Live a greener life, just like your grandmother has been doing for years

Before plastic food storage containers, our grandmothers had dozens of reusable storage solutions. Not only do things like glass containers, waxed paper, brown paper bags, or reusable cloth bags not contain BPA, but they’re easier to clean, last longer, and are far, far better for the environment when it is time to dispose of them.

These 45 facts are sure to make you stop using plastic. 

Let’s face it, here at Reader’s Digest we have more than our fair share of book-obsessed writers and editors. We get how much you love the feeling of holding a new book in your hand, the scent of scoring yet another specially bound classic, we get all of it. New books, adding to your library, it can be addictive. But let’s face it, that’s a lot of paper. If it’s a book you’ll likely only read once, get it from the library! Library memberships are generally free which means you have access to nearly every book on the planet without spending a dime, and sharing those books with others means fewer trees getting cut down. If you really must buy the book, consider getting it second hand, or donating or selling your own books to a second-hand store after you know you’ve finished with them. A little secret: you can even get audiobooks for free from libraries!

“Because my grandma was a child of the Great Depression, she was raised to be resourceful,” Kait Schulhof told Reader’s Digest. “She loved to tell me stories about how she made do with items her family already owned when she was a kid. For instance, as a little girl, she taught herself how to get around on her older brother’s large, hand-me-down bike by sitting on the middle metal bar side-saddle-style, pushing just one pedal with her feet. With that upbringing came a strong sense of making do without buying new.”

Schulhof also told Reader’s Digest about her grandmother’s early conservation of water. “My grandma was a very early adopter of the xeriscaping trend that has become popularised in more recent years. She had an incredible collection of succulents and other low water plants in her yard. She even had a portion of their lawn replaced with artificial turf in the ’90s when we grandkids were very young so she could still set up a playset for us and avoid the water waste.”

We all love a fresh bouquet in our homes or giving some blooms to a special someone in our lives, but buying cut flowers from grocery stores, online, and even from certain vendors can include a long supply chain of shipping, the disposal of imperfect blooms, and a lot of other wasteful behaviours. This tip comes from my grandparents: source your flowers locally, and if you can, find some wildflowers instead of a storebought bouquet. Not only will the personalisation add a special touch, but there are plenty of ways to get free flowers. If you have space to grow your own garden, it’s easy to cut a few blooms, but oftentimes wildflowers will grow on the sides of roads, or on the edges of farmer’s fields. Be sure to ask permission from whoever owns the land before harvesting your own florals, but often people are happy to share their flowers for free.

You may think it’s more convenient, but there are a lot of times grabbing a broom or a mop are actually easier, faster, and far, far better for the environment. Save the electricity (and save on the electric bill!) and use your broom unless the vacuum is absolutely necessary.

For those of us who have never actually looked at the washing machine settings – everything should just go on the normal setting, right? – this one’s for you. My grandmother only ever washed clothes on cold or warm water settings, never hot. A few pushes of a button or one click of the washing machine dial and you’ll save a ton of money on hot water costs, not to mention you’ll be doing the environment a favour, not heating up all that water.

Here are some more laundry mistakes you’re making that are costing you.

Content strategist Rhea Henry of EnergyRates.ca shared her grandmother’s laundry method with Reader’s Digest. “My grandmother washed our clothes by hand and hung them up to dry. Since we’ve realised how good for the environment and our wallets this is, it’s become trendy to incorporate in our lives. It’s actually not that difficult to wash clothes by hand.”

Even if you aren’t up to washing your clothes by hand, line drying can be a wonderful way to save both money, and our earth’s resources. “Nowadays, you can find clothes drying racks that suit the size and style of your home, reducing your need to use the dryer which is one of the highest energy-consuming appliances in the household,” Daigle adds.

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Source: RD.com