Most of the waste water a household generates is known as “gray water.” Gray water is generated from regular water usage such as hand-washing, rinsing vegetables before cooking, and the like. Your shower or bath water is also considered gray water. In contrast, the waste water generated when you flush the toilet is known as “black water,” and it should not be reused.

Gray water can be recycled for other uses virtually everywhere around the home – except in food preparation. This means you can use it to water the plants (water the soil, and not the leaves), as a first rinse when you’re washing the car, or to flush the toilet. The immediate benefit from recycling water is that you will reduce fresh water usage greatly. This reduces household water consumption substantially, saving you money in the process.

In addition to using less water, recycling gray water helps to prevent water wastage. Water usage in the United States outpaces that of other countries greatly; most Americans use 80-100 gallons daily. By contrast, people in countries such as India, China, and other developing countries often make do with less than the daily minimum of 13 gallons per day per person. Taking steps to implement or increase water recycling creates greater awareness of the need to conserve dwindling resources.

Aside from reducing usage and preventing wastage, recycling water around the house means that less of it will be obtained from sources that cannot be replenished. Using water that is meant to be consumed to irrigate a garden or to fill the toilet reduces the available pool of water that can be used as drinking water. In light of the importance of having a sustainable water supply, Singapore pioneered NEWater, which converts a small amount of  “reclaimed” water into potable water, while the rest is used for industrial purposes.

Likewise, using water more than once ensures that less waste water, whether treated or untreated, is released into the environment, where it may pollute and disrupt the aquatic environment.

1. Recycle old Christmas lights and replace them with LED lights. Many companies that sell LED Christmas lights have a Christmas light recycling program. By mailing your old, worn-out lights to these programs, you’ll often get a discount off of new, energy-efficient LED lights, and your used lights will be recycled properly.

2. Re-purpose wrapping paper. After all presents are opened, save the torn wrapping paper and crumple it up or run it through a paper shredder. The end product is a festive packing material to use on future gifts, especially those that you’ll have to ship.

3. Use packing peanuts for better drainage in planters. Simply add the peanuts to the bottom of a large planter and add soil on top.

4. Up-cycle old, ugly tree ornaments. A little no-VOC paint and glitter can work wonders if you need to update ornaments that have gone out of style.

5. Make a creative mosaic with broken ornaments. Whether plastic or glass, a broken Christmas tree ornament is a regular occurrence. Instead of throwing out the pieces, save them and make a mosaic to hang on the wall or to give as a gift.

6. Give up your used Christmas cards for a good cause. After the season’s over, send all the holiday cards you’ve received to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. The cards are recycled into new custom cards by kids at the ranch and sold. Profits go to the children who make them.

7. Make melts and candles from left over wax. After your holiday candles have burned out, scrape out the left overs from all the candles around your home. Chop up the pieces and melt in an old cooking pot. Carefully pour the melted wax into a candle holder with a new wick or pour scented wax into ice cube trays for melts.

8. Flavor warm drinks with candy. If you find yourself overloaded with treats like candy canes, you can turn these into a flavored sugar by running them through a coffee grinder. Add this new concoction to coffee or hot chocolate for flavoring.

In many Asian cultures, the idea of using books other than for reading is sacrilegious; however, I think it’s worthwhile to find another use for a book that won’t be read. One example of recycling a book into another form is to transform it into a journal or notebook. You would use its cover for the journal, of course, and use scratch paper as its pages.

Aside from the cover and the pages, you would only need a large-eye needle, thick thread, and scissors for this transformation. Stitching the journal together is a straightforward matter, and my favorite “stitch” is the Japanese/stab binding stitch.

Alternatively, the covers of a book can be used as unique postcards. A corner cutter can be used to give the postcards their characteristic rounded corners, and the side on which you write can be designed on computer and printed out on your printer. If you’re so inclined, the pages themselves can be glued onto a thin piece of paper (with the proper dimensions) to create more postcards too.

If a book is still in good shape but won’t be read, you can convert it into a book safe. As the term suggests, you can use a book safe to store small items right in the open. This idea is ideal for thick, hardcover books. You’ll need to hollow out the pages inside the cover before gluing it together to form a box. The last page should be glued to the back cover to ensure that the bottom of the safe stays in place.

If you would rather keep a book in one piece because the thought of tearing out pages to form a journal, postcards, or a safe horrifies you, you could create a bookshelf made of books. As with book safes, this works best with the hardcover variety, although paperback books can also be quite sturdy when screwed together securely.

The Plastic Pollution Coalition, a global alliance of people, businesses, and organizations, is encouraging the world to refuse disposable plastic through campaigns and education. According to the group, disposable plastics are the greatest source of plastic pollution, and they pose toxic harm to humans, animals, and the planet. In order to eliminate this problem, one the coalition’s main aims is to dispel common myths regarding plastic and recycling. 

