Recycling Green Moms

Technorati Tags: Beginners Guide to Recycling

More and more people these days are realizing the benefits of “going green.” Green living is a simple way in which every individual can do their part to help our society have less of an impact on the environment and help our society prosper in ways that will keep our habitat clean and tenable for generations to come.

The chemical products that most of us use every day are, in fact, not very good for our environment. Do you ever think about what happens to all these substances once they get dumped down the drain? They all get dumped somewhere and more often than not they have some sort of side effect on environment around them. The good news is that there are green alternatives to just about every chemical compound that you use every day. 

For shower and tile cleaning, try using Seventh Generation’s Shower Cleaner or Method Tub n’ Tile Cleaner. Both products are eco-friendly, not tested on animals, and bereft of any harsh chemicals produced in labs.

A good, “green” way to control odors around the house is to use EcoDiscoveries’ AirZyme Air and Fabric Deodorizer.  This spray is made only with key, natural enzymes that break down odor molecules, instead of simply covering them up with various chemical smells.

When it comes to cleaning the toilet, Seventh Generation once again has a great green alternative available. Their toilet bowl cleaner smells great, does the job, and is only made with plant-derived substances.

When it comes to recycling, make sure that you take part in your municipality’s recycling program. Also, make sure that your family actively recycles everything that it possibly can. Though everybody knows that aluminum cans may be recycled, cardboard, glass, plastic bottles and paper can also all be recycled as well. Once you fully embrace recycling, expect to reduce the amount of trash you produce by 50%.

The best way to make sure that your family is doing all that it can, especially in larger families, is to have one or two people in the home be in charge of recycling. This person or persons is on charge of making sure that everyone recycles. They should be familiar with what can and cannot be recycled and be willing to keep an eye on the trash to make sure that nothing is going to waste. This can be a fun and exciting job for kids with an eye for detail.

You also want to make certain that you don’t simply throw out your yard clippings with your general trash. Yard clippings produce gasses that can cause major problems for landfills and should therefore be deposited in a special yard waste can if your municipality provides one. If that is not an option, your yard clippings (as well as appropriate fruit and vegetable kitchen waste) can be used to make excellent compost if you have a flower or vegetable garden. Simply place them in a compost pile ina corner of your yard or buy a composter that can easily contain it all in one place. You can then draw from your compost whenever you need mulch or soil for planting.

These are some great ways and great healthy products for you to try when you begin your green journey. You will feel great about even one little change you make in your home for you and your family.

                When it’s a cold  winter night, the thought of bringing your empty soup can out to the recycling bin can seem like the last thing you want to do…after all, the garbage is so much closer, and it’s inside! This is a great reason why you need to set up a easy system in the house. Move the trash can outside instead. Many of us can be pretty lazy when it comes to recycling; even with the green movement in full force, people are still inclined to put things in the trash instead of heading over to the recycling bin, or center in their town. The truth is that recycling is extremely important for many reasons, and with a little effort it can be easier then you think!

                If you think you’re just too lazy to head over to your recycling center with your old cans, and bottles, consider reusing whatever you can. If you’re a bottled water drinker, try to refill those bottles with filtered tap water that you can keep in the fridge; re-use jam or peanut butter jars as toddler toys, or pencil holders. You’ll be surprised at how many things you can re-use! Buying previously recycled goods is another easy way to “recycle..” You can get paper products that are made with recycled goods by Seventh Generation. By reusing, and purchasing materials made with reused goods, you are doing your part in conserving the earths natural resources.

                You can create an easy “at home” recycling center using different colored containers for plastics, glass, metals, and paper materials. Have your kids label and decorate their bins, and use a “reward” system to encourage them to recycle. Having a “scrap” material box is another way for kids to get excited for recycling; scraps of paper, natural materials, and cardboard can be used to make art projects, and for other creative endeavors. School lunches can be recycled too! Websites like lunch in a box, show parents great ways to use Bento Boxes to make easy, healthy lunches that don’t use paper bags, or plastic to make. Nix the juice boxes for plastic containers, switch to cloth napkins, and you’re good to go!

                Making something “brand new” sucks up a ton of energy; there’s new materials that need to be created to make the finished project, machines are buzzing, things are getting measured and thrown out..just thinking about how much wasted energy is going into making one tiny plastic toy can be horrific! Creating goods out of recycled materials is one way to conserve energy, and by heading to your blue recycling bin after having that can of soup, or finishing that bottle of juice, you are doing your part in energy preservation.  Besides conserving energy, you are working to preserve our forests, rain forests, oceans, and other wildlife homes. When you recycle, the need for brand new goods is lowered, and we are able to cut back on chopping down trees, and heading into the wild for natural resources. If you can think of no other reason to recycle, think of the animals!

                By recycling, you are cutting down on landfill space. Our garbage piles up; each year over fifty BILLION tons of garbage pile up in landfills…if we all did our part in re-using, and recycling goods we could cut that back substantially. Solid waste also effects our ozone layer…the more we throw out, the crappier our air quality, and the amount of  carbons that are released into the air. Some of the best materials to recycle are: paper, electric goods, cans, and bottles. These are all common household items, and you can simply set up a smell free recycling center in your own home, to do your part.