What Can You Sustain?

What is it about the turning from one year to another that compels us to make lists? The one that has been collecting in my head lists the practices I have changed around my house in order to be a better steward of the Earth's resources.

The reason I feel the need to share this list is my passionate belief that it's only the changes we can sustain that are meaningful. This, by the way, is true for anything you are trying to change: your diet, work out plan, house cleaning habits, work ethic, etc. If the plan you make is one you are going to quit on (or worse yet, is one that you know sets you up to fail) discouragement reigns.

So I share the earth-friendly habits that I have sustained:
• using only phosphate free dish and laundry soap.
• using paper towels and toilet paper made from 100% recycled paper.
• using cloth napkins at the dinner table for numerous meals versus paper napkins which get one-time use and add to the household trash.
• faithfully using curbside recycling services for cans and bottles, newspaper, and corrugated cardboard.
• taking junk mail, magazines, and various other types of packaging to the recycling center in town (open Mon, Thur, and Sat) reducing my trash significantly.
• recycling rain water and water from unfinished pitchers or glasses for watering outdoor gardens and/or indoor plants.
• using canvas bags for all purchases, even when it is not convenient; I keep canvas bags in both our cars and often tuck a couple into my purse just in case.
• this one might fall under TMI, but like Jack's Mannequin's song says, "When did society decide that we have to change or wash a T-shirt after every individual use?"; I have taken to wearing outerwear, like sweatshirts and even jeans (egads!) numerous times before washing and thus reducing laundry/energy consumption, water use, and detergent use.
• while our town doesn't offer recycling services for hard plastics (number 5s, which includes things like yogurt containers, soda bottle lids, etc.), Whole Foods offers free recycling for hard plastics.
• purchasing needed household items from consignment shops versus buying new; ask me about the totally groovy wine rack I found for my Mom at Goodwill for $2!!!
• composting household garbage like egg shells, coffee grounds and such (things that could go down the garbage disposal and burn energy to run the disposal, or go in the trash causing me to use more trash bags and add to the land fill) now go into my compost pile and will eventually get turned back into my veggie garden. I am not 100% on this one and I know the key is to move the composter closer to my back door when the weather is cold!!!
• buying local dairy products, fruits and veggies means no one is trucking my food from far away and burning more fossil fuel in the process.

I am smart enough to know that I am not smart enough to quantify the effects of all this change, but I am certain that it amounts to something good. How about you? What are you doing that I am not. Help a sistah out and share your ideas.