Living in a disposable world ...but it doesn't have to be. I remember growing up and for a period of time, there was a lot of emphasis on reusing both sides of paper, ripping off what wasn't used, saving trees, and so on. But then there seemed to appear new products that shifted the focus including throwaway containers, throwaway cleaning wipes, and many one time use products. Recycling and reusing is still present of course, but many of these products are seen as more convenient and therefore replace many reusable items, just as in the case of diapers. However, convenience isn't always better because often there is a price. In this case...the increase in the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills.
Our actions and our choices can make a huge difference and it only takes simple changes. Here are just a few.
• Use cloth wipes instead of throw away wipes when cleaning your house or your kid. It's not really that much more laundry and you have more control over the chemicals that you expose your family to. • Cloth bag it! Whether you are going to the grocery store, or just packing a lunch, there are always reusable items to help do the job.
By Dawnica Flatt
• Use cloth diapers. This can reduce your household waste by more than 50%. They come in lots of fun prints and also different styles so you can choose the one that best suits your preferences. This is also the case for feminine products.
• Think before you buy. When we buy products, there is always some sort of packaging but look at how it's packaged and what you could possibly use it for after. Or, better yet, bring your own cup or container for example so you don't have to add another 'to go' cup to the landfill and buy refillable containers for your child's squishable food instead of buying store bought brands. Even by partially incorporating these ideas, it still makes a huge change.
Dawnica Flatt is owner of Snug Glee Bumz Diaper Service. Snug Glee Bumz Diaper Service provides everything needed to use their service and offers another choice for cloth diapering in the Kamloops area. They have expanded to include a deep cleaning of other people's diapers and stock several products that make parenting a little easier and divert thousands of diapers per month. As host to the Kamloops site for the Great Cloth Diaper Change, they participated in a new Guiness World Record for most diaper changes around the world in a 24 hour period.) www.snuggleebumz.com