The Three R's
Reduce, reuse, recycle. We've all seen those words emblazoned on grocery bags touting the benefits of recycling. This is one of those great two-for-one deals: you can save money and help the environment at the same time.
With a little creativity, you can give the old “reduce, reuse, recycle” whole new meaning.
Reduce
Reduce waste by growing your own food and making your own meals, saving money and cutting excess packaging at the same time. Switch to reusable items like cloth diapers, shopping bags, and napkins instead of buying disposables.Cloth Diapers
It is so satisfying to walk past the baby aisle knowing you don't have to lug home huge, expensive boxes of diapers every month. Instead, your child can be comfy and adorable in soft, colorful fabric. Cloth diapers are easily washed at home. They are often made from cotton, bamboo, or hemp, which do not require the petroleum and water resources used in the manufacture of disposable diapers; they aren't thrown in the trash at every change; and they clean up best with just a small amount of biodegradeable detergent. If you choose prefolds, when your child outgrows them, they can find new life as heavy-duty cleaning cloths around the house. So you can feel good knowing you're doing something good for the environment as well. For more information about the wide variety of cloth diapers available today, check out DiaperPin.com or _____.Reuse
Reuse your plastic grocery bags at the supermarket, and some stores will give you a credit. Use those same bags for lining garbage cans, packing lunches, or stashing wet swimsuits after a day at the pool. Check out our Sewing and Crafts page for a link to an easy plastic bag dispenser tutorial that'll make your recycling efforts more fun and functional.Recycle
There's more to recycling than separating paper and plastic. Keep organic waste out of the landfills by sending it to your garden instead. Compost your kitchen scraps and forgo expensive, and often inorganic, soil amendments. Spread old newspapers in your vegetable garden for an effective weed-smothering, moisture-retaining mulch. Or use the Sunday comics to wrap a gift. Get creative with egg cartons, milk jugs, old magazines, and other items usually discarded, and do an arts and crafts project with the kids.With a little creativity, you can give the old “reduce, reuse, recycle” whole new meaning.