What small things did you do today to reduce your environmental impact?

[Fishindude]

I think we are going to get a replantable Christmas tree, rather than a cut tree.   I'll plant it in the yard somewhere after the holidays.
For the cost of the stupid thing I could probably buy 100 seedlings and plant them but ...........

[Bracken_Joy]

Our apartment building has compost! Ordered a bin and liners. A substantial amount of our trash on a day to day basis is coffee grounds and veg scraps, so this will be excellent.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I forgot my lunch at home. Turns out the work fridge is full of leftovers and I can save my lunch for another day(it was in the freezer), while today I can help reduce food waste!

[Frugal Lizard]

Walked to church this morning.  Used up a bunch of leftovers in a soup that was our dinner.

[jengod]

* cargo biked to the grocery store and back

* harvested tangerines from our tree for a snack

* composted eggshells, coffee grounds, yard pruning, fallen leaves, etc.

* spread free wood chips on our parking strip, this will ultimately prevent erosion and will slowly fertilize our big street tree

[BlueMR2]

Biked to the bike shop to pick up parts for my spare bike.  :-)  It was a little awkward riding home carrying the tires though...

[Linea_Norway]

Walk to work and will walk back in the afternoon. Both in the dark (darkest time of the year).

[OtherJen]

Managed to work a couple pounds of sprouting potatoes, a slightly wilted bell pepper and the last of a carton of heavy cream into tonight's dinner. I hate wasting food, so this was a win.

[Poundwise]

I took a chance and ordered from a new service that delivers odd shaped and imperfect produce that would otherwise be thrown away, or so they say.  The produce was very nice and there was plenty of it!  I think it was a good deal: with coupon I paid only $30 for a full box of organic produce, which seems to be comparable or better to what I'd pay in a farmer's market, plus it was delivered.  I usually don't feel I can afford organic, so this was a chance for me to get in on that action too.

[Fresh Bread]

I took a chance and ordered from a new service that delivers odd shaped and imperfect produce that would otherwise be thrown away, or so they say.  The produce was very nice and there was plenty of it!  I think it was a good deal: with coupon I paid only $30 for a full box of organic produce, which seems to be comparable or better to what I'd pay in a farmer's market, plus it was delivered.  I usually don't feel I can afford organic, so this was a chance for me to get in on that action too.

This sounds great. Here in Australia there is a new app called farm to foodie which might help farm waste by selling fruit & veg the supermarkets won't take. Must remember to look into it.

[Poundwise]

Yes, it's a great idea for such as me... We don't eat enough vegetables, we're too cheap to buy organic often, we don't belong to a CSA already, and we seldom go to farmers markets.  But if you already buy from small farmers/CSAs, it's better to support them.  Expecting my next box tomorrow... can't believe I'm looking forward to a box of vegetable seconds but I am!

[Linea_Norway]

Cleaned the snow manually instead of using the noisy snowblower.

[Frugal Lizard]

signed up for the one tonne challenge on 1 million women. 

making beeswax infused cotton wraps for my large lidless casserole dishes and all my various sized bowls.

[Anatidae V]

Cut up 1 old sheet for cleaning rags, got 2 to go.

[chaskavitch]

signed up for the one tonne challenge on 1 million women. 

making beeswax infused cotton wraps for my large lidless casserole dishes and all my various sized bowls.

Oh, how did the wraps turn out?  I want some more of these, but I've managed the one I have poorly and it's kind of just sad cotton now.  I'd love to know how to make them from scratch!

[Anatidae V]

I cut up 3 old sheets with pinking shears for kitchen and household rags. They've been waiting to be chopped up for months! Now we'll be able to use less paper towels as well.

[Linea_Norway]

I chopped some more wood from the garden for the wood stove. Then we can keep our basic electric floor wamer lower.

[kenaces]

I have been a Vegan for about a year now, and ride my bike to work 3-4 days per week.

I started and continued both of these habits for health reasons not environmental reasons, but I do get some small satisfaction when I see threads like this and feel like I am doing something good.

