Health Talk Today

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Plastic Bags

I’m trying hard to live green, but it’s not easy. I bought green, reusable bags to tote purchases home from the store. It’s becoming a habit to remember to take them into the store. But, I also have to remember to get them back to the car after I’ve used them.

It’s almost impossible to completely get away from plastic bags. The cashiers and baggers automatically start packing orders into their plastic bags. I can’t remember the last time I heard “paper or plastic.” They just put a couple items into each plastic bag. They can’t fill the bags because they tear too easy. So, if I don’t stop them, I end up taking home several bags. Then, I’m compelled to reuse or recycle.

I no longer use a plastic produce bag for each fruit and vegetable that I buy. I keep one of my cloth bags open in the cart and add tomatoes, apples, cucumbers and all the loose items into my bag. Then, at the check out, I set my bag on the counter and give the cashier an empty bag to transfer to as she rings up each item. So far, it’s working well.

Marilyn Kvasnok

It’s Time to Take Control

To this day, I have trouble throwing things away. Maybe I’ll wear it again – just to work in the yard. Maybe it has just one more use before it falls apart. Maybe someone else can use it. What is it? It’s everything in my possession.

My parents were always conservative. They taught me well. I remember mom carefully washing aluminum foil, then gently folding it so she could use it again. Clothes were handed down. Paper written on one side was recycled as shopping lists and note paper. Dad saved scraps of wood and other construction material to use later. I remember him pounding old nails to straighten them so he could use them again. My family was green long before it was popular. We just didn’t know it.

So, here I am, after years of being very conservative. What do I have to show for it? Closets and drawers FULL of stuff. It’s time to change my relationship with my stuff. When a friend was moving out of state, she threw out tons of stuff and had garage sales to sell the better things. I asked how she could part with all of it. Her answer was so profound, her words still ring in my ears. “I can give away the things I like, because I’m keeping the things I love.”

So, now it’s my turn. I’m cleaning with a new attitude. I’m going to throw out everything that’s worn out and broken. I’ll donate to my favorite charity. I’ll sell and give away some things. And . . . I’ll keep the things I love.

I’ll be thinking about all the time I’ll have when I’m not in the middle of all the clutter and memories. And, in the end, it’s time that is our most precious resource. It can’t be saved. It must be spent wisely. I’m committed to making every day worth the time it’s costing me.

For a new view on time, check out the Life Expectancy Calculator by Peter Russell.

Marilyn Kvasnok

No More Wire Hangers

There was an old joke about never being able to find a “church key.” That was an old bottle opener for pop or beer bottles. Where could they be? At night, they sneaked into the closet and turned into hangers.

I always used to have tons of extra wire hangers. They came from the dry cleaners. I haven’t been to a dry cleaner in years. I no longer want to subject myself to the chemicals, but that’s another story. Now, there’s a solution to a closet full of wire hangers.

The video is an NBC Nightly News “America Goes Green” story with Brian Williams.

Marilyn Kvasnok

The Story of Stuff

Click to watch the movie

Stuff, stuff and more stuff.
Where does it all come from?
Where does it all go?

Watch the movie: The Story of Stuff

Now that you know The Story of Stuff . . .
What can you do?

Learn about a company concerned with Global Climate Change.

Use non-toxic, earth-friendly cleaning products.

Buy concentrated products that keep extra packaging out of landfills.

Marilyn Kvasnok

“Living Green” When Shopping

You’ve got to start somewhere. But where? I believe in making little changes that add up to a big change. And everything counts. Here are some “Living Green” ideas I’ve adopted when shopping . . .

Paper or Plastic?
The answer is “Neither.” I bring my own cloth or canvas bags.

Plastic Produce Bags
I see shoppers using a plastic bag for each apple or cucumber. I just put all my produce in my cloth bag. At the checkout counter, the cashier takes out one at a time, scans it and packs it in another cloth bag.

Less is More
To reduce plastic bottles in the landfill, I buy concentrated cleaning products. The products I like are also non-toxic. Because they’re concentrated, I buy one bottle. When I’m ready to clean, I mix up a bottle of cleaner, using a little of the concentrate and filtered water. One bottle of concentrate makes a LOT of bottles of cleaner.

Marilyn Kvasnok

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