Ecofriendly alternatives for tampons and pads.

20 billions menstrual pads and tampons are discarded each year - just in the USA, according to Green Living Tips. The good news is that there ARE more ecofriendly alternatives for tampons and pads! Have you ever heard of the menstrual cups and cloth pads? Someone mentioned them in the comments of the previous posting and I realized I haven't posted anything about them.

One year ago I started using a menstrual cup (in my case Diva cup, a brand name, there are different ones) instead of tampons and I am extremely happy with it. It feels comfortable, clean and secure (after I learned to use it, I have a tip though: don't choose white summer dress to wear the first few times you try it). I love it that I can use it over and over again. For me, it feels so much more comfortable than tampons or pads. It is supposed to last for up to 10-15 years. They have two models - one for women under thirty and who haven't had a baby and the other one is for women over thirty / have had a baby). Read more here and google for more info.

I have also organic cotton cloth pads and find them comfortable and easy to use too. Mine have wings with snaps so they stay quite well in place. I bought mine in Finland, but you can order them online. They are easy to wash, I usually wash them with the cloth diapers in hot water.

Read more from Green Living Tips article too.

Dishwasher soap, RFM and sidewalks

I have heard now very good reviews from friends who tried the homemade dishwashing soap, read the earlier posting and recipe from here. You can use this soap for washing dishes by hand or in the machine. My friend from Finland had made it and she wrote to me today that it works well and that the cups and plates even feel more gentle than before. She made the liquid castile soap required in the recipe by melting castile soap bars in water.

I am so excited to hear that Ruston Farmers market will open this spring again (maybe already in the end of March!). They need volunteers so if you live in Ruston, come to a meeting on Sunday February 15th at 2 pm at the Lincoln Parish Public Library meeting room. Everyone who volunteers for at least one market day gets a Ruston Farmers' Market yellow tote bag. Read more from the RFM forum. Check out also the RFM website at www.rustonfarmersmarket.org.

I was interviewed for the Ruston Daily Leader about going green and I mentioned there that I dream of better sidewalks in Ruston so that it would be easier to walk and bike everywhere instead of always driving. I was donated a bike recently by a friend (thanks!) and I bought a seat for it for my son. It has been really fun to bike around but it feels a bit scary to bike among the cars especially with a child on the bike. If you live in Ruston and miss proper sidewalks too, write to the city and tell them! They have now a Ruston 21 project and they take ideas to improve the city on their website, just click here and choose "online participation". I also wrote them about recycling.

Make your own dish washing detergent

I told you earlier about a natural dish washing detergent recipe that you could use also in the automatic dish washers. I tried it today in our dishwasher and it worked great. I think even better than my store bought earth friendly detergent. The recipe is here) if you want to try it.

Green dishwasher detergent recipe

I just found this from Green Living Tips. You can use it for hand washing or automatic dish washers. Haven't tried it yet because I have still some Seventh Generation detergent left but I will when it is finished.

Dishwasher detergent

Ingredients:

2 cups liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Healthy Home Tips

I get the Environmental Working Group newsletter. It has updates about the bispenol A (BPA), the toxic plastics chemical among other things. In the latest newsletter they had a link to their site where they have collected tips for healthier homes for parents, but I think it applies to homes without children too.

They present 11 important steps that are not very hard to do. I picked a few of them here, shortened, read the whole list from the link below.

+ Choose better body care products. Just because a label says "gentle" or "natural" doesn't mean it's safe. Look up your products on CosmeticsDatabase.com. Read the ingredients and avoid triclosan, BHA, fragrance, and oxybenzone.

+ Go organic & eat fresh foods. Opt for organic fruits and veggies, or use FoodNews.org to find conventionally grown produce with the least pesticides. Limit canned food and infant formula, as can linings contain bisphenol A (BPA).

+ Pick plastics carefully. Some plastics contain BPA, which is linked to cancer. Avoid clear, hard plastic bottles marked with a "7" or "PC". Don't microwave plastic containers. Stay away from toys marked with a "3" or "PVC." Give your baby a frozen washcloth instead of vinyl teethers.

+ Skip non-stick. When overheated non-stick cookware can emit toxic fumes. Cook with cast iron or stainless steel instead.

+ Use greener cleaners & avoid pesticides. Household cleaners, bug killers, pet treatments, and air fresheners can irritate kids' lungs. Investigate less toxic alternatives. Use vinegar in place of bleach, baking soda to scrub your tiles, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains.

Check out & download Healthy Home Tips for Parents at Enviroblog.

Green living tips in a newsletter

I subscribed to this free Green living tips newsletter recently and have to recommend it to you too. They sponsor a tree for each new subscriber!
In the newest newsletter:

Sustainable Building 101
Thinking about going green in your building? Why should you build green anyway and how do you do it?

For peat's sake
Peat is still used extensively around the world in the garden and as a fuel. Peat moss is also a gardener's favorite, but our peat and peat moss consumption is wreaking havoc on wetlands where these materials form - read more about the issues and alternatives.

Buying green electricity
While not all of us can afford solar panels on our roof, many electricity providers now offer green power products that are quite economical and allow us to do a bit more to help lessen our impact on the environment.

Uses for salt
Common salt can be be used for many applications around the home as a more environmentally friendly alternative to harsher synthetic chemicals. Salt has over 14,000 known uses - here's just a few.

Greener car washing
A clean, glowing car is a pleasant sight, but it can often come at a cost to the environment through excessive water use and the effect of chemicals in detergents. Pick up some tips for lessening your car washing impact.

Plastic bags and one month on No 'poo

I went to Ruston Super1Foods store to buy some groceries the other day and they said they have started to give discount for using your own bags! The discount is five sents per bag. I usually use my own bags anyway but I was so happy that instead of looking at you weird (or even acting in an angry way) when you have your own canvas bags (this often happens to me in Wal Mart), they actually encourage you to do so. That is great.

In other than grocery stores, if I buy something little, I usually just say that I don't need a bag but I will just either use my own or put it in my purse or back bag or pocket.

Do you use your own bags in stores and what kind of experience do you have about it, good or bad?

I have been now one month on no poo and I couldn´t be happier. My hair looks and feels GREAT. My scalp is almost itch free.