What is really good for the environment?

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Addie

Chef Extraordinaire
Joined
Nov 9, 2011
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22,295
Location
East Boston, MA
I just finished cleaning out that cabinet we see on TV all the time when all those plastic containers come crashing down. Only in my case, just spilling out. I keep them in a bottom cabinet. Lot of bottoms and top that don't match up. Out they go.

Every time I go to a yard sale or second hand shop, I always look for those glass containers our parents had. But those aren't useful when it comes to the freezer for small amounts like the juice of one lemon. I am given a good feeling when I see a program showing a city or other facility recycling their waste materials that are collected each week. It makes me feel better about having to use plastic. And our city does provide large containers for recycling. This building cooperates also. Do the tenants? For the most part they do.

I don't like using plastic. Get a spot of grease on it, and I swear even Dawn can't remove it. It might work great on ducks and others that are caught in an oil spill. But not on any plastic item I own. But I have to believe our city does something with it, since they provide a large container for us to place our empty bottles and plastic jars in them. :angel:
 
I have a couple of sets of these glass food storage containers and use them all the time.

https://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocki...words=anchor+hocking+glass+storage+containers

If I want to save juice from a couple of lemons or limes, I just use an ice cube tray and put the little blocks of frozen juice in a zip lock.

Mine are really old. Glass lids. I also have a large platter from the 1930's. I love old kitchen stuff. Including my green batter bowl that your got in the movies. A different piece each week. :angel:
 
Addie try looking in antique shops.
Around here they work with hundreds of vendors from all over. You just might find them.

Speaking of recycling. my neighbor sent me a txt stating she's coming over to knock on my door to do a garbage can check. They lost theirs so I must have it. LOL!! :LOL:

All they need to do is look in the yard. And get a life. S.T.A.T!:rolleyes:
 
Heck, I'm glad we don't have individual garbage cans here...I'd be chasing mine all the time. The wind is extra special here...
 
For about $12, you can get a dozen Ball canning jars; pint or half pint sizes work great for storage. For another couple bucks, you can get plastic lids that are easier to use than the two-piece banded lids. I use them all the time.
 
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I just finished cleaning out that cabinet we see on TV all the time when all those plastic containers come crashing down. Only in my case, just spilling out. I keep them in a bottom cabinet. Lot of bottoms and top that don't match up. Out they go.

Every time I go to a yard sale or second hand shop, I always look for those glass containers our parents had. But those aren't useful when it comes to the freezer for small amounts like the juice of one lemon. I am given a good feeling when I see a program showing a city or other facility recycling their waste materials that are collected each week. It makes me feel better about having to use plastic. And our city does provide large containers for recycling. This building cooperates also. Do the tenants? For the most part they do.

I don't like using plastic. Get a spot of grease on it, and I swear even Dawn can't remove it. It might work great on ducks and others that are caught in an oil spill. But not on any plastic item I own. But I have to believe our city does something with it, since they provide a large container for us to place our empty bottles and plastic jars in them. :angel:

Just because a plastic Tupperware type container is discolored, that doesn't affect its usefulness. We have some that we've been using continuously and often 2 or 3 times a week for more than a decade. If I looked there would be 3 or 4 in the fridge right now. I try to use them even when a Ziploc would be handier because they are a much better choice environmentally.

Heck, I'm glad we don't have individual garbage cans here...I'd be chasing mine all the time. The wind is extra special here...

I fasten our cans to the fence with a bungee cord that we unhook on trash pickup day.
 
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Discolored tupperware has never been an issue for me either. As long as it doesn't smell funny.

My garbage can stays in the garage until pickup day.
 
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I use more plastic than I should. I've started to use Ziploc sandwich bags to freeze one cup portions of soup, chili etc... I freeze them flat and break the contents into chunks when I'm ready to reheat them in a microwave safe bowl.

I use a few straight sided Smucker's peanut butter jars or salsa jars to store things in the refrigerator and freezer. They work great for storing half of a raw onion in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

When storing leftovers in the refrigerator for a day or two I usually do what my grandmother and mother did, put a salad plate or saucer on top of the bowl and shut the refrigerator door! :ermm::ohmy::LOL:

Remember the covers that looked like shower caps!

https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Elastic-Bowl-Plate-Covers/dp/B005Q2HCY4
41-O3ROVzPL.jpg
 
I also hang on to plastic produce bags from the grocery store and use them for partly used veggies. Sometimes I'll use half an onion and half of two or three colors of bell peppers. I put all the rest in a produce bag so I can pull them all out at once the next day. That way, I'm less likely to lose bits and pieces in the back somewhere.
 
