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I realized I never actually tried to answer the question, what do I do.

1st I kind of take the carbon offset approach and try to be sustainable in other parts of my life
I only use cloth napkins, even carrying them to work with my lunch, in glass containers and a lunch bag with reusable ice pack. I stopped using sponges and use dish rags that can be washed and reused. Yes, extra laundry but overall doesn’t increase the number of loads I’m doing.
speaking of laundry, I wash everything but towels, sheets and above napkins and dish rags in cold. And these are the only things that go into the dryer. I only wash jeans, sweaters and outer layers when they are actually dirty
I keep my electronics and TV until they no longer work and/or the battery will no longer hold a charge. Where possible i walk. (My city is not public transport friendly and it’s absolutely not possible to use it to get to my office, so that’s not an option).
And finally, I’m working really hard to eliminate food waste. I don’t meal prep, but I’m getting better at figuring out how to meal plan in a way that reduces waste. And I’m figuring what can be frozen and what actually works best if I buy it frozen (thus reducing waste, and trips to the grocery).

1 year ago

Kkards, great that you shared your strategies in other areas in your life.

I like to try new things when possible. Our kids gave us hand made bee-waxed reusable cotton sheets for wrapping small things like cheese, brad and to use it instead of a Saran wrap.
I don’t drive and we are generally not car people although my DH has no choice but to drive to work.
I wash almost everything on cold and now trying some Green Earth or something like it home cleaning detergents (also a gift from kinds).
I line dry my laundry all summer long and love it!
We don’t buy more food than we need for a week.

1 year ago

Irina, my strategies are similar to yours, Tanya's, and Jenn's. HIGH FIVE

I barely wear workout wear - only for yoga - and have very few items. 3 sets to avoid laundry bottlenecks and they last for years. So I avoid polyester and nylon quite successfully that way. That said, I do buy and wear a few recycled polyester blouses because they work for me. They are very robust - and that in itself is a sustainable strategy.

We have very limited storage space in our loft, so I don't have a large wardrobe. That keeps the shopping even more disciplined!

I de-pill the living daylights out of my knitwear to make it look new. Unlike some, I am not okay wearing worn items unless they are jeans and I'm on a trail or at the beach with the doggies. I recycle what I can when I pass on.

I am a big outfit repeater and wear my pretty clothes! I enjoy it.

Actually, my non-style life is more sustainable, and I'm nodding along with kkards. We walk to most places. We are also HUGE ON ZERO FOOD WASTE. I could start a blog about that. My strategies on how to use food so that you don't waste it is something I am passionate about. Surprisingly, the food waste in the US accounts for a much higher percentage of carbon emissions than airplane travel. Food does not decompose as well as we think it does, and releases loads of toxins.

1 year ago

I am impressed with everyone's sustainability efforts! I think some aspects of our lifestyle are better than others. At this point, my wardrobe is over 90% second hand, as is my son's. My daughters' and DH are wearing more and more second hand as well. We have only one car and all use public transportation a lot. We don't eat tons of packaged foods, but we do seem to create a lot of garbage none the less. Regarding polyester, thrift stores are full of it - polyester presents better after being tossed in a donation window but it will all end up as someone's trash eventually.

1 year ago

Thank you very much for your comments.

I’m glad that we all do what we can to keep our wardrobes and homes sustainable. I’m going to buy a laundry bag for my polyester gear and I thank BlueJay, LaPed and kkards for introducing it to me.

1 year ago
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