Being Green

I just discovered the Seward Co-op. That is pretty lame since it is about five blocks from where I live, but it just isn't in a direction I go very often. Unfortunately James and I usually do our grocery shopping late at night, and the co-op is only open until 10 - but it is a beautiful place, and I got all excited about being earth-friendly when I went in there. :)

The reason I went there in the first place was because I was looking for cardboard-applicator tampons. (sorry for the overshare...) I have been so frustrated with Playtex, my brand of choice, because they seem to have discontinued anything that isn't plastic - and I can't use the ones Tampax makes with the open ends. With everyone so focused on ways they can help the environment, it becomes very frustrating to be a woman and have no choice over how you deal with this issue. ANYWAY, Seventh Generation makes chlorine-free, rounded-tip, environmentally friendly tampons, and I am willing to spend about $2 more on them so I don't feel that horrible guilt every month.

It's funny, because I used to not be very interested in being green. It seemed so complicated, and like something only those weird people who didn't shower or shave did. :) (come on, you know what I mean...) But I think I have finally realized that in order to help out, I don't have to completely re-make my life. I just keep watching for changes that I can make, and then I try to be consistent about them and incorporate them into my life. I am still completely addicted to my raspberry seltzer water, which comes in plastic bottles. I can't help the plastic there, because the carbonation won't stay in otherwise...but I recycle my bottles, and try to find other ways to be responsible. Here are some things I have changed this past year:

1. I only wash clothes on cold.
2. I use plant-based laundry soap and dishwasher detergent.
3. I am starting to buy vegetable-based, natural soap to use in the shower.
4. I have two re-usable bags that fold up and travel in my purse, so I now only get plastic bags once in a while to replenish our kitty-litter supply.
5. We are trying out Seventh Generation toilet paper, and it is actually pretty nice!
6. I have a lot of cleaners to use up, but when I buy household cleaners now I only buy plant-based, environmentally friendly kinds.
7. When it is possible, I buy natural and organic products at the grocery store - I would like to do more than I do, but at this point sometimes that is just too pricey.
8. I just found chlorine-free, biodegradable tampons!!! :)

When I live in a house (hopefully sometime soon!) I am hoping to get into gardening, and to learn how to compost. I hope that I am actually able to do this, because I think that it would be a really satisfying hobby for me. I currently have to live on a lot of wishful thinking since I am still waiting to start a "real" life...

So. I think in a way all of this is just me finding one more way that I have to try to "work on" myself. It is really hard for me to just "be;" I need to constantly be assessing my shortcomings and trying to make them better. In this case, though, regardless of the reasoning the end result is good, so I won't complain.

Off to work on writing my dissertation so that I CAN have a real life sometime soon...