I can't wrap my head around this idea. In a time where the protecting the environment is everywhere you look why are there more and more disposable items available? Have we become a disposable society that places more value on "convience" and "saving time" then the environment? What is going to be the long term impact of this shift? More waste, landfills filling up faster and more imported crap from other countries that no one really needs (I mean I love the Dollar Store and all but seriously do we need half the stuff in there?).
What do we use that is disposable?
Diapers and wipes. Yep we are not on the cloth diaper train. Tried them and they didn't work for our little guy. I sleep a night by spending a small fortune on Nature BabyCare diapers and wipes.
Razor blades. We don't use disposable razors, just the blades. What is the alternative though? Burning hair off with chemicals? Or painful painful waxing? Sure these may work on my legs but Joey's face. Not so much.
Feminine hygiene products. Tampons people...its okay to say it out loud. I just can not get on board with the idea of using the diva cup. It is over my 'green' line.
Ziplock bags and saran wrap. If you aren't using these things how on earth do you freeze your meat and keep it from getting freezer burn?
What are we doing to try and limit the amount of things we use that are disposable?
We aren't the type of people that need to have the latest and greatest of everything as soon as it comes out. So we don't get new cellphones every year. We use them until we need new one's. Novel idea isn't it?
My car is paid off (crap I should not have said that out loud) and technically I guess I could get a new one. But why? Yes I want a shiny new hybrid but my car works well so it would be a huge waste to get rid of it to get a new one.
We spend a lot of time figuring out what items we want to buy before we buy them. Some may say we are anal but I prefer to say that we are being smart. This way we don't just hit up the local swedish store and buy something that works RIGHT NOW but in the long run will just piss us off and not be what we really want.
We don't use paper towels. We have made our own out of old shirts.
What do you do to not be part of the disposable society?
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ReplyDeleteLife of This SAHM
oh my. all so true! I didn't know about the "diva cup" and I'm afraid to even Google it...
ReplyDeleteGlad I found you today via Twee Poppets! -diane
I have made a TON of rags out of old holey/stained/ruined clothes, too. (Clothes that couldn't be donated.) Trying to get away from paper towels as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteThought I was gonna have to be extra crunchy tonight and use a rag in a whole new way since my husband hid the TP from me in one of our bathrooms while he was giving the dog a bath. There isn't a TP holder in there yet, so he stuck it up high on top of a 6' tall shelf. Convenient for when you're sitting down.
As we unpack more and more things, I pile up the boxes by size and have kept all the packing materials/paper and I put it on Craigslist yesterday. I had 12 responses within an hour. So I won't have to throw away (recycle) our boxes and paper, people want it and will reuse it!
Those are the two main things I can think of right now that we've recently done to stop being so disposable!
This is really a thought provoking post. I will admit that I have my certain disposables that I use for comfort, but yes there are definitely areas where I can improve.
ReplyDeleteWhat do I do not to be a part of the disposable society....hmm. Very few of our furniture are new, and those that are have been gifts. The rest has been furnished by freecycle, which we also use to get rid of stuff we no longer need.
Clothes...I have three boys...reuse, reuse, reuse:)
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