In my Green-Super-Mom spare-time, I’ve been……well……I hate to brag….but…yeah, I’ve been changing the world one challenge at a time!
Not alone of course! I’ve been teaming up with other bloggers and greenies extraordinaire to conquer the ever unfolding drama we call eco-awareness. Really, its about making an impact, a positive one!
Last week’s challenge was to show gratitude. I shared my Earth Day post, where I paid homage to Mother Earth…the most gracious hostess.
Speaking of the hostess…the hostess for the Change The World Wednesday gang is Small Footprints or @smallftprints on twitter. If you are familiar with twitter you can follow the hash tag #CTWW and you can get in on our world changing efforts!!! We have some fun visiting each other’s pages and coming up with inspirational ideas to…duh…Change The World one Wednesday at a time. Below you will find the update list provided by Small Footprints. Great greenies…all world changers!
@apolloenergies
@peopletowels
@waxelene
@littlegreenblog
@thenewauthor
@skipbang
@envirobooty
@clothmamajess
@robcayman
@greenplate
@gogreenbeans
@waylandcook
@kimberlykaye
@robineaston
@smallbits
@whopaysthepiper
@dazediva
@crissymohrscrea
@ShoppingCharity
@cjrthemamiblog
@givetreegifts
@dpixel
@rewinn
This weeks challenge is pretty cool…its about reducing paper…I’m so use to refusing and reducing plastic that this is really something special for me to focus on:
This week, lets reduce the amount of paper we use. Please choose at least one of the following actions and accomplish it (take on all of them to be a true Eco-superstar).
- Use no more than 6 squares of toilet paper per bathroom trip.
- If given the option, choose not to have receipts printed out.
- If you must print things out, print on both sides of the paper (try to avoid printing by saving a file electronically instead).
- Visit Catalog Choice, Do Not Mail (US), Red Dot Campaign (Canada), Stop Junk Mail (UK), or a similar service to remove your name from mailers, advertisements, catalogs, junk mail, etc.
- Read the newspaper online rather than buy a paper copy.
- Use cloth napkins and towels rather than the paper varieties.
- Opt for reusable plates rather than paper plates.
Or …
If you’re already doing the above, please come up with at least one other way to save paper and share it with us.
- I’m excited to stop my junk mail! My recycling bin is full of junk mail WHAT A WASTE!
- I will make sure I refuse the receipts from now on…they clutter up my purse, too! MORE WASTE!
- I will convince my 3 year old that he does not need a new bundle of toilet paper for each pass when I wipe his bottom. Why do kids use so much toilet paper?! Actually I’ve “upped the ante” for the whole CTWW gang…I’m using only 5 squares of TP instead of the suggested 6…lol! Care to join me…those extra squares are a BIG WASTE!
- I already use cloth napkins…well, they are actually old cut up sheets I used to use for massage a long time ago, but they are cute and they work great! Paper Towels and napkins can become very WASTEFUL!
- Would not be caught dead with a paper plate…so that one was easy! MAJOR WASTE!
I guess I’m headed toward superstar status…COOL!
Any ideas on other ways to reduce paper waste?
I have one! Use your mobile device for grocery or to-do lists…make a voice note or just type it in under notes…or send yourself a text if you can’t figure out the note function.
I have another idea! Reuse the many, many crafts your preschooler brings home to label and or decorate your bulk food storage. We used some great flower drawings on construction paper to label a plain glass bottle as “the watering can” so now it is distinguished from the other reused glass bottles that are for drinking from or storing stock, rice, beans or lentils in! This saves me from labelling the bottle with a sticky-note and puts the “craft” paper to good use.
edited to add more ideas!
Ladies…do you use disposable feminine products? I’m lucky enough that this breastfeeding mama doesn’t have to worry about that right now, however, when I do, I’m totally switching to Mama Cloth. Check out this amazing post about looking at that time of month in a whole new way by Kelly @becomingcrunchy. Change the world one period at a time!! Disposable pads and tampons a very messy WASTE!
Mommies and daddies…lets not forget about using cloth diapers to save trees!!!!! Even the eco-friendly disposables contain wood pulp and definitely take up some serious landfill space. Human waste does not need to compound paper waste. Scared of cloth diapering? Checkout my guest post over at GreenBeans to see how I make cloth diapering work for my family. Poopoo wrapped in paper and plastic then thrown in a heap…WASTE OF THE CENTURY!
If you’re interested come on…join the CTWW Gang… change the world on Wednesdays and every other day for that matter. Every little act DOES add up! Just start tweeting with #CTWW!
p.s. Happy Birthday to my Mom…a vision of health & green chic and a bonafide world changer!
12 comments
1 ping
ithoughtiknewmama says:
June 8, 2011 at 6:03 am (UTC -7)
How cool! I want to take part, but I can't give up my beloved Wordless Wednesdays
Maybe I can do the challenges and then post about it on another day? Would that work?
