That Was Easy!

 This month was super productive!  I started with a list of five action items and completed all of them:

 1) Find a place nearby to recycle our glass (our curbside recycling doesn't take it )
This took care of itself!  The secretary from my neighborhood district called me back yesterday and said that they just wrote up a new contract with Allied Waste and it is going to include single stream recycling!  I was prepared to attend board meetings and get signatures but this is much easier :)

2) Create a better system for recycling paper around the house
I am recycling so much more paper than I used to.  Having a place to put it in the 'office' has made a big difference.

3) Use less Ziploc bags
I've been using my reusies and stacking containers everyday!  I've saved a ton of Ziploc bags.

4) Attempt to reduce the amount of junk mail we get everyday
I finally finished calling all of the catalogs to get off their mailing lists.  There were a few tough ones at the end where I had to be transferred a few times but now it will be easier to keep up with. 

5) Use less paper towels
Switching to cloth towels was so much easier than expected. I used to change out the paper towel roll  at least every three days and now I've had the same one up there for over a week :)

 The only recycling I didn't think to include but have since thought about is hazardous waste and e-waste.  I've gathered them up in the garage and will take them to a place soon.

Glass

The only thing I have left on my list this month is glass recycling.  I found an old trash can sitting around that I have designated the glass bin in the garage.  I haven't found a place near me that recycles glass so I've come up with a few alternatives for now.  We see my parents every few weeks and they have offered to take it to their house and I have a lot of friends who have offered their bins as well.  Another option is to take it to Whole Foods when we are down that way.

I've asked friends who live in neighborhoods just around the corner from me and they all seem to have glass recycling, mostly single stream recycling, so I don't see why my neighborhood can't do it too.  I talked to the waste company we use and they outsource the recycling (to a company who are under contract).  So it seems that my neighborhood would have to switch trash collection companies if we want glass recycling.  I don't know if it is even possible with all the contracts and bureaucracy but I have the number to the head honcho. I've called a couple of times but haven't heard back from him yet.  My kids start school in a few weeks so I'll have more time to bother him then :)

Rainbow of Napkins

I bought some cheap cloth napkins at Target.  The kids love the colors and don't fight over them...double success!

And my husband hung this cheap towel bar from Walmart behind the door in our laundry room.  I think it would be pointless to use a new cloth each meal and end up washing 3 or more a day.  So after I am done, I rinse them out and hang them to dry for the next meal. 

Ridiculous

I am embarrassed to say that on many days I use about 7 paper towels per meal.  Ridiculous, really.  In my attempt to cut way back on this number, I bought a set of 10 microfiber cloths.  They suggest that you assign specific colors to certain jobs around the house, which is a pretty good idea.

  I will let you know how this goes.  For something like this to work for me, I need a system and a place to let them dry throughout the day.  My house is fairly small, minimalist, clean and I don't like things cluttering my space.  It is also my instinct to reach for paper towels so I am going to have to consciously make the switch. In addition, I plan to buy some cloth napkins which will help save paper towels too since I gave up paper napkins a few months ago.

Bye Bye Sandwich Bags

I got my ReUsies in the mail yesterday!!  I had a Groupon so it was a great deal.  The kids love them, they are cute, and this will be a huge help cutting down on my Ziploc bag usage.

 I also got a hold of some Nude Food Movers...love the name!  They are great for carrying snacks that have the potential to be squished or things like yogurt, hummus, etc.  I got two snack tubes, one pink and one blue.  Each has three separate containers that screw together.

Wasted Paper

These are the catalogs I have received in the mail since December (I recycled duplicates) and I'm surprised that there are so few.  But my goal is to get zero so the plan is to call each company and request to be taken off their mailing list.  James Avery is nice enough to have an unsubscribe e-mail on the back of their catalog which makes it really easy to quit.  As for the others, I've been calling at least one company a day so I should be catalog-free in no time :)

I decided that if I am going to recycle more paper, I need a system.We have a very small house so we've got the computer and desk in our bedroom next to the dresser.  I've suckered my husband into giving up one of his little drawers so I can have a convenient place to put paper for recycling :)  Once the drawer is full, I can take it to the recycle bin in the garage.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!

This month my focus is recycling and using less:
1) Find a place nearby to recycle our glass (our curbside recycling doesn't take it )
2) Create a better system for recycling paper around the house
3) Use less Ziploc bags
4) Attempt to reduce the amount of junkmail we get everday
5) Use less papertowels

A few months ago I bought a Groupon for some reusable snack bags.  I am ordering them tonight!