Use It Up & Wear It Out!

At work I try to stay conscious of how much paper I use. If something's not going out to a customer I try to print on both sides of the paper where possible.

I do the same with sandwich bags and re-use carrier bags for as long as possible.

We could learn a lot of lessons from our parents and grandparents, who came from generations who had of necessity to re-cycle stuff.

There was a bit in our local paper recently where several people wrote in to say they remembered their mothers cutting worn sheets in half and sewing them together again with the worn middle to the sides to make a 'new' sheet. Then later the sheet would be cut up to make floor cloths, etc.

Good thread. Any tips from people are great, gives us something to think about.

I never throw clothes away, give them to friends or charity shop. And shoes go in the shoe bank. They've just started taking away all our recyclable (wrong spelling?!) waste from home. I'm amazed how much there is!

Like Brignatia, re use paper as much as possible.

Walk to work, only 15 mins and quicker & cheaper than driving!

I don't do anything big saving the planet, but i do think if we all do a little it helps! And saves us money!

Linda x

At birthdays and esp Christmas my mum, sister and I always make cards with embellishments/card toppers on, so whatever cards I recieve I always keep and save to pull apart and remake for future cards ! I also keep wrapping paper to reuse and make our own tags. even the girls make cards for their friends that they have drawn rather than buying them and my eldest does cross stitch ones. We are really trying to do the whole green thing at the mo and don't have a car !!! We gave it up eight months ago and walk, cycle or use the bus or train to go everywhere

Love and Light

Star x x x x

I think all the little things help.  It's far better to do something than do nothing.  Sorry but I could waffle on about this for ages......!!!

My mum and I do the card and wrapping paper recycling too!  We greet some gift bags and Christmas wrap as old friends lol!  In fact I wrapped a friend's birthday presents this year in gift wrap from the 1970s pmsl!!

It's a good idea to recycle anything you can't re-use (eg I wash and re-use tubs, jars, tin foil  etc; re-use plastic bottles but filled with tap water; we use rechargable batteries etc).  As well as your recycling box/bin at home, most councils have collection points for a wider range of items - keep your eyes peeled or check on their website.  Some of our supermarkets have containers for bottles and paper - and some even collect fabric or old shoes.  A lot of charities can use unwanted mobile phones as well as the items they can sell in their shops.  Also, some charities will take furniture and white goods to either sell or give to people in need.  And there's always Freecycle.

The tricky thing is to try not to buy things you don't need/won't use in the first place - I'm sure we're all guilty of wasting things sometimes, myself included.  I find it helps to write a menu for the week and then buy what I actually need though.  Also use common sense if things have past their sell-by dates - I'd be safe rather than sorry with eg meat products or medicines - but you can usually tell if veg etc is still OK to eat.  Also, try to buy organic, Fairtrade and recycled products when you can - and things that are locally produced and seasonal are good too.  We get recycled loo roll, tissues, tin foil etc, and try to make sure cleaning products, toiletries etc contain as few scary chemicals as possible.

As I said I could waffle on about this stuff for ages, so I'll shut up now!!

Love Kirsty xx

Some great info/tips so far, ladies, thanks! Please keep them coming...!!

Last month I made a BIG DECISION and sold my car (big step, and not for everyone, I know!) - I rarely used it anyway as we prefer to either walk or take public transport, but now I no longer have to worry about MOTs/Road Tax/Insurance etc etc - it's fab, plus I know I don't add car pollution to the planet anymore!!! YAY!

I get my main groceries delivered to my door (online shopping saves time not having to go to the shops and I get just what we need (like Kirsty says - sticking to the fortnight's menues/budget) so I don't overspend), plus the one I use has a 'green policy' and takes back spare carrier bags to recycle AND has a 'green van' so if you know you're not going to change your order they spend less time re-scheduling/re-packing and apparently less petrol (but not sure how that bit works!)...

We're also very conscious of using our recycling bin at home since we received the 2 bins from the Council just last June...

eek...I hope this thread remains on the first page - really enjoying learning from everyone! Looking forward to more!!!

