5 eco-friendly things I do most weeks

1. I just started using soap nuts to do my laundry.

These are fruits from a Soapberry tree (Sapindus mukorrosi. It is related to the lychee). You place 2 to 3 of the "nuts" into the cloth bag provided, and use them to wash your clothes, instead of laundry detergent. The nuts can be reused 2 to 5 times, depending on the water temperature, and can be placed in your compost bin when they are finished. Soap nuts contain sopanin which is a surfactant (it reduces water tension, and enables dirt to leave the clothes).

2. I use cloth bags, or reuse plastic bags when I shop.

Long before it was fashionable to have reusable shopping bags, I was annoying grocery store cashiers and baggers by bringing my own bags. In the mid 80s, Canadian Superstores were selling heavy duty reusable plastic bags, so I was exposed to this at an early age. In university, I would often pack groceries into my backpack or carryall. I no longer get funny looks from the cashiers, but I still have to tell many retail store employees that I don't need their bags.

3. I hang my laundry out to dry whenever possible.

I think many people still do this. I see clotheslines full of drying clothes on sunny days. When I was younger, my mom always put our laundry outside in the summer time. The clothes would smell great, and we weren't using the dryer during the hot, sticky days.

4. I am using cloth diapers with my children. This includes reusable swimming diapers too.

See my previous blog entry from April if you want to debate whether or not cloth diapers are more eco-friendly than disposables. I still think because I am reducing the amount of garbage going into landfills, that this is a good move.

5. We compost our perishable garbage.

Thanks to our city's composting program, our food garbage (peels, oils, leftover bits) goes into a compost bin, and it is picked up weekly by the recycling truck. If your city does not have a green bin program, you can compost your food waste on your own. However, I think you would not be able to compost the variety of things we are able to put in our city's compost.

Plus one more...

I try to walk or cycle to nearby stores or places (library, parks, Kindermusik) if possible, weather permitting. This doesn't always happen with two kids in tow, but I used to be an avid biker in Vancouver. I biked to school, and work. I didn't have a car when I lived in Vancouver. Sudbury is not as biker or pedestrian friendly, and the communities are too spread apart. Very often, you need your vehicle to get from point A to point B. I am hoping this will soon change.