No time to waste @ Saver Queen

No time to waste

Posted on April 18th, 2009 Saver Queen 27 comments

An article in The Toronto Star today, “No Time to Waste” drives home the point that we need to start changing the way we live.

This part of the article broke my heart:

Millions of plastic bottles, grocery bags and coffee cups end up on the streets, beaches and forests as litter. Some of that plastic enters the water stream and, over time, can be carried as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Marine life, such as the endangered leatherback sea turtle, mistake plastic bags and bottles for jellyfish and eat them. And so the litter that originated in a faraway city gets trapped in their digestive system, often leading to starvation.

The oceans are the great predictors of environmental change, and it is the Atlantic, off the coast of Nova Scotia, where Dalhousie University scientist Mike James studies the endangered leatherback sea turtle. The enormous turtles feed where ocean currents merge, pulling in their favoured food, jellyfish – and a massive field of plastics bottles and bags, chairs, balloons and beach balls from around the world.

The plastics are found in the bodies of dead albatross, porpoises, turtles and other marine life that confuse them for food. In the Pacific, powerful currents pull the litter into seemingly endless piles of floating plastic, named the Plastic Killing Fields by researchers who study their impact on marine life.

Packaging from products is apparently the biggest part of our waste problem, which drives home a key point: although we were brought up with the “three Rs” we have not learned to prioritize.

“We have been completely drilled into thinking of recycling as the solution to this problem of packaging,” says Heather Marshall of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. “It is not. Recycling is the last thing you would do before you throw it away. What we really have to do is teach the hierarchy of the `Three Rs’; we must reduce first, then reuse and, finally, recycle.”

This echos what Annie Leonard said in a recent issue of Body & Soul. When asked, “is recycling the solution to our “stuff” problem?” she said:

“There’s a reason that ‘recycle’ is 3rd in the oft-repeated eco-mantra, reduce, reuse recycle. First let’s reduce the stuff we buy and reuse what we already have.”

This message sounds good to frugal ears. In fact it makes me think about what else I could do to reduce my consumption and re-use what I already have.

So, let’s share our ideas!

Is there anything you can eliminate, reduce, or repurpose to cut down on waste?

Waste reduction
27 responses to “No time to waste”
1. Sue Caissy April 18th, 2009 at 21:14
  
  Ok SQ…now you’ve opened a real can of worms;) Hopefully your tears will begin a flood of consciousness and caring.
  
  Reducing waste….
  ..always wash and reuse glass jars, bottles, plastic bags. Take your own containers to restaurants to use as doggie bags/take your own cup to the cafe for take-away coffee.
  ..place fruit and vegs straight into yr shopping trolley rather than placing each kind of produce into a separate plastic bag. And of course you use your own cotton bags to carry it all home!
  ..wear clothes until their last gasp and then turn them into patchwork/cleaning rags/tote bags etc. Or at least pass them on to some-one else who can use them and unwanted shoes/bedding/books/kitchen items/garden tools etc.
  ..never waste food…there is always a way to use it up.
  ..paper can be composted/recycled/reused…use the back of used envelopes as note paper. Cut out pretty pics from greetings cards to make more cards.Instead of wrapping paper make a pretty cloth bag or use a tea towel etc to wrap your gift.
  ..water is precious(even in Canada)..reuse bathwater in the washing machine/to wash floors/water plants. We use buckets in the shower to catch the run-off for these purposes.
  
  One other thing that I don’t do is put out my trashcan/rubbish bin on collection day if (as usual) it is almost empty…..this saves time and fuel for the bin men and helps in a little way I’m sure.
  
  Now I’m looking forward to hearing from your other subjects er readers and to see even more tips on reducing waste.
  Enjoy your weekend,
  Sue Caissy
2. Melaniesd April 19th, 2009 at 09:35
  
  What a powerful article! I think it’s so true when you point out that recycling should be the last of the 3. We focus so much on recycling, sometimes we lose focus of the reduce/reuse.
  
  I live in Nova Scotia on the Atlantic Coast. It is difficult to see the garbage & waste along our shores. I think the most distubing to me is plastic tampon applicators. Here in Halifax our sewage waste was being pumped into the Harbour. We now have 3 sewage processing sites that are helping to turn this problem of polution around. You can actually swim in the harbour now. I still won’t swim in it, but maybe in the next few years as I feel it becomes clean enough for my comfort level. Back to the tampons- why the need for plastic applicators? I use OB Tampons because of the reduction in packaging and the compact size. I have heard of the DivaCup but I don’t know that I’m ready to try that out, especially at it’s cost of near $40+taxes here.
  The amount of litter on the sides of the roads is disturbing too. I try to collect it weekly around our home.
  
