be more environmentally friendly

I’ve helped to start a new Environment team at work, we meet monthly and we’re working on reducing the company’s carbon footprint – we’re getting a lot of backing from the Exec team (because it’s saving money) and it’s all really exciting!

Any ideas for how to get the reduce reuse recycle message across to some really apathetic and/or lazy people? We’ve got recycle bins on each floor, we’ve switched to recycled paper, all the lights are on a timer, (and energy saving bulbs), computers automatically set to shut down if left on standby more than five minutes. It’s not rocket science, or even all that impressive in the grand scheme of things, but trust me, it’s progress!

I’m pretty good with my recyling and stuff. I visit the bottle bank regularly – all food jars, not wine bottle, I promise ;) – but I’m slipping a bit at the moment – forgetting my bags from home when I go shopping, not bothering to rinse out the takeaway cartons and just binning them…it’s the little things that count, and they soon add up to a big thing, so I’m aiming to be more conscious of what I chuck away and what I reuse :)

We have been using Family Cloth (rather than toilet paper) for a few months now. DH is a bit reluctant to get fully on board with this one, but the little girl and I are the main TP users in the house anyway (and I am pregnant, so I would use a roll or more a day by myself with the number of times I am headed to the potty these days)!

We are going to be putting our house on the market soon, so I am looking for a way to continue this inconspicuously (a place to conveniently store the wipes and the wash bucket). I will be cloth diapering my newborn as well, so I am thinking I can combine the wash buckets…

So I did a report on the Kyoto Protocol in current events.
I was happy that everyone is trying to take action around the world…
but then when I read that the U.S. isn’t one of the plus 160 nations doing this, I got pretty upset. I mean we contribute roughly a quarter of the worlds greenhouse gases.
Thanks bush.
But Obama has stated that he is planning on attending one of the upcoming UNFCCC conferences, and we will most likely be on the Kyoto Protocol like we should’ve been in the first place.
Our environment is pretty important…

ya will try veg dyes/colors….and getting sum info on tht and will explore this soon….

What I like about this goal is that it never stops. There’s no way to have a zero footprint, but what’s cool is that there’s always room for improvement.

My new goals are to buy cloth napkins and cloth towels to use for spills instead of paper towels. They won’t cost much.

I would love to buy a hybrid in 8 years too! 2016 would be the year.

I am vegan now! My footprint was reduced probably by half maybe?

I’m thinking about setting up a compost, does anyone know where I can get information on this?

-All bulbs changed to CFLs.
-Cloth bags for shopping.
-2 55gal rain barrels (water used for watering my plants and washing cars).
-Hanging about half of my clothes rather than using the dryer.
-Switched to using a reel mower rather than a gas mower.
-Sold my SUV and purchased a Honda Civic (doubled my fuel mileage).
-Recycling.
-Vermicomposting.
-Cloth diapering my daughter (diapers hung to dry).
-Cloth napkins (hung to dry).

I can still do more! This will never get marked off my list. There is always something else I can do to be kinder to my earth! Baby steps!

1. stop using so many paper towels
2. unplug appliances that are not being used
3. stop using so many chemicals and clean with vinegar and baking soda
4. open the windows instead of turning on the air