Natural and Sustainable

1. DRINK LOCALLY: Water filtration systems are a great alternative to constantly buying water in plastic bottles. Local water systems are tested daily and contaminates are caught before they reach your water glass. Water bottles sit on store shelves for months before they are purchased and all the while they are being contaminated with chemicals from the plastic they are bottled in.

2. SALVAGE STILL-GOOD FOOD: Cut way bruises or soft spots in otherwise good produce, and use what’s left. By the same token, a little speck of mold needn’t ruin a whole block of chese-remove moldy bits and eat what’s left. Recyle semistale bread into breadcrumbs or bread pudding ingreients. Be creative and generate less waste.

3. SAVOR SCRAPS: Don’t toss vegetable scrps. Bits of carrot, onion. mushrooms, celery, and any other vegetable trimmings make great ingredients to add to soups or stocks. It’s a great way to eliminates unnescessary waste and cut food costs drastically.

4. CLEAN GREEN: Most cheap, store-bought cleaners with harsh chemicals, bleach, and phosphates in favor of biodegradeable products like Simple Green and those that use natural cleaning ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and citrus oils. These cleaning solutions may cost a bit more but as far as your health and impact on the earth, you shouln’t mid paying a bit more for those cleaning products.

5. BAG THE PLASTIC: Plastic wrap may be a convenient storage tool, but it’s also am environmental nusiance. Spend more money and buy containers for storage to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic wrap. You can use recycled bakers’ parchment paper to wrap up your food. IT’s recycled and biodegradeable, so it doesn’t stick around on the earth forever.

6. LOOK FOR THE ENERGY STAR: Next time you buy a new appliance or other household product (even eindows qualify), be sure it bears the blue-and-white Energy Star label. This label tell you the product has net the quality and energy-efficency guidelines of both the Environemental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. That means they use less energy, save your money all around, and protect the environment.

**Toni over at Watching the CW says she was left “hanging” after the last episode. Read her story behind how she felt about it and see if you don’t agree. While you’re there leave her a comment on how you felt as well.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Shred old paper for packing insteadof using Styrofoam peanuts. Even use shredded newspaper or left over material. If it’s soft, pretty much anything will work for packing material.