[KathrinS]

I always packed my lunch a few times a week, but after reading MMM, I've started packing it every day, including weekends. I can make a decent lunch including fruit for about £0.50, whereas food from the supermarket might cost £3-5. Plus, I've been vegetarian for about 16 years now.

I only use public transportation, and today I took buses and trains to get to work, then to a social event.

I rarely shop for new clothes, beauty products and gadgets - this is an important one that is sometimes overlooked. In the weeks leading up to Christmas I've been given enough lotions, creams and body wash to last for the entire year or longer. Strangely, I've also been given jeans, a summer dress and converse, which have been sitting unused in someone's closet. Makes me think that we should do 'closet trade' type events more often, instead of buying new!

[HappierAtHome]

I watched another movie on the environment.  It's called the True Cost and it's about fast fashion.  It talks about the environmental and human impact of the fashion industry and really opens your eyes to what is really involved.  It is available on Netflix.

Thanks for the recommendation! I read Overdressed this year, and it taught me a lot about the environmental cost of fast fashion.

[Anatidae V]

I put curtain rails up in my bedroom over the weekend! It gets hit with a lot of sun during summer. Unfortunately we forgot the bits to attach the curtain to the rail, so need another trip to the shop...

I gave away a blow up pool on our local buynothing. Wins for everyone!

[Linea_Norway]

Walked to work and will walk back again when the working day is over.

[Poundwise]

I made a very good eggplant parmesan, which finally persuaded a hungry husband and oldest son that they like eggplant! Now, if the two youngest in the family would give it a try, we'd have one more vegetarian dish in our menu.

[Hirondelle]

Went out for dinner with coworkers, took one of the few vegetarian pizzas that were available.

[Anatidae V]

Walked to pick up pre-loved books from a neighbour after they posted on Buy Nothing.

[HappierAtHome]

Walked to pick up pre-loved books from a neighbour after they posted on Buy Nothing.

I'm doing that exact thing this afternoon :-)

[Anatidae V]

Bought a baby thing second hand! I had to drive to pick this one up, but hoping it's offset by one less electronic in landfill.

We also finally finished putting up blockouts in the master bedroom. Massive difference in light already, and it will be great during the next heatwave.

[gaja]

Now that we have to take the dog out on a leash for every potty trip, the poo bags we have matter far more. Glad I sprung for the best 'eco' option I could find at the time. Anyone want to help with research and make sure I have the most optimal solution though? Obvs when we had a yard, we used a scoop pan periodically and disposed that way.

So, the thing is, every time you put something compostable in landfill it will rot in sealed conditions and create the greenhouse gas methane. So using composting bags and putting them in landfill could be equally as bad as using plastic bags. I think if you need to use a bin and bags, the best thing to do is repurpose bags eg from bread, frozen veg etc.

There are solutions like a worm farm but then you've got to find somewhere to put the output (can't be on edibles plants)!

For people with yards the best thing to do is make an in-ground worm farm (a hole or sunken bottomless bucket with a lid).

Unless your landfill burns off the methane to generate power? That will depend on the landfill, of course.

It is illegal in Norway to put organic waste in a landfill. Our waste is currently burned for district heating. But the municipality is planning to start sorting organic waste and make biogas. They are already making some from industrial waste and sewage, but that is used for the industrial processes. If they increase the biogas production, it can be used for fuel in trucks and vans. The leftovers from the gas production is used as fertilizer for farmers.

[HappierAtHome]

Today:
Walked to and from the park for the toddler's outing.
Eating leftovers.
Making a big pot of tofu and vege curry to use up odds and ends in the fridge and get low-impact meals for days.
Food scraps are going into the worm farm.
Later today, walking to and from my medical appointment.

Edited to fix autocorrect fail.

[HappierAtHome]

Turning food waste into food: I used spring onions yesterday in a salad. Popped the scraps in water and they've already grown so much overnight! I have the perfect self-watering pot for them once I'm ready to plant them out. I don't use spring onions a lot, but I'm excited about never having to buy them in plastic again.

[Fresh Bread]

I've done that with carrots, lettuce, silverbeet and celery - great for getting a bit more out of your dollar too.

