11/06/2009

Little Changes, Big Impact

When I first started trying to live a little greener, I was overwhelmed by how much I thought I needed to do: From composting my trash to installing solar energy panels on the roof to replacing my green lawn with a sustainable garden, it was just plain too much. Just the thought of going green seemed way too complicated for a working mom to handle.

So I decided to try to do one green thing each week instead. It didn’t matter is it was something small like setting aside a separate trash bin for plastic recyclables or making my own laundry detergent or something bigger, like replacing our toilet with a low-flow model. I committed to changing one thing about my life for the greener every week and it worked. One change I could handle, and before I knew it, I’d turned into the eco-living Mama I’d wanted to become.

Here are some little changes that can make a big difference. Try one on your next supermarket run, and see if you don’t feel a little bit greener.

• Bring your own bags. Everybody from Kroger to Trader Joe’s sells their
  own version of a canvas grocery tote, but the only way reusable bags work is if you actually use them. I keep a stash in the back of the car at all times so that I have no excuse to bring home a new bag.
• Don’t buy individually packaged items. Buy the biggest package or container you can, and divide it up into smaller portions at home using your own reusable containers. The reason? You want to avoid unnecessary packaging waste.
• Stop buying paper towels and paper napkins. Use the real thing
  instead, and you can throw them in the wash instead of throwing them away.
• Start recycling. You can start with one thing ‹ say, aluminum cans or
  glass jars. Set up a recycling bin, and make a point of recycling that particular item every time you use it. Once you’ve gotten in the habit of recycling one item, it¹s easier to get into the habit of recycling other things, too.

- Lucy