Laundry is a huge waste. Lots of water, lots of energy, lots of waste running down into the sewer. Zanne and I have spent a lot of time and energy finding the most efficient washer, unfortunately it is still in storage. We also spent a lot of time finding a biodegradable detergent that cleaned as well as the ones that did such a good job at cleaning but also at polluting. Of the six “green” detergents we have tried this one cleans the best and seems to be the most cost effective. If you can’t find it at your local grocery, ha ha, try your local coop or natural store. I also have it for sale on my Amazon store. If you have never tried it I would do so and then order then order through my store because Amazon only sells it in bulk, which actually saves you more money and is more efficient.

Do you think about your food? If so how do you think about your food? Beyond that do you think about what you put your food in? How about Polyvinyl chloride or Bisphenol A. Both are in a lot of things. For instance the pipes that carry waste water from your sink, bath and toilet to sewer drains (although most plumbers will now use ABS tubing for that today, but that is a different post.), it is also in some of your food containers, packaging of items you buy and in the plastic wrap you use to wrap your food. I won’t go into why you shouldn’t wrap your food with it, the link above gives a host of information on those issues, lets just leave it at it leaches into our food. So here is my point of this post. You might think long and hard about where your food comes from: buying organic, locally grown or growing it yourself and then what do you do wrap it up in some good old PVC or BPA.

Zanne and I have been using Rubbermaid products for a lot of storage and the Laptop Lunch containers for Izzy. The problem with the Rubbermaid stuff is that it really does have a fiarly short life span compared to glass. Our next step is reusing glass containers for a lot of our storage. Don’t get me wrong I like a lot of the Rubbermaid stuff and they are pretty clear about their products and what they are made from and getting three to four years of use out of a product isn’t bad. On the other hand glass lasts a life time if you don’t break it. I will admit you could drive yourself crazy thinking about all this stuff fortunately their are a lot of people out there doing huge amounts of research on all these products. You don’t need to know it all you just need to know where to look. The ZRecs guide is a good place to start. I never trust just one source and always try to check at least three sources. Usually I check the company that makes the product, if they are forthcoming with information that is a good sign, then I will check an independent source and finally some government agency usually from Germany or Canada.

Enjoy your food.

The air car is just the kind of innovation that the automotive world needs. I do not think it is a panacea for all the ills of a commuter driven world. I do believe that it is a great start. This car uses a motor that is similar to a gasoline engine in how it functions except it uses compressed air to move its pistons instead of an explosion for the ignition of gasoline. Check out their site for the specifics and sign up for their updates.

We can change the world.

Byron sent me this link. Birthday and other parties are one of the least sustainable activities we all participate in. How many parties have you been to where you have seen bag after bag of plastic covered paper plates, plastic forks, spoons, knives and cups? Well now you can do something about that at your next party. Check out Sustainable Party and find out how you can be less of a part of the trashing of our green spaces.

Compost everything you can.

Simple decisions in your life can make you more sustainable. Keeping your food fresh is a key aspect to not wasting. My friend Byron created Clip-N-Seal to do just this. My grandmother always said “waste not want not”. It was one of those things a grandmother, who grew up during the depression, would say to a grandson who she was trying help understand the fundamentals of thrift. I wish now I had listened more carefully.

Less waste - Less waste - Less waste.

I want this blog to be more than just written word so I decided to create an online store on Amazon. In this store are items that are both useful and inspirational for your new venture into cleaning and being green. The products and books in my store are a combination of products I have used or read and those I have not but feel confident in suggesting that you try them out. As I go along I will be writing thorough reviews of as many products in my store as I feel necessary. Being sustainable is not easy and it will take work on everyone’s part. If any of the products I list you feel should not be there please let me know and let me know why. Also if you know of any products which you feel should be on the list please let my know as well.

If all of us take some steps forward we can change our world.

Everyone right now is looking for ways to cut costs and some of us are looking for ways to be more sustainable. A great place to start is in the bulk food area of your local store, hopefully you have one. Bulk foods are less expensive then packaged foods simply because they do not have to be packaged, less overhead for the companies means a cheaper price. Typically bulk foods are less processed as well meaning they are more nutritious. Unfortunately bulk foods are usually poured or scooped into plastic bags by the consumer. I have found a way around using one bag only by simply reusing the same bag for as many times as I can. This is a simple change in lifestyle that can save you money, reduce your waste and provide you with better quality food.

Think about how you live.

Happy-Sacks are a great replacement for plastic sandwich bags. These things are washable and way cooler than plastic bags for the kids lunches or for the adult lunches for that matter. I used them for over two years while doing construction in western Mass. Check them out.

Make a difference. Think about your decisions.