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

[Linea_Norway]

When I visit my family around Christmas, we often fly instead of driving and taking a ferry. Flying is a lot cheaper and only costs a few hours, while driving and ferry takes about 24 hours. In matters of environment, the car is a better alternative than the plane. If I remember correctly, you can drive a car for a whole year for the CO2 production that one flight with a plane causes. So saving money and time is not always best for the environment. It often is when it comes to other things.

Last visit, we drove. I think I didn't make any private trip by plane in 2016. I probably made some short flights for work, though.

[frooglepoodle]

When I visit my family around Christmas, we often fly instead of driving and taking a ferry. Flying is a lot cheaper and only costs a few hours, while driving and ferry takes about 24 hours. In matters of environment, the car is a better alternative than the plane. If I remember correctly, you can drive a car for a whole year for the CO2 production that one flight with a plane causes. So saving money and time is not always best for the environment. It often is when it comes to other things.

Last visit, we drove. I think I didn't make any private trip by plane in 2016. I probably made some short flights for work, though.

I think I've heard that same statistic before. We typically fly across the country twice a year to visit family. Unfortunately it's so far it would be impractical to drive unless we made the cross-country road trip part of the vacation.

Does anyone else often find themselves conflicted between saving money and making purchasing decisions that align with their values (be it environmental or otherwise)? They often line up (buying secondhand, and just buying less overall), but I increasingly find myself opting to spend more for a values-aligned purchase like purchasing pastured meat and grass-fed dairy and just eating less of it, buying the clothes I do buy new from companies that make a point of manufacturing high quality goods in an ethical and/or environmentally friendly manner, and so on.

Yes. All the freakin' time, if I'm being honest.

As you say, much of the time these values line up. But much of the time they don't. For a long time I focused more on the saving money side of the equation, so now I'm trying to swing more towards spending that bit extra and having it be the 'right' choice.

Realistically, my lifestyle is always going to be a compromise between mainstream consumer culture and the 'green' values I hold dear, so part of this journey is learning the balance.

I'm glad it's not just me. I find that I'm unwilling to be so extreme in my adherence to values that our life is noticeably different from those around us to a casual observer. I don't want to stick out too much, and I don't want my son to be "that weird kid with the hippy mom". But I think it's important to be willing to talk about them if it comes up in conversation so others are exposed to the ideas in small doses and maybe start making changes themselves. My husband has come a long way since we met. He was never a huge consumer and was conscious about small things like recycling and electricity use, but had never thought to question that there was more to it than that.

HaH, I'm going to start reading through your journal and will post when I'm caught up!

[HappierAtHome]

I think I've made my mind up to trial using bicarb soda and apple cider vinegar in place of shampoo and conditioner when my current bottles run out (probably less than a month away...). Scary!!

Also, a forum member told me all about how great soapnuts are and sent me a link to the best place to buy them, so it might be time to experiment with those for my laundry.

[Linea_Norway]

I think I've made my mind up to trial using bicarb soda and apple cider vinegar in place of shampoo and conditioner when my current bottles run out (probably less than a month away...). Scary!!
<...>

I tried this when my favorite shampoo was no longer for sale in my country. I found it a bit cumbersome, making a paste of dry baking soda in my hand with just enough water, while not flowing it all away. It was not so easy to spread over my hair. I didn't repeat the experiment. Bought a bottle of the cheapest shampoo instead, which worked better than the soda and later I bought my 8 bottles of my favorite abroad when I was there anyway.

There is a point in not washing your hair too often, but leave it at 1,5 - 2 times a week. Then it will not turn fat so fast.

What I learned from one of the no-poo blogs is what to do when you go swimming in a pool with chlorine water. Soak your hair wet with normal water before swimming and wear a rubber swimming cap. Afterwards your hair will not stink of chlorine and you don't need to wash it with shampoo. This works very well for me. Earlier I had trouble with that the chlorine smell didn't disappear even after washing with shampoo.

But try out the soda for yourself. It's not scary.

