What is the most extreme thing you've done to be green?

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   Julie Fletcherposted 13 years ago

   What is the most extreme thing you've done to be green?
   
   We live in an area now where there is no trash collection. If it gets taken away, we truck it to a dump. We are careful with what gets thrown away and I'm trying to reuse everything possible. I've heard of really extreme green living, though - what's YOUR extreme green? Family cloth? Cloth feminine pads? Composting toilet? Please share - I'd love more ideas on how to stretch the life of everything we have AND reduce our eco-footprint.

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   zduckmanposted 13 years ago

   I removed my lawn with a shovel. Made 25 trips in a volkswagen to grab concrete from a pile marked free. I made a retaining wall with the chunks of concrete and filled it with soil to create a nice raised garden bed with beautiful, drought resistant native plants and grasses that did not need watering. And all this in a rental....it wasn't even my house.

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      Julie Fletcherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Wow. That really is huge. It's very inspiring that you did that, so many municipalities will not allow removal of lawns. Silly law, I think, especially when someone can be creative and move native plants in like you did. Great answer!

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   Rochelle Frankposted 13 years ago

   I also live in an area where we truck our trash to the landfill and pay $3 a barrel to dump it.  Our county has a recycle center at the landfill where you can dump sorted trash like cans, glass, plastic, paper, and cardboard. (also you can get refunds for your deposit bottles etc.) They also have a place to recycle motor oil, collect used batteries, light bulbs, etc.
   Next to the landfill-- the SPCA takes donated useable items for their ongoing yard sale.
   I use my cloth grocery bags-- and try to buy as much unpackaged, minimally packaged, or items in recyclable packaging, as possible. Every couple of months I spend the $3 for dumping a barrel.
   Actually none of it is extreme, but it does take some thought.

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      Julie Fletcherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I love cloth grocery bags. Do you use canvas or have you tried making your own? Thank you for your answer, you are right, it does take more thought to not throw away as much.

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   junksellerposted 13 years ago

   I lived in a tent for 18 months. Didn't really do it to be green, but it was certainly low impact. No power or even a heat source. Got around by bike. Showered in school gym, took a sack of clothes to laundromat once in awhile. Couldn't grow or cook my own food, though. Otherwise it would have been about as minimalist of a lifestyle as you can get. Good times.

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      Julie Fletcherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      No heat? How did you stay warm? Sleeping bag, blankets, or...? Thank you for sharing!

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      junksellerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Tent was on pallets to stay off the cold ground combined with a sleeping bag plus several blankets while sleeping in my clothes when it was really cold.

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