my attempts at saving water

[nycwriter]

I live in New York ...

... if they didn't collect recycling NO ONE would do it.

Especially since the vast majority of New Yorkers don't own vehicles in which to tow refuse to recycling plants.

 

[turbo500]

Good point, Matt. Over here, until about 10 years ago, if you wanted to recycle you had to drive to a recycling centre. Most were located next to supermarkets and local household waste sites (the tip, dump or whatever you want to call it). But it was still annoying to have to do.

I think probably 90% of houses have a recycling bin now. Mine is emptied every 2 weeks, so it's easy to recycle these days. There are certainly no excuses not to.

 

[sebo_fan]

However... not all areas in the UK act on recycling as much or as thorough.

Having just returned from London staying with my best mate in Letchworth, it was the first garden city and the council there are excellent with their eco-saving. They have three to four bins allocated to each household where one bin is used for plastics, another bin for cardboard, another bin for general refuse and one brown bin for any garden waste.

However! If you have a tree in your garden you're not allowed to take it out of the earth for fear of your neighbours or the council spotting it and thus charging you because of the heritage trust and for the fact that you're not allowed to take out a tree regardless of whether it was in the garden before you bought the property or one you've planted yourself.

Compared to most areas in Scotland, out in the sticks where I am, you have one basic recycling bin where everything cardboard and paper wise gets chucked in. All other refuse including garden waste can be put in the general bin.

 

[nycwriter]

I think ...

... rather than a bigger push for recycling, we as a society should be doing more to prevent waste in the first place.

Today's blasted "compact fluorescent" light bulbs now come in THREE LAYERS of hard-shell plastic (the WORST for the environment). AND they need special care and energy to dispose of. As opposed to the old light bulbs that were just glass and metal, encased in a light cardboard sleeve.

Years ago we all got milk deliveries in resusable (not just recyclable, but RESUSABLE) milk jugs. Today we throw away HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of plastic milk jugs. Same goes for soft drinks that used to be sold in returnable (and refundable) glass jars.

Years ago our tap water was safe enough to drink. It was unthinkable to BUY water at the store. Today, with so many dangerous chemicals put right into our water (fluoride being the among the worst), we're forced to buy water in -- more plastic containers. (Although I invested in a Berkey water filtration system, which I highly recommend ... uses no energy (gravity fed) and filters out EVERYTHING short of reverse osmosis. No more plastic water jugs!!)

Years ago our delivered goods were packaged not in earth-choking styrofoam peanuts, but shredded newspaper or straw.

Decades ago, 90% of the food we consumed was all-natural and grown within 25 miles from our homes, and didn't need to be heavily packaged in layers of plastic.

And of course, as we all know on this vacuum board, years ago just about everything was made to last, or at least made to be repaired, not just tossed in a landfill.

And THE single biggest problem in our landfills today: DISPOSABLE DIAPERS. Years ago mothers weren't afraid to get their hands dirty by laundering cloth diapers. Today's moms clearly can't be bothered. At the expense, of course, of the environment. If you're a woman who uses disposable diapers don't EVEN talk to me about MY "carbon footprint"!!!

I think we as a society need to seriously rethink the direction we're going in.

 

[sebo_fan]

You seem to have an answer for everything.

And yet it was the U.S that gave the world a lot of ideas for a throwaway society as well as having a few GREAT ideas. Disposable diapers for starters! I know this as a FACT.

When I was born in 1974, the UK still had terry cotton nappies that had to be washed. My mother being career minded was beside herself having to wash, dry, wash, dry. As I have said before in previous posts, where my town is in Scotland was once home to many Americans and a naval base, of which a film featuring Harvey Keitel was a leading character in. (Down Where the Buffalo Go).

Here is where I first got to sample Baskin & Robbins ice cream, Hersheys chocolate and Animal Crackers! But I also got to observe as a young child, American appliances like U.S Hoover vacuums, massive American cars and loads of great things that we never considered then, throwaway. The moment my mother was introduced to Snugglers and disposable diapers, life became very easy!

When I think back to my childhood, we were very spoilt having the U.S Navy base in our town. But then we were also introduced to many things that UK buyers weren't accustomed that we didn't think at that time were disposable or reusable - the brown sack bags for example for holding groceries in - we never had that in the UK - we relied on oil based disposable plastic bags, that still today, supermarkets are still using, even if some are being charged each time to take one.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Cloth vs Paper diapers debate

Has been going on as long as there has been disposable diapers.
One environmental group, I don't remember which, did a study on what the impact of paper vs cloth had on the environment.

With disposable diapers the paper lining actually bio degrades, along with the contents. The plastic outer covering, now more of a water resistant paper degrades too in time. Though initially they create additional tonnage in the waste stream. In the end they are rather benign.