[HappierAtHome]

I think I've made my mind up to trial using bicarb soda and apple cider vinegar in place of shampoo and conditioner when my current bottles run out (probably less than a month away...). Scary!!
<...>

I tried this when my favorite shampoo was no longer for sale in my country. I found it a bit cumbersome, making a paste of dry baking soda in my hand with just enough water, while not flowing it all away. It was not so easy to spread over my hair. I didn't repeat the experiment. Bought a bottle of the cheapest shampoo instead, which worked better than the soda and later I bought my 8 bottles of my favorite abroad when I was there anyway.

There is a point in not washing your hair too often, but leave it at 1,5 - 2 times a week. Then it will not turn fat so fast.

What I learned from one of the no-poo blogs is what to do when you go swimming in a pool with chlorine water. Soak your hair wet with normal water before swimming and wear a rubber swimming cap. Afterwards your hair will not stink of chlorine and you don't need to wash it with shampoo. This works very well for me. Earlier I had trouble with that the chlorine smell didn't disappear even after washing with shampoo.

But try out the soda for yourself. It's not scary.

One of my local mustachian friends dilutes the bicarb soda in water and keeps it in an old shampoo bottle, so that each time she wants to use it she can just shake the bottle and then squirt some out onto her hair like a very runny version of normal shampoo. So I think that's what I'm going to try first :-)

That pool tip is interesting, thanks!

[Fresh Bread]

The no poo method gave me awful dandruff and my hair never got past the ultra-greasy stage. But I went from that to using the tiniest amount of Organic Care shampoo ($2.50 on special at Coles!) just to take the grease away but not enough to make a lather. So now a bottle could last a year so at least it's an improvement. I went back to using conditioner as my hair is super knotty and whenever I got caught in the rain I smelt of vinegar! I put the vinegar into a spray bottle for easy application. It really does work as a conditioner tho, it's bizarre!

[frooglepoodle]

I have never washed my hair more than twice a week, even way back before it was mainstream. I use fancy pants Deva Curl hair products, including their no-poo cleansing cream. I should give the baking soda and vinegar technique a shot. I only go through about a bottle per year of the no-poo, but that may be one more plastic bottle I can avoid using. I'm planning to test out flax seed gel soon too!

I sewed my toddler some clothes this weekend, cutting down one of my too-small tshirts to fit him and picking apart the seams of a pair of DH's sweatpants to use as material for a tiny pair. I was able to cut the material of the sweats so that I can make a larger pair for next year out of the remainder. Since reading the article (No One Wants Your Old Clothes I am trying to make better use of our unwanted things.

I took the large Mason jars we were given grocery shopping last week and stocked up on dry goods from the bulk bins. I wish the store that lets you bring your own containers had more available in bulk; I'd love to be able to get crackers, dried fruit, etc. without packaging as well.

[I'm a red panda]

Not MY environmental impact, but others.... despite being 38 weeks pregnant, I volunteered at a girl scout event teaching 4th and 5th graders about energy conservation, including how to do home energy audits and some low hanging fruit habits to change.   That was one exhausting day!

[MMMaybe]

I think I've made my mind up to trial using bicarb soda and apple cider vinegar in place of shampoo and conditioner when my current bottles run out (probably less than a month away...). Scary!!

I'm using one of those Lush shampoo bars (no packaging!) and apple cider vinegar for conditioner. It works pretty well. I put a couple of drops of Argan oil on my wet hair and it helps keep it smooth.

The shampoo bars last ages.

[I'm a red panda]

I think I've made my mind up to trial using bicarb soda and apple cider vinegar in place of shampoo and conditioner when my current bottles run out (probably less than a month away...). Scary!!

I'm using one of those Lush shampoo bars (no packaging!) and apple cider vinegar for conditioner. It works pretty well. I put a couple of drops of Argan oil on my wet hair and it helps keep it smooth.

The shampoo bars last ages.

You should check out some providers that make more natural shampoo products- Lush still uses a lot of the chemicals (SLS) that are in typical shampoos.  I LOVE Chagrin Valley and Praireland Herbs shampoo bars.

[HappierAtHome]

The no poo method gave me awful dandruff and my hair never got past the ultra-greasy stage.

