Repurpose What You Can

Repurposing things is a great way to avoid new purchases and help the environment.  I always try to re-use plastic/paper bags from the grocery store and other shops as many times as possible.  I use newspapers from work as packing material.  I always use a refillable water bottle.  Those are obvious, but here are some of other ideas!

If you aren't buying in bulk already, then you are likely accumulating a ton of packaging from the modern food industry.  One of my favorite repurposing tips is to take the jars that salsa comes in, wash them out, and use for organizational purposes, Mason style jars make great cups as well!

This may be obvious to people, but if you do a lot of mailing, particularly for gifts, you should always seek to repurpose the boxes you receive to save on packaging!  Then you can use newspaper or mailing to ensure the package is tightly packed and the contents safe inside!  While I like to send gifts electronically to avoid the damage of shipping cross country via a courier, sometimes you need to send your homemade gifts to your cousin in Los Angeles!

If you ever purchased CD's in bulk to create your own playlists, repurpose the empty container into a bagel sandwich holder!  Obviously not practical for everyone, but it looks great.

Paperclips are great for wire organization rather than purchasing some plastic doo-hicky.

Repurpose old books as shelves, for a cool antique look

I use broken clay pots as garden markers rather than purchasing some sort of cardboard marker that sticks in the ground.  Aesthetically they are much more pleasing, and it gives new life to your chipped pots!

Buy Once - Quality Over Quantity (Minimalism)

Buying products is an integral part of life in the modern world.  We need products to provide various services and for various functions that make up our lives.  The bad part of this, is that the manufacture, sale, distribution, etc of these products can have a horrible impact on the environment.  My thesis is to buy something of high quality that will last an extremely long time, so that we can minimize the amount of purchases that need to be made.  A prime example of this is in clothing, which is something I think about constantly, but it also applies to furniture, cooking utensils, and really every product.  The one that can be most frustrating, is technology which goes through constant iteration, and products that were recently state of the art are almost entirely outdated in a few years.

Let's consider this through the furniture example.  Furniture at Ikea or other low cost makers is extremely affordable for any budget, however the expected life on many things is only several years.  In addition, the amount of travel and economic output that went into this product is extremely high.  Instead, you could contract with a local woodworker to have a piece custom made for your home with high quality materials.  Sure, the price would be much higher, but you would have a one of a kind piece, made by a local craftsman.

That may be a bit extreme, especially since the marginal price increase of artisan furniture is probably beyond the budgetary confines of most people.  Instead, you diligently research your options and find a piece that you know will last you a long time from a stylistic perspective, and also make sure that the item is sturdy and well built.  For example, check out the Herman Miller above.  This means you will not need to replace it nearly as soon.

If your piece of furniture begins to wobble in its legs, instead of just donating it to the Goodwill (or even worse throwing it in the garbage) try to repair it yourself.  Or if you are not able to, call in a favor with a handy friend.  It would even be preferable to consult with a carpenter who would possibly be able to repair it himself.

This applies to all things.  If your computer is slowing down, instead of simply replacing it, see if you can upgrade it.  Your car as well.  Clothing may become damaged or you may gain/lose a few pounds.  That's what tailors are for, especially if the garment is well made, it can be adjusted.  Shoes can be repaired.  Make sure to perform all regular maintenance to ensure that you can facilitate the longest possible life out of these assets.

Go Green for Free

Going green is often done by those who are thrifty in method, it can be a great money saver over time, but one of the biggest problems is start up costs.  Not everyone has $35,000 laying around to buy a Prius and not necessarily everyone can afford to buy from a CSA.  I would definitely argue that both of these things are worth the money, but that is beside the point.  I wanted to present some ways to go green that won't cost a penny, and hopefully will have a positive impact.

1) Reuse - Reusing stuff is one of the simplest ways to go green for free.  Need rags?  Don't buy them from Target, cut up old threadbare shirts or sheets, these make perfect rags.  Storage containers?  Reuse old grocery bags, beer crates, produce boxes!

2) Recycle - Take your old bottles and cans to be turned to cash in bottle deposit states, something that I think should be expanded.  In those states you will make 5-10 pennies per can.  Even if you don't live in one of those states, recycling require minimal effort, especially in single stream recycling communities.

3) Borrow - Before you go out and buy something new, especially a book or media, ask your social network if they have it available for you to borrow.  Maybe you can repay them buy letting them borrow one of the many things you already own, or trade another service such as cooking or watching their children.  Libraries are a great resource, not only for dusty old books, but DVDs and Blu-Rays are available in most towns.

4) Re-gift - Giving green gifts is an extremely effective way of saving money.  You can bake, cook, build or create online tons of gifts that will be appreciated.  You can also let your extended family know that you would prefer they not purchase you any items for upcoming events.  Let them know your philosophy about buying frivolous things and the impact it has on the environment.  They might think you a little eccentric, but will respect you.  If you have something that you received as a gift, don't feel bad to re-gift it to someone else, just make sure you don't give it back to the person who gave it to you!