I bought some spring onion seedlings marked down for 99c this and last year. It's great because you get loads of plants in a tiny punnet and they are not hard to grow and not affected by pests. We always have a couple on hand without having to buy a whole bunch. Ditto herbs in plastic - most are easy to keep alive and safe from pests.

[HappierAtHome]

I've done that with carrots, lettuce, silverbeet and celery - great for getting a bit more out of your dollar too.

I bought some spring onion seedlings marked down for 99c this and last year. It's great because you get loads of plants in a tiny punnet and they are not hard to grow and not affected by pests. We always have a couple on hand without having to buy a whole bunch. Ditto herbs in plastic - most are easy to keep alive and safe from pests.

Do you regrow carrots from the tops?

I have good luck with basil and parsley; not great luck with any other herbs!

[Fresh Bread]

I've done that with carrots, lettuce, silverbeet and celery - great for getting a bit more out of your dollar too.

I bought some spring onion seedlings marked down for 99c this and last year. It's great because you get loads of plants in a tiny punnet and they are not hard to grow and not affected by pests. We always have a couple on hand without having to buy a whole bunch. Ditto herbs in plastic - most are easy to keep alive and safe from pests.

Do you regrow carrots from the tops?

I have good luck with basil and parsley; not great luck with any other herbs!

Carrots regrow about an inch long but it's a fun project. And I've never had any take from seed. My creeping thyme and lemongrass are really happy and oregano and mint die back and are reborn on a regular basis. My basil & mint get leafhoppers but recover and the basil also gets caterpillars but seems ok. I've just gone ahead and planted some mint in the ground in a lonely corner, it won't matter if it spreads. Thai basil also seems hardy. Then there's also a kaffir lime tree which isn't the healthiest but I need two leaves once a month or so, so good enough.

ETA: carrots - place tops in water until head grows leaves then plant and wait.

[aetherie]

Our heating at home is natural gas, and today I signed up for a program through our gas company to pay a bit extra for Renewable Natural Gas. They get it from capturing methane produced from a landfill.

[Bracken_Joy]

Noticed my neighbor gets their Imperfect Produce box on opposing weeks as me. Contacted customer care for something else (referral code page is broken), but while we were waiting for my screenshot to go through, I asked if it was possible for her to check if anyone else in my building gets boxes, and if not, to move me to the same weeks as Neighbor. May as well save them one stop and the associated fuel!

My usual small ones: walked to yoga as always. Keeping heat low and bundling up instead. Etc.

[jengod]

* Got out the reel mower and shredded a big pile of fallen leaves; these will compost down over the course of the next year and feed the soil and plants, as well as sequestering carbon.

* Crumbled some dried eggshells and spread them under fruit trees.

* Used a salt-vinegar solution to clean an old pan and then poured out the solution on a sidewalk crack to kill crab grass (homemade “weed killer”)

[HappierAtHome]

Today:
Eating vegan breakfast, lunch and snacks. Dinner will be vegetarian.
Combination of public transport and walking for my commute.
After work, will walk (with the pram) to a chemist to stock up on sunscreen.
Who Gives a Crap toilet paper (no plastic packaging, some profits go to charity) will be delivered today or tomorrow.

[Frugal Lizard]

signed up for the one tonne challenge on 1 million women. 

making beeswax infused cotton wraps for my large lidless casserole dishes and all my various sized bowls.

Oh, how did the wraps turn out?  I want some more of these, but I've managed the one I have poorly and it's kind of just sad cotton now.  I'd love to know how to make them from scratch!

It took a little trial and error but my best result was using the warming tray lined with aluminum foil, melting some beeswax and a dash of coconut oil on the warm surface.  Then I put the cotton cloth in the warm wax.  I did this a couple of times to get the cloth quite saturated.  Then flipped it over.  Repeated the multiple infusions of wax.  The next step was to cover the cloth with a parchment paper and with a warm iron pushed the excess wax out.  Some of them don't have enough wax so I will remelt some wax and top them up when I make some new ones. 

