Happy Wednesday! One of my New Year’s resolutions is to declutter our entire house. As I’m doing so I am trying to be mindful not to throw things out, but to make piles and donate, recycle or reuse what I can. So, here are a few eco-friendly tips I use!
I think by now most people recycle. Our trash collector encourages it! They offer large rolling bins just to keep recyclables separate from regular trash. This makes it really handy to recycle and really cuts down on the amount of trash from week to week. Here are a few eco-friendly tips, including recycling, which we do at our house.
1-Return:
I take most of my husband’s dress clothes to the dry cleaner so we end up with LOTS of clothes hangers. So when I am cleaning out our closets or putting away clothes, I straighten up each section and pull out the empty clothes hangers. Instead of throwing them away I take them back to the dry cleaner. They seem happy to get them back and I feel good about not throwing them away!
2-Donate:
Any clothes that we no longer wear we pass along to family or friends or donate them. It goes against my grain to throw things away. (Thanks, Mother.) We have several local thrift stores that gladly take donations of clothing, furniture or house hold goods, large & small. And some of them pick up! It only takes a few minutes to donate something that still has a purpose rather than throw it out. And there are donation bins everywhere for clothes and shoes.
3-Rescue:
I’ve been known to trash pick. A few months ago I rescued this little stool curb side and gave it a makeover. I call it my Anthropologie knock off stool and gave it to my future daughter-in-law. Currently there is a trash picked coffee table in the garage awaiting it’s makeover. (much to my husband’s chagrin)
4-Recycle:
We recycle everything we can. I love how our trash collector gives us an enormous rolling bin just for recyclables. We don’t need to separate it by glass, paper, etc. Just toss it in the big bin and roll it down the street on trash day. I keep a small bin right outside the back door so I can toss magazines, and empty jars and bottles then I transfer them to the big bin on recycling day. We break down cardboard boxes and toss those in as well.
5-Re-use:
And doesn’t everyone hate those flimsy plastic bags they use at the grocery store! Half the time they tear before you even get them in the car. And what to do with a thousand bags? Our grocery store has a bin where you can recycle them, but I found a much better solution. I bought these bags at my grocery store for $1.99. Not only are the cute, but made of durable plastic. I use these for the non-refrigerated items. They sell insulated bags with a zipper for refrigerated groceries for about a dollar more. The bottom of these bags are rectangular so they hold their shape and stand up better in your car. And they are easy to clean. Once I’m home, I unload the groceries and put them back in my car for next time.
6:Improvise:
I found a neat little tool recently to help unclog slow drains too. It’s called Zip-It Bath & sink hair snare. It only costs about $2.48 at your local hardware store. It’s about 20 inches long and all plastic. It has a loop at one end and little barbed teeth on each side of the flat shaft. It works on slow or clogged sinks, tubs and shower drains. And you don’t need to take off the drain cover or sink stopper. You simply slide the tool down each side of the drain and pull up. It’s gross but it works!
I like this because it’s environmentally safe. No expensive, harsh chemicals required. At the lake house we have a septic tank so we need to be extra careful what we put down the sinks and toilets. Plus, some of the products on the market have corrosive properties and can damage drains and pipes. And the fumes are terrible! So, this little tool is a must have.
My theory is every little bit helps the environment. I think it’s our duty to take care of our beautiful planet. What do you do to recycle and reuse? Hope you have a lovely day! Thanks for stopping by!