So the next time you need ink, refill those cartridges instead of buying new ones.

And while we are on the subject of computers, the amount of e-waste in the world cannot be ignored. With new technology developing at light speed, electronic waste is piling up faster than it can be dealt with. Recycling your electronics is a good thing to do, and your town should have an electronics waste program. But like all recycling, it is still energy intensive, and can only so much can be recycled.

There are not enough high-tech recycling plants to handle the waste and much of it is improperly recycled by backyard recyclers who burn it to mine the valuable metals within. This does not yield a good amount of metal and is extremely toxic to the people who do it and the environment. So recycling should only come after all efforts to REDUCE and REUSE have been made. Instead of getting the latest computer, cell phone, tv,or gadget, consider if you really need it, and weigh the facts of environmental/ human costs over the temporary kick out of a new purchase.

I learned at a conference that there was a UN study, supported by over 400 organizations, to figure out how to end famine, and what the future of food would be. Companies like Monsanto, who have patents on GMO seed, were sure that the study’s conclusion would find that their genetically-modified organisms would feed the world. It turned out the conclusion was the opposite- that it was small local organic farms that would do it.

Why haven’t we heard about this report? It was immediately suppressed. And you can imagine why. And information that is suppressed by big governments and corporations is information that I believe in. (Do I sound like an anarchist? Well, yes, I do believe I may be becoming one.) And so I offer the following things to keep in mind when you buy your food:

Local.
Yes, the transportation miles is something to consider, but another reason to eat local is, it is great for local economies. We need our local farms to prosper. Our energy future is uncertain to say the least and right now we are still highly dependent on fossil fuels. The more we transition our economy to a local level, the more we will insulate ourselves from a precarious future. When the price of fuel skyrockets, we will be glad to have established local farms feeding us, and we need to support them now so they will be there. Joining a CSA group (Community Supported Agriculture) makes this very easy.

Organic.
Organic may have first seemed a posh food choice, but can we really expect to put so many chemicals into our environment and bodies and expect that to sustain life?

Non-GMO Foods.
There is a lot to say about Genetically-Modified Organisms. This is a wonderful site to start with.

Go Vegan.
This might sound radical, but consider this: Americans eat a lot of meat. China and India are developing and they want to be like Americans and also eat a lot of meat. There is not enough land to produce the amount of animals for all of these people to consume. And millions of people are starving the world over. If crops were being raised to feed people instead of livestock, there would be enough food for all. That simple logic alone is enough for me to not eat animals or by-products but there is a selfish reason as well: all of the diseases caused by eating meat, and cured by a vegan diet. Many popular books have been written on the subject and I encourage anyone to read them: The China Study is a particularly good one. To adopt a vegan diet one only needs to get some great cookbooks, and I promise, you will not be limited!

Don’t Watch Commercials.
You will think Big Macs and sugary cereals “fortified with vitamins” are good for you. It’s not your fault- it’s brainwashing and we are all susceptible. Skip the commercials and you will stay stronger in your convictions to eat better for you and the planet!

Now I turn the discussion over to you. We could all use help here- there is always room for improvement and growth- so if you have any tips or recipes, food sources or CSA information to share please post a comment here.

Putting it on the curb does not make our garbage go away. It comes back to us in the form of water and air pollution. Our trash goes to an incinerator in Newark where it is burned and all the toxic substances within are released into the air.  It is important to try and eliminate what we put out on the curb by buying well-made products that won’t be fit for the trash, and repairing items instead of tossing and buying new. But, when there is something that really must go, here are some resources for places to donate the useful stuff and ways to recycle what is no-longer useful:

Craigs List and Freecycle.org are great resources for unloading or picking up anything from lots of clothes, old sports equipment, craft supplies…you name it!

Bicycles: Pedals for Progress will fix up the bike and send it
overseas where non-polluting, cheap transportation is much needed.
They also seed bike repair businesses in these communities to help the
local economy. ($10 min. donation to help cover costs of shipping bike
required) http://www.p4p.org/collection.html

Electronics: In Montclair, every Sat. btwn 9-4 at the DCS yard on 291
North Fullerton Ave, electronics, including computers and components
(keyboards, mice, wires etc.), TVs (no big-screens or consoles), cell
phones and telephone equipment, printers, copiers, fax machines, VCRs,
CD or DVD players, electronic video games, camcorders, stereo
equipment and radios may be dropped off.
For other counties, visit
http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~wastemgmt/countylist.html where Rutgers has
put together a helpful list of recyclng resources.
Also, most cell phone companies offer Buy Back Programs where you can
recycle your phone, possibly even for a credit on your bill.

Furniture: Bric-a-Brac in good condition only: Jewish 800 507 GIVE
(4483) or Vietnam Vets at (800) 775-VETS (8387) to arrange pick up.

Cabinets, fireplaces, under 6 year old appliances, building materials,
like doors and windows etc: The Restore in Morris County will accept
these. Also a great place to shop when needing such items.
http://www.morrishabitat.org/restore/

Shoes: Nike accepts athletic shoes only to be turned into playgrounds
and sports surfaces: http://www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe/ for mailing
address or drop-off locations.

Beat-up Crocs can be sent to:
Crocs 1510 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501 and clearly mark the
outside of the package with “RECYCLE!”

Other gently used shoes can be sent to Sole4Souls at
Soles4Souls, Inc.
619 Old Hickory Blvd.
Old Hickory, TN  37138

Pots and Pans- In NYC they actually pick these up with curbside
recycling. In NJ, well not so easy. But metal is such an easy and
valuable material, don’t let it end up wasted. Bring these items to a
local Salvation Army or Goodwill.