My friend made hers with resin and some essential oils in addition to the beeswax to make them unique and more durable.  She is estimating hers will last a year.

[krmit]

Installed some weather stripping on our interior door into the garage to reduce heat leak.
Turned the thermostat down to 60 and am keeping warm with a blanket and wool socks.
Yesterday I chopped up our Christmas tree to save for backyard fires this summer.

[mm1970]

Came in to work late today (instead of coming in on time, driving back to near home for a doctor's appointment, and back into work)
Brought my water bottle with me for our free work lunch today, instead of taking a disposable bottle.
Yesterday bought rice and sunflower seeds in my own reusable containers.

[HappierAtHome]

I am SUPER EXCITED! because this morning my pregnant friend asked me questions about making it work with just one car for the household once she has her baby. We're doing great with only one car so I reassured her that yes, of course she can make it work.

[Dollar Slice]

That's awesome about your friend - eliminating the need for a whole car is huge! :-)

I stopped at the grocery store shortly before they closed tonight and made some choices with an eye on high-environmental-impact foods they might throw out if it didn't get sold in the next 10 minutes (e.g., the last bit of ground pork in the meat display case, some roast beef in the salad bar that looked like it was already being repurposed from somewhere else). I'm not sure if that technically reduces my environmental impact, but I feel better if those things don't get wasted after they used up so many resources in their creation.

I also chose vegetables with an eye towards minimizing use of plastic packaging.

[Tyson]

Found out that I can crisp up my soft corn tortillas in the toaster oven.  Then I can use them like little tostadas.  Yummy and cheap.

[Bracken_Joy]

-Downloaded an app, "think dirty". While it isn't overtly about environmental choices, but personal health ones, these obviously overlap a ton on personal care items. It's been handy, as it has a search and a scanner, so it's a pretty quick look up on ingredients and so on.

-Recently priced out who gives a crap TP. It ends up being $1/roll for the largest order size ($1.25/roll with the smaller size order) for their 'economical' option. Costco's TP ends up being less than $0.60/roll, and the rolls have more sheets. How do people balance stuff like this? I want to reduce my plastics use, but it's so hard to find things that aren't 2x or more over the options I go for now =\

[HappierAtHome]

-Recently priced out who gives a crap TP. It ends up being $1/roll for the largest order size ($1.25/roll with the smaller size order) for their 'economical' option. Costco's TP ends up being less than $0.60/roll, and the rolls have more sheets. How do people balance stuff like this? I want to reduce my plastics use, but it's so hard to find things that aren't 2x or more over the options I go for now =\

When I worked it out for WGAC here in Aus, it was the same price as the cheaper range at the supermarket anyway. So that made it easy. That was before we had Aldi, mind.

But to address the question you're actually asking: I try to make the switch where it isn't too much more, or where it's relatively convenient to make the switch (because time and energy are always in short supply for me, more so than money). Eventually I'll run out of low hanging fruit and have to push further out of my comfort zone, financially and convenience-wise. I do think that I, personally, should be willing to pay quite a bit more for the non-plastic options, because I have a good household income and a high savings rate and can afford it. If not me, who?

[HappierAtHome]

It has occurred to me (again) just how convenient it is not having to worry about buying pads or tampons - with reusable options they're already on-hand, ready to go, when you need them.

I've also been thinking about how great the sharing economy is for reducing consumption (and thus, production) of products we only need for a limited time. I include Buy Nothing in the sharing economy because I tend to receive items as I need them and just post them back on the group when I'm done. Kid stuff is an obvious example, but we also have a heap of novels cycling through the group too.

I received some 'eco' Christmas presents that I don't need (e.g. produce bags - we already own more than enough). So I'm going to list them on Buy Nothing and help someone else make the switch from single use plastic :-)

A friend shared photos with me of her retractable window shades, so now I'm going to investigate those for the windows that get too much summer sun. Anything that reduces our use of air con in summer is a very, very environmental choice for us, living in a hot climate.

[Bracken_Joy]

It has occurred to me (again) just how convenient it is not having to worry about buying pads or tampons - with reusable options they're already on-hand, ready to go, when you need them.

