Journal More Recycling Tips • I never buy garbage bags. When they ask “Plastic or paper?” in the supermarket, I just take the plastic and then use them for trash. This has gotten problematic, because I’m trying to reduce my big fat carbon footprint. I now bring re-usable canvas shopping bags to the store, but where am I supposed to put my garbage? A friend bought bio-degradable trash bags. They worked so well that they bio-degraded while still in the kitchen bin.
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• I never buy wrapping paper. I’ve endured too many holiday celebrations, wedding showers and birthday parties that ended with a mountain of gift-wrap trash. Some Martha Stewart types save it all for crafts projects, but I am allergic to crafts projects. Instead, I put presents into those gift bags that are two for a dollar at the Ninety-nine Cent Store. I don’t write on the message tag, so the recipient can use the bag again. Anyway, if I try to wrap a package myself, it comes out looking like the work of a four-year-old, so the bags save me a lot of stress.
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• I do not throw out old clothing. I donate it to my local charity shop. This sometimes ends badly, when I mistakenly buy my own stuff back.
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• I reuse shoe boxes as storage containers. I suspect I am not the first to think of this one.
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• I buy a bag of a hundred clothespins for a dollar at the Ninety-nine Cent Store and use them close open bags of chips. A package of three plastic chip-clips in the supermarket would be four bucks.
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• I use those free address labels that come in mail as IDs on cell phones, manuscripts, etc. (I was going to put one on my key chain, then thought better of it.)
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• I received some gift bouquets that came in lovely ceramic containers. I already own around twenty-five lovely ceramic containers, so I saved the ones from the florist and sold them at a yard sale.
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• I take the pile of extra paper napkins from the pizza place and keep them in the car.
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• I use those free plastic produce bags instead of buying plastic wrap.
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• I rinse off and re-use aluminum foil.
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• I put the clean side of paper back into the printer for double duty. (Do not do this if you’re sending in a job application!)
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• When I’m finished with a magazine, I give it to my local manicure salon.