This is what I'm afraid of! Too many horror stories.

You should check out some providers that make more natural shampoo products- Lush still uses a lot of the chemicals (SLS) that are in typical shampoos.  I LOVE Chagrin Valley and Praireland Herbs shampoo bars.

It's also (supposedly - I haven't done it) very easy to make your own shampoo bars.

[HappierAtHome]

Today I'm cooking beans bought dried in bulk, rather than using tinned beans.

And arranging my meals around what needs to be eaten first from the fridge, to avoid food waste.

[akzidenz]

This is a great thread. Posting so I can stay apprised of updates. I didn't do anything particularly special today, but my general practices are: use public transport or walk as much as possible; reduce my meat consumption; take efficient and brief showers; line dry my laundry. (Machine drying is also quietly destructive on clothing, so this keeps my things nicer for longer.)

[Linea_Norway]

The laundry was almost dry when the washing machine was finished. It was mostly sports clothes. So I hung it over a rack in the bathroom which is heated all day with floor heating. I left the door on a small gap for ventilation, rather than switching on the electric ventilator and left it there overnight. Apart from 3 things made of cotton, every was dry the next morning. I will certainly do this more often.

This week we will get very high temperatures. I am thinking of also washing the bed sheets and even drying them outside, as they are too big for the bathroom. Keep in mind that this is Norway and we still have lots of snow outside. This will be an all time early outside drying. Usually I wait until May for haging outside.

[Anatidae V]

I think I've made my mind up to trial using bicarb soda and apple cider vinegar in place of shampoo and conditioner when my current bottles run out (probably less than a month away...). Scary!!

I'm using one of those Lush shampoo bars (no packaging!) and apple cider vinegar for conditioner. It works pretty well. I put a couple of drops of Argan oil on my wet hair and it helps keep it smooth.

The shampoo bars last ages.

You should check out some providers that make more natural shampoo products- Lush still uses a lot of the chemicals (SLS) that are in typical shampoos.  I LOVE Chagrin Valley and Praireland Herbs shampoo bars.

I have recently trialled shampoo and conditioner bars from Ethique (New Zealand company) and liked them a lot. They also do solid deodorant, which I've found works for me. I'm considering it little steps towards what HappierAtHome's said: theoretically, might be able to make my own at some point!

[Linea_Norway]

I have also eaten vegetarian 2 days in a row. And I am normally an omnivorous.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Signed up for a 100% renewable energy electricity plan today. Not much more expensive and now when my car runs in EV mode, which is almost always, it won't be fossil fuel removed by one step. (That's still better than running an ICE though in nearly all locations.)

[I'm a red panda]

It's also (supposedly - I haven't done it) very easy to make your own shampoo bars.

I made soap once and it was "easy" but I found it very expensive to source any decent oils in small quantities (and I still had like years of soap...).  I expect shampoo would be similar.

[MMMaybe]

You should check out some providers that make more natural shampoo products- Lush still uses a lot of the chemicals (SLS) that are in typical shampoos.  I LOVE Chagrin Valley and Praireland Herbs shampoo bars.

I know Lush aren't great and I hate walking into their stores because of the excessive fragrance. But I did try another more natural shampoo bar and it was terrible! I have terrible problems with "normal" shampoos because they cause my scalp to itch so I am always open to new options.

But once I am finished my current Lush bar, I will try another company in the UK that is more natural.

[Tyson]

I really like African Black Soap.  I have super sensitive skin and it's one of the few commonly available options that doesn't make me itch all over.

[HappierAtHome]

I wrote down on my shopping list that I need oily stain remover, and Vanish to whiten my yellowing sheets.

Then I thought about it for a minute, googled natural alternatives, and now I have a plan for what to try first BEFORE buying products.

[nnls]

not something I have done, but I read about this on facebook and thought I would share

https://makewealthhistory.org/2017/03/22/the-worlds-first-mall-for-recycled-goods/

[Linea_Norway]

Walk to work today. Yesterday I drove to work and walked home. Saving a whole day of petrol. On Monday I walked back and forth.