I've also been thinking about how great the sharing economy is for reducing consumption (and thus, production) of products we only need for a limited time. I include Buy Nothing in the sharing economy because I tend to receive items as I need them and just post them back on the group when I'm done. Kid stuff is an obvious example, but we also have a heap of novels cycling through the group too.

I received some 'eco' Christmas presents that I don't need (e.g. produce bags - we already own more than enough). So I'm going to list them on Buy Nothing and help someone else make the switch from single use plastic :-)

A friend shared photos with me of her retractable window shades, so now I'm going to investigate those for the windows that get too much summer sun. Anything that reduces our use of air con in summer is a very, very environmental choice for us, living in a hot climate.

Oh that reminds me of something cool I did! I got reusable straws for Christmas. But, we don't really use straws. We don't buy drinks out and we don't use them at home. So I gifted them on to some friends- they do get drinks out pretty often, and were super excited- my friend said she's been looking at them and was overwhelmed by the choices/none of the ones she found had the cleaner brushes, which this pack did. Made me happy to avoid something coming in I wouldn't use, and pass a nice eco friendly gift onto a friend!

-Recently priced out who gives a crap TP. It ends up being $1/roll for the largest order size ($1.25/roll with the smaller size order) for their 'economical' option. Costco's TP ends up being less than $0.60/roll, and the rolls have more sheets. How do people balance stuff like this? I want to reduce my plastics use, but it's so hard to find things that aren't 2x or more over the options I go for now =\

When I worked it out for WGAC here in Aus, it was the same price as the cheaper range at the supermarket anyway. So that made it easy. That was before we had Aldi, mind.

But to address the question you're actually asking: I try to make the switch where it isn't too much more, or where it's relatively convenient to make the switch (because time and energy are always in short supply for me, more so than money). Eventually I'll run out of low hanging fruit and have to push further out of my comfort zone, financially and convenience-wise. I do think that I, personally, should be willing to pay quite a bit more for the non-plastic options, because I have a good household income and a high savings rate and can afford it. If not me, who?

Sigh. No easy answers are there? I definitely have made the 'right' choices already on the low hanging fruit, and I'm getting quickly into the much more time/effort/cost/etc territory. It's hard when you get the to point where health, frugality, and eco friendliness diverge! Up to a point they all very much walk the same path. =\

[HappierAtHome]

Convinced a friend that she should try on the very fancy dress I've bought for my sister's wedding, to see if she wants to borrow it for an upcoming wedding she's attending. I am SO HAPPY about this because she tends to buy a lot of fast fashion.

I definitely have made the 'right' choices already on the low hanging fruit, and I'm getting quickly into the much more time/effort/cost/etc territory. It's hard when you get the to point where health, frugality, and eco friendliness diverge! Up to a point they all very much walk the same path. =\

Yup :-/

[screwit]

Just joining in this now so I hope my attempts fit the thread!

I just made my first batch of Apple Scraps Vinegar out of the the cores and peel my daughters don't eat. The recipe/ instructions were from the new Simplicious Flow cookbook which is really focused on reducing waste.

The vinegar seems pretty good so far and I'll be happy if I don't need to buy Apple cider vinegar in the future. All the bottles here are collected, washed and reused by companies but this will reduce the transport impact... one bottle at a time.  That counts,  right?

[Trifle]

Just joining in this now so I hope my attempts fit the thread!

I just made my first batch of Apple Scraps Vinegar out of the the cores and peel my daughters don't eat. The recipe/ instructions were from the new Simplicious Flow cookbook which is really focused on reducing waste.

The vinegar seems pretty good so far and I'll be happy if I don't need to buy Apple cider vinegar in the future. All the bottles here are collected, washed and reused by companies but this will reduce the transport impact... one bottle at a time.  That counts,  right?

It counts!  That is really interesting.  Also a good one for the 'What small things did you do today to save money?' thread.

Huge overlap between the two, as @Bracken_Joy and @HappierAtHome just pointed out.  Frugality and environmental friendliness, walking the same path.