I also hang on to plastic produce bags from the grocery store and use them for partly used veggies. Sometimes I'll use half an onion and half of two or three colors of bell peppers. I put all the rest in a produce bag so I can pull them all out at once the next day. That way, I'm less likely to lose bits and pieces in the back somewhere.

I use those bags to pick up doggy doo when I walk the dogs!
 
Just the two of us here and I don't think we generate an unusual amount of any variety of waste.

I've always used cloth napkins, so no paper ones here. None in the house. Paper towels are seldom used and when I buy a case at Sam's it's not unusual for a case to last a couple of years. Even when Glenn is working on a vehicle in his shop/garage, he uses old rags that get washed if they aren't too far gone with yuck.

I use the Ziploc-type storage containers that lunch meats come in for other storage and especially like them because they hold the right quantity of things for two to go into the freezer. Plus I like their stackability.

We make our own laundry detergent, which keeps large plastic containers out of the landfill and, in my view, works better anyway. We also mix up our own version of Roundup that I know works better and is environmentally friendly.

Very little plastic wrap is used and a small amount of waxed paper or parchment, depending on what I'm cooking/baking. I just bought a new package of plastic wrap last week. The previous one was around for at least 2 years. The parchment paper on the current roll is turning a nice mellow yellow-orange I've had it so long. Sandwich bags of any size are rarely used.

When I used to travel, haven't for a long time, I always brought home the unused hotel-provided shower caps to use as bowl covers. Since then I've added a few more purchased at the grocery store.

We have a compost site where we dispose of our vegetable matter. I save our washed egg shells to grind for my vegetable garden to feed the plants calcium. The tomatoes, squash and peppers love it. I store the clean shells in a mesh bag (like onions come in) and hang it in an outbuilding.

All our extraneous plastic bags, which include grocery/produce bags, bags that come in online shipped items, along with deflated packing "pillows" go into the recycling container at the grocery store every week when I shop. I keep a few to use around the house, but no more than half a dozen. There are about 6 cloth grocery bags I brought from my days living in D.C. They're now over 25-years-old and still going strong.

We have a trash service that has provided a two-wheel large bin that is placed at the end of the driveway for trash day. However...

Last year I learned of a recycling service, offered by a local waste management company, that has a big roll-off bin in the parking area of our local YMCA. I pass that site twice per month, so once a month I deposit all our glass, cans/metal, plastic and paper/cardboard goods.

Since we've been availing ourselves of the recycling option, use the compost pile faithfully and feed a lot of the protein waste to our canine garbage disposal, Harley, our "take out" trash has reduced significantly.

We have a 13-gallon (standard kitchen size) waste can in the kitchen that used to have to be emptied several times a week. Now, I empty it on the first of the month, whether it needs it or not. There's no odor because all the vegetation goes outside, Harley disposes of some of the protein matter, most of the rest of stuff is sent to recycling. Really, the only things left are tissues from the bathroom and assorted paper goods, a few minor hard plastics and styrofoam containers the recycling center doesn't accept. An added benefit is that fewer plastic trash bags are used. We save money and they don't go to the dump.

Since we're still paying a quarterly fee for the trash service, we feel obligated to at least roll a half can-full to the curb. We are weaning ourselves and it's only a matter of time before we cancel.

None of what we've implemented has been particularly difficult to do. I especially like the fact that there's no more slightly smelly (usually onions) kitchen trash can and the task of taking the bin to the curb is infrequent, soon to be nonexistent.

I really don't know what else we can do to make a smaller footprint, but I'm always thinking.....
 
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I'm almost embarrassed about how little garbage we produce. We also compost, and recycle plastic, glass, cardboard/paper and metal. Once a week, I wheel out my huge garbage can that contains one small grocery bag of unrecyclable trash. Some of our neighbors can fill two or more of these behemoths weekly. I have no idea what they eat or buy. We've even discussed with one of our neighbors about just sharing a trash can, and splitting the cost, as he doesn't produce much trash either.
 
I do use my plastic grocery bags to line my house trash receptacles. I have a garbage disposal, but no means for a compost pile. Otherwise I would. I had one when I lived in Everett. Each spring, I would add it to my flower beds out front. I nursed that compost pile as if it was my newborn baby. It gave me some beautiful flowers.

I use zippy bags for my meats in the freezer. I can fit more in there as they lay flat. When I am baking, I use a lot of wax paper. I find it easier to add ingredients spoonful by spoonful, and finally slide the last bit in. I use very little foil. Most of my baking dishes have covers when needed. For cookies and cakes, I have parchment paper. I really do make a very serious attempt to be environmentally aware all the time. I want to leave a better footprint for my grandchildren. :angel:
 

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