Bringing leftover portion of dinner for lunch at work.

[Linea_Norway]

not something I have done, but I read about this on facebook and thought I would share

https://makewealthhistory.org/2017/03/22/the-worlds-first-mall-for-recycled-goods/

This is a fantastic concept. Because especially when used goods are repaired and cleaned they are way more attractive to buy then when you would pick them up at the communal recycle center.
Pity that Eskilstuna is a too far away from me to visit. I hope more communities will follow.

[FLBiker]

I'm interested in any good natural shampoo recommendations.  My hair is oily - it's short, but still very noticeable if I don't wash it every day.  I've had pretty lousy luck with natural shampoos (like WF's everyday 365), too.

[Poundwise]

After my daughter took her bath, I scooped up the bathwater in a bucket (not really that dirty as she bathes almost daily) and used it to mop the floor.

[HappierAtHome]

Article about a very cool sustainable house

I'm interested in any good natural shampoo recommendations.  My hair is oily - it's short, but still very noticeable if I don't wash it every day.  I've had pretty lousy luck with natural shampoos (like WF's everyday 365), too.

I haven't tried any alternatives to commercial shampoo yet, but I'm interested to see what people recommend!

[Anatidae V]

Article about a very cool sustainable house

I'm interested in any good natural shampoo recommendations.  My hair is oily - it's short, but still very noticeable if I don't wash it every day.  I've had pretty lousy luck with natural shampoos (like WF's everyday 365), too.

I haven't tried any alternatives to commercial shampoo yet, but I'm interested to see what people recommend!

This is the website for the one I mentioned upthread:
https://ethiquebeauty.com

Someone with more cred than me can probably tell if it's as environmentally good as they claim, but it has certainly kept my hair nice. I bought the dry/normal sampler pack in mid-january, and I'm only just running out now (2+ months later).

[nnls]

I'm interested in any good natural shampoo recommendations.  My hair is oily - it's short, but still very noticeable if I don't wash it every day.  I've had pretty lousy luck with natural shampoos (like WF's everyday 365), too.

www.good.is/articles/lather-up-a-natural-diy-shampoo-for-oily-hair
my cousin had some success with this recipe, but it did nothing for my hair, infact I think it made it worse.

I buy one, but I cant remember what its called, I really like it though, I will try to google it and find it for you

[nnls]

Article about a very cool sustainable house

I'm interested in any good natural shampoo recommendations.  My hair is oily - it's short, but still very noticeable if I don't wash it every day.  I've had pretty lousy luck with natural shampoos (like WF's everyday 365), too.

I haven't tried any alternatives to commercial shampoo yet, but I'm interested to see what people recommend!

this is the one I use https://www.desertessence.com/hair-care

HappierAtHome I get it from the health food shop opposite coles at the Galleria, but you might be able to find it closer to home

[NinjaSalad]

I went to work! I'm an Environmental Scientist - does that count?

My dogs finished a bag of food today so I reused the bag as a trash bag. We are vegetarians and vermicompost or compost our food scraps, paper and cardboard so it will take about 2 weeks before it's full enough to go to the curb.

[Linea_Norway]

I noticed an article in the paper today where 75 US majors are saying they will not implement Trumps anti-reusable/pro-coal energy policy, because every 1 of 50 jobs today are in solar energy and pass the oil/gas/coal industry. Renewable energy is making a bigger and bigger impact. Jay!

[powskier]

Did not procreate.

( did have sex though, amazing isn't it?)

[Tyson]

I bought bulk spices at Sprouts and re-filled my spice jar instead of recycling it and buying a new one.  Oh, and it was waaaayyyy cheaper, too.  Like 3x cheaper.  Win-win!

[Anatidae V]

Today I purchased some beeswax wraps to try out, hopefully we'll reduce plastic wrap use. They seem pretty sticky, though, so I hope the copious cat hair in my house doesn't get on them.

[HappierAtHome]

Worm farm workshop this evening! Can't wait to get started turning food scraps into awesome nutrition for my fruit trees. I've been saving the free newspapers from my mail to shred for my new little wormy friends (unfortunately I can't opt out of receiving the newspapers - already tried that!).

