Extra Crunchy

I always considered myself a bit green even before I knew the term. Every once in awhile, instead of playing hopscotch during recess like the other kids I convinced one of my good friends to walk around and pick up garbage around the playground. I leave my reusable hippie bags in my trunk for when I go to the store and when I inevitably forget them I reuse the plastic/paper store bags. I try my best to recycle and tend to give the sad Indian look to those who toss their empty bottles in the trash instead of the recycle bin a distant 3 inches to the left. BUT I do not drive a hybrid. I do not make my own laundry detergent. I am definitely not vegan or vegetarian. I do not compost. I do not attach solar panels to all my possessions. Apparently, I am not green at all compared to the true green lifestylers.

Earlier this week I was looking up some Earth Day deals and happenings for my event + deal blog and came across some pretty strange, ingenious why-didn't-i-think-of-that, and bizarre earth-friendly ways to reuse, reduce and recycle. Here are a few...

Reusable Cloth Pads
yes. it is what you think it is AND it is considered a party in your pants. boys- you don't know what you are missing out on. you might as well wipe yourself with a rag every time you go to the toilet instead of tossing charmin down the white porcelain train. hmmm. maybe cloth diapers already do that? if you aren't set on trying to wash your you-know-what knowaste actually turns diapers and feminine hygiene products into building products. i don't know how or what kind of products but those British are rather clever.

Matter of Trust - Hair for Oil
this is pretty creative. maybe you do not have the 10 inches of hair to donate to locks of love, your haircut may still be helping the environment... without your consent. yes, those unloved split ends and clippings that end up on the salon floor. the ones that are swept up and quickly forgotten. a stylist from Alabama noticed how sea otters hair were soaked in oil after an exxon oil spill, he came up with the idea to use hair, wool, etc. to make mats to soak up oil from oil spills. sign up your favorite salon or wig maker or sheep shearer! Louisiana may be needing some of these.


Clean the World - Save Soap Slivers
what do you do with your soap slivers? i slap them onto the back of my new bar of soap. too bad hotels don't do that. can you imagine paying $100 for a hotel stay and find an oddly colored hybrid irish spring/dove lump of soap instead of the perfectly wrapped, fresh bar in the bathroom? i'd start wondering if my bed sheets and towels were clean. luckily, hotels are signing up and donating those slivers to impoverished countries and domestic homeless shelters.

Bead for Life - Bead Necklaces
i finally saw one of these types of necklaces. it was so colorful i didn't even realize it was paper! these Ugandan women use recycled paper to make jewelry to sell. definitely an example of one (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure. here is a how-to to make your own.


Adult Toy Recycling
that doesn't mean stuff from brookstone. after seeing this i'm pretty convinced anything can be recycled. i am pretty clueless on what most of the items they mention are, but apparently they recycle batteries too. all i can say is good for them!

Tire Sandals
some companies turn rubber from tires into various other products. here are directions to turn your old car tire into your next pair of shoes. definitely a i'm-crunchier-than-you weekend activity.

Sky is the limit! We could just not manufacture anymore new items and thus eliminate the need to recycle but that is just crazy talk, the new iphone supposedly has more buttons and the new ds has a bigger screen and tv may be going 3D... i suppose those older generations would make nice paperweights?

More recycling oddities...