And once again, yay for you and for always showing us that one person can make a big impact with small changes!
My recent post Wordless Wednesday- My June Baby Enjoys the Great Outdoors
Jessica_Lang says:
June 8, 2011 at 6:44 am (UTC -7)
Charise…you are allowed to post about it any day of the week…then everyone tweets, stumbles, facebook shares, etc…mainly on wednesdays. You can tweet an existing post also if you have one. But if you do want to participate just click on the badge up there in my post….all the rules are listed…very simple!
I thought the same thing about wordless wednesdays…however, my camera is still broken…lol!
Kelly says:
June 8, 2011 at 7:23 am (UTC -7)
You are definitely a superstar!
One of the ways I've been thinking about making a saving paper commitment is to check out more books from the library, and if I must buy them, get them used. I'm a book-a-holic, so I'm thinking it could make a pretty big impact! I've never had a problem with buying used books, but I've never really gone out of my way to say: I will only buy used books. I am thinking it's time…
My recent post I Finally Planted My Straw Bale Garden!
Jessica_Lang says:
June 8, 2011 at 7:26 am (UTC -7)
Kelly that's an awesome idea!!! Change the world one used book at a time!!
and I'm editting my post to add in your mamacloth article!!! that is an amazing way that you ALREADY save paper…not to mention, DUH>>>>>>cloth diapers!
Kelly says:
June 8, 2011 at 9:46 am (UTC -7)
awww – thank you!
How could you forget the diapers??
My recent post I Finally Planted My Straw Bale Garden!
Small Footprints says:
June 8, 2011 at 9:48 am (UTC -7)
You ARE a SUPERSTAR!! Wow … great ideas … I especially like the shopping list on one's cell phone … I hadn't thought of that … brilliant!
Yes, indeedy, one can join CTWW on any day … and post about it on any day. In fact, talking about any of our challenges (past or present) will get a person some visibility and, of course, membership into the highly touted Honor Society.
Just be sure to leave a comment on Reduce Footprints with a link back to your post. We're all about sharing ideas and spreading the 'green' word!!
I've added a new feature to the challenge, thanks to you … you'll find it in red, right after the challenge! Thanks, again, for that!
Happy Birthday to your mom …. wishing her joy and happiness!
My recent post Change The World Wednesday CTWW
Jessica_Lang says:
June 9, 2011 at 7:08 am (UTC -7)
Thank you for upping the ante due to my ambitious toilet paper aspirations!!! lol!!!
I have gotten the whole family in on the paper reducing challenge…mom included
@queentob says:
June 9, 2011 at 7:41 pm (UTC -7)
I can't wait to take part in the challenges! I already do participate in the suggestions listed above. What about bills? online statements save a huge amount of paper and def. make your life easier and gets rid of a lot of clutter!. I also use the paper often used to pack shipped items as the arts and crafts paper in our house. (I wet it and lie it flat in the sun to make a smooth surface) I reuse my friends' and family's comics section to wrap birthday presents! by lightening each of our steps we will lessen the footprint we leave on our planet!
Jessica_Lang says:
June 9, 2011 at 9:40 pm (UTC -7)
Hi! COOOOOOLLLLL…you are right "by lightening each of our steps we will lessen the footprint we leave on our planet! " GREAT quote!
I like your suggestions too…online statements are amazing for de-cluttering…debit cards, too, as opposed to traditional check writing! I guess technology is sort of helping save paper in a way…obviously email is more eco-friendly… remember those chain letters we used to get when we were kids and we'd have to HAND write 7 copies…man its much easier to torture our friends by clicking FORWARD!
I'm considering wrapping my children's Christmas presents this year in brown paper that my CSA puts in our farm box each week…maybe i'll just decorate it with some crayons!
Thanks so much for stopping by…
mgh1216 says:
June 14, 2011 at 12:53 pm (UTC -7)
Love the ideas here and that they are so attainable! Way to go and thanks for sharing.
My recent post Pass go! Collect the embracement of your genuine self!
Jessica_Lang says:
June 14, 2011 at 9:09 pm (UTC -7)
attainable sustainable…you just gave me an idea for a series!!! Thanks Michaela!!
@greenearthbazar says:
June 16, 2011 at 8:35 pm (UTC -7)
Hi there! Just found your blog from another site – yay, some more greenies to connect with. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone is blogging about.
Peace.
My recent post Eco-Friendly Fashion Vs Cheap Clothing- Can We Afford to Be Sustainable
Proud Green Hygiene...CTWW | Cloth Diapering Mama says:
June 30, 2011 at 2:45 pm (UTC -7)
[...] (paper towels)! Well, we buy the 100% post consumer recycled toilet paper…but thanks to the Change the World Wednesday challenge from a few weeks ago I am down to 5 squares per trip to the b……I take world changing seriously and thus I have continued to practice this green act. As [...]