Trash Me

Rob Greenfield is a genius but I don’t envy him.

Why?

Because he is the dude wearing all the trash that he generates.

I’m totally following this guy because I can’t imagine he’ll be visible at the end of a month as his trash suit is already looking pretty packed!

Simple Ways You Can Reduce Your Trash AND Save Money

Use Cloth Towels

When the kids were wee little ones we bought a zillion or so white cotton terry cloth towels. It cost us about 30 dollars and we’ve used them for over a DECADE! Once the towels started looking funky — ah the finger paint years — we rotated them out to the garage while rotating in new towels.

Paper towels cost about $1.30 a roll. Which roughly means, 24 double rolls of a leading brand and maybe about two months of paper towels. Remember we had wee ones so we were CONSTANTLY cleaning up some spill or mess. Let’s see over a decade versus six to eight weeks…..hmmm carry the one….Yep. The terry cloth towels are the better deal.

 

Use Your Own Cup

I love Tervis and stainless steel. With me daily are two Tervis cups. (GO BOILERS!) We go to meetings, restaurants, etc. I have yet to have anyone complain that I brought my own cup to the party. The best part — the cups are 20 ounces and well insulated. The lid is tight fitting and has a raised bit that reduces the chances of you pouring your drink on yourself. The lid also has a slider closure with an opening for a straw.

 

Use a Stainless Steel or Glass Straw

Paper straws were invented in the 1880s and plastic straws in the 1960s. You can drink without a straw but if you need one then use a stainless steel or glass straw. They’re a little weird at first but think of all the plastic you aren’t stuffing into a landfill.

Plus, these reusable Hummingbird Glass Straws come in pretty colors!

No Styrofoam

When I grocery shop, I go to the meat counter and have the meat wrapped in paper with no plastic bags. I use a designated container for the wrapped meat so if it does spring a leak it doesn’t get everywhere and I cook it or transfer it to a glass dish as soon as I get home.

I’m going to talk to the manager (again) about bringing my own glass container for the meat but I’ve been told no before — so I’ll just keep asking.

Limited Fast Food

We have sports practices, meets, music lessons, clubs, and more clubs. It is hard to have dinner when you are not home.

I’ve started packing dinner (much like lunch) for the nights we are going to be out. Someday I’ll have it perfected.

Small Simple Changes

Start small. You are more likely to incorporate micro-modifications than huge life changes. Just keep making small changes because they really add up.