Love Row xx

We mostly use public transport, but we have just bought a car!!!  First I've ever owned as well.  Neil can drive but got rid of his car a few years back for similar reasons to you Row.  We normally hire a car twice a year for our holiday and Christmas.  If I ever pass my test though, I want to be able to use the car for work now and then and be able to take my parents places when they need me to.  I don't think I'll use it a lot, but it will make life easier.  Not happy about the pollution side of it though, so do feel a bit guilty!!

Love Kirsty xx

What a fab thread Row, well done you for starting it!!

It's been great for me to read as I doing many of the things already mentioned, and I recycle as much as I can. I am chuffed at realising how much I am doing already but always willing to do more..

The worst thing I do is drive a gas guzzler, but I have changed my workbase this week to a local office and so I am buying a bike to cycle to work, it will help me to lose weight too!

I try to save water by being as water conscious as poss..I have a water butt for the garden,I turn off the tap when I clean my teeth and when running the tap for hot water to wash dishes in, I run it into jugs and then water my house plants with it.

I am also growing my own salad veggies this year and I try to buy local veg that hasn't been transported across the country.

Most things that I do these days I try to do as economically and eco friendly as poss..

Oh and for the last 5 years, my family have all stopped sending each other Xmas cards, we have been putting up the same ones every year now and we give a fiver each to charity instead.

I hope this thread runs and runs!

Viv xxx

Brillient thread Row,

I am ashamed to say I have not been very good on the recycling trail...sorry

I always keep packaging from foods struffs and paper for the grandchildren..they love doing stickys and paper macha( not sure hoe to spell that but you know what I mean.)Christmas cards for new tags and the kids again get the rest.

I have recycled old welly and buckets in the garden, put holes in the bottom and planted plants in them. Even fixed an old bathroom sink to the wall once made a lovely display and talking point!!

Also use green or natural products for cleaning.. ie lemons are good disinfectant and vinegar is brillient for shiny windows!

Heres a health one that may come in handy...if any one suffers from sunburn this summer, soak skin in vinegar it cools and dampens the pain!! you smell like a bag of chips but it works.

love and light dreamer xx

This is a great thread. From what Ive been reading so far it's apparent that without even realising it, Ie: out of neccessity ect.. i've been doing a lot of recycling for years. I agree with the whole xmas card thing and i haven't actually sent out a card for years. Card giving is a terrible waste of paper but origionally this wasn't a concious decission i made to save the planet it was more of a financial one as apart from xmas cards i have a lot of family with birthdays in that month. I now tend to make cards for my immiediate nearest and Dearest. If there is a birthday comming up. or something that requires a gift. I go around the charity shops and get stuff to make up a themed package of gifts that i think will be of interest to the person in question. For instance, for my sisters birthday made up a package of a book -sex hunks of the eighties. A sex, drugs n rock and roll video- Actually it was a psudo documentry about a 70's glam rock group ( i put these two items in for a laugh you understand!) Massage oil. bath smellies stuff ( you'd be suprised at how many unused bathroom products land up in charity shops, and really good brands at that) Pen set, necklacke, Scarf and bits and pieces which I can't remember now exactly. .. Anyhow, She loved it, said it was like having a christmas stocking and she had as much fun going through as i did, finding it all. If theres one good thing that has come out of the credit crunch it's that it's now become fashionable to recycle, and to mend and repair instead of buying new. At one time i would feel stigmatised and embarrased about giving out gifts from charity shops or repairing my clothes with a patch but now, i'm practically making holes in my clothes in anticipation of the creative solution i'll find to repair it.

One more thing.. beauty products: Appart from bargin hunting stuff at charity shops, I use ordinary bi - carb to brush my teath. And a handfull of sugar as a facial scrub. and A handful of salt as a body scrub. Does anyone have any more beauty tips like this?..

Hi balla - I use sweet almond oil mixed with salt as a hand scrub/exfoliator: mix the two together (you only need 1 tablespoon of oil and a bit of rock salt)and then use the mixture as if you're using hand soap - and rinse off, pat dry and use your fave hand cream afterwards! Keeps your hands/nails in good condition; nice and soft and smelling lovely too! hee hee... Love Row xx

We recycle jiffy bags at work (the company's too cheap to buy new ones anyway, but that's by-the-by . . .) and also cardboard cartons, etc. A lot of our paper is taken away for recycling too.