FavorPals envisions a world without money and is a way for skilled people to connect and barter services.

SwapTree lets you trade books, dvds, and cds- many items are even brand- new in the package!/

Lime.com has a great guide for recycling almost anything. Visit
http://www.lime.com/features/limes_guide_to_recycling.

Go Lightly

Switching to recycled toilet paper brands such as Marcal is such an easy thing to do for the planet. And not at all a small thing. Not only are the trees and transportation of them saved, but the more that recycled toilet paper is demanded, the more of a market there will be for the stores of paper waste that right now sits in warehouses since the economic turndown has decreased the demand of recyclables.

Another wonderful toilet habit to instill is reusing water from your shower to flush your toilet. The world has precious little clean drinking water, and we are lucky enough to have it readily at our tap. The fact that most of this water gets flushed down the toilet is a sin when you think about how many millions of people do not have any to drink.

Well, not to make you feel bad…. it’s ok to use what you need, but not waste. One way to help this is to keep a bucket in the shower that gets filled when you wait for the water to be heated. Just keep a nice, clean bucket in the shower and when you flush, put it in the tank (not the bowl).

And of course, keep your showers to three minutes and do not run the water while brushing your teeth or shaving. Keep a cup in the bathroom for rinsing after you brush.

Remember: It’s not about depriving yourself of anything, but just being mindful of not wasting unnecessarily.

But I will also tell you how fun (yes, I said fun, and I mean it) it is to make my own cleaners. Why is this fun? Because it costs almost nothing, I get to choose my own scents to go with the season, and when I run out, I always have more to whip up without going to the store.

So vow to never buy chemicals to spread around your home again and get yourself a supply of the following:

White vinegar is a natural deodorizer and disinfectant. (And no, your bathroom won’t smell like a salad! Any vinegar aroma disappears when dry.) And because it cuts detergent residue, white vinegar makes a great fabric softener. Mix in a sprayer bottle with water for regular cleaning, or straight for tough jobs, like hard water stains or soap scum.  And use for cleaning glass and windows. Works especially well with newspapers instead of cloths or paper towels! Streak -free fast!

Baking soda’s mild abrasive action and natural deodorizing properties make it a powerful replacement for harsh commercial scouring powders. Sprinkle and let sit for tough jobs.

Borax can be used instead of baking soda but not around food surfaces! It is dangerous to ingest, so use it in the bathroom where it kills germs and deodorizes.

Olive Oil mixed with lemon juice is wonderful for wood furniture and floors instead of using petroleum based waxes and polishes. Mix 1 cup olive oil with 1/2 cup lemon juice (or use straight).

Lemon Juice- see above

Castille soap is a great all-purpose soap to have around. It can be diluted so much that a bottle will last a long time. I dilute it for liquid hand cleaner, but it is also great for cleaning spots on the sofa, scrubbing grout…anything!

Essential oils like tea tree and cinnamon have disinfecting properties, but I use them just because they smell so great. I sprinkle a few drops in my vinegar concoction and I change it up with the season….fruity lemon or grapefruit  in the summer, floral jasmine in spring, clove in fall, allspice in winter. If that doesn’t spark your homemade cleaning bug then I don’t know what will!

Use fabric strips, old shoelaces, twine, raffia, or salvaged ribbon for tying up your package. And any found object for embellishment…like old buttons, pine cones, tree branches, random bells, stickers, rubber stamping, broken ornament bits…just about anything.

Moms and dads loved this because it saved them from having to go out and buy a present, and my daughter felt proud to use her special day to help others. And the environment was spared because more than likely, the toys that she would receive are made by irresponsible, dangerous companies. So consider asking your child or a child you know if they would want to forgo the stuff and give instead to their favorite charity.

And this giving tends to give back ten fold. Not only did my daughter feel proud to be of use to her favorite cause (animals) but our lives became less cluttered and she was able to enjoy the things that she did have even more. And hopefully her generation will be one that appreciates the simple things, instead of the accumulation of more stuff!

And the true gift we adults are giving to our children, instead of the momentary excitement of a shiny new thing that will only end up in a landfill, is a clean and healthy future. But if you must give the shiny new thing, luckily now there are many green companies that deserve our support.

But it doesn’t make sense to prevent plastic use somewhere, only to use it somewhere else. That is why I am challenging you to not only go without bags from the store, but without commercial trash bags as well. I wouldn’t ask you to do this without testing it out myself, and you know what? It’s not so bad!

Even without taking bags from the store or buying commercial bags, I find I get bags everywhere. There are empty chip bags, bread bags, newspaper bags, frozen vegetable bags….bags everywhere! These are bags that used to be thought of as trash and would get stuffed inside a plastic garbage bag. That is just more plastic to be burned in the incinerator! Why not use these bags again for trash?

Granted, these are usually smaller bags, but since I recycle and compost almost all of the waste my family generates, I find that the leftover trash tends to be things like wrappers, random bits of junk, tissues, and things of the sort. These certainly fit into these empty product bags.

I keep a stash of these bags under the sink and when one is in use, I keep it next to the sink (since it is too small for a trash bin..which I don’t have). Using these small bags means they fill up faster- which is no problem, i just toss them in the large can outside- and it means I don’t have smelly trash in the house, and it saves space!

Of course I do keep a roll of commercial trash bags on hand for special events (or catastrophes, like cat puke or some other mishap), but – and I swear this to be the case- I am using the same roll that I bought for my daughter’s first birthday party 10 years ago.

So be courageous and see if you can go without the big kitchen trash bag. It has been done…here and all around the world. You can do this!