5) Exercise outside - Don't get me wrong, I love to exercise in the gym, but that $30 a month that Gold's gym takes from you each month really adds up.  Not only that, but they keep the lights, TVs, and legion of machines on 24 hours a day at many gyms, no need to support that!  Get outside, take a hike, run, walk, play.  It's free!

I hope I can come up with more cost-free tips to go green, but feel free to check out my list of 20 Effective Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference.

Green Winter Clothing

Clothing is one of the items that the US has such a ridiculous surplus of, yet we still continue to produce in the cheapest, most wasteful, least green methods.  That's what the market desires, low prices and coinciding low quality.  Winter is when we need clothing the most, especially here in chilly New England.  I am a huge proponent of thrift stores, although if I convert too many of you to shopping at these great second hand clothing outlets, all the great finds will dry up extremely quickly!  I am on the look out for some great blankets for winter and a heavy jacket at the moment.  A pair of boots would be nice as well.

There are however several brands that I can recommend in good conscience.  First of all, if you don't need a new item, don't buy one.  You can always repair your old things.  However, if you have identified a need, I follow a process like the following.

1) imagine the perfect item to fit my needs
2) reach out to people in my network for ideas and suggestions
3) search for more information about potential choices, Google is your friend
4) consider second hand outlets like eBay
5) buy the item and use it for many years

Some of my favorite brands, particularly for winter are Ibex, Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Patagonia.  I prefer wool for all weather clothing.  It is incredibly warm, soft and durable, a far superior fiber to cotton.  Don't even get me started on Polyester.  Not only is it a better performance fiber, it is much
more green.  Watch Ibex's video below.

   

Replace Paper Towels with Rags

This is part of my series: 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. This series discusses practical ways we can go green in our lives, that will have a measurable effect on the environment.  This is an alternative to the many lists that offer 100+ suggestions, many of which are not easily applied to our lives or the impact is minimal. 

Paper towels are extremely expensive.  Several cents per sheet, in fact.  Don't believe me?  Peruse your local Wal-Mart and see the packs of rolls on sale for $20.  They are also extremely not green.  Many people use them for a small stain and toss them right in the garbage.

A much better alternative is to use rags.  The key with them is reusability.  Unlike a paper towel, after you soil a rag, just toss it in the laundry.  If you have a large set of rags, you can run a load just for rags, or even toss them in with your regular laundry.  While this does increase the cost from the ~75 cents you pay for the rag, it will pay off in green dividends and cash dividends if you wash the rag enough times.

Rags do not necessarily have to be purchased, and this is where the real savings both green and otherwise comes in.  You already have a bunch of rags sitting in your closets somewhere, the fiber is just in the form of your old clothing.  Old t-shirts (see above) make great rags, and repurposing your old clothes means you don't need to outlay any money for rags.  Just grab your scissors and an old shirt or set of sheets and cut into rectangles.  Soon you will have a big bucket of rags.  Reach for them in any situation that you would need a paper towel.

Finally, if you must use paper towels, make sure to get maximum utility from them.  Do not use a huge piece of towel for a miniature stain.  Make sure to grab a small piece of towel and use it completely.  If you are mopping something up, make sure to wring out the excess liquids and try to re-use.  If you end up getting a paper towel not that dirty, you can recycle it.

It's Summer, Get Out There and Enjoy It!

The summer is here in my eyes.  Although it is only May 18th, things have been getting warm here in the Northeast.  I realize I am a bit hypocritical, since I am sitting in a cool air-conditioned office, but I can not wait for the weekend to get outside and enjoy the weather.  Go green and enjoy the weather.  Instead of playing video games, using artificial lighting and air conditioning, and other creature comforts, do things outside.

There are tons of great options to consider.  My personal favorite is hiking.  Find a local mountain and just get out there.  Other options to consider are fishing, local and delicious food awaits. Swimming, bicycling or other sports are a great way to have fun and enjoy the weather, make sure to bring that re-useable water bottle. For those of you with a green thumb, get your tressle and go gardening.

Make Things Yourself

 This is part of my series: 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. This series discusses practical ways we can go green in our lives, that will have a measurable effect on the environment.  This is an alternative to the many lists that offer 100+ suggestions, many of which are not easily applied to our lives or the impact is minimal.

Homemade/DIY projects are fun to do and can be extremely beneficial to the environment.  If you are not ready to grow your own food then buy fresh, local, unprocessed foods and cook up a nice recipe.  If cooking isn't your forte, then maybe arts and crafts are.  Consider giving homemade greeting cards based on your own photography!

The reason that making things yourself is green is because it does not require much economic activity.  You are not buying plastic goods produced at an environmentally degrading factory halfway across the world, then paying for pollution causing transport and then retailing costs, both financial and environmental. 