I send clothes to charity too, but for any that are just too worn I cut the buttons off and put in my button jar and use to jazz up plain tee shirts. Any really old tee shirts are used as dusters.
I also use the oil/salt idea for great handscrub. Mayonnaise makes a great deep hair conditioner, my teenage daughter swears by it to make her hair shine, and if it's good enough for her.....
Elaine xx

Ooh! thankyou for this thread --- I'm trying really hard to recycle glass, tins and paper (that the council will collect) and i am also trying to save plastic bottles, because they can be recycled at the local recycle plant (i think) --- unfortunately my other half isn't as keen on recycling so half the stuff ends up in the bin ((and then he complains when the bin gets full three days before collection, tut!))

Isend all my clothes, shoes, books, household ornaments, etc to my local cancer charity shop.

BUT --- as i am a teacher i thought it might be useful to mention that schools are often interested in packaging and fabrics, buttons, etc for childrens art and design work. Perhaps you could ask at your local school if they have any projects coming up which requires cardboard/wrapping paper/greeting cards/fabric/ribbon/etc. Even yoghurt pots can be used for modelling/collage or planting things for science.  I saved all the plastic and foil wraps from my xmas choccies for my classroom collage box

ALSO -- (ooh i'm on a roll now) --- if you grow your own salad vegetables, try to leave one plant to 'go over' - then you can collect the seeds and then instead of buying new seeds next year you will have your own supply (the same goes for flowers too) -- last year my sister-in-law and i swapped several flower and vegetable seeds -- I LOVE IT!!!

Lynn

P.S. keep the ideas coming and pleae can this go on a sticky???

Thank you peeps!! Some FAB ideas here... I love it!! :D

We also do a Seasonal Charity Clear-Out: 4 times a year C and I have a major sift of clothes/CDs/Books/household items etc which are (and this is the important bit) still in good condition and give them to various charities, plus always donating at least 1 item a month in between....

The better the condition the item is, the more it can be sold for and the more money the charity can raise: it's ALL GOOD! hee hee...

Love Row xxx

Y'know when you clean glass/windows with vinegar? What vinegar do you use and do you use a sponge or cloth or what to apply??? Love Row xxx

A big thank you for making this a 'sticky'!!!

Love Row xx

Hi Row

I mix white vinegar and water and a spray bottle, squirt it on then use newspaper to clean the windows.

Another thing I do to reduce waste is use re-usable cleansing pads rather than cotton wool for cleansing my face - you just wash them and re-use.  I also got some clear rubbery dish covers that can be washed and re-used to cover leftovers etc rather than clingfilm.  I think I got both of these from www.naturalcollection.com - I buy loads of stuff from these guys!

Love Kirsty xx

Hi Kirsty... oooh - thanks for the windows tip! And for the website info... :D *thumbs up* Will check it out! Love Row xxx

Natural Collection is fab for eco cleaning stuff etc too.

Another website to have a look at is Friends of the Earth - www.foe.co.uk - if you sign up they will send you an eco tip every day!  Today's - use a toaster rather than grill for your toast - it uses less energy apparently!

Good call on the water-saving Viv - we have a water but for watering the garden too.  When I wash up I only half fill the  bowl and wash small things first - as I like to rinse glasses etc after washing, I do it into the bowl and end up with a full bowl for the bigger items by the time I've finished.

Love to all you eco-warrier-princesses!

Kirsty xx

Re-cycling is soooo easy it just about getting into the habit of remembering instead of just throwing away care-less-ley... (sorry about my spelling but you know what I mean) !!

We do all the normal,paper, tins, plastic, etc and actually our bin is only ever under half full when they come to collect.

The one that became a habit years ago as someone else mentioned is turning the tap off when brushing your teeth....easy peasy.....

Some GREAT ideas, I had not heard about vinegar and old newspapers to clean the windows....cool will try that one.  And making your own cards from all your old cards, like that one..

Thanks Row for yet another fab idea....

Love & Big Hugs

Em xxxx

I love this idea of using vinegar and water in a spray bottle with newspaper! Is it half and half? Lyn xx

Strange isn't it that the vinegar/water thing is an old fashioned method and one my nan told me about years ago..
And yet, I rarely use it, only when I run out of spray window cleaner because that is so much easier..
This is so much more than recycling, it's about going back to old fashioned values isn't it..
For me anyway!