  I have been watching a program called Wa$ted out of New Zeland which focuses on teaching families/households how to reduce the amount of waste & reduce the energy they use essentially reducing their carbon footprint. It’s helped me pay more attention to my own home. I trying not to buy packaging that cannot be recycled. Our local recycling program only allows for plastics labelled 1 & 2 along with paper, plastic bags, tinfoil, box board etc. The plastics is my biggest concern because that’s really the only areawe can’t recycle here. The city says it’s due to costs associated.
  
  As for things we already do:
  - try not to waste food.
  - compost and have a garden.
  - collect rain water for our garden & washing the car.
  -try to buy in bulk to reduce packaging
  -I take the bus to work
  -Plan our car trips so we are not making unneeded trips.
  -recycle
  -trying to re-use as much as possible. Especially building materials
  -we have energy efficient appliances
  -line dry clothes when winds are not too high(or they blow all over the yard!)
  -use CF light bulbs & turn lights off!
  -Trying to ensure TV & computers are turned off when not in use.
  -Carry cloth bags for shopping.
  
  I know there is still lots to do & learn.
  I would really like to invest in green energy for our home & cottage. We are still in the process of building the cottage and DH has just been laid off so that will be on hold. I’m hoping to use this time to research what it would cost to set up our power to be completely off grid and the cost differences. We will not be using a lot of power as we only use the cottage a few times a month, so it will be interesting to research.
  
  David Suzuki is such an amazing wealth of knowledge. Check out his website - davidsuzuki.org
  
  Sorry for such a long post, but it’s something I find I’m growing more & more passionate about.
3. Maddy April 19th, 2009 at 09:44
  
  I hate it when our wastefulness hurts animals
  
  For myself, anything that can have a hole drilled in the bottom makes a good planter, as far as I’m concerned. Glass jars store left-overs very well, and frequently make lovely container candles/tea light holders.
  
  Old, much repaired socks make great dog-toys when tied together, should you be lucky enough to have a dog or three.
  
  Newspaper works really well as window-cleaning cloths.
  
  Use eco-friendly kitchen items as cleaners (lemons, salt, baking soda, vinegar; olive/vegetable oil mixed with a bit of lemon and clove oil for wooden furniture) and buy in bulk where you can. Store in reusable containers.
  
  Buy used, and never throw out. As Ms. Caissy mentioned, over-used clothing makes great patchwork and cleaning rags.
  
  Use travel mugs, cloth shopping bags, etc. of course. I think most of Ms. Caissy’s ideas are very good ones.
  
  I suppose my last thing is simply to be reasonable about it all. Try to eat all your food and freeze what you can’t eat, but don’t make yourself sick by eating food you aren’t sure of. Composting is better for the environment, I suspect, than an afternoon of vomiting and repeatedly flushing the toilet is. Reusing bathwater is a good idea, but I’m not convinced of the wisdom of watering your plants with soapy water or washing your floors with water that’s already dirty (depending on how dirty you are, I suppose… garden dirt and dog dander don’t improve one’s kitchen floor).
  
  I guess I’m saying for that last bit that animals shouldn’t suffer, but neither should we. Reducing and eco-friendly products are great, but there’s no sense in going without important things or making ourselves sick in the fervor.
4. Melaniesd April 19th, 2009 at 10:20
  
  Great points Mandy & Sue.
  
  I think my biggest regret is using disposable diapers & wipes. I didn’t realize how much I was throwing away until now that my son is toilet trained.
  There is a lot of debate on the water usage etc with cloth, but we now have a lot more choice with cloth and they work a lot better.
  Yes they are more work, but overall better for everyone/everything. I didn’t think about the imact of those chemicals again’st my son’s skin until he didn’t wear them anymore.
  Not to mention the $2000+ I spent on diapers & wipes over the last 3 years that could have gone to debt reduction or his education.
  If we are blessed with another child in the future I will re-think a lot of what I did. I’ll also switch to glass bottles if I can’t nurse.
5. Maddy April 19th, 2009 at 10:46
  
  I’ve actually been thinking about cloth diapers a lot lately, myself. My husband and I are planning on having a child in the next year or two, and I’m already fretting about all the chemicals we saturate our children with. We’ve a relatively chemical-free house (we’ve three dogs whom we love very much, I hate to think what using bleach on the floor that my dogs lay upon and occasionally lick would do to their bodies…), but I worry about diaper rash creams and whatever they might put on soothers and disposable diapers and who-knows-what-else.
  
