Less Waste
It just so happened that our electric bill, water bill, and day to take the garbage out all came around the same time this month - and it was all good news. So good that I thought I should write about it.
We've been working, a bit at a time, on addressing our poor consumption habits. It started with eating organic produce, as much of it locally grown as possible. That led to putting a compost bin in the back yard. We were already pretty good at paying attention to our recycling and whether what we bought was recyclable. When we put in the compost bin, our garbage went to practically nothing. We take it out maybe once a month - and then it's at most a bag, but usually more like half a bag. And composting is much easier than I ever would have guessed. I have a large plastic container with a lid - like to make a trough of sweet tea in (if we drank that, which we don't - coffee, though, now you're talking). I put all my veggie scraps in there and take it out to the compost pile every few days. Even if it's more like 5 or 6 days, it still never seems to smell bad. That's it (plus the leaves and cardboard, etc.). Then we use the compost for the garden.
In May of last year, we had massive rains and lost our roof and our bathroom. Before that, our electric bills in winter were nearly $300 a month. Summer wasn't much less. We used 6000 gallons of water a month. When we replaced the bathroom, we put in a toto, dual flush, water conserver toilet and lower flow sink and shower faucets. We also replaced the windows, which we'd been saving to buy for years. I've been watching our laundry use for a long time anyway, only washing clothes when they needed it rather than that obsessive, commercial driven washing things as soon as my kids cast them to the floor. When I do dishes, I fill a small bowl and use a scrubber dipped into it to clean off everything else, then wash on the energy saver setting when the washer is full. Our bill this month for electric was $150 - half of what it was for the last several years. We used 1000 gallons of water. It has been 2000 every month since redoing the bathroom. I don't know how we managed 1000, but still, it really made me feel good. Now I want to see where else I can cut.
We've been working, a bit at a time, on addressing our poor consumption habits. It started with eating organic produce, as much of it locally grown as possible. That led to putting a compost bin in the back yard. We were already pretty good at paying attention to our recycling and whether what we bought was recyclable. When we put in the compost bin, our garbage went to practically nothing. We take it out maybe once a month - and then it's at most a bag, but usually more like half a bag. And composting is much easier than I ever would have guessed. I have a large plastic container with a lid - like to make a trough of sweet tea in (if we drank that, which we don't - coffee, though, now you're talking). I put all my veggie scraps in there and take it out to the compost pile every few days. Even if it's more like 5 or 6 days, it still never seems to smell bad. That's it (plus the leaves and cardboard, etc.). Then we use the compost for the garden.
In May of last year, we had massive rains and lost our roof and our bathroom. Before that, our electric bills in winter were nearly $300 a month. Summer wasn't much less. We used 6000 gallons of water a month. When we replaced the bathroom, we put in a toto, dual flush, water conserver toilet and lower flow sink and shower faucets. We also replaced the windows, which we'd been saving to buy for years. I've been watching our laundry use for a long time anyway, only washing clothes when they needed it rather than that obsessive, commercial driven washing things as soon as my kids cast them to the floor. When I do dishes, I fill a small bowl and use a scrubber dipped into it to clean off everything else, then wash on the energy saver setting when the washer is full. Our bill this month for electric was $150 - half of what it was for the last several years. We used 1000 gallons of water. It has been 2000 every month since redoing the bathroom. I don't know how we managed 1000, but still, it really made me feel good. Now I want to see where else I can cut.
posted by SM at 9:04 PM
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