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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Okay, what I have done already :)

It is important to always give yourself encouragement by listing what's already been done - possibly in a pretty notebook to give you a visual reminder of your success!!

So I have a very pretty eco-notebook, and stuff written in it!!

1) At home, we live in a house that is well-insulated, 2) has solar water heating (excellent in the summer or even winter on sunny days!!), 3) we have two huge compost heaps by the garden (still too little, as plants like A LOT of compost!!:))

4) We separate paper, tins and plastics for recycling... (Okay, much of the paper ends up reused for notes or printing 'on the other side' first... and eventually alas much of it gets burnt in the furnace... hence my concern for getting chlorine-free paper!!)
5) We have double or triple-glazing on windows..

6) Personally, I use pencil wherever possible. (I read pencil or oldfashioned pen were best, as some ballpoint pens may have iffy chemicals or heavy metals. I had lovely 'pump-style' pens for a long time, still looking for good new one/s! Do tell if you know any reliable ones!)

7) I've signed petitions wherever I came across some, sometimes making & inspiring others to sign them too.. :)
8) Have been getting informed about better and healthier practices... (internet, books, TV, etc)

9) I've dared to SAY NO to the plastic bag!! :) /sometimes shocking the salespeople, but usually they were pretty lovely about it and expressed concern over too many plastic bags themselves!/
I love shopping with my own cloth rucksack or a reusable bag. (If necessary, together with reused plastic bags from before... sadly, we have tons../

We've been reusing plastic bags for other stuff - carrying stuff, or ultimately binning things/transport of recyclables..
Earlier on I reused plastic water bottles (on trips and such), but now I prefer to re-use glass bottles...

10) I used to wear many retro clothes at the Uni, and some in high school already.. - Oddly enough, a couple of times people LOVED the look and imitated it! lol Or I was asked, 'Hey, you bought this in _trendy shop_, right? ;)
This means blouses, shirts, sweaters, jackets, even trousers & dresses!!
I even wore some retro shoes! (for performances and 'live'..) - And loved them! (I wish I had more my size!) Hmm, maybe need to dig up & get some 'new' ones!!

Haved swapped clothes with friends and relatives! It's FUN!! (you clear your closet AND get new clothes - possibly better ones than from a shop!!)

11) I've read a lot of books from the library and bought some in 2nd hand shops..
12) I don't smoke. Never have. Never will. It's just unnecessary.
13) Don't drink from tins or plastic bottles if I can help it.

14) Got my parents to collect excess oil even when the council still didn't prescribe it... & 15) use a glass bottle AND cork for vinegar (after hearing - and sort of seeing - that plastic ones, or even metal cork can be affected by the vinegar). /Don't laugh, this was a HUGE accomplishment!! ;)/
/As was 16) trying to sort the freezers. Don't ask. We're still struggling over reusable ex-cottage-cheese containers and/or the bloody plastic bags!/

17) Still have my sis's old cell phone, even though there are fancier & 'better' out there... (not sure if they would be so forgiving of my occasional neglect or bumping into things though!)
18) As odd as this may sound, I LOVE and take care of my things.. I still have my old guitar, and shoes... People are often surprised to see we still use old computers, and had little problems or need for repair with them, etc.
I'm probably not a 'normal' woman as I don't have tons of shoes that others brag about, and when I see a shoe shop, I wanna escape, not 'shop till I drop'... (My feet are unique, and I hate trying on a ton of sandals only to find that none fit or not-cost-a-fortune or - well, I always wonder what they are MADE OF, you know...?!! And how they were made... and what will happen once they're not wearable anymore.. Shopping is kinda frazzling, without knowing these things... )

19) If possible, I buy natural materials.. & 20) we all like to eat healthy, as much as possible.. Would love to learn more interesting recipes, as our food has been kinda boring lately!!
21) Mom's always made homemade jams and such.. Sometimes juices too.. (probably a target for 2009 too!!) I'm not a very 'Martha'-style person (plus I try to avoid sweet stuff), so this will be a huge challenge for me!! lol! I do see it as part of a more sustainable future and a useful skill, though..
22) 23) A lot of veggies and fruit are homegrown or gotten from relatives.. Some fruit and herbal teas are picked in the wild.. (Mom & Dad are the heroes here..)
I must confess I've been terrible at these too, so more effort will be needed in this direction..

24) I reuse: my desk comes from an office, some of the folders and binders too..
My Dad can't understand me: I still keep the old closets and wardrobes, not wanting to buy new ones!! (And what's more, I rave about some of them, how pretty they are!!)
/would nick one of the pretty old closets that's not being looked for proper too, if I could!/

In 2007:
25) Have switched to cloth pads (actually, this was one of the 1st things I did - as they were one of the things that irritated me most! small step for humanity, HUGE step for me!! :))
26) Have experimented with homemade cosmetics (banana! etc) and using oils a bit.. still to be experimented further..
27) I've been shampoo-free since December 2007!! (& have also used very little soap! oddly enough, I am still alive! ;))
28) possibly have done other experimental things...
29) Have learnt to wash bathroom sinks and loo with - vinegar!! :)
30) Have started experimenting with soap nuts, eco washing powders and dishwashing liquids and tablets etc... /ONGOING - the ideal solution still to be found/

In 2008:
31) I've experimented with CFL and LED lights.. (still to be continued)
32) I turn off & unplug the TV & radio when not in use religiously (Sis and Dad sort of undermining my efforts sometimes, but I still persist:))
33) I shower and don't bath (much) anymore (even though I used to LOVE it!!)
34) Have switched to 'cloth cleenex' in december 2008! (This was a BIG step too! lol)

In 2009:
35) Have learnt to make our own yoghurt even in Winter, thanks to the lovely Myzerowaste.com and Downsizer.net!! :))
36) Experimenting with salt instead of toothpaste :)
37) Bought cheese in a reusable plastic Tupperware-like container! YAY!!
38) I've found an (almost) zero-waste soap! (with only a small sticker!) YAY!!

39) Have managed to light up a fire in a cooking stove - with no paper!! :)
40) (and protect my hair from smell of cows! It's how the Albanian women do it!!;)
41) Have tried to research for ZERO WASTE ECO banans!! (Are there any in Slovenia?)
42) am plotting how to get butter and cottage cheese/quark zero waste... It involves a phone-call to two different people (not by me!) OR a local fair (that's been put under question mark due to snow lately!)

Soo... where will the path take me? Definitely to more experimenting...

Will I manage to cook my own soap? Or make my own chocolate?

And, what is still lurking in the bathroom, with an evil grin? ;) Stay tuned!

3 comments:

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  2. Oh my God! How many things! In my opinion you are already light years ahead from me! You don't need to learn from others! I read this post at last and I thought that you should investigate each of these topics in single posts! Also because with my low knowledge of English language, there is a risk that my brain goes up in smoke! LOL
    So, do you promise to illustrate all these points into new fantastic posts? ;)

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  3. lol What do you wish to learn about first/most? :)

    Oh yes, I still need to learn from others..! We are all pieces of a puzzle, and we all learn from each other - that's what's so great about this!!
    For example, I'm still afraid to ask producers or big shops here to go greener.. (am so far more comfortable in smaller ones..)

    I'm sorry for the too-long articles, will try to write shorter! (I keep meaning to, but they get long!) There is so much I wish to tell.. :)

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