Simple Ways to Save

A huge problem that we, as a society, face is waste.  We waste so much every day.  I caught myself about to waste.  I had a large bottle of lotion that was too low for the pump to reach, and too deep for my hand to reach it.  So I decided to cut the bottle down and found that there was a half inch of lotion still in there!

Also, I got one of those white board packs at work.  It had four markers and an eraser.  The cardboard backing is recyclable, but the plastic front of the packaging is not.  Instead of tossing it in the trash, I tried to think of ways I could use the plastic.  I can use it as a palate for different paints when I'm feeling crafty! 

It's easy to toss shampoo or conditioner away when you've squeezed and squeezed and not much comes out.  A very simple "hack" is to add a little water to the bottle.  You'll get a few more days out of it and it cleans out the bottle for whatever else you might use it for.

Waste has made us a lazy society.  We are a disposable society that is conditioned to buy something new instead of wearing the older thing out or fixing it.  Zipper shops, shoe repair shops, and tailors are losing business because people think it's easier to go buy a new jacket, pair of shoes, dress or pants than paying someone less than $20 to fix what they already have.  Not only would it keep major stores from getting even richer and supporting the local economy, it will save you money!!  A trip to your local fix-it shop is better for the whole world...less demand for sweatshops, less global corporate traffic, less pollution from factories, ships, trains, trucks and every other aspect of what goes into getting your pair of shoes from its factory overseas to your feet.

We see something as trash...very often it's packaging...and it goes into the trash...and then into a dump...and then into the earth contaminating soils (and our food) and water.  If we take a step back and think of ways to REUSE, then maybe we can slow it down a little.  I'm not saying that I'm going to use this one plastic packaging for my entire life, but it will save me from using paper plates or other disposable things.  If we think outside of the box and take that extra step, we can influence others to do the same and work toward a cleaner environment.