Greener choices

[lavender_jane]

What things have you changed to be more green/live a low waste lifestyle? I'm trying to gradually adjust how I shop, what I eat, what I purchase, etc. so I can produce less waste and use much less plastic. But I am pretty new to this. Just curious to know what other people are doing and finding success with

So far:
Reusable grocery bags and produce bags
No more plastic water or pop bottles
Buying bulk items when possible to avoid packaging (rice, beans, coffee, etc)
No more tampons or pads

In the future:
I'd love to eliminate paper towels completely
I plan to sew some cotton rounds to use instead of cotton balls for makeup removal and such
Compost and rainwater collection once we own a house again
Using glass containers to store prepped veggies and such. I'm a big ziploc baggie person and I want to break that

[Heisenberg]

The biggest change has definitely been switching to a divacup, I thought they were gross for the longest time but I'm pretty pleased with it. I've been using it for around 6ish months. I've also really minimalized basically everything about my lifestyle so I'm buying less and my getting ready routine in the morning uses less water and electricity.

In the future I REALLY want a tiny house. If we manage to make that happen it'll have a composting toilet. Also gonna stop with the bottled water. Florida tap water is honestly just undrinkable to me even with a filter so I'm really bad about that, but one day hopefully I'll live somewhere with good water. And save paper towels for like, gross things like dog puke or whatever.

[lavender_jane]

The biggest change has definitely been switching to a divacup, I thought they were gross for the longest time but I'm pretty pleased with it. I've been using it for around 6ish months. I've also really minimalized basically everything about my lifestyle so I'm buying less and my getting ready routine in the morning uses less water and electricity.

In the future I REALLY want a tiny house. If we manage to make that happen it'll have a composting toilet. Also gonna stop with the bottled water. Florida tap water is honestly just undrinkable to me even with a filter so I'm really bad about that, but one day hopefully I'll live somewhere with good water. And save paper towels for like, gross things like dog puke or whatever.

I switched to a cup too and I love it. It icked me out at first too but now I wish I had done it so much sooner.

We're in the process of moving so I'm taking this opportunity to simplify my wardrobe and weed out a lot of our belongings that we really aren't using. It feels so good! I don't think I could do tiny house living but I absolutely think everyone I know lives in a house way bigger than I require. I wish smaller homes were the norm. I'd be so much happier in a small house with land than these ginormos pushed up against their neighbors. Our families gave us a lot of shit for the house we bought but we are content and paying way less on our mortgage and utilities.

[Heisenberg]

I switched to a cup too and I love it. It icked me out at first too but now I wish I had done it so much sooner.

We're in the process of moving so I'm taking this opportunity to simplify my wardrobe and weed out a lot of our belongings that we really aren't using. It feels so good! I don't think I could do tiny house living but I absolutely think everyone I know lives in a house way bigger than I require. I wish smaller homes were the norm. I'd be so much happier in a small house with land than these ginormos pushed up against their neighbors. Our families gave us a lot of shit for the house we bought but we are content and paying way less on our mortgage and utilities.

Seriously, the houses around here almost all have that separate living room/family room set up and I hate it. Why am I gonna buy furniture and air condition an extra room that has basically no purpose? Nah.

My ideal set up would be a tiny a-frame cabin in the woods with a loft bedroom. Downstairs we'll have the kitchen/eating area, living room, bathroom, and some storage. No wasted space.

[JessBear]

My biggest change is going vegan. However, I have tried to stop wasting as much food and I have minimized buying plastic although, it is still a work in progress. I use bamboo forks and knives when I am on the go and I have switched to hygiene products that contain little to no chemicals(also a work in progress).

I also want to have a compost in the very near future!

[JessBear]

Also, glad to hear you two like the diva cup. I have been eyeing it and I just need to do it!

[JaneSays]

I've switched all of my makeup, hair care, and personal hygiene products to greener and safer options. I also use green soaps, detergents, cleaning supplies, and a Luna cup (similar to a diva cup). I carry my water bottle everywhere.

I'm wanting to eat less meat, especially now that my husband is away, and generally just eat better. We are also looking into buying a hybrid car to replace my husband's truck when he gets back from tank school. I have also embraced minimalism, and am trying to do more with less and only have items we truly need/want.

[lavender_jane]

Also, glad to hear you two like the diva cup. I have been eyeing it and I just need to do it!

Do it! Mine is actually the blossom cup but I'm assuming they're all pretty similar.

I've switched all of my makeup, hair care, and personal hygiene products to greener and safer options. I also use green soaps, detergents, cleaning supplies, and a Luna cup (similar to a diva cup). I carry my water bottle everywhere.

I'm wanting to eat less meat, especially now that my husband is away, and generally just eat better. We are also looking into buying a hybrid car to replace my husband's truck when he gets back from tank school. I have also embraced minimalism, and am trying to do more with less and only have items we truly need/want.

I started eating less meat recently too, since I started hunting quail and pheasant with my dog actually. It changed things for me once I was the one killing the animal and cleaning it. It's not a good feeling.

You should see my pinterest, it's full (ironically ) with info about how to transition to a minimalist lifestyle. Any idea what kind of hybrid?

[Heisenberg]

I can't make a lot of changes I'd like to because I live with my grandparents, but once I move again I'm gonna try to really limit my meat diet. Not fully because the idea of giving up steak makes me weep, but I really don't need to be eating meat as often as I do.

I keep meaning to go through all my stuff and toss like, everything I own. Especially clothes and shoes, I basically wear a uniform so why am I keeping all this stuff? I also have a shitload of CDs and DVDs. Why? I don't use/watch any of these like ever. They're really just taking up space.

Also regarding the menstrual cup, they're all kind of different. I watched a lot of videos and ultimately decided on the diva cup because it seemed like the most "one size fits all" option and also because I found a coupon for Walgreens there was definitely a learning curve and I figured I'd always have to use tampons on my heavy days but I've pretty much switched 100%. The only time I've used tampons in the past six months or so was when I was traveling and didn't want to have to empty it in public.

[lavender_jane]

I can't make a lot of changes I'd like to because I live with my grandparents, but once I move again I'm gonna try to really limit my meat diet. Not fully because the idea of giving up steak makes me weep, but I really don't need to be eating meat as often as I do.

I keep meaning to go through all my stuff and toss like, everything I own. Especially clothes and shoes, I basically wear a uniform so why am I keeping all this stuff? I also have a shitload of CDs and DVDs. Why? I don't use/watch any of these like ever. They're really just taking up space.

Also regarding the menstrual cup, they're all kind of different. I watched a lot of videos and ultimately decided on the diva cup because it seemed like the most "one size fits all" option and also because I found a coupon for Walgreens there was definitely a learning curve and I figured I'd always have to use tampons on my heavy days but I've pretty much switched 100%. The only time I've used tampons in the past six months or so was when I was traveling and didn't want to have to empty it in public.

I just gave away all my Friends dvds last week I haven't touched them in years because I basically never use discs of anything anymore. Also, Netflix.

No human needs as much lotion or candles as I have amassed either.