[frooglepoodle]

Yay for worms!! One of the things I'm most looking forward to when we eventually buy a house is being able to have compost! I save as many scraps as I can for broth but I still have plenty I can't use. :-(

[HappierAtHome]

Today I purchased some beeswax wraps to try out, hopefully we'll reduce plastic wrap use. They seem pretty sticky, though, so I hope the copious cat hair in my house doesn't get on them.

Really interested to hear how this goes. I've thought about making my own beeswax wraps with the copious amounts of beeswax left over from a skincare project.

The main way I minimise use of plastic wrap is through using containers with lids. Chunk of cheese? Stick it in a tiny container, no need for wrap. Slicing up homemade bread? Great, I have the perfect container to store it in, no disposable plastic needed. Need to cover pizza dough while it rises? My mixing bowls have lids!

[HappierAtHome]

Yay for worms!! One of the things I'm most looking forward to when we eventually buy a house is being able to have compost! I save as many scraps as I can for broth but I still have plenty I can't use. :-(

My compost bin refuses to create compost... The answer we keep getting is ''it just needs more time''. I think we probably just create too much food and garden waste for one small compost bin anyway! So hopefully a combo of the compost bin and several worm farms will work better for us. Oh, and a bokashi bin! One of those is definitely getting acquired down the line.

[jengod]

Yay for worms!! One of the things I'm most looking forward to when we eventually buy a house is being able to have compost! I save as many scraps as I can for broth but I still have plenty I can't use. :-(

My compost bin refuses to create compost...

If you are in a dry climate, you may need to water it. Compost needs food, air and water, just like any other living thing. It will eventually decompose, yes, but if it's not getting rainwater, hit it with the hose just a little every so often.

We've recently composted human hair, dryer lint, the contents of the kitchen-sink trap, food waste (to chickens), baby poop (dedicated separate humanure bin sequestered until 2020), garden weeds, gopher-damaged plants (dang gopher!). I have used worm castings from the bottom of the pile for potting up seedlings and cuttings.

We've been using a "CSA" for "imperfect produce." It's kind of just a food delivery service with an occasional wonky-looking orange, but we've been very happy with the selection and quality and if it's a channel for selling produce that would otherwise go unhomed, that's a good thing.

Plus I save the fruit boxes they use for delivery to pack up an overstuffed storage room.

My edible guerrilla-gardening continues: This week I planted a young citrus tree in our local park. Someone had planted a lemon tree there a couple of years ago and it's really flourishing. I added a navel orange tree. Cross your fingers that the little guy survives.

[VeggieTable]

Today I purchased some beeswax wraps to try out, hopefully we'll reduce plastic wrap use. They seem pretty sticky, though, so I hope the copious cat hair in my house doesn't get on them.

I would also be interested to hear how these work. I've seen them advertised before, but only ever as part of those monthly "boxes" you can have mailed to you each month. Where did you buy yours?

[Anatidae V]

Today I purchased some beeswax wraps to try out, hopefully we'll reduce plastic wrap use. They seem pretty sticky, though, so I hope the copious cat hair in my house doesn't get on them.

I would also be interested to hear how these work. I've seen them advertised before, but only ever as part of those monthly "boxes" you can have mailed to you each month. Where did you buy yours?

I purchased mine at a local market, from a group who make them somewhat locally. I have 3 different sizes, and they recommended using them for wrapping sandwiches, or (hard) cheeses in the fridge. It will be interesting seeing what I actually end up using them for.

[VeggieTable]

My biggest success recently is convincing my neighbors, who used to compost in their old city, to start saving their food scraps again and give them to me. It all started with me saying I would love their coffee grounds, and now it's turned into everything! A full food-scrap bin is definitely the weirdest delivery I receive, but probably makes me the most excited. It feels oddly intimate to see what they're eating each week.

[alewpanda]

Today I purchased some beeswax wraps to try out, hopefully we'll reduce plastic wrap use. They seem pretty sticky, though, so I hope the copious cat hair in my house doesn't get on them.

