More Composters

Ok, so it probably isn't very sustainable of me, but I find myself wanting something I don't technically need. But when it's a composter...

I'm lusting over Nature Mill's automatic composters.

Here's some reasons I want one:
-The price ($299-$399) is comparable to non-automated units, and the shipping is much, much cheaper than other composters (just $15).
-It can process up to 120 lbs a month, which is more waste than most of us could possibly produce.
-It's odor-free. The website says, "Continuous air flow and a powerful carbon filter remove odors. The unit is completely sealed." Filters need replacing only every five years.
-It's made of recycled plastic.
-It's energy-efficient. It uses "5 kwh / month - as much as a typical night light... Uses far less energy than hauling the same amount of waste in a diesel garbage truck."
-And it produces compost in TWO weeks! I'm so jealous...

So here's the plan: Nature Mill offers a 15% discount on each unit when three or more are purchased together. (New prices: $249-$335) The three can be different models, different colors, shipped to different places, and charged to different people. The company is just trying to get users to encourage friends and collegues to compost, too.

[Review my first post on composting to remember why it is so essential for a sustainable lifestyle.]

If you're considering getting one, post something in the comments, and we'll see if we can get three or more of us together!

Dish Washing

What is the best way to wash your dishes? Efficiently, of course!

When washing dishes by hand, try to do so as consciously as possible. Make sure you don't let the water run while you're scrubbing or between dishes. Also, remembering to soak dishes with stuck on food so save water and work while scrubbing. It is recommended to soap and scrub all your dishes at once and then rinse them all off together afterward. This uses water more efficiently than most dish washing techniques. Of course, hand washing also eliminates the need for electricity use (that not related to water heating, that is).

It might make you happy to learn though that if you use the standard settings, using a dishwashing machine can actually more water efficient than washing by hand. (By standard settings, I mean not choosing extra cycles, heated drying, etc.) Of course, you must run only full loads to maximize your efficiency. Read about the scientific back-up in this article from Tree Hugger.

Conditioner

We've talked about eco-friendly shampoo options before. Today, let's look at conditioners.

Treehugger offers five solutions for do-it-yourself conditioners. DIY health and beauty products are excellent alternatives to store-bought items because they can eliminate plastics in your daily regimen and greatly reduce packaging all together.

Treehugger's suggestions:
1. Cider vinegar
2. Tea
3. Olive oil
4. Rosemary oil
5. Henna

Read the article here for the recipes and more.

Lemons

We're all on the look-out for ways to cut chemicals out of our homes and daily lives.

One way to do that involves using more lemons in your daily life!

Reader's Digest offers us 34 (non-edible) uses for lemons. Among them:
-to help polish brass, chrome, and aluminum
-to bleach your laundry without the use of chlorine
-to lighten your hair (the old stand by!)

Check out all 34 here!

Shaving

Most of us shave our faces or bodies for one reason or another. How does one do so sustainably?

The first step you can take is to never shave in the shower. For starters, you're wasting a lot more water than you really need to shave, even if you're using a cheap disposable razor. Also, you are probably shaving while standing under wonderfully warm water . This, obviously, requires a lot of electricity input to heat the water.

If you're addicted to disposable razors, consider trying the Preserve brand. Their plastic handles are made from 100% recycled plastic. The company also provides pre-paid envelopes to return your used razors when you're done with them for the handles to be recycled again. Impressively cradle-to-cradle for a disposable product, huh? You can find Preserve products online, as well as at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Target.

It is better, however, to try to move to electric razors. They do not require any water to shave with, which reduces their impact substantially. Furthermore, the parts of electric razors work for years without getting dull and needing replacement. Hopefully more and more of us will have access to renewable sources of electricity in the very near future, reducing their impact much more.

An ideal shaving option is, of course, the traditional straight razor. One nice razor (which, bonus point, doesn't include any plastic!) will last you a lifetime if you take care of it. Men who use these razors swear by them. [I've not been able to find any accounts of women using straight razors on their legs/underarms, but if you hear that it works, let me know! I'd be willing to give it a try.]

Crunchy Chicken recently wrote about sustainable hair removal, too. Her recommended method (for women, I guess) is homemade "sugaring," which is a lot like waxing but it doesn't use petroleum-based ingredients. If you're interested, she has a recipe and directions.

[This is me trying not to write an entire post about the gendered and oppressive nature of society-enforced body hair removal...]

UPDATE: There are now wind-up options for shavers, too! Check out "Off-Grid Grooming is a Little Easier" from Tree Hugger!

Image from http://www.recycline.com/

Simple Shoes

Simple brand shoes is a eco-conscious line of some really cute footwear. They use recycled and sustainable materials.

The largest selection of their products can be found on their website. However, Ben and I are a little hesitant about blindly ordering shoes online.

But good news! Dillard's department store recently started carrying a handful of styles in women's Simple Shoes. And the Walking Company has also just gotten in a couple of styles of both men and women's shoes.

We've gone and tried on a few pairs to get a feel for Simple's sizes. (We've found they run a little large. Be sure to try for yourself!)

Now, we're ready to go online and order a stylish pair or two each! (Excluding sale items, the prices at Dillard's/Walking Company and Simple Shoes' website are equal. So, if you like a style you see in-store, there really is no reason to NOT purchase in-store.)

So check out Simple Shoe's website, try on a couple pairs at Dillard's or the Walking Company, and then wear awesome footwear to your heart's content!

Indoor Gardening update

Indoor growing can be kind of tricky.

First, pests. We had some problems with gnats, but we solved those by getting some poison- and chemical-free sticky traps from Lowes. Mealy bugs were more of a pain in the butt. Blasted things didn't attack any of our vegetable plants, but they loved an indoor ivy plant. Showering them a couple of times with Orange Guard seemed to do the trick though. Still kinda grossed me out.

A second issue is making things grow. Luckily, the broccoli seems to be thriving just fine in our West window and especially in the South-facing ones. Lettuce didn't make it. And zucchini, while it lasted longer than the lettuce indoors, finally decided it wasn't getting enough light.

Our third major issue surrounded remembering to water. It's currently the rainy season here in Florida, so we rarely have to water our outdoor vegetables. However, that gets Ben, the family water-er, out of the habit of watering regularly.

Assuming you can remember to water your plants, how should you go about doing so?

The best way to water indoor plants is to begin by soaking the soil thoroughly. You want water to come back out of the hole in the bottom of the pot. Make sure you pour this water away instead of onto another plant, as it is laden with the excess salts your plant is trying to get rid of. Also, do not let this excess water just sit in the pot plate, as this could lead to wet roots and root rot.

Right after you soak your soil, pick up your pot and feel how heavy it is. You don't want to water again until the weight is down to about half of what it is fully saturated. This will probably be two or three days later. But check your pots daily because some indoor plants dry out quickly due to their small pots and need to be watered rather frequently. Each subsequent time you water, you want to repeat this saturation-then-wait process.

Image from http://www.orangeguard.com/webart/spraybottle.jpg