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Paper towels, napkins, tissues, and tissue paper are not recyclable even when clean, though paper towel cores and tissues boxes are

2/19/2022

Although paper towels are made of paper, they are not recyclable. Eilidh Dempsey lists the reasons in an article on utopia.org: "During manufacturing, the wood/cardboard gets pummeled and battered so much that all the natural fibers are broken down almost completely. Recycling this paper product at a later stage becomes impossible.
Not to mention the paper also gets a chemical treatment. Softeners, resins and glues are added to the paper fibers for better absorption, strength and smoothness, all of which are highly toxic. On top of that, bleaching often occurs at this stage of manufacturing." Unbleached paper towels, while still not recyclable, are compostable, and the cardboards tubes around which they are wrapped are recyclable. Dempsey suggests that the best way to reduce paper towel waste is to use washable cloth towels. Newspaper is also effective at "removing stains and streaks from glass surfaces like windows and mirrors"* However, "if you can’t quite resist them, then try to use just one square at a time. If need be, fold the square a couple of times to make it thicker, for those bigger spills. You can also reuse paper towels, especially if they were just used for mopping up water or spilled soap."*

*Eilidh Dempsey, August 16, 2021, "Are paper towels recyclable? What you need to know." utopia.org

photo by Susan O'Donnell

Refuse is part of the new 5Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle. Use your spending power to tell companies what you want and don’t want

2/18/2022

You are likely familiar with the ideas of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, but www.52climateactions.com suggests adding Refuse and Repair to the list. "We need to be doing more refusing, whether it’s excess packaging, cheap goods that won’t last, or just simply something we don’t need. Take what you have already and make it last or give it a new lease of life. Almost everything we buy and use in our daily lives has a carbon footprint: from its manufacture to its transport. And almost everything we buy ends up being thrown away at some point. It goes to landfill, becomes litter, pollutes our oceans, contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases, or harms the planet in other ways. We need to cut our consumption to reduce our environmental impact. Single use items make no sense for our wallets or the environment."* Think before making purchases, consider good quality that won't need to be replaced quickly, and "use your spending power to tell companies what you want and don't want. For example, items that are built to last or those with less plastic packaging."* A practice to use to reduce the quantity of items that you purchase is to give yourself time to reflect before buying and "give yourself at least a day or two to think it over. You might not need it as much as you thought."*

Another way to reduce your consumption is to repair items that you have to give them a longer life. Alternatively, give them a new life with a different purpose. "Upcycling, i.e. giving a new lease of life to a neglected item, is an art movement in itself, with tutorials online and articles in magazines about everything from creative use of garden planters to large-scale artworks made from recycled objects. But you don’t have to be artistic to upcycle: simply take something and alter it for another practical use i.e. an old pallet into a shelving unit.
Your junk may well be someone else’s treasure, so before you throw it out check to see if anyone else could make use of it through online sites such as Freecycle, Preloved and Gumtree."

*https://www.52climateactions.com/refuse-reduce-reuse-repair-recycle/full

Consider outdoor play time as important as a meal or a good night’s sleep

2/11/2022

Finding time to play outdoors can be a struggle, so Katherine Martinko lists on treehugger.com some advice to get kids outside. "Start thinking of it as a necessity. If you start viewing daily outdoor play as being as important as a meal or a good night's sleep, you'll start to find more time for it. Think of it as nonnegotiable; no 'extra' things should happen until outdoor playtime has been checked off the list."* She suggests scheduling outdoor time the way you plan other extracurricular activities. "If you only have a few minutes, take advantage of that. Send kids outside for five or ten minutes to blow off steam, run around the block, wrestle in the snow, or dig a hole. It doesn't take much to make a big difference."* Plan family time time outdoors on weekends, whether far away, at local parks, or in your own backyard.

*Katherine Martinko January 26, 2022, "How to Increase Your Kids' Outdoor Time The key is to start thinking of it as a necessity. (Because it is.)" www.treehugger.com

When running water to wait for it to warm up, collect it and use for other purposes like watering plants

2/4/2022

While waiting for the water from the tap warm up for your shower or to wash dishes, as much as 1 – 2 gallons of clean, potable, usable water rushes down the drain. Put that water to good use around the house! Catch the flow in a bucket or pitcher, and use it to water houseplants or an outside garden, or add soap and use it for mopping. You can even use it to flush the toilet!

Photo credits: Gosheshe, Flickr; Austin Kirk, Flickr

Paper towels, napkins, tissues, and tissue paper are not recyclable even when clean, though paper towel cores and tissues boxes are

Refuse is part of the new 5Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle. Use your spending power to tell companies what you want and don’t want

Consider outdoor play time as important as a meal or a good night’s sleep

When running water to wait for it to warm up, collect it and use for other purposes like watering plants

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