Cloth diapers are indeed recycled. With lots of water, detergent, bleaching agents be it chlorine or other are used in the process along with energy. The energy used for washing and drying. Or even if you line dry there is still the time consumption of taking them out, hanging them up, then bringing them in then folding.

Not only are disposables "throw away" easier to use, more hygienic to the wearer and user, less leakage; but they actually have less impact on the environment by not releasing the detergents and water usage.

Now if you factor in the processing of the disposable to begin with, which kills a few hundred trees (mostly farmed) the processing of the tree into the paper product, bleaching the paper, manufacturing and transportation.

Remembering now that cloth diapers begins with cotton being farmed, harvested, processed, bleached, spun into thread, woven manufactured, shipped. In the end the whole process is basically a wash as both are more equal than different.

Cost:
You buy disposables on a recurrent basis whereas you buy cloth once or twice. In the end with chemicals, energy etc. Their costs come out about the same.
[this post was last edited: 7/30/2013-09:40]

 

[nycwriter]

Nar...

"You seem to have an answer for everything."

It's not easy being right all the time, trust me!

Look, I'm not trying to make this a US vs UK thing. I believe that most of the good ideas have come from the US, as well as most of the BAD ideas. But this is mostly because of our sheer size, geographically and population-wise; we just have more "stuff" going on here.

I've always thought it absurd for people to compare the US with individual European countries; our geographic size, as well as the size and diversity of our population makes it much more appropriate to compare the US to the European continent as a whole.

 

[sebo_fan]

Thing is, though - you're not right. I don't think any body is where eco savings are concerned.

Everyone has an opinion and I'm thankful that I got to join this forum though clearly U.S and Canada based. What we can do here is share experiences, debates and at times take advantage of the info displayed and collected.

However, because other countries take other routes, UK and others don't always want to follow on. It annoys me sometimes when I visit other countries, Holland for example where their tube system is infinitely better than the one in London, to other areas of cost saving exercises that actually work. The UK as a country appear to me that they don't want to move with the times, or rather want to feel as if they can lead rather than follow the rest of the EU, U.S and Asia.

 

[nycwriter]

My point is ...

... "eco savings" are largely BS.

It's a global movement imposed by the economic elite. And an unsuspecting and well-intentioned public is eating it up, hook, line, and sinker:



http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/22647

 

[sebo_fan]

Thats a very good report but we've been banging on about emissions and eco savings since the 1970s. It begs to ask why it has taken so long for things to take effect.

 

[nycwriter]

It takes a while ...

... to brainwash multiple generations of people on an ENTIRE planet.

 

[sebo_fan]

Tis a shame that Greenpeace did nothing other than to save the whales.

 

[nycwriter]

Greenpeace actually ...

... doesn't even save the whales.

Greenpeace is posing and marketing the illusion of saving the planet. They have an army of gullible volunteers and paid canvassers who have been talked into believing that Greenpeace is really saving the environment and saving whales in particular. In reality, it's a multi-billion dollar money-grubbing bureaucracy.

These are actual quotes from Greenpeace spokespersons:

"Greenpeace is not opposed to whaling in principle." - John Frizell, Director of Greenpeace International.

"As a natural scientist I cannot accept that Greenpeace is opposed to whaling. One must be allowed to harvest a renewable resource. To me, this is an important principle." - Leif Ryvarden, former Chairman of Greenpeace Norway.

Still think Greenpeace is what you think it is??

 

[sebo_fan]

Well no, I knew that some of their policies to whaling was not against it - but they did have quite a heavy advertising based on their original beliefs.

 

[nycwriter]

"they did have quite a heavy advertising based on their original beliefs."

You mean their original propaganda.

They never "believed" in any of it, right from the start.

 

[anthony]

disposable nappys

i was born in 1957 my mum used terry nappies for all four of her children when we were finished with them they were put away years later when my first child was born in 1974 they were given to me and used again hows that for getting your moneys worth out of somthing .they were washed in a Parnell wringer washer the water was used for three or four loads before being discarded not like todays machines using water for every load . i dont know what goes on over there in the states but most english women [and i use that term extremely loosely] would not know what to do with a load of soiled nappys the kind i deal with on a daily basis are to busy watching day time tv while stuffing there faces with junk food and cant get through a full sentence without at least one F word oh yes then theres the manicured finger nails to worry about cant have them damaged can we I know this is going to cause a riot do i care do i Fxxxxxxx its true i know i see it every day

 

[turbo500]

Anthony, I do agree with you about women today, although the same cannot be said for them all. There are still plenty of younger men and women that make fantastic parents, work full time and are generally regarded as respectable, contributing members of society.

However, equally, I see my fair share of "chavy scum" parents. Just the other week I was in the co-op in Leeds by the bus station and saw a woman with about 10 kids with her - must've been on a day trip out. She was buying them all drinks. One young boy picked up a bottle of water whilst all the others went for fizzy drinks. Her response was "ya wan' wa-er? I'm not f*ckin' payin' fa wa-er. Ya can av a f*ckin coke!". VILE woman. For starters, nobody should use that language infront of children. Secondly, she should be GLAD that any child would opt for water over a fizzy drink - any decent parent would want that.

