Earth saving 101

These two are another reason why I do this. And for everyone else, I thought I would compile a list of small changes that we have made in our lives over the years to lessen our footprint on the earth. They are easy to do.

1. Earth friendly cleaning products! In case you haven't tried them already (here comes some shameless self-promotion) Small Planet are really the best cleaning products around and there are NO questionable ingredients, everything is listed on the bottle. They are produced locally, by me, and they work better than anything else out there.
2. Bar soap for showering. No fancy bottled shower gel, just lovely handmade (local) soap. Do Be Clean is my favourite.  www.dobeclean.com
3. Eco-laundry soap. I use Nellies, and for stain removal I use a stain remover bar from Eden Essentials in the Calgary Farmer's Market.
4. Compact Flourescent Bulbs in all the lights in our house. They last 7 years, they don't waste energy by producing heat, and they save you money on your electricity bill.
5. Energy Star appliances. If your fridge is 10 years old, it is a huge energy sucker. Fridges in general are huge energy suckers, but old ones are worse. Not all new fridges are energy star, however, and the ones with the freezer on top are the most energy efficient.
6. 100% recycled office paper and notebooks. Just for fun, whenever I go into Staples I ask for 100% recycled paper. They don't have it, and I know this, but I like to watch them try to find it and then wonder why they don't carry it. On my way out I fill out a suggestion form requesting that they carry it. If everyone did this they would carry it for sure. So next time you're in staples, ask for it.
7. Crystal deodorant. Anti-perspirant contains aluminum, which builds up in your body, close to your breasts. I just don't like the idea of purposefully putting metal onto my body. Plus, the crystals have no packaging.
8. No bottled water. I bring my own stainless steel water bottle where ever I go. Water is a basic human right. Everyone on the planet should have access to fresh, clean water, but they don't. This is a whole other topic in itself, so stay tuned!
9. The Library. Although I love buying books I have started using the library as much as I can. If I sign out a book that I can't live without, then I buy it. To quote Margaret Atwood, "we are writing our history on the skins of fishes with the blood of bears."
10. Recycle everything that I can. The only way to recycle your plastic in Calgary is to have a curbside pickup. I don't know where it goes, but if anyone wants to find a use for plastic there is a huge market in Calgary. I was thinking ultra-cool lawn furniture made from local recycled plastic, and play structures for parks and backyards. I'm looking into it.