As you are probably aware, Recycla is passionately committed to doing her part to save Planet Earth. She is always trying new things, whether it’s sampling a new product or testing a tip before she posts it here. Yes, it’s true: Recycla and Enviro Girl do try to test as many products and tips as possible before they blog about them. For example, when Recycla wrote about how to recycle Crocs shoes, she really did mail her daughter’s old Crocs off to be recycled.
Here is a partial list of the EASY things Recycla does day in and day out:
- Recycles all paper, most plastics, etc. Also, REDUCES use of materials whenever possible.
- Uses almost all organic personal care products. One exception is deodorant and you can read why here.
- Buys organic foods, shops local, cooks most days instead of eating out, etc.
- Not only takes cloth bags to the grocery store, also takes cloth produce bags. Also takes cloth bags to other stores to avoid bringing home more evil plastic bags.
- Turns lights off when leaving a room and (of course) uses fluorescent bulbs.
- Bundles errands when driving, so as to minimize outings and save on gas.
- Uses reusable water bottles instead of disposable ones.
- Uses cloth napkins for dinner almost every night.
That’s the good stuff. Then, there are the areas in which Recycla could do a better job.
For example, Recycla’s family tried eco toilet paper last year, which she can assure you did not go over well with everyone. While Recycla really didn’t notice the rougher texture, another member of her family did notice the difference and HE complained. The family is now back to using conventional toilet paper. Ditto tissues. And, no, cloth handkerchiefs are not an option as far as Recycla is concerned.
Another area in which Recycla could improve is shopping online. Shopping online means that the mailman or the Big Brown Truck of Joy has to make a trip to Recycla’s house to deliver the goodies. Those trucks use gas to get to Recycla’s house, lots of it. Recycla understands that it would be better if she instead shopped at stores in her town — bonus points if they’re locally owned. Recycla TRIES to do this, but she really does not like to shop, and so this is one area in which convenience often wins out over the environment.
One issue Recycla wrestles with is the cost difference between conventional and eco products. When two products work equally well and there’s a clear reason why the eco one is better for the environment and/or human health, Recycla is going to choose the greener item every time. However, what if the greener option is just so much more expensive that you cannot justify the cost? Recycla has tried several eco laundry detergents in recent months. There were two that she really liked, but one was expensive and not available locally, which means shipping costs on top of an already costly product. The other detergent Recycle really liked, but it too was far more expensive per load than the conventional product Recycla’s family had used for years. So, the jury is still out on that one.
As you can see, Eco Warriors are not perfect. They are not 100% eco. The important thing to remember is that EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DO CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Even seemingly small changes can have a large impact, especially when lots of people make that change.
Now imagine if you made one change every single month and other people made a change every month. The changes would all have a positive impact on the environment and help save Planet Earth. So this is Recycla’s challenge for you: Try to do one new thing this month. Just one thing. See how it works out. Think you can do that?
Don’t forget to enter the Eco Women’s contest.