Many of us dilengently recycle our plastics each week, rinsing plastic packaging out, tossing it into the appropriate bins, and leaving the bins on the curb to be picked up. Although this seems like the right thing to do, the truth still remains: using plastics in any capacity is not sustainable. 

Glass, metal, and wood products can be recycled over and over again, minimizing the need for virgin materials, but plastics, even when recycled, can not be made into the same product. The heating process required for recycling plastic breaks down bonds within the material, and virgin plastic must be added to create any kind of new product. And the plastic items created will still eventually end up in a landfill where they will sit forever. Unlike biodegradable materials like glass and wood, plastic does not decompose. 

And that is plastic recycling at it’s best. Unfortunately, that’s not even happening in the U.S. Plastic is the least recycled material, with only 7% of individuals even attempting to recycle it. And due to the compexity of recycling plastic, it’s rarely a profitable venture, so many recycling facilities even throw it out.

Recognizing that plastic pollution will never be cured by recycling, the Plastic Pollution Coalition is encouraging individuals, groups, and businesses to take a pledge, refusing disposable plastics altogether. This includes any plastic bags, cups, plates, bottles, and all other convenient, but harmful one use plastic items.  

For more information and to join the efforts, visit the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s website.

Among paper-related back-to-school products, Eco-Jet’s Jane Goodall notebooks are a must-have. Although they are pricier than many school notebooks, ranging from $5 to $18 each, these notebooks are trendy, green, and socially conscious. They come in several designs and sizes, all with adorable animals on the covers. No trees are used to make these, as they are made from 100% post-consumer recyled paper.

The eco-friendly stationery manufacturer, located in Canada, teamed up recently with the Jane Goodall Institute to design these nature-inspired notebooks for kids. The Jane Goodall Institute was founded by the anthropologist of the same name, most famous for her work with chimpanzees, beginning in the 1980s. One of the Institute’s main missions is to create a network of people throughout the world who deeply care for the human community, animals, and the earth. They foster this through community-centered programs worldwide. A portion of the profits of each Eco-Jet limited edition Jane Goodall notebook sold will go to the Institute to help fund these much-needed programs.

In addition to helping out the Jane Goodall Institute, for every notebook sold, Eco-Jet donates a free school workbook or pencil to a child in need as part of their “Buy One, Give One” program. The company has already donated over 81,000 notebooks to children all across the world, including in the countries of Poland, Zimbabwe, and Haiti.

Rather than stocking single-use water bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET/PETE) and fretting about the impact it will have on you, the landfills, and the environment, try doing without them altogether. It’s easier to fill up reusable water bottles from the tap rather than running to the store each time you need water.

In the workplace, replacing bottled water stock with a water dispenser is actually more cost-effective and generates less trash. To put things into perspective, more than a billion plastic bottles a year can be kept out of a city landfill if all of the city’s residents turned away from plastic, disposable water bottles.

Contrary to popular belief, there is very little difference between tap and bottled water. Water from the tap is treated and filtered so that it is safe for consumption, and if you read the labels closely, a lot of bottled water is sourced from municipalities, which effectively makes it higher-priced tap water. If the idea of tap water makes you squirm, home water filters are excellent for filtering out possible particulates and odors, providing “spring-fresh” water.

While you might be hesitant about reusing PET bottles due to health concerns, you don’t have to think only of water when it comes to reusing plastic water bottles. Oddly enough, the very items that are so easily disposed of, paper products and tin cans, are actually some of the best base materials for repurposing projects.

A simple example of plastic water bottle reuse would be to cut off the top of a bottle, and use it as a container for non-food items. These include: money, stationery, utensils, paint, and even plants.

Other uses for plastic bottles that I wouldn’t have thought of immediately include candle holders (the candle is held in place by the bottle neck), an emergency funnel, and drip irrigators.

Of course, bottles can always be sent to recycling centers, presumably to manufacture more bottles. On the other hand, recycled plastic bottles may take new forms – fabric, apparel, handbags, and office furniture.

Container gardens are the perfect solution to such situations. The easy task of establishing one gives you the opportunity to reuse drink containers if you don’t want to buy pots right away. Soda bottles or those large milk/juice jugs can be cut in half to hold plants. The same goes for smaller drink packets or yogurt tubs, which can be used as seedling containers. A dedicated container gardener I know swears by her egg carton “nursery.”

Other gardeners make it a point to use discarded wooden crates or flower baskets, which lend a rustic charm to the resulting garden. You can place potted plants in them, or line them for direct planting, and check them periodically for deterioration. You could also repurpose empty paint cans or bleach bottles if you need larger pots, but don’t use containers that once held toxic products if you intend to eat said plants.

Container gardens are also ideal for the would-be gardener who prefers to have a tight grip on his or her environment. Aside from enjoying the freedom of selecting the potting soil you like, such gardens can be easily arranged by moving the containers to where you want them to be. Cultivating potted plants also means that you can expand the garden gradually.