Viv xx

I agree!!! It is also about saving money - a bottle of vinegar and an old newspaper cost very little in comparison with the high cost of big brand (highly chemical) window cleaners.

If anybody has any other tips to save us money (whilst being kind to out planet) PLEASE share :-)

Lynn

When I was younger I use to use egg yolk as a hair conditioner, then vinegar in the final rinse to make it shine..

Cucumber slices to ease tired eyes (usually the morning after the night before)And I used to make an oatmeal face scrub

OMW..I'm going back a bit now.. But all natural products, cheap and cheerful and no superfluous plastic packaging!

Viv x

You know when you go to hotels and you take all the little bottles of shampoo home with you but then just abandon them in the bathroom cuboard? Well i like to make sure i use them all up when i get back so instead of deviating away from my normal shampoo/conditioner/mosituriser i simply add and mix in the contents of the hotel minatures to my exisiting products and that way i use up the minatures. Not only that but the extra shampoo helps my exisiting shampoo go a little further as its diluted by the hotel stuff. Shampoo is shampoo after all.

I also keep matches if theyve burned out before theyve reached half way. That way, if youre lighting candles you can hold the dead match from the burnt end and use the remaining wood at the end to carry on the flame from one candle to the next.

My favourite tip is to do a weekly menu. Every sunday i create a menu for the week that shows whats for breakfast, lunch and dinner and from that i get the shopping i need and no more. It also helps me plan if i want to get an item of food that may not be eaten in its full state, like a roast chicken, so i can plan how to use the leftovers afterwards. Also, if hubby doesnt like what im going to cook for dinner he can say before i start making it and he can either suggest something else or offer to cook instead so he doesnt just ignore the plate of food i give him because he doesnt want it.

I also reuse my carrier bags as bin bags for recycyling. Theyre small enough to hold a good quantity of rubbish but because theyre small they fill up quickly so you take them out of the kitchen more regularly (before they start smelling) and theyre not as intrusive as a massive black bin bag. Not only that but the plastic bag will be recycled as well as the rubbish its holding. Much better then buying bin bags for the same purpose.

I do that with matches too Lili!

Re-using stuff rather than going disposable is usually the best way forward (although the jury is STILL out on nappies!) - so here are some ideas to do that:

• I get my fabric softener etc bottle refilled at the health food shop.
• I also buy large 5 litre containers of eg washing stuff and top up the smaller bottles.
• If you have a water dispenser at work, use your own glass or mug rather than throwing away plastic or paper cups.
• Equally, why not get a kettle, mug and jar of coffee if poss rather than buying a latte etc on the way to work every day?
• Wash out eg hummus tubs, plastic takeaway containers (guilty as charged!!), jam jars etc and use them to hold left overs, packed lunches, bits and pieces to go in the fridge - or to hold stuff like your crystals, stuff for crafting etc.
• If you get a hole in your rubber washing up gloves, try using them for messy tasks where you don't actually have your hands in water eg gardening or polishing.
• Obviously, reuse shopping bags - and when they are torn, a lot of places will recycle them.
• I use old toothbrushes for cleaning with.

Also, I saw a tip which could come in handy for winter - a lady says she took the side off her bath and filled the gaps around the tub with old clothes before putting the side back on again.  This keeps her bath water warm for a long soak without having to keep topping it up with more hot.

Love to all

Kirsty xx

I have just remembered a tip from a friend of mine about stain removal.

His step-son accidentally 'splodged' ink from a cartridge pen all over their cream carpet so the friend rushed to cover it in milk, then carefully dabbed it up. He swears by this and has tried (experimented) on a few other stains (red wine, etc) a

nd says it works brilliantly ---- i have yet to try it cos i rarely spill things!!!!! But would be interested to know if it works for others.

also, i remembered today what my dad used to do with greenfly --- he would spray the affected plant with washing up liquid and water - it is much kinder to the envirronment than chemical stuff from the garden centre!!! (We tried this today cos my climbing plants were absolutely covered in the little lovelies - i think it works by making the stem too slippy for them to stick onto. i don't think it actually kills them (but i'm going to pop out now and check!!!!!)

Keep the tips coming!!!

