365 Sustainable Decisions Challenge

I have to admit, deciding to use a laundry rack takes a bit more time than using a dryer. But while putting the clothes up, I usually listen to some music so it is not so bad. And it just feels better to only use the dryer in case my clothes – or often bed sheets – need to get dry fast. Not only do I use less electricity, my clothes wear out less quickly too!  

There are different types of shower heads. I have one that is water saving, which is an easy way for me to use less water during showering.

With my washing machine – and I guess most can do this – I can choose the temperature and the time it takes to wash the clothes. The standard setting of the program I pick is 40°C and 2,5 hours. I have tried whether it works just as well to wash with 30°C and only about 1 hour. And it does, which saves a lot of energy.

I came across a shed that had these barrels to capture rain. I think that is a clever idea for watering the plants when there is no stream close by (#283).

When the distance to work is too long to walk or cycle with a normal bike, and cannot be reached very well with public transport, then I like the idea of using an e-bike instead of a car. It saves a lot of CO 2  emissions and when I would come home, I would already have done my sports for that day.  

Once a week I bake self-made pizza at 225°C. As the oven remains hot for quite some time after re-setting the temperature to 0°C, I tried switching off the oven after 19 instead of 20 minutes. It worked just as well to use the remaining heat in the oven. Also, I used the remaining heat to keep the pizza warm whilst eating the first few pieces. Yummy!

On one of my walks, I noticed a little hut that was made by children. It was made from branches that they found in the woods. I liked the idea compared to the one that is made from wood that is bought in the shop. It saves chopping a tree and transporting the wood.  

At work, I use a wireless mouse, which you can see here. I switch it off when I don’t use it to save energy. I can also save energy by switching off other devices, such as my computer, smart phone, screens, printer and ,at home, my router. I noticed that depending on the device, there are additional advantages. In this case I don’t have as many empty batteries that I need to dispose of in a special battery receptacle at certain shops.

I sometimes find bags with dogs poo next to the road. I always wonder why someone would leave a bag like that behind, because where I live you have to dispose it and when leaving it, it takes a lot, lot longer for the poo to degenerate. If you know the reason, I’m eager to learn about it.

I don't remember where I got the aluminum foil from, but I do know that I saved it for later use. Today, I almost used it to wrap half a melon. But no, just in time I stopped myself. After a brief glance in my cupboard, I found a container with exactly the right size.  

The pizza I had this time was too much for lunch. That’s why I put the leftovers in the oven to keep the pizza warm until dinner. This allowed me to have a warm pizza, without having to heat it up again, which saved energy.

When I have a bottle with only a little bit of soap left, I pour water in it, shake it and use the tiny bit of soap that is left. And interestingly, I can repeat this several times.

I had a really nice egg cup with “Erlijn” on it. It broke once. I glued the pieces together, but when it fell a second time a few years later, it was too broken to fix. Now I have this lovely small marmalade glass for my eggs.

During a walk, I came across stinging nettle plants. I remembered that I can brew tea from them. So I decided to harvest a few leaves for a fresh cup of tea after returning home.

These are strings for tying a carpet. As it makes it easier to put different colors in different cups, I used all the cups I could spare for this project. But I didn’t have enough. Instead of buying new ones, I used the bottoms of a few bottles. The rest of the bottle went nevertheless into recycling.

I think I remember my grandma telling me that closing holes in socks was very common in the past. And I have to say, it is hardly visible that they are repaired.

I have learned that aluminum foil behind a heating reflects the heat back into the room. This saves energy. And in my case, it is even more helpful as the heating is attached to the fridge (a strange decision in itself).

I’ve started gathering milk carton caps a while ago, because I was sure that one day, I would know how to upcycle them. And indeed, I glued them together to use them as coaster for my drink.

As I’m separating waste in the bathroom now too, I needed another bin. Instead of buying a new one, I decided to make one from old newspapers.

Earlier in this challenge, I have spoken about waste bins and their bags: - flattening waste to reduce the number of required bags (#4) - filling waste bags to reduce the number of required bags (#29) - reusing bag for waste bin instead of throwing it away (#37) - using only one bin in hotel (#59) Furthermore, I use a bin without a bag when I throw something in that doesn’t make it dirty.