TRY ALTERNATIVES FOR MANAGING PERIODS
Most tampons and pads are filled with harmful chemical and even those that are organic are still disposable and wasteful. Instead, a favorite eco-friendly option is period underwear that are highly absorbent and comfortable. You may have to pack an extra pair if you’re out all day, but it’s no larger than a pad in your purse. They just get washed separately. For overnight or postpartum, reusable pads are the best, never sticky, just soft. For those who prefer tampons, consider switching to a menstrual cup.
ADVOCATE
Personal change is most effective if accompanied by institutional change. So, don’t forget to get out there as an individual or as part of a group, and help advocate for environmentally friendly business and governmental policies. Make your voice heard, and help make the world a better, healthier, and greener place.
CHANGE UP YOUR LAWN CARE ROUTINE
Think for a minute about how much time, energy and money a person can spend on lawn care – mowing, leaf blowing, pesticides; the hours and dollars add up fast. Cut down on lawn acreage by expanding garden beds, planting native shade trees, or consider a no-mow zone that you can sprinkle with native wildfl ower seeds. If you must mow or remove leaves, go electric. Running a leaf blower or lawn mower motor for one hour releases more pollution than an 8-hour car ride. And defi nitely skip the pesticides and herbicides, even with those weeds between the cracks of the driveway. Vinegar and a spray bottle will do the trick for those spots!
REDUCE AND REUSE
In the old “reduce, reuse, recycle” adage, we tend to take for granted the first two. Meanwhile, the river of disposable items that fl ow through our lives piles up (literally) in our household waste. Opting for things like reusable cloth napkins and towels instead of paper, or tempered glass food containers instead of throwaway plastic containers, can seriously reduce your landfill footprint and will save money in the long run. For food and yard waste, try composting at home or asking your HOA, condo association or apartment management to institute community composting. This reduces landfill impact and allows nutrients to cycle back into healthy soil.
