Am I the only one?

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Permalink Reply by Toni Parker on September 24, 2009 at 6:43am

(1) You can start with recycling plastic bags from the grocery store, (2) turning off all lights and unplugging electrical devices that are not in use, especially at night time, (3) recycle glass, plastic, and cans, (4) use less paper towels, (4) clean with cloths instead of wipes, and (5) drive your car less often.

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Permalink Reply by Tara Burner on September 26, 2009 at 5:24pm

You can get a free ebook at begreenonabudget.com
daily green tips are also at thegreentipoftheday.com
may be of help to you :)

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Permalink Reply by Kathy on September 30, 2009 at 5:53am

You have already gotten over a hurdle, that is, thinking about it and wanting to do something!! The responses below are great. I would also set up a paper recycling area near your desk and kitchen area. We started a paper recycling at my daughter's school. This is a great way to get the kids involved. I keep a box on the floor by my desk and all the "junk" mail and envelopes go in it along with all the sale papers and catalogs. Before you know it, it's time to take it to school and empty it out in the recycling bin! I hope this helps.
Kathy
www.balterbaby.com
www.baltercatalogue.com

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Permalink Reply by peekagreen on October 11, 2009 at 2:52am

Plastic bags are rarely recycled even if you have a recycle logo on them! it is too expensive to recycle and the resale value is very low. 3% only are recycled (source: greenover blog) and many of them end up being shipped to developing countries! A lot of energy and chemicals are used in the process of making plastic bags so the best way to be green is to actually to use reusable bags (no more paper or plastic!). Make sure they are washable so you don't have to throw them away when they are dirty.
Congrats on your move to become more green!
Best
Alexandra
Peek a Green

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Permalink Reply by Gia Machlin on October 12, 2009 at 2:05pm

Hi Dominique!

Congratulations on your commitment to making the switch! It is NOT easy - but it CAN be done! First, I would like to send you a free ChicoBag to help you to stop using plastic grocery bags - please send me your address. Also, please check out my blog and website - it is dedicated to helping people like you make small changes that can make a big difference (and we are this week's Blog of the Week on Twittermoms- yay!):

http://www.ecoplum.com/blog
http://www.ecoplum.com/ecoinfo

Finally, I would follow all the great advice given below!

Best,

Gia

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Permalink Reply by Laura K on October 18, 2009 at 8:47pm

Making the decision is fantastic! I completely understand the frustration and expense trying to make eco-friendly changes. Here is a good coupon site (if you live in the U.S.) http://www.mambosprouts.com/coupons/...every little bit helps. I have my favorite environmentally friendly product suggestions, ideas and information that you might find helpful on my blog http://mindfulmerchant.ca/ . You will also find a list of some excellent Blogs I follow for information, resources and inspiration on the blogroll. I encourage you to stick with it and keep your sense of humor. Every little bit helps and there are so many great responses already that you are off to a good green start. :) Laura

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Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 3, 2009 at 4:30pm

Dominique I'm right there with you and know how hard it is to break bad habits and forge ahead into new greener lifestyles. If you get a chance check out my blog Nearly Green. It is my family's journey to reducing our impact one small green step at a time. I'm just getting started with the site but will be blogging regularly about all the changes that I've made.

One of my first steps was actually getting rid of plastic bags. Most grocery stores now offer bags for as little for 99 cents and so I just added that to my grocery budget each week until I had enough to get my groceries with each week. This way the financial impact was very little because it was over time. If you live near a Miejer they have great bags and Walgreens also have some really nice bags although I think their's are $1.99

Hope this helps. Also remember it takes a while for changes to become habit and for habit to become lifestyle and even small steps make a difference.

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Permalink Reply by Shane D. Shirley-Smith on November 8, 2009 at 7:41pm

The best thing you can do you are already doing...you are learning and have a desire to treasure self, people and planet!! Now continue to get informed. You can check out blogs like Environmental Health-Wellness-Beauty...Get Informed Now!. Join groups here or communities like Environmental Booty. Good for you for strting your journey. You don't need money, you just need a desire. Good Luck! :)

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