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Poll: how green are you?

redshoegirlredshoegirl member
in Hawaii Babies

I always get the feeling from our conversations that this board is fairly eco-friendly - I'm wondering if that's true, or if the green ladies are just the most vocal (in a good way lol!).

So let's have a little poll - how green are you? No flames or judginess...just curiosity. Stick out tongue

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Re: Poll: how green are you?

  • redshoegirlredshoegirl member

    I voted eco-interested.

    I try to do what I can, but I don't always go out of my way if there's a cheaper/easier option. Other times I'm more motivated by price, like when I first tried using vinegar instead of fabric softener (it works FANTASTICALLY and is like 1/4 of the price!).

    And there are some things I just won't give up no matter how eco-unfriendly they are, like my hardcore shower cleaner. I know people swear you can clean a shower with vinegar and baking soda, but it doesn't work for me (even if I let it sit a while before scrubbing). Maybe Ben sweats tar or something? Stick out tongue

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  • *John&Nohea**John&Nohea*
    I voted eco-interested as well.  I?ve grown up recycling and it hurts my heart when I have to throw a can in the trash.  (If I?ll be out for a long time and there?s NO recycle bin this is what I resort to!)  Tongue Tied  But I?ll keep a empty can with me if I?m heading home.  Right now I?d love to buy "greener" things but I pick whatever is cheapest.  It?s sad because I wrote an article for our Hawaiian Language newspaper about being more green.  Better start practicing what I preach!
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  • Married2MrWrightMarried2MrWright member
    imageredshoegirl:

    I voted eco-interested.

    I try to do what I can, but I don't always go out of my way if there's a cheaper/easier option. Other times I'm more motivated by price, like when I first tried using vinegar instead of fabric softener (it works FANTASTICALLY and is like 1/4 of the price!).

    And there are some things I just won't give up no matter how eco-unfriendly they are, like my hardcore shower cleaner. I know people swear you can clean a shower with vinegar and baking soda, but it doesn't work for me (even if I let it sit a while before scrubbing). Maybe Ben sweats tar or something? Stick out tongue

    This exactly. I fall into the "sorta-crunchy" category for sure!

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  • lelekaylelekay member
    I voted "eco-interested," but it's probably in between that and "eco-OK."  For example, I do CD, I'd like to try my hand at composting this coming summer, and I try to purchase eco-friendly packaging on things, and have recently started using things like vinegar and baking soda more often to clean certain areas of the house.  I've become very aware of chemicals in things, and try to avoid them usually.  But.....I love bleach.  I mean LOVE.  Love the smell, and I often feel like certain things (like sheets and towels) aren't really clean if they're not bleach clean.  And, um, we do not recycle.  I know that's terrible, but it costs money to recycle in my town, and I'm not up for that.
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  • redshoegirlredshoegirl member

    imagelelekay:
    But.....I love bleach.  I mean LOVE.  Love the smell, and I often feel like certain things (like sheets and towels) aren't really clean if they're not bleach clean.  And, um, we do not recycle.  I know that's terrible, but it costs money to recycle in my town, and I'm not up for that.

    I get this. I know in my head that vinegar and baking soda can get stuff clean, but it's not CLEANCLEAN to me unless I've used a badass chemical on it, especially on my kitchen floor or in bathrooms. Unless my bathroom has been cleaned with strong cleaner, it doesn't feel clean to me.

    And if it makes you feel any better, we recycle in general, but not plastic bags - our local facility won't take them. This is a small town and they're just not equipped for more than paper and plastic bottles (it's a small, old school facility - hell, the employees still do all of the sorting by hand!). I reuse them as bags in our small trashcans, like in the bathroom, but ultimately they still get tossed in the garbage. I feel guilty, but short of driving to another town there's not much I can do, and I have to admit I'm not committed enough to spend my money on gas just to recycle plastic bags.

