Is your family eco friendly?

Is my family  eco friendly? I found myself asking this question when I was reading Am I Eco Friendly at How Was Your Day? I have never thought much about it. I recycle my newspaper, reuse containers and buy in bulk, but I could not answer this question. To help me with this process, I wrote each eco friendly (and non green) action we took. The kids helped me with this. They were excited about this experience. Let’s see the results:

Our Eco friendly habits

1-      We pack lunches in reusable containers. I do not use aluminum foil to wrap my sandwiches.

2-      We do not buy water bottles. We use a water filter instead. When we go out for a picnic, we take our bottles

3-      We make our toys (some of them): we make our own play dough, use cereal boxes to make crafts.

4-      We make food from scratch and use leftovers.  We buy ready-made food on special occasions only. It is a great way to save money and eat healthier.

5-      We use cloth lines in the spring and summer. Obviously, we cannot use it in winter when snowing.

6-      We go for bike rides in the summer, which leads to less gas consumption.

7-      We unplug once a week. All the electronic devices are shut down and we play board games

8-      We use reusable bags for the grocery. Sometimes I forget them at home!

Non Eco friendly habits

I noticed also we have non green habits. My goal is to work on them for the next few months

1-      The car is our main means of transportation. I decided that once a week, I will use public transit or walk instead. It is healthier, greener and saves money.

2-      We do not grow our own vegetables. This is the best time of the year to start gardening with the kids and grow few veggies.

3-       We do not eat a lot of local food. It is hard in the winter to do so, as almost nothing grows in the snowy weather. But we will enjoy fresh and local produce in the spring summer. I will make sure to freeze some.

4-      Not all our cleaning products are green. I need to pay more attention to that and buy greener products.

Overall, my family is more eco friendly than less. There are areas that need improvement though and we will be working on them. Thanks to How Was Your Day for triggering this discussion.

Is your family eco friendly? We would love to read your green tips!