Once I started having to be more mindful of my environment, once I started paying attention to the things that effected my health, I started to notice other things as well. Like how much waste we produce. We buy things in plastic bottles and plastic packaging that go straight into the recycling bin. We buy things that are disposable instead of things we can wash and reuse.

A few years ago I got tired of always being out of paper napkins and paper towels. Every time I turned around I was having to buy them. So I bought a bag of rags from the hardware store and I started using those around the house to clean up messes and things. Where I normally would have grabbed a paper towel I reached for the rags instead. They weren’t anything fancy. Nor did they cost a lot. But because of those two things it was easier for me to use them without worrying about getting them dirty.

Then I bought a couple cloth napkins. I got the fancy kind that have a sheen to them and are what you normally see in fancy restaurants. We used them but neither Hubby or I really liked them. I found a two pack of plain white cotton napkins at Walmart for something like $2.00 USD. I bought two packs and those are what we have used ever since. I’ve bought a few more sets over the last two years but the original ones are still in great shape and are used often. I have a a small tub with a lid by my kitchen sink and when we get done using the napkins they go into that tub. Once the tub is full I pour a little bleach into it and add water and then let them set overnight and in the morning I throw them into the washing machine along with my load of whites. Since Sunday is laundry day anyway it’s not a big deal.

One of the more recent changes I’ve made is to get rid of disposable razors. Instead of buying a pack of those plastic razors with multiple blades every few months, I bought a stainless steel safety razor and a pack of blades that will probably last me for the next five years at least. The razor will no doubt last for the rest of my life and then some, but I figure I’ll have to buy a pack of razors every five to ten years depending on how big the pack and how often I use them.

I have sensitive skin so shaving has been one of those things I dreaded doing because I always had to deal with razorburn afterwards. Since I started using the safety razor I haven’t had a single case of razorburn and I find I cut myself a lot less than I used to. I still have one spot just below my right knee that I make bleed on a regular occasion but that’s more because of the weird bump there than the razor. I’ve cut myself so many times over the years I have a faint scar.

I was talking to someone the other day about this and they rolled their eyes. Then they proceeded to lay out all of the reasons why “going green” wouldn’t work for them. They’re too busy. They don’t have the money. It just doesn’t work with their lifestyle. Etc. Etc. Etc.

The thing is, I’ve saved a lot of money over the years by not buying disposable things. Since it’s just Hubby and I (and the dog) we don’t have a ton of laundry so I typically do laundry once a week. On Sundays I wash all of our clothes and usually the towels as well. If I don’t get the towel done or if have blankets and things to wash then I’ll end up doing laundry on Monday as well. My loads are a little bigger than they used to be, but it doesn’t really take me anymore time to do laundry now than it did before I stopped buying paper products. And like I said, that two dollar investment is still being used two years later. How many packs of napkins or rolls of paper towels would I have had to buy in that time?

You don’t need to buy the new “it” product or the most expensive brand name. Buy something that is good quality and with function in the way you need it to. Or, if you know how to sew (something I plan to learn one day in the near future) you can take a day and sew your own. After I bought my razor I found a really cool old one online that made me wish I would have waited.

I think my generation and younger generations really need to be more aware of how we live. For too long we, as a society, have had the disposable mindset. Everything is replaceable. I think we need to start thinking about the future and how the little things we do can make a big difference. I admit it takes a change of mindset but I think it’s worth it in the end.