how to conserve | Indoor Air Quality Lab

How to Conserve: 5 DIY Reusables share

Earlier this week, we talked a bit about Earth Overshoot Day and how to conserve, so you can cut your own footprint. One of my favorite ways to reduce my impact is to use my crafty skills not only to repurpose materials that would be otherwise landfill-bound but to make things that replace disposables in my life.

I'm a big believer that even the smallest changes can add up. Every time you use a cloth napkin instead of a disposable one or bring your own reusable to-go cup, you're making a difference. Imagine if all of the billions of people on this planet just made a few small changes. The impact would be huge!

Sure, you can buy all kinds of reusables, but there's a satisfaction in making your own, isn't there? I'm much more likely to remember a cloth napkin at meal time when the drawer in the kitchen is packed with ones I made myself, you know? Check out how to conserve with some DIY reusables!

How to Conserve the DIY Way!

1. DIY Grocery Bags

This is kind of like green 101, right? But store-bought reusable bags have to be made in a factory and shipped all over the world. That uses a lot of resources. Shrink that footprint by raiding your closet for some tees that are past their prime, and making your own grocery bags instead!

2. Mason Jar To-Go Cup

Who needs an icky plastic cup and straw, when you can bring your own super hip to go cup? You can make this even greener by using your cup with a reusable glass straw instead of a disposable plastic one!

3. Make Your Own Cloth Pads

I know, reusable menstrual products come with a bit of an ick factor, but aren't those tons of bloody pads festering in landfills even more ick-worthy? How about the GMO cotton and petroleum products used in disposable pads? And that feeling that you're kinnnndd of wearing a crinkly diaper? Once you get the swing of reusable pads, you'll never go back. Promise.

4. Reusable Snack Bag

Be gone, wasteful plastic baggies! Check out this simple tute for making a machine-washable cloth snack bag instead!

5. Cleaning Wipes

Paper towels, schmaper schmowels, I say. Who needs to destroy virgin forests just to wipe up spills? Not you, my friend. Not you. You can whip up your own DIY cleaning wipes in a snap!

Do you have any DIY tips on how to conserve? Share your favorite homemade reusables in the comments!

Posted: | Categories: conservation, disposables, DIY, how to conserve, replacing disposables, reusables

Aug

Earth Overshoot Day: Living Beyond Our Means share

Last Wednesday - August 21st - was Earth Overshoot Day. What does that mean for the planet and the people who live here?

Earth Overshoot Day marks the day that we - as inhabitants of this planet - have used one year's worth of planetary resources. That's right. We went through a year's worth of the Earth's bounty by mid-August. That is not good, you guys. Not good at all.

Silvio Maracci at Ecopreneurist sums this up eloquently:

While it’s only a rough estimate of how fast humanity is drawing down our ecological bank accounts, Earth Overshoot day has arrived sooner than ever before. This stark reminder of the growing pressure humans are putting on our natural resources means we’re borrowing against future generations to cover today’s bills. (emphasis mine)

As a new mom, that last bit really strikes home for me. It means that beginning on August 22nd our cars, our electricity usage, and our water all represent resources that our children might not get to enjoy unless we start making some big changes. Right. Now.

Earth Overshoot Day falls earlier and earlier each year. In 1993, it was on October 21. In 2003? September 22. Ten years from now, will we even make it half the year before gobbling up all that the planet can offer us? Or will we start taking conservation and efficiency seriously? Wouldn't it be great to buck this very scary trend?

Earth Overshoot Day: What You Can Do

We have a lot of power as consumers and as citizens to make a difference. Here are some ways that you can get heard:

Spread the word! A lot of folks have never heard of Earth Overshoot Day. Talk about it!
Conserve, conserve, conserve. That means reusing what you have or opting for second hand goods instead of buying new, reducing your water usage, and cutting back on the amount of electricity that you use.
Get efficient. Choose home improvement projects that help improve your home's efficiency. For example, you can replace old windows or cover them with insulating film. Replacing windows is expensive, but you don't have to do them all at once. Go one room at a time, starting with the draftiest. Speaking of drafts! A simple draft dodger under your doors and windows can help reduce your energy usage!
Grow your own food (or shop local!). The agricultural industry is one of the most resource-intensive in the world. Between inputs like fertilizers and pesticides to the footprint from shipping food worldwide, our food industry is a beast. Even growing some of your own food can make a big difference. When you can't grow your own, shop farmers markets or join a local CSA to keep your foodprint as low as possible. Local Harvest is a great site to help you find local food no matter where you live.
Write your Congressperson. Did you know that when you take away the massive fossil fuel subsidies, many renewable energy resources cost the same as or less than fossil fuels? Tell your Congressperson that you don't want to subsidize dirty coal and oil with your tax dollars! You can look up your representatives here.

Had you heard of Earth Overshoot Day before? This was a totally new concept to me, and it really shook me up. Tell me what you're doing to use fewer resources!

Image via Global Footprint Network