of both worlds - no washing, and no land fill waste. The only problem, for me, is the cost. It costs about $75 a month to diaper your baby in gbaby versus about $35 a month to use disposables. For someone like me, with two in diapers, I just can't swing $150 a month for diapers. So, as you can see, there are many factors to consider when deciding on diapering practices and the same choice isn't going to be best for everyone. We need to look at our own circumstances and make the best choice we can!

 

OrganicAngel's Two Cents:  Reading Laura's post got me thinking so I researched at home diaper services an found this one that services the Northern Colorado area.  I recommend you peruse this site to learn a lot if you are interested in going green for your babies.  This service is eco friendly and provides good info.  They also say that cloth diapered babies potty train more quickly than disposable users! 

http://www.ecobabydiaperservice.com/index.asp

How Cool is 3B Bags?!?!

Everytime I feature a product, I send the company an email letting them know that I have done it.  I provide the link to the blog.  So far, every company except the farm has personally replied to my email which feels very cool.  Maybe it's a Colorado company thing.  Yesterday, I sent 3B Bags the email and within 24 hours, Staci wrote me back and asked for my address so she could sent me more bags, for free! 

A special thanks to Staci and 3B Bags for actually reading my blog and then going the extra step to offer a gift!  I'll be a 3B Bags user for life!


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New Favorite Thing-Reusable Produce Bags

It's been bugging me for some time that grocery stores still offer millions of plastic bags in the produce section.  What ever happened to living in the land of innovation?  We're smart people, we should have figured this out years ago!

I happened across some reusable produce bags recently, and I wanted to share in case you've been feeling guilty about using those plastic bags OR if you were like me, and stopped using the plastic bags but then had all your produce rolling around in your cart.  It also torks off the cashiers, it turns out.


I bought a set of 3 "3B Bags" at Vitamin Cottage recently.  They are 2 different sizes, have a drawstring top (sweet), are made of nylon and are washable.  They squish up really small so you can jam them in your purse or I just started keeping them in my regular reusable bags in my car.

Here's the link so you can check them out.
http://www.3bbags.com/

Going "black"

Would going black be the opposite of going green?  Let's say it is and let's say that I totally blew it this weekend.  I'm going to list all of the things I did today that were in direct violation of a greener lifestyle.  What's worse, is that I was/am fully aware that I was engaging in counterproductive "black" behaviors.  Call me addicted to my lifestyle...I'm coming clean here.

Saturday Morning:

1. I could have heated up yesterday's leftover coffee but dumped it and made a fresh pot and only drank half again.  I've drank leftover coffee before and it tastes identical to fresh.  I ALWAYS make twice what I plan on drinking.
2. Instead of raking my leaves by hand and getting a decent workout, I used our electric leaf vacuum for about 2 hours (no, electric is not great, that energy comes from coal, not jelly beans like people would have you think).
3. To soothe my tired body after a morning of lawn care, I loitered in the shower.  Probably for 20 minutes, I was clean after 3.  Sometimes I turn on a space heater while I'm in the shower.  I don't really need it, I lived just fine without this luxury for the first 29 years.
4. Instead of taking my dog on a walk, I drove her 4 miles to the dog park and she only played for 10 minutes.  The walk would have taken less time.

Saturday Afternoon:

1. The "dog" was craving Wendy's.  Each of my 4 items came individually packaged, in a bag and with 12 napkins and I threw everything away, even the paper, which I know is recyclable!  What is wrong with me?!
2. I washed some clothes on hot instead of cold even though they say it doesn't matter.  I think it matters.
3. Needed shoe therapy and drove 8 miles to DSW.  It was too crowded so I spent 5 minutes and then came directly back home.
4. Drove to CSU and printed approximately 120 pages of text that I need to read.  At the end of my project, I will have only used about 20 of those pages to write my paper which my instructor will demand that I email him and then submit a printed copy. 

Saturday Night:

1. I installed our electric mattress pad heater.  I just turned it on.  It was 65 degrees today.  Later I'll be up there reading a magazine before bed and I want it toasty.
2. I could have made dinner at home but I drove 3 miles to Noodles for carryout and got another load of plastic.
3. I have the tv on right now while I write.  I'm not watching it.  I haven't even glanced up once.
4. The kitchen light is on, I'm not in the kitchen.

So, for anyone who is trying to go green....we're probably suffering from the same habits.  What behaviors do you have that you KNOW you shouldn't be doing?

Pondering and Biting My Nails

Am I really doing this?  This seems like a terrible way to start winter!  I can't even use up the modest amount of organic vegetables that we impulse purchased last Saturday at a farmer's market we weren't supposed to be at!  I'm pretty sure that they only allowed us IN TO the farmer's market b/c we looked like newbies.  We didn't even bring our own shopping bags with us and both felt terrible as we walked out clutching not one but two plastic bags.  Can they make those white, plastic bags any more conspicuous?  Note to self: start a company that makes plastic shopping bags that look like reusable ones.  Wait, that defeats the purpose of my newfound purpose.  Note to self: cancel previous note to self....it's immoral or unethical or genius or all three.  If you are an entrepreneur reading this, you can take the idea but I hope you wake up in the middle of the night with bad dreams about what you are doing to humanity and animality.  Note to self: load a dictionary before writing the next post.

So, this was the kickoff of my attempt to go green.  I realize that I haven't provided you with any useful information but just wait, I'm just getting started!