  I worry about sanitary concerns with cloth diapers and environmental concerns with chemically disposable diapers. Babies have been born for millenia without all those chemicals, there must be a way… :S
6. Saver Queen April 19th, 2009 at 11:34
  
  I”m so excited that everyone is leaving such detailed comments here, this is great!
  
  Melaniesd - I’ve been thinking about the Diva Cup myself. For years I thought it’s something I’d never do but considering the environmental impact, I may change my mind. Squawkfox had a great article on it: http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/06/13/10-reasons-the-diva-cup-can-change-your-life/ Apparently there are ways to get it cheaper - ordering online, for instance.
  
  Maddy - so excited to hear that you are planning on having a baby in the next couple of years! There is SO much great info out there on cloth diapers. I’m frankly sold on them after reading so many excellent blog posts on the merits as well of the challenges of cloth diapers. Check out Amber’s blog (Amber is an active reader here and she has a wonderful blog on sustainability, motherhood, etc.) In particular she wrote about her experiences here:
  http://www.strocel.com/diapers-diapers-diapers/
  http://www.strocel.com/cloth-diapers/
7. Fabulously Broke April 19th, 2009 at 12:11
  
  I am glad that I am starting all of this eco-consciousness early on.
  
  I love animals, and I feel awful when I hear about animals getting hurt because of our human carelessness.
  
  I want to definitely use reusable diapers with my future kids, and I am trying to cut back on using chemicals and other things or substituting items to use greener products instead.
8. Fabulously Broke April 19th, 2009 at 12:14
  
  MelanieSD: Try the Diva cup. I did a review on my blog about it, it’s worth it, and even cheaper in the long run for $40/one time versus tampons.
  
  fabulouslybrokeinthecity.blogspot.com
9. Sue Caissy April 19th, 2009 at 19:37
  
  Wow what uplifting posts already from Melanie, Maddy and Fabulously Broke
  RE diapers, my daughter is expecting #3 in June and after watching her waste so much cash and make so much landfill (even after I bought cloth diapers for her!) I have encouraged her this time with these gorgeous fitted diapers that she intends to use….this link is for the diapers I bought here Down Under, our dollar is worth 80 Canadian cents so you see the cost is quite reasonable.
  http://cgi.ebay.com.au/12NEW-FITTED-CLOTH-BABY-NAPPIES-COTTON-NEW-BORN-to-12kg_W0QQitemZ170320860457QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Nappies?hash=item170320860457&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
  Check out your own ebays to save postage costs and fuel miles.
  
  Many people make their own but I’m sure I would stitch my fingers too if I tried it…straight lines are my forte!!!I will make her some more booster pads from old towels though
  We don’t have a bath but if we did the water would be used in the washing machine….for plants I use the initial run-off while waiting for the water to heat.
  
  So that is my two-pennorth,
  Kindest wishes,
  Sue C.
10. Maddy April 19th, 2009 at 22:42
  
  That reminds me of my other favourite way to not waste: watering plants with the cold tea at the bottom of the tea pot. The plants seem to like it better than plain old water, and, while it’s probably not going to save the world, at least it’s not a waste of perfectly good (if cold and probably overly strong) tea!
  
  The use of initial run-off is a really great idea, Sue. It kind of goes under my radar as ‘waste’, but you’re right; that’s a really clever idea.
  
  (As, incidentally, they all have been.
  Melanie: what kind of green energy are you thinking of using, if you don’t mine my asking? That whole area seems like a huge, confusing world right now, and I’m not even sure where to begin thinking about it…)
11. Kate April 20th, 2009 at 06:45
  
  Have you had a chance to read “The World Without Us”? It’s a really fascinating read.
  
  Anyways, there was a section in there that just blew my mind on the amount of plastic we use. Apparently, certain exfoliants use little tiny plastic beads (rather than natural ingredients like shell bits, husks, etc.) to scrape away excess skin. They then get washed down the drain, and show up in the stomachs of sea creatures all over the planet, never biodegrading.
  
