Small Steps Towards Change - Part II

Making small steps towards a less impacting lifestyle! - Part II

(This post is in honor of our 1 year anniversary as Coloradans! YAY!)

The second step in our process of changes has been in the area of creation care. Matt and I believe that God intended the for mankind to take care of the world as best we can. While we are not activist or environmental enthusiasts, we do want to incorporate good stewardship into our lifestyle. We also had some inspiration from watching some documentaries on Netflix: Bag It, Blue Gold & The No Impact Man. 

After seeing those films, we talked about what would be workable for us. We decided on just a few steps towards change that we could manage initially. 

Step #1 - Use Re-usable Cloth Bags

We bought 5 bags from our Sunflower Farmers Market for only 99 cents each. After shopping for a few weeks, we realized that 5 was enough for all the grocery shopping we do. We also found out that some stores, like Sunflower Farmers Market actually give you 10 cents off your total per bag that you use!! It's called BAG REDEMPTION! So not only are we reducing the use of plastic bags, but we are also saving money after only 10 uses! That's the kind of creation care I can get on board with!!! We also have stopped using produce bags too....it is just sooo much plastic and you really don't need them. Just wash your produce before eating and store with re-usable containers at home. I have found that our produce stays fresh longer anyways because most are not ideally stored in plastic! 

Step #1.5 - Recycle Plastic Bags and Ask for Paper

Once we switched to cloth bags, we found out that King Soopers lets you recycle plastic bags to make plastic bags again. While I would rather cut out plastic bags all together, this is a great way to get rid of any lingering bags from prior use. Now we have started only using cloth bags. However, 10% of the time, there are still situations where we forget the bags at home and run to store to pick up a few items. In those cases I try to ask for a paper bag or if I can, I just carry out the items. Some people look at me funny, but I keep the receipt handy just in case! 

Step # 2 - Stop Buying Bottled Water

This was not sometime we did every week, but just occasionally. However, after learning where the bottled water comes from and the facade of "fresh, pure" water, we won't waste our money. Why pay for water that was taken from a small community halfway across the nation, to a wealthy company that doesn't even stop pumping water when there is a national drought, when I can just drink the water from my own faucet, which I pay for already? Crazy how advertising can make it seem like a good idea, huh? 

Step # 2.5 - Use Re-usable Bottles

Now when we go for a hike or day outside, we fill up our nalgene bottles and are good to go. They carry more water than a plastic water bottle and you can decorate them with fun stickers. What's not to love? You also can be sure that they are safer without all the harmful chemicals in plastic bottles...which get even more dangerous when left in a hot car like most of us do! But not a nalgene bottle...they are free of those harmful chemicals and safe even after baking in the sun!

Watching our "One-time-use" plastic items was not a big priority before. However, we have come to realize that it really does matter. Just this past summer, we took a trip up Guanella pass for a picnic while my mom was in town. On our way down the pass, we noticed the breaks were not working as well and checked them out as soon as we got to the bottom. Once Matt looked under the car, he smelled something burning and found a plastic bag stuck up in our break-system!!! I couldn't believe it...a plastic Home Depot bag...how did that get all the way out there??? The more and more we venture out into the beautiful secluded mountain areas, the more I realize that trash seems to be EVERYWHERE...even places that seem "remote." It really saddens me, because Colorado is so beautiful. 

 (Picture near Guanella Pass)

So for now on, we are incorporating these small changes into our lifestyle. Maybe someday they will turn into bigger changes, but we are taking them one step at a time. You don't have to recycle everything in order to make some of a difference! Try something new with your family and see what works!