Earth Day Commitment Day 3

Today was a beautiful day. It reminds me how at peace and cyclical the earth can be with its seasons. I went to Union Square Farmers Market and everyone was out shopping and tasting jams and buying flowers and herbs. I picked up some cilantro and parsley and when I got home, used our potting soil and filled out bins on our little terrace with rosemary, basil, oregano and the parsley and cilantro. It looks so pretty outside now! I've always felt that I was earth friendly but maybe not so much earth conscious. I would recycle but not everything that I used, and I definetly wouldn't worry about throwing out a starbucks cup lid. Sometimes I feel like, who will see if I throw away this little plastic wrapper? or this cup? who will even notice? And then I remember that I started this little tally of everything that I've used and thrown out and it awakens my drive to keep as little actual garbage with me as possible. (I'm keeping all garbage that can not be recycled or composted with me from Earth Day April 22 - May 1st.)

Since Earth day (my excuse for starting this new habit of being earth conscious) I've really been watching I mean everything I'm buying and everything I'm using...and honestly I'm alittle freaked out.  Here's what I've learned:

1- Holistic dog food bags are not all paper, they have a plastic lining...which means I have to pull of the plastic lining and keep it with me and I can recycle the paper on the outside. This is upsetting because I love this dog food but the bag is too much, so next time we buy dog food, I'm going to look into a bag that is only made of paper.

2- My weekly stop at Dunkin Donuts for Chai didn't turn out so well. The two that are at my subway stop only had styrofoam cups...and I've learned that not only do they have very harmful chemicals in them, but they do not break down. And DD has brown paper cups, for some reason they just don't have them at those shops. So I went to another one later on during the night and got my chai, maybe not the way I normally do, but I had my little reward nonetheless...in a brown paper cup that I recycled and stashed the lid for when we go to Jersey and I can recycle them there.

3- I use way too many Starbucks and DD cups. This morning I stopped at a Starbucks and finally bought a ceramic sippy cup (styled just like the ones with the plastic lids) for 11.95. I know its a stretch but knowing that I will never have to get rid of another plastic lid makes me take a deep breath.

4- Way too many products come in these plastic wrappers where you peel off the top, and you an reseal the baggy. I have one from dried mangos at the health food store, one from a bag of croutons, one from ginger candies and one from a bag of slivered almonds...that is 4...from 3 days! Granted I didn't buy all of them during those 3 days, but still...its my garbage from the 3 days. I'm trying to figure out what to use them for, since they are not recycleable (yeah, I won't be buying those again) I'm thinking I could wash them out and use them for like traveling...maybe a q tip holder, or a makeup holder, or a little first aid holder with bandaids and neosporin. Hopefully they are all that I will have during the next days, because I don't think I can fit anymore in my bathroom cabinet! Also, from planting, I have the same type of plastic bag with zip lock from the potting soil. I'm not sure what to do this with one, as its so big. I was thinking I'll maybe wash it out and store some of my yarn in my closet in it. Again, not a smart purchase. Ughhhh.

5- We NEED a real composter. This paper bag thing is not cutting it...but it will have to until we get our new one. Coming soon!

What I have left now for garbage (excluding compost, recycling and my own reusing) -
plastic baggy that I cannot reuse as it does not have a zip lock resealer thingy, (from the Snappea crips, I used to love those things)
4 lids that I will be bringing to Jersey for recycling.
lots of compost to bring to jersey May 1st.
plastic wrapping from the dog food bag

Happy Earth Day Commitment Day 3!