  That image has stuck with me for a while now.
12. Alison Reid April 20th, 2009 at 08:23
  
  Hi I didn’t know how else to comment about the retreat I went to in Guelph. It is called Younique Country retreat and you can check out Heather’s website at just that http://www.youniquecountryretreat.com THe directions and location is all on the site.
  She also does classes, crops during the week and weekend and has a little store as well with some great things for fab prices.
  Check it out.
13. Melaniesd April 20th, 2009 at 08:56
  
  Kate, I never thought of little plastic beads in exfoliant. I’ll have to watch for that. How do you know if they are plastic??
  
  Maddy, our land is on a high hill so I think a small wind turbine and solar cells would be what we would consider. We already have a woodstove installed for heat. The cottage is around 10ftx12ft with a loft for sleeping.
  Any other ideas to share? I have a lot of research to do.
  
  Sue, that’s great that you have encouraged your daughter to try cloth. I hope it works well for her.
  
  FB: I think I remember reading that. I’ll check out your review again and maybe I’ll watch for one to go on sale.
  
  It’s such a beautiful day today. The sun is shining and I have the curtains all open letting the natural light in.
  
  Enjoy the day!
14. Kate April 20th, 2009 at 09:40
  
  The book itself is back at home, but I dug up the following from a Slate article on the issue:
  
  “Not all exfoliants contain plastic. Many products are available that use salt, pumice, or ground up seeds to do the same job without the environmental cost—like Burt’s Bees Deep Pore Scrub (finely ground peach stones) or St. Ives Apricot Scrub (apricot kernels). ”
  
  http://www.slate.com/id/2193693/
15. Erran April 20th, 2009 at 11:35
  
  Ok, being a guy, I am WAY out of my league on this topic - and I mean WAY - , but great job raising the point Mel and FB (no, not Facebook…Fabulously Broke) on tampons, etc. It’s amazing to think about how much waste and processing is involved with those types of products - that and the fact that you have very unnatural materials/chemicals touching rather sensitive bits. While in university I recall reading an article about that topic (got to love the “liberal-ness” of university newspapers) and just how much waste (pads, liners, tampons) builds up over the course of a woman’s child-bearing years - I think it was something to the tune of a full garbage can a year of waste. Times that by 15 million women in Canada…yikes!
  
  FB, I read your review on the Diva Cup (again, I read about it in that very university article) and you make some good points about it and fair points of concern. I do wonder about the fact that it’s made of silicon though. Anyways, enlightening regardless. For $40, without even reading FB’s article, it seemed inexpensive for something that you would get multiple years of use from. Not knowing the price of the disposable stuff, but figuring it ain’t cheap, it seems like ditching the disposable products is the way to go. Anyways, I recommend FB’s article (see her post above). It’s a shame that mainstream doesn’t discuss the environmental impact of this issue more often.
  
  I do have another question - more rhetorical than anything - but is using toilet paper necessary for post-urine business? I’m not intending to be offensive - so, I’m sorry if you find it so - but it seems like a whole lot of trees are being used for it. Factor in the 8-glasses-a-day of water, and it can build up.
  
  My mom broke her arm a couple weeks ago, and because she lives on her own, recently bought those disposable mopping strips in order to wash the floors. I shudder. Why has our society become so disposable-focused? It seems we’re creating more disposable products than reverting to simpler methods. Odd, given our “pro-green” social conscience these days.
  
  Got to love how frugalness and pro-environment seem to be tied hand-in-hand. Probably one of the best things to come out of the recession…until we’re back gorging ourselves with useless crap when the economy is hot again.
  
  Thanks SQ for another great posting! Loving your posts as always. It seems this one has caused me to ramble on!
16. Catherine April 20th, 2009 at 14:06
  
  Can I add a comment ~ please don’t release balloons outdoors. They fly away landing who knows where and many animals eat the remains after they land and break…..
17. Saver Queen April 20th, 2009 at 15:29
  
  Melaniesd - I can’t wait to watch Wa$ted - sounds so cool! I tried to see if it was available for download but it’s not - maybe my library has it. Or is it available online? Btw your place sounds so sustainable and lovely!
  
