EcoMom
I live in a rural area in which living “green” means you’ve stepped in a pile of manure out in the pasture. Recycling bins for specific items like glass, plastic, newspaper and cans are not a common site around here.
The wide-open space around us and the recycling centers so far away from us contribute to the fact that recycling isn’t a popular option. Just driving the recyclable items to the centers would burn enough fuel to counteract my good intentions - at least this is what I’ve been told by county officials.
But I’ve learned I can still do my part to preserve Nature For Kids in little ways! Here’s a couple I’ve learned from the “EcoMom Alliance”:
- Change normal light bulbs to energy efficient CFL’s (compact fluorescents)
- Car pool, ride bikes (I’m sure your kids wouldn’t mind this one)
- Shop locally
- Reduce consumption
- Reuse items (trash to treasure) it’s amazing what kids can make out of toilet paper rolls, cans and egg cartons!
- Have a compost pile (great for a garden)
- Turn off and unplug unused items (like the TV! on second thought just cut the dang cord!)
- Line dry clothes and wait until you have a large load before you wash
- Plant a tree (keep an eye out for a post on this at the end of May)
- Recycle plastic grocery bags (Wal-Mart has a bin at the front of their store) or buy the reusable bags made out of recycled materials for $1 a piece.
Take a look at the EcoMom Challenge for more in-depth info …you too EcoDads 
Are there any other suggestions for living “green” that you might have? Enlighten us!
5 Responses to “EcoMom”
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Compact Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, so when they do finally burn out be sure to dispose of them properly. The EPA has a site on disposal FAQs:
http://www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling/
You can also take your burned out CFLs to Home Depot, IKEA, and Wal-Mart where they (supposedly) have appropriate recycling bins.
A couple of other good tips that are easy:
- Cut down your shower length
- Drop the temperature of your water heater
- Weather strip your doors and windows
- Water your lawn early in the morning
- Install a rain sensor for your sprinklers to
automatically turn them off when it rains
- Keep your blinds closed during the heat of the
day
- Use a ceiling, oscillating or box fan to cool
the room instead of your home AC
I’ve been looking into getting a solar-powered water heater for my home, but the cost has been pretty prohibitive. (I wish I could just find a conversion kit for my existing heater).
Thanks Kris~ great informative comments once again!
Don’t throw away ziplock bags, instead wash them out and dry them to reuse over and over again.
Thanks Linda! When I was in highschool I always teased my mom about doing that. But now I understand why.
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