Save Some Money, Save The Planet!
The landfills are a a major source of greenhouse gasses that are warming the planet and melting the Arctic. It's highly important that we stop throwing so much away. Not only that, but in these tough economic times, it behooves us to make use of the things we have rather than throw them out.
1. Transform your garbage into a safe, natural fertilizer by composting it. Compost kits are not that expensive and the savings will be huge.
2. Recycle your old tennis shoes. True, not many people want used shoes that are falling apart, but those beat up sneakers can still go to good use. Nike has a program that uses old tennis shoes to surface playgrounds.
3. Sell and buy used clothes or donate them to a good cause. There are enough used clothes out there to keep the planet clothed for quite some time. Many people are turning to places like Good Will to shop for their outfits these days. If you look carefully enough, you can find quite a bit. You can also shop resale shops that only purchase brand name clothing that's in excellent shape. One of my favorite purchases was a gorgeous holiday dress for my daughter; $11.00 for a Jessica McClintock dress in perfect condition!
And the old rags? The animal shelter would love to have them for cleaning up and supplying nice warm bedding for dogs and cats waiting for a new home.
4. Trade. Maybe you don't need that baby swimming pool anymore, but you might want a playset or something else for your growing child. There might be someone out there on Craigslist that's looking for a pool and has a playset to trade.
5. Get creative in the house. A favorite mug that lost its handle can be a pencil or make-up brush holder. Mismatched plates? Perfect for placing under plants to catch the water. Before you throw it out, try to think of an alternative.
6. Use reusable shopping bags rather than plastic or paper. We add tons of paper and plastic bags to the landfills every year which then end up scattered all over the planet.