I’m sending unused medication to Wyoming, which is one of the few states that allows you to re-home unopened medication and accepts out-of-state donations. I wish I’d thought to do it a few months earlier, as they only accept 5+ months out from expiry. I threw one out and included a couple that are under 5 months but barely so, don’t know how strict they are. The rest are all okay. Some of these asthma meds are $250 each if you pay cash for them, and I really hope someone can use them.
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This is literally the first time I’ve ever heard of this, I wonder if you can do this with pet meds? I have an ABUNDANCE.
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They don’t accept pet meds but I have donated those locally to an animal care group!
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Yeah around here there are a couple animal shelters that will take them. Different shelters have different rules. At the rehab vet where I work we take donations, but it’s usually only for the smallish subset of medications we stock and administer, and we hand them back out to clients who could especially benefit from a reduced bill. Your local vet may have a similar program.
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I contacted the maker of my broken hand held mixer, they sent me a link to the broken part, it is now waiting to be shipped to me and I will finally stop wondering what I should do with a perfectly good mixer that doesn’t have functional beaters. WooH!
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My bunny is now reducing food waste for the whole street.
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Had a great conversation yesterday with someone who is using uber etc to make a one car family possible, just like I am! His motivation was more financial than environmental, but I’m still excited about the environmental benefits of owning fewer cars.
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I have to replace the hot water tank at the new house. I’m converting it from gas to electric, because divesting from fossil fuels is dope and where I live we have hydroelectric power.
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Is a heat pump water heater a thing there? Here they’re pushing these hard as the next best thing. I’ve also looked into solar water heating which is supposed to be way more efficient than solar PVs, but it’s not high on my list because we have a plain old, working fine electric WH right now. But everyone who sees it comments on how it’s the least efficient way to heat water…
The places that I know of with heat pumps have big geothermal installations, which isn’t possible on an inner city residential lot. A heat pump on its own can’t compete with extended periods of -40.
Part of the new house uses baseboard heat instead of forced air, but that’s a very expensive and inefficient way to heat a space.
Eventually people will figure out more efficient heating without fossil fuels, but the technology isn’t there yet.
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The heat pump hot water heaters are air based, not geothermal, and they can even draw from inside air and take up about the same amount of space as a regular electric water heater, but it might not make sense in such an extreme environment. Our climate is certainly more mild.
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Nice thread!
I prepared my own laundry detergent at home for the first time: less plastic (bottles) and chemicals, and money saved!
Plus I purchased the products in bulk from a very nice local small shop owner.
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I ordered 2 new diaper covers from Quebec on etsy. After checkout I decided I’m 99% sure it’s the same vendor who made my favourite reusable pads. Sadly I didn’t also buy new underwear because it started at 55 each.
I also figured out which diapers I have that I don’t like, so I can figure out how to sell them on Ebay or kijiji and someone else can use them. (My bulk lot that I bought from an mmm family had prefolds, fitted, covers and then the ones I’m going to sell are all in ones or all in twos and are just bulky and not my thing)
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I have been saving all of the baggies for food (like the bag my frozen broccoli comes in, etc. rinsing them when I am already doing dishes, and using them when I scoop kitty litter. I’m trying hard to be mindful of how I can use many things that would normally hit the trash can at least twice before it goes into the bin.
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that’s a really good idea i wouldn’t have thought of myself
Aw thanks! I’ve been trying the lowest hanging fruit type stuff.
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Oh I forgot, I’ve been leaving my night flush so I can just do one flush after my morning pee.
Very small steps for me, but feeling good about how they are finally starting to add up.
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I totally do this! In fact, I go around begging my friends to save “poop bags” for me. Potato chip and cereal bags are nice and big and sturdy! I also use the bag the litter came in, but our cats produce way too much for those to be sufficient.
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The solid shampoo I started back in Plastic Free July got so small it has started to fall apart so I ordered some replacements. Minis this time so I can try some others and work out which is best for me (though the one I had was pretty good) and also a kids one to try on the toddler. We haven’t purchased bottled shampoo, conditioner or body wash since July!
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I walked to the grocery store yesterday. This morning I walked to meet my BFF for coffee. Then this afternoon I biked across town to see @Oro and her adorable new kittens. It was a car free weekend. 
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