ashacat

Netcurmudgeon tells me it is Blog Action day...and this blog deserves some action:)

So the topic is the Environment and what I was going to talk specifically about recycling but I want to talk about STUFF. Every day I see all sorts of stuff lying on the side of the road - stuff that people are throwing out, trying to sell, advertising as FREE (usually because no one bought it at their tag sale) and then the trash. Compared with places around the world I have visited, I think I live in a really beautiful area. But there is always some trash on the side of the road, wherever I drive rural, suburban or urban. And that, along with a number of other factors, leads me to suspect that WE HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are many reasons to reduce our consumption, and several ways to do it, or at least be a smarter consumer.
So here are some ideas.

1. See if you can get what you are looking for as a used item
- there are a lot of folks who have the darndest stuff in their attics/basements/sheds/garages/storage units. And often they are happy to offload it or loan it. I am now the grateful recipient of a crib and baby changing table, a bunch of newborn baby clothes, and clothes I can borrow through my pregnancy from friends and family. Another excellent source for stuff is FreeCycle. There are local chapters and they do GOOD THINGS. Tag sales, consignment shops, estate sales are all good sources too. Used does not mean crappy. Really. Sometimes people buy or are given stuff that they never ever use. Instead of it landing in a landfill it could go to a happy recipient. 

Also - refurbished computers can be awesome buys - my laptop is a refurbished Dell and it has been to India and back twice and still runs like a charm...and it isn't particularly new either. Pratt & Whitney has a store on their East Hartford site where they will sell used CPUs, laptops, monitors for decent prices. Most of the time it is well worth it.

2. Consider buying only what you need. 
Do you really need 5 pairs of the same shoe in different colors? Or 3 pairs of sweatpants? Go shopping and there are a lot of trinkets for sale. Will they really make your life better? Can you patch your pants instead of getting a brand new pair?

3. Buy local
There's this idea of reducing one's carbon footprint...the amount of energy you consume doing whatever you do. That includes the distance that you travel to buy stuff and the distance stuff has to travel to get to you. Yeah, online shopping totally rocks - buy as much as you can from each place, particularly if your stuff is coming via air. Better yet, shop in your local area. Buy from farmer's markets and locally-owned shops down the road. And figure out the most efficient route for your errands (my mother-in-law takes as few left turns as possible when she does her errands). 

4. Recycle. It isn't hard. And sometimes your recyclables are made into cool stuff like park benches, road surfaces (in AZ they recycle tires into an amazingly resilient road surface), handbags, hot pads. 

5. Throw garbage into garbage bins...not out the window of your car. I can't tell you how much trash lines my road. It's gross. And I live across from a park for goodness sake!

6. The holidays are coming. Instead of buying dust-catchers or stuff that you imagine someone might perhaps maybe like...make a donation in their name for a cause of your choice - or even better - theirs. It's such a great feeling and there are so many worthy causes.  Also, with donations in mind, if you have a lot of STUFF that you aren't using or are tired of (yes, it does happen) then donate it. There are all sorts of clothing drives for winter coats, Big Brothers/Big Sisters is always looking for clothes, and of course there's the Salvation Army. If you would like to see if you can get some money for it, then perhaps a consignment shop.  

Finally, there are a lot of Green products out on the market - I just learned about recyclable carpets - a new product. I Also, for the first time, a month ago I learned about -- and used -- organic nail polish. It lasts longer than the usual stuff! And it comes in nice colors too! 

'Kay...happy Blog Action Day everyone:)

I have succombed to a winter cold that is making its way through the urban population, fueled by dust and very dry air. I stayed home sick for a couple of days and basically have been like a caged tiger because I don't have time to be sick. And I have no patience with this body. Can I have another on loan please? Just for 10 days? A male one would be interesting...no?

And I have to go shopping. Not for fun things. Things like:
lotion (for the dry skin from the dry air)
shampoo
conditioner (for the dry hair due to the dry air)
cough drops (did I mention dry air?)
toilet paper - which none of my relatives use (perhaps because the air is so dry)
mosquito repellent (why can't the mosquitoes shrivel up and die from the dry, dry air?)