Comments on: There’s More to Green than Money

By: Donna von Hoesslin

Donna von Hoesslin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:11:07 +0000

Our motto is reduce, reuse, recycle and REinvent and it works great. Freecycle.org is another good resource for finding a home for many items that would normally go to a landfill. Broken electronics, cardboard tubes, excess packing materials, you name it, there's someone on freecycle who wants it and will come and get it. My blog pales in comparison to this one, but I did write about Freecycle here: http://www.thebettyblog.net/2007/03/27/i-love-freecycle/

By: jinjer markley

jinjer markley — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 19:40:44 +0000

I was thinking about a return program for end consumers- If they returned an item with an explanation of why they didn’t want it any Besides strenthening the loyalty of the consumer,you’d find out which items need improvement, and make sure clothes got donated (tax deduction), instead of tossed. As an alternative to donating, I was thinking a yearly re-fashioning contest would be fun. Returned stuff would go to interested design students or re-fashioners, the winner would get a prize, and the rest would be auctioned off or sold in a special sample sale (crediting the refashioner, of cours). Plus, it might show you creative new ways to adjust your existing patterns for new styles.

Of course, that involves shipping, so it’s not a perfect solution.

Also, and totally separately, there are some weavers of rugs, etc who can use scraps. Let me see if I can dig up some contact info.

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:54:02 +0000

It took awhile but I finally trained myself to carry tote bags for *all* my shopping. Someday I hope to see at least one other person in the store using canvas instead of plastic.

Worn out linen napkins make great press cloths. In quilting, a wet press cloth under a hot iron can turn any wonky block into a flat pancake.

Also, I’ve been using cotton scraps and dryer lint as a mulch for my tomato plants.

By: Lisa Bloodgood

Lisa Bloodgood — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 07:00:32 +0000

Cool. I knew some of this, but thanks for updating us on the rest.
Since I bought Trader Joe’s reuseable grocery bags, I haven’t been collecting as many paper and plastic bags, but I’m going to use them for my yard sale this weekend.

By: anne

anne — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:53:09 +0000

I’m one of those dreaded home sewers, so not all of this is applicable to DEs.

I’ve bought buttons, trim, fabric by the metre and in pieces (although that was silks) from DEs.
I’ve been to warehouse sales at factories making bridal wear, children’s wear, good designer clothing, and recreational clothing (including Goretex).

They make some money, I get fabric I’d never see elsewhere, and we’re all happy.

Small scraps can be used as pocket and waistband facings, baby clothes, bags, you can add appliques to your garments – if the fabric is nice, why waste it? When my daughter was tiny, the scraps left over from making me a t-shirt were enough to make her one too. Sadly, now she’s nineteen, that’s just not the case any more ;-(

Oh, and I’ve just unravelled and reknitted a jumper(sweater) I spun and knitted ten years ago, as I’ve got rid of a lot of weight recently and it now fits again, and looks as good as new.

By: Joan Hawley

Joan Hawley — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:39:18 +0000

Great post! Don’t forget the other easy things like compact florescent bulbs. I’ve been changing over to them a bulb or two at a time. Makes me feel green when I turn them on.

Joan

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 23:48:36 +0000

I find our napkins at thrift stores, consignment stores and “antique” stores.

Usually less than a dollar each for lovely napkins.

Then when they get threadbare, they are very nice dusting cloths.

By: Sahara

Sahara — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:27:08 +0000

This is a fantastic post! When I was cleaning out my great aunt’s closet, and examined her suits from the 30′s and 40′s, the sheer quality and perfection of the construction––this may sound corny––made me slightly teary. On the other hand, when I walk down my street (which is one big junior market), all I see is what my partner refers to as “disposable date clothing.” It is ALL about making quality garments.

It is a common practice amongst us knitters to find wool sweaters in thrift shops, unravel them and re-knit them into other objects; and no, they don’t look beat up.

Anyway, this is personal. For design studios out there, there are charity quilters WHO ARE DYING TO HAVE YOUR LUXURIOUS SCRAPS! One studio’s swatches and scraps, are another homeless mom’s blanket.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:33:27 +0000

My pet peeve is that going green means granola crunchy or twigs and leaves to most people but it doesn’t have to be that way. Green can be luxurious. For example, consider using cloth napkins rather than paper ones. Most people consider using cloth napkins as a luxury but we use them daily. You can buy them from a restaurant supply. Or, even nicer is to buy embroidered linen napkins you find at garage sales. Those are often in pristine condition because people have never used them, they’re too “fancy”. It’s a tragedy that they never get used …and who says they have to match or have your initials on them? Those are often so beautiful, what better way to enjoy a daily guiltless luxury than with fine embroidered linens? Better to celebrate an embroiderer’s artisanry through usage rather than having them stuck in a drawer where they’ll rot and no one will ever see them.

Tip for linen napkin users: To avoid having to iron them, pull them out of the dryer while they’re still damp and fold them with some torque to it.

By: Vesta

Vesta — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:00:10 +0000

Recycling in the shipping department diverts a tremendous amount of bulk from the landfill. Boxes are obviously reused, if sturdy. Paper and boxes are recycled. But did you know that Tyvek bags are recyclable? Send them back to Dupont: http://envelopes.tyvek.com/en/science/versitile/vers_recycle.shtml Our big operation creates a couple of bags of trash per week. And we're whittling that down! Thanks for this post.