One very easy thing you can do to save Planet Earth is be cognizant of your product use. Specifically, be aware of how much, say, toothpaste or lotion you use and make sure you’re using the right amount and not too much.
Have you ever noticed in toothpaste commercials how they always show a toothbrush that is just loaded down with toothpaste? It covers the entire toothbrush and then curls back up. You really don’t need that much. Just a small amount will do it.
Or what about cleaning supplies? Do you slop cleanser all over your bathtub, using about one-quarter of a jug in the process? (Recycla was guilty of this for years and still has to remind herself to be a bit less generous when she’s cleaning.)
Then there’s toilet paper. Recycla was puzzled by how much her family of four was using. Then there was the odd fact that one of her girls was consistently clogging the toilets. It turns out that the child in question was using WAY too much TP when she was in the bathroom. Recycla finally suggested the number of squares of toilet paper that should be sufficient for a quick pee trip and the problem was solved.
For years, Recycla used aerosol cans of shaving cream, but they usually only lasted a few weeks because the product didn’t go very far. About 10 years ago, she was in an organic grocery store and saw non-aerosol shaving cream and on a whim decided to try it. She’s never gone back. Just a quarter-sized squirt of shaving lotion will cover an entire leg, so even though a tube of the product is $7, she uses so little each time that the container lasts for 6-8 weeks. Contrast that with the two or three or even four cans of aerosol shaving cream she would have used during that same time.
In another example of how a little goes a long way, the face lotion that Recycla uses is around $17 for a 2-ounce container. That’s a lot of money! However, Recycla has learned that she only needs a couple of tiny little dabs to cover her entire face, so that little pot of lotion ends up lasting for nearly a year.
The point of all this is that by being aware of how much stuff you use, you will find that you need less than you had thought. And by using less, you’ll waste less. This means you’ll reduce how much you need to buy, saving money in the process. Really, it’s a win-win situation all around.
Tell the Eco Women: Are you thrify with how much stuff you use or do you have a little room for improvement?
I think we’re pretty good about how little we use. In fact, I have this half empty container of body wash I’m trying to use up so I switch over to just using bar soap, but I use so little in each shower that it’s been over a year and I still have 1/3 of the bottle left!
Can’t seem to get rid of it!
I’m definitely aware of how much product we use. I use less than half the laundry detergent recommended; it cleans beautifully. If you’re using liquid soaps or shampoos, pump bottles help regulate the amount.
We’re definitely “little dab” people, but like you, it took me a while to get used to using less cleaning products. I’m MUCH better now!
Okay so, I realize this won’t work for everyone, but it works for me and saves us a crapload of money. I started using the ‘no poo’ hair cleansing method. All I do is mix 1 part baking soda with about 5 parts water, wash my hair with it, rinse, then pour heavily diluted apple cider vinegar instead of conditioner. I used to be a salon product junkie. We use about an eighth cup of castille soap for laundry, use castille soap for most of our cleaning actually, but diluted Seventh Generation soap for dishwashing. We’re ‘little dab’ people now, but it took us a long time to get that way.