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  • inamrainamra member
    I was gonna vote eco-ok because my main reason for using green products is not because I'm an environmentalist but because I feel like it's healthier for my family, esp LO. But then, I do recycle whenever I can and even when I can't, I end up with a stash of bottles on my car =P but I did end up getting MH roughly on the same page (he did not recycle before we got married) but he didn't want to CD so we ended up not doing it (esp since I planned on him doing a lot of diaper duty). So I ended up voting for eco-interested because we would've CD if it was up to me/if I was primarily on diaper duty...and I use reusable bags when shopping whenever I can, buy organic whenever possible, etc...
    Sept 2008 Wedding | May 2010 & Mar 2012 Babies
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  • MauiWedding08MauiWedding08

    imageinamra:
    my main reason for using green products is not because I'm an environmentalist but because I feel like it's healthier for my family, esp LO.

    this is me too.  I often think I'm not super eco-friendly but then I realize I'm much more environmentally friendly than lots of people - it's all relative.  I cringe at some of the stuff the ILs do re: garbage and waste (and cleaning agents) but then I see the lack of interest in that stuff in their community and it's easier to understand where they are coming from.  SIL says the checkers get frustrated with people that bring in re-usable bags.  MIL can't visit us without buying papertowels (something we never buy) and doesn't think things are clean until it's been sprayed with some sort of chemical and wiped with a paper towel.  

    Where I live it's just as easy to recycle (in fact we get a rebate) than it is to throw everything away.  More than 1/2 the people I see at the grocery use reusable bags and we have tons of farmers markets, organic options, neat co-ops and CSAs etc.  MH has grown to love the "hippies" and agrees with most of my choices regarding it all.

    There is always stuff for me to improve on though - 9 times out of 10 I forget my reusable cup for my morning latte.  I always bring a stainless steel water bottle for work and use my own mug if I drink the coffee there but can't seem to remember to walk out the door with a mug I could get filled up at the coffee stand. 

    chemicals/additives are my main reason for food choices too.  I really try not to buy non-organic animal products or produce on the so called "dirty dozen" list.  Yes, it costs more and is less convenient b/c I have to make multiple stops for groceries but it's worth it to me.

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  • redshoegirlredshoegirl member

    imageMauiWedding08:
    MIL can't visit us without buying papertowels (something we never buy) and doesn't think things are clean until it's been sprayed with some sort of chemical and wiped with a paper towel. 

    I've read that paper towels (and toilet paper) are both really bad for the environment, but I have to confess that I've chosen to ignore that fact. Embarrassed

    It's taken me YEARS to get Ben to use a paper towel to wipe something up off the floor vs using the dish sponge, and I don't want to have to retrain him yet again to use cloth rags. I doubt he'd differentiate between cleaning cloths and the towels we use to dry the dishes...which would be fine if they got washed right after cleaning up a spill, but knowing him he'd wipe up the floor and then wipe a plate 5 min later. Ick!

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  • inamrainamra member
    imageredshoegirl:

    imageMauiWedding08:
    MIL can't visit us without buying papertowels (something we never buy) and doesn't think things are clean until it's been sprayed with some sort of chemical and wiped with a paper towel. 

    I've read that paper towels (and toilet paper) are both really bad for the environment, but I have to confess that I've chosen to ignore that fact. Embarrassed

    It's taken me YEARS to get Ben to use a paper towel to wipe something up off the floor vs using the dish sponge, and I don't want to have to retrain him yet again to use cloth rags. I doubt he'd differentiate between cleaning cloths and the towels we use to dry the dishes...which would be fine if they got washed right after cleaning up a spill, but knowing him he'd wipe up the floor and then wipe a plate 5 min later. Ick!

    Oh...yeah, I forgot about paper towels. We use them pretty heavily but we do get recycled ones. Is that better or is that still pretty bad because it's still paper towels?

    And the TP...when it comes to my Charmin, no amt of greenness can pry me away! 

    Sept 2008 Wedding | May 2010 & Mar 2012 Babies
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  • redshoegirlredshoegirl member
    imageinamra:

    Oh...yeah, I forgot about paper towels. We use them pretty heavily but we do get recycled ones. Is that better or is that still pretty bad because it's still paper towels?

    And the TP...when it comes to my Charmin, no amt of greenness can pry me away! 

    From what I've read, it's still pretty bad even if it's recycled (which we also use). And I'm with you on the TP - you'll have to pry my cushy 3-ply toilet paper out of my cold dead hands!

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