Wrap Up

Today, Earth Day, is the culmination of the One Small Change Challenge. Since January, my family and so many others pledged to make one change each month that would impact the environment in a positive way. Here's a wrap up of the changes we made, and how we've been doing with them since:

In January, we decided to be more conscious about the food in our house. Since then, we have done our best to use up our perishable food before it goes bad. This change was pretty straight forward and we found it to be a matter of organization, and just being more aware of the inventory in the fridge.

For February our change was to try to use only one trash bag a week. We do not succeed in this goal each week, but it has made us more aware of products we bring into the house, and how they relate to the trash that leaves the house. Hopefully, with time, we will have just one bag out there on the curb each and every week.

In March, we did away with paper towels. Easy peasy. With more rags than we know what to do with, we haven't looked back.

Our April change was to use baking soda and vinegar to their fullest potential. We have found so many recipes and have made the switch to natural cleaning products (and volcanoes) seamlessly.

So there it is! Our participation in the first One Small Change challenge was a fun and enlightening, though we still need to work on a few of our changes. We were super impressed with the efforts other families made. Some were things we'll aspire to—like taking greater steps to reduce our water usage. Some others, well, we just aren't ready for—like the family cloth. But what we learned is there is always room for improvement.

I know for sure we are not going to stop here, just because the challenge is over. In fact, I'm already scheming up a few other changes for my family in the coming months.

A big thanks to Suzy and her family for organizing One Small Change.
Happy Earth Day!

Rag Tag

Our small change for March is not groundbreaking. It is not original or progressive in any way. In fact, families have been doing this for centuries. I hope you're not too disappointed.

My family is going to make a greater effort to use rags (I know, last month I wrote about trash, this month...rags. Can I bore you any more? But for the sake of the One Small Change challenge, bear with me). We have already cut out paper goods for the most part—we use cloth napkins, dishrags and the like, but I have a confession to make. We almost always have a roll of paper towels in the house. Yes, we buy the 100% recycled kind and use them sparingly, but still. I suppose we keep them on hand because there are some messes that I just can't bear the thought of having to do any more with than just get rid of, and fast. Like cat puke, or a dead mouse dragged in by said cat.

Part of me has been wanting to do away with paper towels for a while now, so I decided that if we just have enough rags, an over-abundance of them, then it would be no big deal if a few needed to get tossed every now and then. So we went through the drawers and found the clothes that were too stained or otherwise destroyed to go in the donate pile. Then we cut them up, making our already-impressive stash of rags even more plentiful.

Now all our cat-related messes and beyond, that I just can't bear the thought of throwing in the wash, can be wiped up with a rag and immediately disposed of. And the rag bucket under the sink will still be overflowing. (Now? I just need to come up with a clever way to store those rags, that would make them more easily accessible. Suggestions welcome.)

Bonus! The girls had fun saving the 'good parts' of the clothes we cut up. The embroidery, buttons, ruffles, and appliques were carefully cut off and gathered up for some future crafty fun.

One Small...Bag

I'm a little late with posting our February project for One Small Change, so here it is:

Last month, our "change" was to waste less food. This month, we have challenged ourselves to fill only one "tall kitchen" size trash bag each week.

Two bags every week for a family of four seems like too much. We recycle heavily—all of our paper, tin, plastic and glass go in the bin, so it puzzles me that we can fill up two whole bags of trash. With what, exactly? Well, I couldn't say. So I looked. And took a picture (sorry). Turns out it's mostly food packaging—empty coffee k-cups, butter wrappers, pita bread packaging, bags from frozen produce, and random non-recyclables the girls bring home from school (valentine's candy packages, today).

The number of trash bags we drag to the curb each week is the true measure of how much waste my family creates in seven days. So, by limiting the number of bags we fill, we are sure to be more conscious of the amount of disposable items we bring into the house and, ultimately, haul out of the house.

Please rest assured. This is the last time I write will about, and post pictures of, our trash.