Meet The Families / The Rydzewskis

Well it is the last day of September and we are officially re-users! The box of baggies in my pantry has started collecting dust and we've been using the same roll of paper towels for over a month! Life overall hasn't changed for us, but our habits certainly have. We've become so much more aware of waste all around us!! And even though we are doing just a little little bit in the grand scheme of things, every little bit really does help. We're hoping our friends and neighbors will catch on as well!

Anyway, life is crazy busy these days!!! We are so happy to have been a part of this challenge! Thanks for having us!

9/20/10

Well, the reusing has officially become part of our life!  I haven’t reached for a baggie in weeks!  And TJ is even packing his sandwiches in the containers.  I’ve been washing the daily containers with the dinner dishes so it really isn’t any extra work.  A couple more minutes of dishwashing…no big deal!  It is all just part of the routine now!

I’d say this challenge has been easier than I thought it would be.  Besides the waste reduction with the lunches, it has really made us look at reducing waste in other areas as well.  I mentioned the cloth napkins…but also reusable plates and cups when we have a cook out (instead of paper plates and plastic cups), reusable wash-rags for keeping the kitchen cleaned up (instead of paper towels), and reusable bags for everything!  I have not bought baggies OR paper towels in over a month!  The kids think the plates and napkins are cool b/c they can choose what color or pattern they like. 

We enjoyed the last day at our neighborhood pool yesterday, complete with reusable thermoses filled with water, beer, and wine!  It was a perfect day to say good-bye to summer! 

9/13/10

Today is the first day both girls are in school and both took waste-free lunches! I'm still working on getting the pictures uploaded, but hopefully by later today I can figure it out. Anyway, the containers have been great the last two weeks when packing coolers and beach bags. I realized this morning, however, that they were a little bulky when I tried to pack them in the girls' lunchboxes. I got Amber's to work but had to leave her water bottle out. Sami had to give up her Smurfette lunchbox though and go with the re-use lunchbag. Today was only the first day so we'll figure it out. They are excited to have some new containers in their lunch boxes! As for TJ, he took his lunch most days last week using the reusable sandwich boxes. He even said they were "pretty cool." But by Friday I busted him with a plastic baggie! It's all about changing our habits.

Pictures to come in a bit!!