I want to take a moment and thank The Eco Chic for allowing me to write what I think—without editing. Last week, I wrote about breastfeeding; why I didn’t and my feelings about it. After I wrote it and emailed it to her, I thought she’s call me and say, “no way” and that my guest posting would be over but she is letting me speak freely yet again! Thank you Eco Chic!

I also want to say thanks to all of The Eco Chic’s readers. Nobody responded with negativity. I truly thought I would get comments full of hatred – like I see in the on-line forums and I didn’t get that at all. I appreciate to supportive responses and comments.

Moving on…. this week, I want to talk about money. It is one of my favorite subjects. (The Eco Chic added commentary – Mama M is actually an accountant so she loves to talk about money!)

Confession time: up until six months ago—I was one of those people. I bought magazines and as soon as I was done with them, I threw them in the trash. I bought a book; read it and trashed it. I had not one but three newspapers delivered to me (I read the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and our local newspaper).I USED PAPER PLATES AND PLASTIC UTLENSELS and tossed them—without thinking twice. I probably used 19872674 disposable diapers because I never even thought of cloth (I thought people stopped using them in 1974). I even would wrap the dirty diapers up in plastic bags! I filled landfills with single use bottles (always thinking about how quick I could get things done).

I could go on but I think I have illustrated my complete disregard for the environment—and saving money. Not only did I waste resources, I literally threw away my money.

Fast forward from 2004 when I had a baby—to 2010. Things are different now and it’s not because of something catastrophic like a job loss—in fact, even in this economy, my husband and I earn more than we ever have because our careers are in fields that are actually growing. The truth is, through education and good friends, I’ve changed. I’ve looked at how I live. I did the carbon footprint thing and I looked at how I (and my family) impact the Earth.

I slowly made changes that worked with my lifestyle. The biggest thing is that I now recycle—but not traditionally. I swap stuff with friends and neighbors instead of buying things brand new. I don’t subscribe to so many newspapers (why should I… I can read what I want on-line). I share magazines and books – and even donate to the library. I don’t buy clothes and shoes and new purses without thinking about what I already have.  (The Eco Chic added commentary – Mama M has done better on the clothes and purse shopping – unfortunately my hand-me down selection decreased too!)

I still have a small obsession with paper plates but I am slowly making the switch. All of these things didn’t make my life harder—it actually made it easier. I don’t have as much stuff taking up my space and my time. I only have what I want and need.

I love this way of living but I need ways I can do better. I’d love to hear what The Eco Chic’s readers do – the changes that other’s have made to live cleaner, to make the Earth a little less messy and to save money!  - Thanks for reading, Mama M.

The Eco Chic’s Back to Basic Tips to Living Green

1. Keep a record of what you throw out for one week.  Decide which category of items are most often tossed and make that your first priority to decrease.  For us it’s cardboard, packaging, and paper.  Our local recycling pick up doesn’t take this items curbside so my garage is STUFFED with bins of cardboard waiting for my to drive them down the road. 

2. Look for one new reusable item to add to your collection.  For instance, since Mama M uses a lot of paper plates she could purchase a collection of reusable (yet affordable) plates.  For us we bought the cheap-o plastic plates from Wally World to use when we have parties and get-together’s.  While they may (or may not) contain BPA – I’m first addressing the waste issue.  I honestly can’t remember the last time we used disposable tableware. 

3. Purchase items with less packaging waste.  Buy in bulk or in larger quantities the items that you use most often.  Does your child really need juice boxes or can you refill a cup (or thermos) for them from the larger bottle of juice.

4. Ditch the disposable water bottle and use tap water instead.  This is one of the most wasteful areas in our society.  Check out The Story of Bottled Water for more information on that topic.

5. Looking for ways to make your food selection a little more eco-friendly?  Have a meatless meal day once a week.  Start buying organic food from the Dirty Dozen list.  Try to find and support local food producers.

Once you begin to make a change in your own life you’ll see additional opportunities where you can make adjustments.  Don’t let it get overwhelming though – it’s the baby steps that really add up.  Where are you at in your journey to going green?  What’s next on your list of improvements or adjustments?  Leave us a comment below and don’t forget – leading by example is the easiest way to reach The Other Side.

