A Greener 2011 for the Kennedy Osbornes
In 2011 I made it a personal goal to make my family's habits a little more eco-friendly. We already grow our own vegetables in the summer, take our lunches in mostly reusable containers, compost our fruit and veggie scraps and recycle everything that we can. But I wanted us to be greener. I see a lot of the initiatives that Tupperware takes on to produce a sustainable and eco-friendly product and it inspired me to try and do more myself. Of course, being a Tupperware Consultant, most of my solutions have involved Tupperware products in one way or another. Here's a list of our family's accomplishments so far:
Use less paper towel.
Admittedly, I am a paper-towel maniac, I use them for everything from cleaning to wiping the counters to drying the odd dish to cleaning up the baby after snacks. We were going through about 3 rolls of paper towels every 2 weeks. Not only is that not an environmentally friendly sort of habit, it's expensive! (In our defence, we use the 'select-a-size' towels, but then again, maybe that makes it even worse that we use so much?) Anyways, I stocked up on Tupperware Microfibre Towel Collection and I've been pleasantly surprised!
Use less paper towel.
Admittedly, I am a paper-towel maniac, I use them for everything from cleaning to wiping the counters to drying the odd dish to cleaning up the baby after snacks. We were going through about 3 rolls of paper towels every 2 weeks. Not only is that not an environmentally friendly sort of habit, it's expensive! (In our defence, we use the 'select-a-size' towels, but then again, maybe that makes it even worse that we use so much?) Anyways, I stocked up on Tupperware Microfibre Towel Collection and I've been pleasantly surprised!
- Microfibre Kitchen Towels - I LOVE THESE - they absorb up to 8x their weight in water and they dry super fast. Now when the counter is wet I just wipe it down with a towel instead of paper towel because these absorb the water super fast and are dry and ready to use in no time. (As opposed to my old cotton weave towels that you had to run over the counters a few times to absorb all the water and then would stay wet for days and get all funky.)
- Microfibre Dish Cloth - I use this for EVERYTHING now. I wipe the counters with it, rinse it out, wipe off the baby and then clean off his highchair tray too. It is a super versatile cloth and it drys so fast it's amazing. Best thing? You put it in the dishwasher to clean and sanitize it...so you don't have to throw it in the hamper and wait for a load...just wash it with the dishes!
- Microfibre Dusting Mitt - I have been using this instead of Swiffer Dusting Sheets and it works just as good! (o.k....not a paper towel thing, but still a disposable paper product!) I've only used it a few times, but I like is so far, definitely a fair sustitution.
- Stainless Steel Polishing Cloth - I just got this in a few days ago, so I haven't had a chance to try it out yet...but I'm excited!
- Window Cleaning Cloths - I don't have these yet...but they're next on the list! Mirrors are the last thing that I clean that really use up the paper towels. I've been using a Jay-Cloth in the meantime, it's alright, but I'd prefer to give these a try, the Jay-Cloths don't last long before they start tearing and ripping.
Use less Saran wrap.
We used to Saran wrap everything. Plates, bowls, pieces of pizza...anything food like that needed to be sealed. Here's how we've taken care of that:
We used to Saran wrap everything. Plates, bowls, pieces of pizza...anything food like that needed to be sealed. Here's how we've taken care of that:
- Vent 'n Serves - any foods that will be microwaved to heat up go in these.
- Small Modular Bowls, Wonderlier Bowls - anything that doesn't need to be microwaved is put into various other Tupperware containers
- Freezer Mates - instead of individually wrapping meat portions in Saran and aluminum foil we now freeze the portions in Freezer Mates. These awesome containers seal air tight, stack modularly, and remain flexible when frozen so it's easy to remove food to defrost.
Stop using baggies.
We used to put so many things in baggies. I have not bought baggies in over three months, here's how we do it:
We used to put so many things in baggies. I have not bought baggies in over three months, here's how we do it:
- Tomato & Onion Keepers - odds and ends of tomatoes and onions go in these neat little keepers so they stay fresh (and they last way longer and stay fresher than when they were in baggies too!)
- FridgeSmarts - my fruits and veggies used to be in Ziploc baggies in the fridge if they needed to be sealed from the drying fridge air, now i keep everything in FridgeSmarts and it stays fresher longer so we actually eat all the fruits and veggies we buy, rather than throwing away the spoils. See this post here about the amazing FridgeSmart collection.
- Reuse store veggie bags - sometimes you just gotta use a little plastic bag for something...so I save all the fruit and veggie produce bags from the store (you knw, the flimsy clear ones that you usually throw out?) That way I have them on hand for bags and emergencies, like when the little peeps forget to rinse out their lunch containers...which leads me to our last accomplishment...
Make lunch taking eco-friendly.
This has been probably one of the biggest changes for us. I admit...lunches were always in baggies, I never ever sent reusable containers. You know why?? Because I HATE washing them every day!! So here's the solution we came up with: the little peeps take their lunch in reusable containers and the first thing they must do when they get home from school is rinse them out to be reused the next day. Then once at the end of the week they go through the dishwasher to clean and sanitize them. This keeps me sane. If they forget to wash them, they get a second set for the next day (meaning two sets to be rinsed and washed) and on the third day their lunch goes in a plastic bag. A single plastic bag with a sandwich, fruit, veggies, cheese, snacks and juice box all jumbled in together. That usually serves as a reminder to get those Tupperwares washed out!
This has been probably one of the biggest changes for us. I admit...lunches were always in baggies, I never ever sent reusable containers. You know why?? Because I HATE washing them every day!! So here's the solution we came up with: the little peeps take their lunch in reusable containers and the first thing they must do when they get home from school is rinse them out to be reused the next day. Then once at the end of the week they go through the dishwasher to clean and sanitize them. This keeps me sane. If they forget to wash them, they get a second set for the next day (meaning two sets to be rinsed and washed) and on the third day their lunch goes in a plastic bag. A single plastic bag with a sandwich, fruit, veggies, cheese, snacks and juice box all jumbled in together. That usually serves as a reminder to get those Tupperwares washed out!
- Bento Box - we have a non-Tupperware brand bento box for my daughter to use. Tupperware does make one on occasion too, but I haven't seen it out since I started. Her entire lunch (except juice box) fits in this box, with little removable compartments for each serving inside.
- Sandwich Keepers - for sandwiches, snacks and treats. Granola bars actually fit inside these really well, so I keep an assortment in the baby bag at all times.
- Fruit Keepers - we have apple, grape, banana and pear (avocado) Keepers for our fruit on-the-go. The fruit doesn't get bruised and they are just really fun containers to carry around!
- various Eco and Seasonal Tumblers - for water and juice on-the-go. My daughter and I have the Fast Quench Bottles for our water, my husband uses the Eco Bottles for his water, juice and milk at work and we have 12oz. Tumblers for juice and such on-the-go as well.