Many people like to make household items that the can actually use.  For example, instead of buying wasteful paper towels, re-use old rags or make new ones from old garments.  Others may consider making their own soap, cleaning solutions, or toothpaste.  This saves a TON of money and also limits the damage done by commercial factories.

In general, making or doing things oneself allows us to totally control and thus limit environmental damage.  When you buy something at a store, you never truly know all the details regarding where it came from and what methods were used to produce it, including their relevant environmental damage.  In addition, it can be extremely satisfying to make something using your own creative meddle.  Making something could spark a new hobby or even a potential small business!

Green Garbage?

This is part of my series: 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. This series discusses practical ways we can go green in our lives, that will have a measurable effect on the environment.  This is an alternative to the many lists that offer 100+ suggestions, many of which are not easily applied to our lives or the impact is minimal.

Garbage in the US is a major environmental problem.  Landfills are disgusting and they are rapidly growing, they waste potentially beautiful space, and are a symptom of our toxic culture.  We know that putting all that trash in one place can't be good for the earth, so learn to effecitively deal with your waste in a way that harms the environment as little as possible. 

In our house, there are three places that we put trash: compost, recycling and the trash barrel. (as a last resort)  Many things can be composted and recycled, so they do not have to be thrown out.  Old food can be composted and used as a fertilizer for you to grow your own food.  Almost all paper plastic and metal can be recycled, and since we have single stream recycling, they all go in the same barrel. 

Finally, if all else fails and you simply have to throw it away, then do so.  Make sure to dispose of electronics properly as chips and batteries contain corrosive ingredients which can hurt the environment substantially, if thrown into a landfill.  Also consider donating items of clothing, furniture, and media to thrift shops or onto the free section of Craigslist.  This will give others a chance to give your stuff a second lease on life!

As you can see, none of these suggestions will take that much additional time or effort, but I assure you the benefits will be worth the increased effort.  Consider the implications of what you do before you do it, that's the motto here at Think Act Prosper.

Reusable Water Bottles

This is part of my series: 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. This series discusses practical ways we can go green in our lives, that will have a measurable effect on the environment.  This is an alternative to the many lists that offer 100+ suggestions, many of which are not easily applied to our lives or the impact is minimal.

 This tip may seem pretty obvious and simple to many of you readers, yet everyday I see discarded Poland Springs, Dasani, and Smart Water bottles all over the place. First of all, buying these bottles is a raw deal, the markup is insane! Even when bought in bulk (which is bad for the environment) the cost is still high considering it's just filtered water. Don't even get me started on the LA restaurant Bazaar's "water bar".

The solution is to buy a reusable water bottle, I have a Sigg and Nalgene, and my wife has a Camelbak, I'm sure there are other quality vendors like Klean Kanteen, etc, but that doesnt really matter. The point is to get one, it should be available locally for under 20 bucks. Wash it out and start carrying it daily. 

Fill it everywhere you go, the tap at home, if your water is good, or through a filter such as a Brita. Public water fountains and many workplaces offer filtered water, the bubbler at the gym, whatever. Every time you refill it you are saving .25-2$, and you are not potentially creating waste and by limiting reliance on plastic bottles lowering pollution!

If you do have to resort to buying water, buy a large gallon or other container, return it for a bottle deposit where applicable, or put it with your other plastic recyclables.  Then when you are done with it, re-purpose it, like used shopping bags, as its own reusable water bottle (consider BPAs which many water bottles have)

Shopping Bags

This is part of my series: 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. This series discusses practical ways we can go green in our lives, that will have a measurable effect on the environment.  This is an alternative to the many lists that offer 100+ suggestions, many of which are not easily applied to our lives or the impact is minimal.

Almost all retailers provide plastic or paper bags for every transaction and customer.  These are often provided at no additional costs, and thus customers do not value them.  This adds up to lots of waste and pollution, since people discard these bags after bringing home their purchases.  There are many easy solutions to this issue that would significantly curb this unnecessary waste.  

My favorite is reusable bags.  This could mean a burlap sack, cloth bag, or a plastic bag that is durable.  Packing these on the way to your store is a simple step, then simply bag the groceries/items yourself or give them to the bagging person.  These bags can be acquired in many ways; given out free as marketing or promotion, purchased from a dollar at a retailer or given by family and friends.  Even consider using a backpack especially when you are not driving. Many retailers even offer small incentives for bringing your own bags.  Trader Joe's enters your in a drawing for a gift card and Whole Foods offers 5 cents a bag.  

For those times that you forget to bring your reusable bags and need to use store provided ones, there are a few things you can do to limit harm.  First, fill the bags up, so you don't use more than you need.  Second, reuse or re-purpose these bags at home, there are tons of different applications, something will always come up that gives these bags a second lease on life.  Finally, after they have run their useful life, recycle them properly, rather than putting them into the garbage.