  Erran - those disposable mopping strips make me shudder too. I get so mad about that kind of stuff. Another thing that irks me are those disposable toilet bowl cleaning pads - you replace them each time. Argh! And I completely agree with you that the combination of frugality and sustainability are great things to come out of this recession. let’s hope people continue with this kind of lifestyle and not revert back to their old ways!
18. Erran April 20th, 2009 at 21:46
  
  Arg! Disposable toilet bowl cleaning pads…a friend I believe uses them, and I was like “are you effen kidding me?”. But how much better am I when I scrubby-scrub with Comet? Any healthier alternative (I google as I write)?
19. Melaniesd April 21st, 2009 at 09:51
  
  I don’t get the whole disposable cleaning strips either like Swiffers for the floor. I have a microfibre dust mop that I can throw in the washer and it’s wonderful!
  
  I have been guilty of buying disposable cleaning clothes for cleaning the bathroom & kitchen surfaces but I’m giving that some thought. I don’t think it’s necessary. While they are convenient, I really am trying to be more frugal & green focused. So maybe they will be my next sacrifice.
  
  Erran, it’s nice to have a guys perspective. I also think toilet paper s a huge waste & a huge expense. I’m not willing to give it up though. I just try not to waste too much of it unneeded.
20. Maddy April 21st, 2009 at 09:55
  
  Melanie — the other green energy I’m aware of for the home is geothermal; we’re currently in a rental house, so we don’t have the option, but it’s something I’ve always meant to look into.
  
  SQ — Thanks for the links!
  
  Erran — Rhetorical though it was, and speaking only for myself, of course, but post-urine toilet paper is *absolutely* necessary. In addition to not wanting particularly to smell like urine (sterile though it generally may be), women would come across the same things babies do with trapped moisture: diaper rash… and trapped moisture (especially in such a warm area) results in all sorts of icky bacterial things that would, I imagine, be pushed somewhere a little more internal during sex; that’s a whole world of infection that I, personally, am not willing to deal with.
  
  Again, it’s a balance/reasonable thing — the trees do add up, yes, but the very last thing we need is more antibiotics in our bodies and the water…
  
  There is a line of organic pads/tampons by a company called ‘Natracare’ (I’m not a fan of the pads, but the tampons work just fine). Not reusable obviously, but at the very least they don’t use pesticides, and are presumably compostible. Nothing against the diva cup, of course, just as an alternative.
21. Saver Queen April 21st, 2009 at 10:22
  
  Maddy, I agree with you, and on the toilet paper thing - it is necessary for women, otherwise we would get bladder infections. But I enjoy hearing a man’s perspective, as Melaniesd said! Thanks for not fearing to venture into unknown territory, Erran!
  
  Maddy, where can you buy these Natracare tampons? Are they in grocery stores or only in health food type stores?
22. Maddy April 21st, 2009 at 15:05
  
  Some grocery stores carry them (I know the big Zehrs in Kitchener did), though I usually got mine from the healthfood/supplement store in Frederick Mall. I don’t think I’ve seen any since I moved here, though… sorry, I’m not sure if any of the stores here carry them
23. Maddy April 21st, 2009 at 15:08
  
  Oh! It just occurred to me that they must have a website and, lo and behold: http://www.natracare.com. They aren’t very helpful about precisely where you can get them (eg., “upscale supermarkets”), but there’s an option to order online
24. Melaniesd April 23rd, 2009 at 12:34
  
  I found a link for a different verison of Wa$ted. The show I was watching was from NEw Zealand, but this one is American:
  
  http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/wasted/wasted-06268.html
  
  You can watch episodes on this website!
  
  Maddy: I would LOVE to have geothermal heating but it’s very expensive upfront. I live in Nova Scotia and we have a lot of granite which makes for very expensive drilling. If I ever build a home I’ll certainly consider it, or a heat pump.
25. Saver Queen April 23rd, 2009 at 14:53
  
  Wow, thanks! So exciting! Can’t wait to watch it.
26. Sue Caissy April 24th, 2009 at 21:27
  
  Not sure why but I can only read 7 comments here when it says there are 25 on the original page
  
  Cheers,
  Sue
27. Sue Caissy April 25th, 2009 at 20:38
  
  Thanks SQ…that’s fixed it
  
  Toilet paper…i only buy it made from recycled paper which helps. Some very green plp are making little towelling and cotton pads to use instead and then washing them with their babies diapers but if you don’t have a baby it makes a lots of extra washing to sterilise them properly.
  I don’t know what the proper blogland etiquette is regarding mentioning other plp’s blogs but Riana Lagarde has a fab blog called “These Days in French Life” where she details these and other waste issues with great passion….cloth diapers/homemade lotions and potions/dumpster diving and generally reusing EVERYTHING!
  
  Enjoy your weekend
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