I Was Green Before Green Was Cool

Posted by Nikowa Lee | 0 comments

You often hear of these oh-so-easy small changes that if each one of us made in our everyday life, it’d make a huge impact on preserving the world for our children and even our children’s children.

Growing up with a very frugal mother, I learned first-hand how to reuse common household items and make those things that we did have last longer. I recently watched a television show about small changes that we could make and it made me realize that I do 90% of the things they were listing. Not because it was cool or the “it” thing to do; I did it because I grew up doing them!

I thought I could share what my mother taught me about reusing, so you can save time and money and even help save the world!

1. Save all plastic containers. You know the ones I’m talking about – tub butter, mayonnaise jars, even sour cream containers. No matter what size, they can be reused. Use them for leftovers, condiments, even button jars or nail/screw containers! Although it is confusing when you go into the refrigerator for the butter. Then, happy hunting!
2. Keep the twist ties. I get them out of the box of garbage bags and off the empty bread bag and I keep them in my silverware drawer for easy access. I use them to tie up potato chip bags and for my vining house plants and garden plants. I even use them to tie up cords for the computer or those other extra phone cords that we have stored.
3. Reuse plastic grocery bags. I know they’re not the best way to save the earth and I’m in the middle of transitioning them to canvas bags. But, you can either recycle or reuse them. I use them as garbage bags for bathrooms and the study, carrying all of the too small clothes/shoes to charity. I even use them for a placemat when peeling vegetables or when the kids are painting to save the furniture!
4. Reuse those mini-paper bags from the produce department. I’ve kept these and reused them for gift bags for the grandparents! My children decorate them and put the gift inside. The grandparents LOVE them, because it’s personalized and comes from the heart!
5. Reuse gift bags. We have a large family and especially at Christmas time, there would be a lot of gift bags thrown away. Everyone seems to consolidate all of their gifts into one bag and then they’d want to throw the rest of them away! Oh no! I bring them home, sort them by occasion and put them in the attic. I haven’t bought gift bags in years! And if I can get my hands on some of the tissue paper that hasn’t been ripped, I fold that neatly up and store it too!
6. Reuse plastic vegetable bags. They make great bags to batter or tenderize your meat in! Both ways keep the mess in the bag and off the counter!
7. Invert bottles in the refrigerator that have “just a little bit” left in it; like ketchup bottles, maple syrup and even ranch dressing. We like to use every bit of what we buy and it keeps the garbage from stinking because of food being in it.
8. Use everyday household products to start your seedlings. Some common “planters” that you can use are those plastic pint containers that berries come in, egg cartons, and even pudding cups! My favorite is the pint container, because you can close the lid and wrap it with cellophane and it’s like a mini-greenhouse!
9. Reuse pudding cups. Another way you can reuse pudding cups is to put other desserts into them. This allows everyone to get the same amount and they’re stackable!
10. Save aluminum foil and meat trays. My mother saves aluminum foil and the Styrofoam tray that meats are stored on. She washes both thoroughly with soap and water before use to kill bacteria! She folds the aluminum foil the same way I do gift tissue paper. She uses the meat trays for carrying meat to and from the grill. (separate ones of course) They’re much more heavy duty than paper plates and you can wash them! These are essential when she goes camping!
11. Save your fingernail polish bottles! When it’s old or empty, you can save the brush! Just wash the brush good and the kids can use them as paint brushes! They’re perfect for smaller hands and they can set the brush down without the bristles touching the table!
12. Use a permanent coffee filter. Most coffee pots are equipped for a permanent filter and they cost the same as a large pack of disposable filters. They’re easy to use and dishwasher safe! They even cut down on messes because unlike paper filters that break or dump out, the permanent filters maintain their shape.
13. Don’t throw away your used tea bags! The contents of your used tea bags are great fertilizer for house plants and even garden plants! Just slice it open and mix it in with your soil. (This works for used coffee grinds as well!)
14. Don’t throw away rubber bands! Have you ever put a new garbage bag into the can and threw something in, only causing the entire bag to collapse into the can? Large rubber bands can be used to hold the garbage bag in place! This works for kitchen or bathroom garbage cans!
15. Being diabetic is expensive! But you can save on alcohol prep pads! Just keep your old medicine bottles and stuff them with cotton balls (also reused from over-the-counter medicine bottles) and alcohol. I also reuse old medicine bottles when we travel. Instead of taking all of the medicine on a trip and risk losing the entire month’s worth, like my sons ADHD medicine; I take just the amount we need!

Each of these things is simple to do. What better way to teach your children or grandchildren that almost everything can be reused? So look around, what can you find that would be useful as something else? Save-use-share.

***In loving memory of my mother, Sheila. 10-20-62 – 7-1-08***

Nikowa is a 2nd year homeschooling mom to two boys. (Ages 8 and 5) With her “learning never ends” philosophy, they have an eclectic year-round approach to learning. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys photography, organizing, cooking, reading, and knitting. She is a #1 LOST fan and watches UGA football too! (Go Dawgs!) You can visit Nikowa at Knowledge House Academy.