Lynn

x

Today's tip from Friends of the Earth:

Avoid disposable batteries

Try to buy products that don't require batteries but rely on renewable energy instead. You can now buy all sorts of wind-up or solar-powered gadgets including radios, torches, calculators, phone chargers, toys and garden lights. If you can't avoid batteries, opt for rechargeable ones - they'll save you money in the long run. You can buy solar powered rechargers if you want to reduce your environmental impact even further.

Love Kirsty xx

i would definitely recommend shopping in 'lush' for all things like shampoo's, soaps, bath & shower products, facial scrubs, moisturisers, etc.

it's a lovely shop with great ethics & principles. everything's natural & organic.

everything comes in little black pots & if you bring five back to the store for them to re-use they give you a free product.

i buy everything like that from there. it's wonderful.

peyton x

I love that shop! Just the smell as you walk past, mmm. I got a free face mask from there the other day! It was lovely! Linda x

First off - amazing thread! Love it :D Secondly, I'm not sure if anybody else has said these tips, but here are mine :

Try going veggie one day a week. This will also do your health good, and being veggie isn't eating lettuce! =P

If you have a dog, use carrier bags for poo picking, rather than buy special made "poo picking" bags.

Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth.

Rainwater is fab for washing hair!

Vinegar can be used for more or less anything - cleaning windows, glasses etc.

Make sure you buy free range everything. Co-op is a great shop for this, but check the ingredients on some things as it'll clearly say caged eggs. With tesco etc, if it doesn't say free range then it isn't.

I also get my shampoo's, conditioner's etc from there as they are BUAV approved :)

Best thing I ever did was to buy two compost bins,all teabags,veg peelings, eggshells,egg boxes pet hair(and I have loads of that this time of the year!}can go in and I hate wasting food but if last weeks potatoes are going green I do'nt feel guilty about throwing them in the bin cos they go in the composter and six months down the line they come out like black gold and as I'm a keen gardener it's saved me a fortune on compost!
Bb Oestara x

Hi there, just wanting to follow-up on your post and to ask you about how to get best results.   I've had a composter for years and haven't had that much success in producing the mulch.  I still have things that have not rotted, like potatoes, fruit and unless I scrunch up egg shells they do not decompose.  What's your secret?  I have used accelerator but it still doesn't work that well - I've layered alternatively with newspaper strips, grass cuttings, wood shavings, ashes from the fire etc.,  should the contents be turned or wet or dry....what's the secret of good decomposition?

Thanks

Elichrist

I'd be interested in that too Elichrist!

Another tip - obviously if you can avoid using your car, it's better to go by bus, train - or even better still cycle or walk!  But when you do use your car, try not to carry weight you don't need to (eg stuff in the boot), don't drive any faster than you have to, try to plan ahead to avoid stopping and starting and drive in the highest gear you can.

Love Kirsty xx

Good sense about car travel but alas it's not that easy when you are living rural with a limited bus service and all the local railway links closed in the dark ages of Beecham!  We only shop once a week (big supermarket) and once to small town(for fish/meat).  Don't cycle (haven't since a youngster) - value my life too much on rural/town roads - it's the quick or dead in country back roads. 

The idea is good but the practicality is not, alas.

xx Elichrist (Elaine)

They're cutting the buses out to ours and we live on the edge of a big city!!  But the thought's there lol!!

Love Kirsty xx

Well you seem to be doing everything right! The only suggestions I've got are- make sure its somewhere where the sun can get at it sometime of the day so it's kept warm, water it if it seems very dry and if it's too wet add cardboard or newspapers to dry it out.You have to crush eggshells and if you've got the time chop up things like potatoes or apples.
I only turn mine if it looks like it needs to get going,and I leave it for about 6 months but the longer the better really, hope this helps. Bb Oestarax

elichrist what type of composter do you have? I have a plastic one that the council gave a discount on years ago - this one is RUBBISH and i have similar results to yours (e.g. egg shells and fruit/veg not rotting properly. My neighbour has one he made himself and he gets good compost!!1

I think the secret is to ensure it has lots of air - i've opened the front bit of mine - i've also put in worms that i have found whilst weeding the garden - they are supposed to eat the leaf mould and turn it into compost.
Also don't put TOO much stuff in the bin as this compacts it and stops the air circulation.

Hope that is helpful
Lynn

Ooh! while I'm here . . . I have found/been introduced to these sites, so thought i'd share them in case you don't already know about them . . .

