You may have a hybrid car and all the latest energy-efficient appliances, but if you’re still throwing away a great deal of garbage every day, you may not be living the green life you’ve envisioned. Here are some ideas for reducing your contribution to the waste stream:
- If you don’t tote along reusable bags for your grocery shopping, reuse your plastic bags as trash-can liners. Or ask for paper and recycle the bags!
- Recycle old clothing by cutting it up for dishrags and dustcloths—this can also cut down on paper towel use.
- Reuse bread bags and other plastic food bags—they’re great for taking a sandwich to work.
- Buy less processed food—it’s better for your body and reduces packaging waste.
More from GLI:
Over the past several years I have begun making a variety of crafts, even some items which might be called art. My favorite material to work with is fabric and my favorite thing to make is a basket. I particularly enjoy it when I have been able to use material that I didn’t have to buy or cut down. I like to repurpose materials and I like to do these things in an old-fashioned sort of way. I am amazed at the talent and ingenuity of those who have gone before us. They did amazing things without computers and big box stores! Don’t misunderstand me, I love my computer and can’t imagine life without my local discount retailer or huge hardware store. I simply admire the intelligence and skill of our ancestors.
Most recently I have begun making rag baskets. These have been around a very long time and have always been eco-friendly. They were called rag baskets because they used the fabric that a family no longer could use. Old bedspreads, sheets, curtains, clothing, whatever they had was torn into strips and woven into a variety of shapes. The basket then was used to hold fruit, serve dinner rolls, contain sewing materials, etc.
Traditionally, the strips of material were wound around some type of fabric cord. As the cord was wrapped it was coiled one layer upon another until the basket was formed.
Did I also mention I’m basically, cheap? Well, not really I guess, but I don’t like to spend money on certain things if I can avoid it. I’ve seen several programs recently that show how indestructible those plastic shopping bags are. Some of those programs also show those bags blowing around the world and landing in the ocean where they ultimately collect and wreak havoc. So I began to wonder how I could use the mountains of plastic bags my household of two generates.
Ok. So, how do you combine basket making and plastic bags? Use the plastic bags for the cordage around which you wrap the material!
One 10 inch wide and 4 inch tall round basket can use 40 or more of the plastic bags! That keeps them out of the landfill. Hides them from sight and probably even insulates the bowl you serve your dinner rolls in! You would never know the bags were there if you didn’t see the basket being made!