Eco-Remodelers

So, we’re finally completely moved in to the new house. It’s been a crazy week and a half. But we’re completely out of our rented townhouse and into our new home. There is still so much to do. I’ve still got to finish the bedroom/office that has the bamboo floors. And, well, the list is long…

Being “green” was very difficult during the move. Some things got thrown away that should have been recycled. We had to use regular cleaning products instead of the more environmentally-friendly products. We even burned up a lot more fuel making multiple trips back and forth instead of a few big trips.

Guilt can set in very fast.

Being tired, running out of time and energy, and money can get in the way of regular green activities. The good news from our lapses in green practices? We don’t move all the time. In fact, I hope to never have to move again. Ever. That was the 2nd time we moved in just 5 months. And I’m done. Stick a fork in me…

But moving did not bring out the best in me. This got me thinking - what other anti-green habits do I have?

One bad habit I finally overcame was the need to run the sink water while I brush my teeth. I can’t figure out why I need to do this, but the temptation is still there. I still want to reach for the faucet handle and turn water on while I brush. It drives me crazy.

Where I’m still bad, however, is with paper towels and paper napkins. I love paper towels. I love those napkins. And it’s such a huge waste of materials. It’s horrible to think of all the energy used to make them, the raw materials destroyed to manufacture them, the wasted oil used to ship them, even the materials used up to package them…

But it is so easy to just rip off a paper towel and clean up a quick mess. And it seems so much more sanitary than to re-use a cloth towel.

I need to cut out this habit. I need to start using cloth for spills and for dinner napkins. I know I do. And it’s going to be a very hard habit to break. But I will work on it.

What anti-green bad habits do you still have?

This entry was posted on Friday, October 17th, 2008 at 3:05 pm and is filed under Eco-Friendly Products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.