Another thing I like about container gardening is its small footprint; since everything is in a container, you use less water for upkeep, although you might need to water the plants more frequently. In addition, growing plants this way means that you can move plants indoors when necessary, you can move them to where the sunlight is, and you can use them to brighten up the interior – terrariums, anyone?

You can establish a container garden virtually anywhere. If you want one on your desk, make sure you choose a small enough container and combine it with small plants, the appropriate potting soil, lining material, and drainage insert for instant cheer.

Reduce Reducing the amount of paper waste a household generates usually entails a drastic change in shopping habits, but how many things are wrapped in paper these days anyway? Have you thought of the sleeve that comes with your morning cuppa? It’s made of textured paperboard, and is disposed of without a second thought along with the paper cup that holds said coffee.

You might think it too gauche to bring your own coffee mug to the coffee shop, although it does negate the need for a sleeve. Happily, washable coffee sleeves are ubiquitous now, and come in much more interesting colors than plain paper bag brown. Alternatively, you can make your own (or get someone with sewing skills to do it for you) out of thick fabric. Bonus green points are awarded if you source the fabric from another unwanted item.

Reuse It’s easy to reuse paper printed on only one side. We use it to make out grocery lists or to print article drafts. Sometimes, my mother uses newsprint to smother weeds. Admittedly, it can be unsightly, but it works!

The more pressing issue is glossy paper, such as those used for flyers. Recycling centers generally refuse it, and it doesn’t do well in the compost bin. The easy thing to do is to use it for a craft project. Projects to try include weaving baskets and place mats. Those who have a large stash of glossy paper and time to spare could attempt a coiled paper wastebasket.

Recycle In Malaysia, entrepreneurial individuals calling themselves “old newspaper men” make the rounds around residential areas every day. Driving battered pickup trucks or vans, they buy old newspapers, making payouts based on the height of the pile before trucking the paper to recycling centers.

However, if sending unused/unwanted paper refuse for recycling sounds like too much work for you, you can add it to compost. This only works on the premise that you have a compost pile/bin. Newsprint and non-glossy/colored paper contribute carbon to the nitrogen-rich environment created by green plant materials in compost, which prevents the compost from degenerating into a sodden, stinking pile of plain garbage.

That was flippant, but I was at a loss for what to do to comply with this idea. Not to mention it was suddenly Thursday, and I still didn’t know what I could do to be part of those who do their bit. We’ve already replaced all the incandescent light bulbs with the compact fluorescent type, we don’t drink bottled water anymore, lights are switched off when not in use, all plumbing is low-flow, and appliances are energy-conserving. We take shorter showers. We practice locavorism when we can. We go meat-free once a week! We grow our own greens!

We’re particularly proud of that last thing, because it means we don’t spend so much on organic greens anymore. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but they do eat into the monthly budget. In fact, buying fewer greens means that we drive less frequently, which leads to lower carbon emissions.

There are two things I’d like to try though:

Guerilla gardening – what could be more green, and subversive, than to garden on someone else’s land without permission, more so if the land is completely cemented over?

Doing a grocery run, literally – I’ve read about people running to the grocery store and trotting home with the spoils in a backpack. The store we usually shop at is approximately 2 miles away, and it’d be a great way to train for a 10K race.

In any case, I think that doing one thing that leads to a billion other little things doesn’t mean doing something completely brand new; there’s something to be said for keeping calm and carrying on.

Procrastinate on printing. Despite the American employee using an average of 10,000 sheets of paper annually, virtually none of it contains “game-changing” information. Don’t give in to the near-compulsion to print out practically every piece of office communication received.

Reduce the amount of paper used by printing only what is needed, or use both sides of the paper when printing is required. If intra-office communication plays a large role in day-to-day office contact, consider how instant messaging and emailing attachments and information accomplishes the job much more quickly and economically.

Don’t buy new. Everyone knows that printer manufacturers make their money from selling replacement ink and toner cartridges. While the cost is certainly something to grumble about, consider how each new cartridge your office purchases means that another empty one will make its way to the landfill. In fact, there is no law against refilling your own ink or toner cartridges. Refilling kits are certainly cheaper, and come with a lot less packaging than brand-new cartridges do.

Switch off when you leave. One of the enduring mysteries of our time is how the lights in the office remain ablaze long after everyone has gone home. If building management stipulates this, leave only the most visible lights on. Alternatively, use compact florescent light bulbs (but leave as few on as possible).

Similarly, leaving your PC on overnight won’t ensure that you’ll start work more quickly the next day, and the same goes for the coffee-machine. Energy-efficient equipment uses energy, albeit less, as long as it remains switched on. It doesn’t make a difference to your work, but it will definitely contribute to carbon emissions!

Wastage tends to take place in the workplace because we don’t feel a sense of ownership about the place. If more people thought of how these bad habits can affect our quality of life in 20 years, though, I’m sure that we’d see a lot more green habits practiced in the office.