In no particular order...
#1 The Reusable Coffee Cup
This is a must-have for folks that love their joe in the morning. You can actually take these cups into a lot of coffee shops and they will prepare your drink in it at a discounted price. I use my coffee cup a lot and it makes me feel better when I think about all the waste coffee places produce every morning. It's perfect for walking to class and it looks just like the disposable cup your coffee is normally served in.
#2 The Reusable Sandwich Bag
I once thought about how many plastic sandwich baggies my mom went through when packing my lunch when I was a kid. Then I thought about how many moms used sandwich baggies on a daily basis across the country... kind of scary. Now, you don't have to use this type of "bag" per se, any Tupperware container will do, I just think it's pretty nifty. You can also DIY this one, here are the instructions and materials:
1/2 yard oilcloth
4 large paper clips
1 hook and eye
2 buttons
1 thin hair elastic
Pinking shears
Ruler
Scissors
Sewing machine
Needle and thread
1. Cut two 101/2" x 101/2" squares out of oilcloth.
2. Place one square on top of the other, with wrong sides facing eachother (so pattern is facing outside). Slide a paper clip on each side of the square to hold pieces together as you sew.
3. Using a 1/4" seam, topstitch the two pieces together. Adjust the paper clips as you go to keep the oilcloth from sliding.
4. Trim around the edges of sewn square with pinking shears.
5. Lay the square so that one of the corners is pointing at you, like a diamond. Fold left and right corners toward the center so the tip of the points overlap by about 1". Repeat with top and bottom corners to create an envelope. Run a fingernail over the edges to form a crease.
6. Open the top flaps so that only the left and right corners are folded in. Hand-sew a hook about 1/8" inside the tip of the right corner flap. Hand-sew the eye on the left flap, leaving enough space inside for a sandwich (you can gauge this by using two pieces of bread).
7. Sew buttons on top and bottom corner flaps, about 1 1/2" from each tip (again allowing room for a sandwich).
8.Place hair band over top button and pinch around button with your fingers to create two loops. With needle and thread, tack the elastic so the top loop stays firmly around the top button and the bottom loop slips easily onto the other button.
#3 Sprouting Kit
This is a long standing sustainable practice that is really easy and works year round. You can sprout all kinds of seeds (my favorite is alfalfa) and use them in sandwiches, salads, etc. You can purchase a sprouting kit but it's fairly simple to DIY. All I use when I sprout is a mason jar with mesh over top for when you rinse the seeds. Click here for one of many links that will explain how to make a sprouting kit in more detail.
#4 The SKOY Cloth
I think that everyone needs something similar to this product. Even if you don't want to purchase this type of thing, you can just use rags or wash cloths instead of paper towels. Paper towels create a lot of unnecessary waste that we don't stop and think about when we need to clean up a spill quickly, so I think it's a great idea to get in the habit of grabbing a reusable, washable, dishtowel instead of a disposable one.
#5 Water Powered Alarm Clock
This gadget is pretty self explanatory, but totally cool. It's completely powered by water, which means no coal powered electricity attached!
If you have any additions to my list please feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate hearing from anyone who reads my blog as it allows other readers a different perspective than my own and sometimes teaches me a thing or two. Also, if you have any other ideas about posts or topics you'd like to learn more about in the realm of sustainability drop me a comment and I'll try my darndest to answer your questions or concerns in its own new post.
Stay Sustainable,
Becca in Athens
.
This is a long standing sustainable practice that is really easy and works year round. You can sprout all kinds of seeds (my favorite is alfalfa) and use them in sandwiches, salads, etc. You can purchase a sprouting kit but it's fairly simple to DIY. All I use when I sprout is a mason jar with mesh over top for when you rinse the seeds. Click here for one of many links that will explain how to make a sprouting kit in more detail.
#4 The SKOY Cloth
I think that everyone needs something similar to this product. Even if you don't want to purchase this type of thing, you can just use rags or wash cloths instead of paper towels. Paper towels create a lot of unnecessary waste that we don't stop and think about when we need to clean up a spill quickly, so I think it's a great idea to get in the habit of grabbing a reusable, washable, dishtowel instead of a disposable one.
#5 Water Powered Alarm Clock
This gadget is pretty self explanatory, but totally cool. It's completely powered by water, which means no coal powered electricity attached!
If you have any additions to my list please feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate hearing from anyone who reads my blog as it allows other readers a different perspective than my own and sometimes teaches me a thing or two. Also, if you have any other ideas about posts or topics you'd like to learn more about in the realm of sustainability drop me a comment and I'll try my darndest to answer your questions or concerns in its own new post.
Stay Sustainable,
Becca in Athens
.