I think people today, on the whole, are lazy. Young mothers, although a lot are perfectly fit Mum's, do not appreciate how hard it was years ago. Everything is so convenient now.

My Grandma, for example, has 5 kids. She was washing for 7 in a tub and mangle until 1962 when she got her first twin tub. My Mum still remembers the day she got it and recalls it being like all her birthdays come at once. My Grandma did all the cooking, cleaning and worked part time, later full time, at McIntosh's in Halifax and later at Cossett Carpets in Bradford. My Mum's family didn't even have a TV until 1968.

We need to really appreciate how far we have come and how convenient a lot of things in life are now.

RE: Terrys nappies. I was born in 1990 and Mum still used Terrys nappies with me. She'd soak them in boiling water and napisan in an old tin bucket before putting them through the washing machine.

 

[sebo_fan]

Reminds me of Ch.4's Super Scrimpers

I love the programme on Channel 4 called "Super Scrimpers." There's a lot to learn off there as well as stuff I've seen before. Last week one old lady was featured who would use up "everything" from off cuts of bread for bread and butter pudding to bread cake. The other thing she used were empty egg shells to break up all over her garden to stop the slugs from spreading as they don't like a cracked surface.

I think the worst thing I ever recall one of my mates telling me (and he was born before I was) that every sunday, the whole family would get together for that "one meal" Sunday roast - and wondered why his mother never ate much. During the morning, it seems as was the English trait at that time, many working women in the household would SCRAPE the fat and oil off the grill pan and royally add it to a piece of buttered toast. This "DRIPPING" soon became a household favourite - though I really couldn't imagine eating it myself!

 

[anthony]

that

story sounds so familiar turbo and your right of course not all of todays parents are like that my mum held down two jobs and managed to look after four kids in those days a washer and a vacuum cleaner were luxurys these days there just taken for granted oh and just for the record bread and dripping was part of the everyday diet down here in yorkshire you can still buy in morrisons what the elderly call dirty fat its dripping in a tub some of my customers buy it all the time . getting back to the chavs what really worries me is the total lack of even basic manners i experience this everyday people living like animals filthy homes knocking kids out like shelling peas its a ticking time bomb god help us when it goes off my dad used to say if we ever had another war we would be fxxked

 

[davetranter]

Parenting

It's SO good to meet people of similar opinions. A friend of mine (now deceased) raised her children in 'Terry' nappies (early 1990s). She was the only member of 'my generation' (she was actually younger than me by about a decade) that I knew who used them. She said it saved her a fortune.

Your comment, Turbo500, is self explanatory... 'Any DECENT parent'.. Chavvy scum are NOT decent parents.... they are not even decent citizens.

Parenting (IMHO) is a full time (24/7, not 8/5) job, if it is to be done properly, and usually needs the added support of a strong community. It requires a level of commitment which I have always felt unable to provide, which is another reason (one of many) why I never raised children. I have the very deepest repect for decent parents everywhere, but feel that some people are truly unfit to breed.

How's that for opinionated?? ;-)

Rant over...

Dave T

 

[nycwriter]

MY parents ...

When I was born in 1969 (just nine months after my parents were married), my grandpa surprised my grandma with a brand-new "automatic" washer and matching dryer. Realizing that a new mom really doesn't have the time to be running back and forth to a laundromat every day, Grandma passed down her old (manual!) ringer washer to the happy young couple. My mom would launder all those dirty diapers during the day, and it was my dad's job after he got home from work to run those wet diapers down to the laundromat to dry.

My dad saw it as a minor annoyance, but not too terribly bad; he definitely got the easier end of the deal, just shuttling piles of diapers down to the laundromat, sticking them in the dryer, then going next door to the bar for a couple of beers to watch whatever game happened to be on on their big color television set (my parents did not yet have a color TV).

Mom and Dad knew this couldn't last forever, so they were now in the market for a dryer to eliminate all those trips to the laundromat. A matching washer AND dryer, though, was still way out of their budget.

Then one week Mom got sick, and Dad had to do ALL the laundering -- and running to the laundromat for drying.

The next week they went to Sears to buy that new dryer. The salesman approached them and asked what they were looking for. Mom replied "We're looking for a gas dryer." Dad quickly interjected. "No, we're looking for a washer AND dryer." That was that.

The next day Mom proudly accepted delivery of a shiny new matching avocado green Lady Kenmore washer and dryer set.

Sometimes I wonder if Mom didn't plan that whole thing after all ...

 

[hi-loswitch98]

It shocks me to see how kids are being bought up these days - no wonder they're getting pregnant at 14 & going on killing sprees/