Week 52 - Spread the Word!!

We made it! Fifty two weeks of environmentally friendly ideas, topics and ways to take action.

Key Lessons Learned

1. We kind of go through life with blinders on. Once you choose to take a look, it's apparent we can make small changes that have a big impact. Which leads me to...


2. Living in a more environmentally friendly way is easy once you know you have options. Doing research to discover those options was one of my favorite things about going green and writing this blog.


3. It's possible to make changes that aren't going to make your wallet suffer. If you remember from my introduction, I wasn't going to commit to things that were ridiculously priced; changes had to stay within my budget, and for the most part they did.

Changes with Big Impact

I made a lot of changes in how my family lives. The following made a difference in a big way:

1. Recycling - this is likely the change that takes the most time, because it's ongoing. But going to the Recycling Center a few times a month isn't a big deal. It was immediate gratification. I could see how much less we were sending to the landfill.


2. Reusable Bags - this is one of my favorites. A couple months after I purchased my bags, the grocery stores in town started selling them. I have been asked about them often and store clerks have expressed how they wish more people would use them (younger clerks in particular). I used to have plastic bags exploding from my pantry; now I currently have one.


3. Reusable Containers for Lunches - my kids' lunches are now almost waste free. We purchased containers for them to use over and over. Obviously we have to wash them between uses, but it's a small price to pay.

What Now?

One thing I came to realize was change takes time. There were different things I wanted to do but couldn't fit them in when I wrote about them. Take composting for example. I already have the compost bin. I just have to do some repairs to it, buy a compost pail for my kitchen and start adding to it. I will try to have this done by Spring.

So that's my plan. I will go back to see what changes I haven't set into motion and try to accomplish them. I encourage you, to do the same.

One Last Thought

For the last few weeks I have been thinking about how I should end this blog; thinking about what my final suggestion for helping the environment should be. Here it is: start an eco-conversation everywhere you go. You don't have to take it to the extreme and say, write a blog about it and you don't have to "hit people over the head" either. When opportunities present themselves, share what you know (and at this point you know a lot). If you don't feel comfortable talking, share this blog (it will still be here, I just won't be adding to it).

To close, I would just like to say thank you for going on this journey with me. I hope it has been as interesting, informative and persuasive for you, as it has been for me!