Freecycle (you 'advertise' thengs you no longer want - for free - and if somebody wants what you are getting rid of they will come and pick it up [no more trips to the tip :-)

readitswapit (any books you have read and want to get rid of - just list them on here and you can swap them for books you haven't read yet)

LETS (you 'swap' your services e.g. babysitting, plumbing, etc for other services via a credit system, so it doens't cost you anything and you can get services for free too)

just a few ideas --- hope they are useful

Lynn

Thanks Oestara and Lynn for those useful tips on the decomposition of waste - giving it air sounds good - mine is a suped-up version of the plastic thing but maybe will drill some ventilation holes and good idea about worms too...! At present it's about 2/3rds full so maybe will turn it and water a little as it is in full sun most of the day. Good tips about the sites for recycling without too much hassle. Will have a look at those. Thanks - love this interactivety on here. Elaine. x

erm -- i've also been told -- but i haven't tried it (!!) -- urine helps with the decomposition of compost -- not sure that i wnat to try it, but might be worth considering!!!!

yep PsychicFreedom my hubby has that one covered too...(smile).

Elaine

I work on the checkouts in a very busy leading supermarket and am horrified at the amount of carrier bags that we give out to customers! I do have to say that there ARE alot of green customers who do bring their own carrier bags but alot more who don't.
I make myself remember my own carrier bags when I go shopping by writing "BAGS" at the top of my shopping list. It never fails!
Love Catherine xx

... but do still sometimes forget my bags.  What I do find odd though is that sometimes shops still give me a bag even when I ask them not to cos I've brought my own?!

I also get my shopping delivered, and ask them to do it "bagless". 

Love Kirsty xx

At B&Q we charge for our carrier bags ad all the money from it goes into our enviromental projects funds which we give out to local communities. However people will ask for bags but when you tell them that they cost 10p, they kick up a huge fuss and then say ''well I'll just have to go without out on principle''! Surely the principle is to save our planet- not having to spend 10p which reminds you to think of the planet and helps funds really good initiatives? Lol, people always amuse me.

What a lovely thread, very useful advice on here!

Also what about making sure all the electrics are switched off properly too.  Turning lights out when leaving the room and things like that.

The advice about the compost is very useful, we're going to be sorting out the garden next year and have wanted to do that. 

The council have recently given us a little green box in our area to take away our food waste.  We have to put a special bag or something in the box and it then goes in our garden waste bin and the council will take it every other week.  I wish they would take our glass bottles and jars too. 

I think that with the recession going on people will start, or have started to go back to basics again.  Mending things rather than buy a new one, that sort of thing.

Lou xx

Hi,
Going back to window cleaning, natural collection have glass/ window cleaning cloths In the pack they have 2 cloths one is a smooth texture which you damp down and clean your windows. The other cloth is a 'shammy' type texture and you again go over your windows, they will clean your windows without smears and marks. I can clean all my windows inside and out in about 10 mins!!!. I'm not sure if they still sell them or not.
Also i sell all my unwanted books on ebay or amazon and all clothes, bric a brac etc are donated to the local charity shops.
I also open up pizza boxes along the seam and use these as a mat for the cats food and water bowls. Love sj

I live with my mum, and I like to think we're good to the enviroment :) . We recycle whatever we can, and even started buying stock granules in tins so we can recycle them too :). My mum also gets fruit in these plastic tubs from tesco, you can recycle them, but they're really good for storing wee things, like DIY things, eg nails etc, even tealight candles haha. We use our own bags when shopping, and I even print on both sides of the paper, so use less :) . I've even got my boyfriend into recycling more hehe.

Love K x

I use my own bags when I go shopping but it took ages for me to remember to take them with me. There is a Tesco Metro close by and I only buy a few things at a time and they usually all fit in my large handbag. When use my bike to go shopping I am restricted to what I can fit into the panniers and that helps because I don't buy anything that will go to waste and I put the shopping straight from the trolley/basket into the panniers. And this all means that I have very little packaging to recylce. Any unwanted clothes or furniture go to charity shops and my latest cupboard came from a charity shop, it's solid wood and a high quality brand for only £10. Even my pet rabbit came from my neighbour after his male rabbit was over amorous with his female rabbit :)