You can’t beat the classics
Starting a new eco-conscious routine can be incredibly intimidating. It seems like new eco-friendly hacks and gadgets are popping every day! Why are there so many new products to shove in our kitchens, and complicated habits to learn? And then there are all those “eco-friendly” habits that are actually worse for the environment.
The good news is that this isn’t a totally new playing field. Long before beeswax “plastic” wrap and bamboo toilet paper were invented, someone else was running their households with very little waste: our grandmothers. Collected here are the tricks, tips, and products our grandmas have been using for decades to cut down on waste, costs, and in most cases, to just make life easier!
Stop using “disposables”
Paper towels weren’t popularised until the mid-1900s. So what was everyone doing before then? Save the bamboo and other high-efficiency paper alternatives for your next party trick and head back to the original mess cleaner: cloth towels. They’re more absorbent, can be thrown in the wash, or hand washed very easily, and come in about a million designs to suit your kitchen.
That goes for napkins, too
My grandmother often set out beautiful cloth napkins instead of the flimsy paper version we so often see. Not only was this far more cost-efficient – we’ve been using the same ones for decades and there’s not sign of needing new napkins yet! – but they work better, and are much better for the environment, too! An added bonus: I’ve found that using cloth napkins can make a meal seem extra festive and adds a bit of an elegant feel to even the most rushed breakfast egg roll.
Blow your nose a bit greener
I can’t picture my grandmother without at least one handkerchief with her. In her purse, in her pockets, occasionally stuffed up one sleeve. The time of beautiful handkerchiefs has gone by the wayside as disposable tissues take off, but using a washable handkerchief isn’t just better for the planet, it’s also a must when going through a cold. The soft cotton or a similarly cosy fabric will be so much gentler on your nose and face than any brand of tissue, lotioned or otherwise.
Close your curtains
Your mum didn’t insist on you putting curtains in your first apartment for no reason, and it isn’t just to shield your eyes when it gets a bit too bright. Your curtains and shades can do a lot for the environment! Closing your curtains when the sun is shining can protect your furniture, and keep you from having to toss faded upholstery and buy new. Adjusting your curtains can also help keep your home cool in the summer, and warm in the winter, no AC or heating needed!
Vinegar is your friend
Your grandmother probably didn’t have dozens of chemical cleaners stored under her kitchen sink like we all do. She didn’t need it. She had vinegar. There are tons of household uses for vinegar you never knew about, but our favourite is how good it is at cleaning. From getting rid of water rings to unclogging your drains, vinegar and baking soda were your grandmother’s trick to a spotless home.
Hand-powered vs. electric
Matt Daigle, CEO and Founder of Rise, the leading online authority in sustainable home improvement remembers his grandmother’s best sustainable home hacks. “Not only are our grandmother’s tools remembrances of family history, but they are incredibly well-built and useful,” he told Reader’s Digest. “Things like human-powered mixers and egg beaters can get the job done in virtually the same amount of time as their electric-powered counterparts but don’t need to add to your electric bill.”
Composting
There’s a reason you’ve been hearing a lot about composting lately. Food waste is at an all-time high, and decreasing the amount of food that goes to a dump would go incredibly far in helping our planet. If you are unable to set up a full, dedicated bin, Henry had another method that might work for you. “Another thing we used to do that we should adopt, is returning fruits to the ground,” she said. “When people eat fruits, we would be better to compost them or bury them at the base of any plants you’re growing in your yard. That way your plants can benefit from the nutrients of the rotting fruits.”
Mix your fruit and vegetable refuse with soil and mulch to create a nutrient-rich meal for any plants you might be growing. Apartment dwellers, don’t write this off just yet. Just because you don’t have any land space doesn’t mean you can’t join in on the fun. Many cities and communities have community gardens, botanical gardens, or even just private individuals who are looking for more food waste to compost. A quick Google search will turn up a ton of great options, some of whom will even come and pick up your compost every week.
Reuse those coffee grounds
No, we aren’t asking you to make a second pot with your old wet grounds, but your old grounds are just another thing your grandmother wasn’t throwing in the trash. If you’ve taken up composting, you can add your used grounds there, but if you haven’t been able to, you can still reuse your grounds! Lynell Ross, the founder and managing editor of Zivadream, recalls his grandmother doing just that.
“My mother and grandmother lived through the Great Depression and I was raised with many money-saving, eco-friendly, earth-conscious ways of living that I practise to this day,” he told Reader’s Digest. “Save your morning coffee grounds to fertilise your outdoor plants. Using coffee grounds as fertiliser not only adds organic material to the soil to improve drainage and help microorganisms for plant growth, it attracts earthworms to aerate the soil and helps plants thrive.” If you have any large pots indoors, feel free to add some used coffee grounds to your soil there, as well.
Grow your own
My grandmother didn’t just have pretty flower pots indoors. It’s easy to grow herbs right in your own kitchen. I’ve even taken this advice so far as to grow a tomato plant on my patio. If you have some yard space, you might want to consider growing even more fruits and vegetables.
My grandparents always kept a small garden with tomatoes, carrots and even corn. Growing a fruit tree can take a little more work, but the amount of fruit you can get off of one tree will astound you. You can attempt to eat it all during the season, but if you want to truly follow grandma’s advice, freeze or can your fruits and veggies and have your own produce to eat all year long!
Dump the plastic storage
Before plastic food storage containers, our grandmothers had dozens of reusable storage solutions. Not only do things like glass containers, waxed paper, brown paper bags, or reusable cloth bags not contain BPA, but they’re easier to clean, last longer, and are far, far better for the environment when it is time to dispose of them.
Check out the library
Let’s face it, here at Reader’s Digest we have more than our fair share of book-obsessed writers and editors. We get how much you love the feeling of holding a new book in your hand, the scent of scoring yet another specially bound classic, we get all of it. New books, adding to your library, it can be addictive. But let’s face it, that’s a lot of paper. If it’s a book you’ll likely only read once, get it from the library!
Library memberships are generally free which means you have access to nearly every book on the planet without spending a dime, and sharing those books with others means fewer trees getting cut down. If you really must buy the book, consider getting it second hand, or donating or selling your own books to a second-hand store after you know you’ve finished with them. A little secret: you can even get audiobooks for free from libraries!
Make do before buying new
“Because my grandma was a child of the Great Depression, she was raised to be resourceful,” Kait Schulhof told Reader’s Digest. “She loved to tell me stories about how she made do with items her family already owned when she was a kid. For instance, as a little girl, she taught herself how to get around on her older brother’s large, hand-me-down bike by sitting on the middle metal bar side-saddle-style, pushing just one pedal with her feet. With that upbringing came a strong sense of making do without buying new.”
Save water
Schulhof also told Reader’s Digest about her grandmother’s early conservation of water. “My grandma was a very early adopter of the xeriscaping trend that has become popularised in more recent years. She had an incredible collection of succulents and other low water plants in her yard. She even had a portion of their lawn replaced with artificial turf in the ’90s when we grandkids were very young so she could still set up a playset for us and avoid the water waste.”