Image source and credits: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1195991

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There is one positive thing about a weak economy…less waste!  The Tampa Tribune wrote an article about how the landfills are receiving less waste and the idea that the weak economy could be a reason.  It makes since, we’re buying less stuff therefore we have less stuff to throw away.  Not only are we buying less but we are using what we already have.  I know our family is more thoughtful about how we dispose of things we no longer need.  There is someone out there who can use our trash (most of it at least).  We’ve been using sites like Freecycle and Craigslist more and more.  And the items that I don’t think will go on those sites I take to the local Salvation Army.  The county we live in reported a 16% decrease in the waste received at their solid waste landfill for 2008.  Sometimes a weak economy can have positive impacts on the environment and the way we take care of our belongings.

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I was so excited about this school year (being my sons first year in Elementary School) that I went and bought him a new lunchbox that hooks onto his backpack.  We bought it months ago and surprised him with it the week before school started.  I have been very curious about the bento box systems that are on the market these days too.  I thought I had found a solution to make his traditional lunchbox a bento box.  Laptop Lunches sells their inside containers individually without the outer box (even with the warning that they shouldn’t be used without the outer box).  I carefully measured my sons lunchbox and the inside containers would fit perfectly.  So I ordered 2 sets (so we always have one clean) and I just opened the box.  I’m so disappointed!!!  The kits only have one lid for four containers.  I guess the way the actual system works the outer box acts as a lid for the others.  And…you can’t even order individual lids.  On their website they explain why the no lids works for them…most people only pack one wet item in their lunch.  While that may be true what about items that shift when you turn the lunchbox on it’s side??  Or what about items with strong odors or fruits that may be juicy?  I’m really eco-bummed that this isn’t going to work out the way I was hoping.  I need to really think about this and decide whether to keep it or send it back…but then I’m also stuck paying for additional shipping…total BUMMER!

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I frequent many different hotel brands during the year on business and I always look for their green initiatives.  So how can you help the hotels go green? 

1.  If you are staying for more than a day you can reuse the towels and ask them not to change the sheets.  Just be sure to read the cards that tell you how to do this…for instance where I’m staying today (Embassy Suites) they ask you to keep the towel hanging if you want to use it again.  So don’t leave it on the floor. 

2.  Some hotels have switched from disposable cups to reusable cups.  This is a good thing…unless you make the news for having a horrible cleaning staff who doesn’t really clean those glasses!  EEEKS!  So just heed my warning and wash them before you use them. 

3.  Skip the newspaper if you aren’t going to read it.  I get my news online these days and never open a newspaper unless I’m clipping coupons (which is rare).  So ask them NOT to deliver a paper to your room.

4.  Skip the mini-toiletries and bring your own from home.  This is one that I actually don’t follow because I have a huge bag of these at home.  I’m planning on donating them to an organization that can use them (like a homeless shelter or VA hospital). 

5.  Turn off the lights and TV when you leave the room.  It’s no different than being at home.  Who do you think is paying their electric bill?  We are!  So turn off the lights and help keep the prices of the rooms at a minimum. 

What steps do you take when traveling to stay green?

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Well I didn’t get back from my trip until late last night so I didn’t get to update you on my waste for the day.  I’m not sure this was the most representative day for me but I promised to follow-up.  So here is the rest of my waste from yesterday:

• Straw wrapper and straw (lunch)
• Less than 1/4 cup of uneaten food (lunch)
• 3-4 receipts
• One more boarding pass
• taco bell small bag, taco wrapper, 1 napkin, straw and wrapper (dinner)

Now, like I said this is not a typical day.  I did however make a few changes to reduce my waste for the day.  1) I took an empty plastic water bottle home with me from the airport to recycle since the airport doesn’t recycle, and  2) I didn’t print a receipt at the gas station, who needs those anyways?  I would have to estimate that my trash combined for the whole day was less than 2 lbs, far below the daily average of 4lbs per person/per day.  I’m going to try this again tomorrow and compare it to my waste at home since it will be more representative of a real day. 

I did two things yesterday that I have written about lately, and they were not good.  I purchased a bottle of water at the airport AND I sat in a drive-thru last night for dinner.  However, like I said earlier, this is not a typical day for me.  When I’m traveling I don’t like to carry anything with me (i.e., refillable water bottle) since I’m already carrying my laptop and work stuff.  Also, when I’ve been up for 19 hours I could care less about my 30 seconds I spent at the drive thru!  On a regular day at home and work (without traveling) I would not have done either one.  However, it is good to note how traveling creates extra waste.  I have a few more trips planned for this month so maybe I’ll think about ways to reduce my waste on my next trip.  Stay tuned!

I’d like to hear about your daily waste.  What did you find when you began looking at the trash you generate in a day?  Did it make you reconsider your options?  I know for me, I probably would have trashed that water bottle at the airport instead of bringing it home to recycle.  But I really am trying to make a difference. 

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