I would also be interested to hear how these work. I've seen them advertised before, but only ever as part of those monthly "boxes" you can have mailed to you each month. Where did you buy yours?

I purchased mine at a local market, from a group who make them somewhat locally. I have 3 different sizes, and they recommended using them for wrapping sandwiches, or (hard) cheeses in the fridge. It will be interesting seeing what I actually end up using them for.

I made my own with shredded beeswax, cotton fabric, a brush and my oven. 

You can order pre-made ones on etsy.

I wrap sandwiches, the end of summer sausage rolls, the ends of cucumbers or bananas when we don't use the whole thing, etc.  Mostly I use jars/containers or even just a dinner plate on top of a bowl to keep food fresh, but its hard for me to store enough of the those sizes for things like sandwiches and large items like the summer sausage.  Mine are not entirely "air-tight" per se...

[HappierAtHome]

Today:

Made vege curry in the slow cooker to use up carrots and potatoes that were about to go bad.

Fed the vege scraps and peelings to my new pets (the worms).

Used the worm wee on an apple tree that needed some extra nutrition.

Took public transport to and from a meetup.

Yay for worms!! One of the things I'm most looking forward to when we eventually buy a house is being able to have compost! I save as many scraps as I can for broth but I still have plenty I can't use. :-(

My compost bin refuses to create compost...

If you are in a dry climate, you may need to water it. Compost needs food, air and water, just like any other living thing. It will eventually decompose, yes, but if it's not getting rainwater, hit it with the hose just a little every so often.

I already do this :-) it's just slow to decompose. And I'm impatient.

[Tyson]

Bought a metal filter for my aeropress that's reusable, so no more paper filters being used every day.  Better tasting coffee too.

[Linea_Norway]

Yay for worms!! One of the things I'm most looking forward to when we eventually buy a house is being able to have compost! I save as many scraps as I can for broth but I still have plenty I can't use. :-(

My compost bin refuses to create compost...

If you are in a dry climate, you may need to water it. Compost needs food, air and water, just like any other living thing. It will eventually decompose, yes, but if it's not getting rainwater, hit it with the hose just a little every so often.

I already do this :-) it's just slow to decompose. And I'm impatient.

Maybe you should add some already rotting food to add the right bacteria?
Our composting bin works very well. We do need to hussle it from time to time. And it did not do anything in the coldest part if winter. But with only a little warmth the composting accellerated.

[Linea_Norway]

Went for a walk in the forest and walked from home. Didn't use any petrol at all today. Hung up the laundry indoor, because I don't trust the weather. For good reason as it is raining now.

[starjay]

Today:

Fed the vege scraps and peelings to my new pets (the worms).

Used the worm wee on an apple tree that needed some extra nutrition.

"Worm wee" startled a laugh out of me. Thank you for that!

Today I ate food that I have stashed in my desk in stead of walking to the cafe next door and getting breakfast to go in a Styrofoam container.

[frooglepoodle]

I picked up this month's order of meat from a local-ish farm that follows environmentally and animal-friendly farming practices. Grass fed ground beef, whole chickens (laying hens rather than broilers), pastured ground pork for sausage, pork chops, and a ham roast for Easter dinner.

Making a batch of granola using bulk bin ingredients.

Bought produce without using plastic bags, except for the pre-packaged items like berries and grapes. I need to sew some muslin bags to use when I buy larger quantities of apples, potatoes, etc. to keep them from rolling off the scale at self checkout.

I've stopped buying prewashed and bagged greens and buying bunches of spinach and lettuce instead. It's not that much more effort to wash it myself.

I'm making an effort to be more mindful of food waste. In addition to the bag of veggie scraps in the freezer that I save for broth, I have a bag for asparagus ends to be boiled and blended for soup, bags of onion skins and avocado pits/skins for natural dyeing experiments, and a container in the refrigerator for odds and ends like strawberry tops, pineapple cores, and spinach stems to add to smoothies. I also save the whey from straining homemade yogurt and mix it 50/50 with whole milk as a substitute for buttermilk in baking.