We do a pretty good job practicing ways to be more environmentally friendly but there is always more steps to be taken. We decided to do two small changes this month. Our first One Small Change is to build and start our compost. We had a great compost going when we lived in Bend but we moved and we haven't gotten back into it. Just in time for spring we are starting it! The compost will help with our little organic garden and it will reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in the landfill. My father is a garden genius and any questions I have will be sent directly to him but there is tons of information online about creating a compost. I would love to build our own compost bin but we are in a rental home and I don't want to make anything permanent. I will be purchasing this compost bin instead, The Earth Machine. We will also put something in the kitchen to hold scraps until they go into the compost bin. I found this compost pail at Crate and Barrel and I have a gift card for there that I think I will use. I am very excited to get going on this project of ours!
The other One Small Change is to get rid of our vinyl shower curtain liner. These liners are more toxic for ourselves and the environment then we really know. That "new shower curtain smell" is caused by very toxic chemicals called volatile organic compounds or VOC's. These poisonous chemicals that off-gas into the air, can persist for the first 28 days while the curtain hangs in your home. There are many non-toxic options out there. We have found a shower curtain made from PEVA, which is a PVC-free, non chlorinated, biodegradable lightweight plastic that does not emit off-gases. Ikea has them for no more that $9.99. YES!!!! There are also tons of natural fiber options: organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, or linen that you can find on different online shops. We are going to try out the Ikea shower curtain and see how we like it.
What small change can your family make? If you are interested join Hip Mountain Mama's One Small Change Challenge. Check back on March 1st for an update on how our changes are going and what new changes we will make in March.
Be well, friends
-Alyson
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi
The family I nanny for has that same compost pail - I really like it! I'm always surprised by how much waste it can hold and how well it contains foul smells.
ReplyDeleteI copied your menu plan suggestions and made blackened salmon sandwiches last night - it was such a quick and tasty meal! With mashed avocado you barely notice the absence of mayo. Tonight we made veggie burgers - were slowly but surely weaning ourselves away from our meat overindulgences :)
Awesome changes! That Earth Machine looks pretty sweet! We love our compost and have a very similar compost pail for our counter (although I usually end up putting a bowl out also because we are bad about getting it outside often enough this time of year).
ReplyDeleteand the shower curtain change is such a great idea!
Thanks for posting your link on our new blog. We are having a surprise giveaway in March, so make sure to come back before March 5th to post a link to your March change!
Suzy