Go Green

Today, October 15th, is Blog Action Day. It's a day when bloggers are encouraged to post about a specific issue. This year the issue is the environment, a topic that is near and dear to my heart. One of the things I love about living in Europe is that I can now practice all the actions I used to teach about back when I worked with hotels. We recycle plastic, paper, metal and glass. We use compact florescent bulbs. When we moved and we had a bunch of older clothes to get rid off, I insisted that we find a collection bin for them instead of just throwing them out. We drove around with this stuff in our car for months! But it felt good to know that we weren't contributing unnecessarily to the garbage stream. We don't use chemical cleaning supplies: I do most of my cleaning with vinegar, baking soda and good old elbow grease. We use natural soap "nuts" for laundry - no need for fabric softener! I wrote about this in more detail last year.

I also try to incorporate this in my scrapbooking. I don't buy piles and piles of paper (well Lucas might think I do), I really try to reduce the amount I buy, and I hold on to the majority of my scraps and use them on various projects. Before I started scrapping I used to make handmade paper and it's something I really want to start doing again - it would be a great way to use up some of those aforementioned scraps. I keep all envelopes and boxes that can be reused for when I am sending out parcels. I even reuse the packaging on products I buy on my pages.

Every little bit counts, and everyone can play their part in caring for the environment. Find out what options exist in your area for recycling. See if your utility companies have a program for helping you use water and electricity more efficiently (and saving some money in the process!). If you live close to the ocean check to see if any Beach Clean-Up days are planned. Or the equivalent close to other waterways. Most importantly educate yourself and be aware.