We had this crazy great aunt. (Everyone seems to have at least one crazy relative in their family.) She had many quirks that we'd make fun of, but there was one that we thought was particularly hilarious: she washed and reused plastic bags...
Simple Green: Use It One More Day, One More Time
Now, of course, it's a much more common practice. There are even special racks to dry them on. And we must be turning into her because it's something that we do. And, we realized that, if you apply to other things in your life, it's one of the simplest ways to go greener (saving money is another benefit).
For example, let's say you wash your sheets once a week. Would using them an extra night be that challenging? Not really. But, over a year's time, you'd save a good bit of water without too much effort. What about that dress that needs to go to the dry cleaner? If you hang it up after wearing it the first time, you can probably get one more use out of it. The plastic container you brought home full of olives from Whole Foods can have a second life storing leftovers or paperclips. There are lots of things in your home can be creatively reused, from newspapers to banana peels. But start small, with the things that don't take much effort: a shower every other day, turning down the air conditioner by one degree and, of course, washing your plastic bags.
Look around your house at the things you do, the things you toss and ask yourself: can I use this for one more day? One more time?
Comments (6)
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regarding the whole foods container ... i thought that no. 1/3/5 plastics weren't to be reused? especially when heat is involved. not so?
view mrs's profile
Reuse is definitely important, and I do know many people who wash out plastic bags. But like the other commenter, I'm concerned that reusing certain plastics (even the baggies) might not be a good idea.
view Kirsten@Nexyoo's profile
@mrs Plastic of any number should never be heated, but paperclips shouldn't, either.
I wash and reuse my plastic bags many times, unless they're particularly greasy or messy. I can't imagine how much I've saved doing this, and though I hate washing them, it's better than rotting for millenia in a landfill.
view emaozora's profile
plastic bags weren't meant to be washed & reused because the plastic degrades. however, there's that part of me that hates throwing them out, so i found a halfway point...
i reuse plastic bags for non-food items only. paperclips, buttons, whatever i need to store. but if i occasionally need to use a plastic bag for food, i use a new one.
view christyyyjoy's profile
christyyyjoy, same here - we reuse all plastic bags on our doggie walks (Nuff said? Hope so.) and never ever have to buy the bags made specifically for that purpose.
view JR in Sweden's profile
Weird isn't it? I used to think my Grandma was weird too for all the things she held on to and reused; but you know what? She seemed such a happy lady - perhaps she lived within her means ;)
The idea behind this post is excellent; to reuse something one more time. I've linked to this on blog this morning. Thanks for sharing such a simple and effective idea:
http://myzerowaste.com/2009/11/mrs-greens-six-stories/
view MrsGreen's profile