Green Goals for 2010, #1

It's been a hectic holiday season for me as I prepare to go back to school for the last six months of my undergrad career. However, I wanna kick off 2010 with three personal goals that will improve my life and hopefully reduce my footprint. I'll let you in on the others over the next few days, but here is the first:

# 1. Reduce my personal hygiene plastic consumption

I know a plastic loofah doesn't seem like a big deal, but the combination of the scrubby plastic and the plastic bottle of body wash (that I go through with astounding speed) makes me feel guilty every time I hop into the shower. I kicked off today by using a wash cloth and a brand new bar of yummy smelling soap (the same brand and scent as my body wash!). I got four 4 oz bars of soap for the same price as 12 oz of body wash. Score!

The other big part of my plastic pact is for ladies only (guys, go ahead and skip down, it may be too much for you to handle...)



Whatever your preference, be it cardboard or plastic, pads or tampons, let's face it, ladies: We create a heck of a lot of waste one week out of every month. Not only do I hate the idea of feminine products in general, but I am always forgetting to bring extras, or even worse facing the risk of TSS leaving that tampon in way past its due date. They're expensive, they're annoying, and they generally make me grumpy.

Thankfully the darlings over at Park and Vine clued me in to my lifesaver of 2009: the Diva Cup .

thanks A Green Spell for the fantastic picture!

Without going into too much detail, the Diva Cup eliminates the need for disposable pads or tampons. It's a silicone cup that catches all the girly grossness. You can leave it in for 12 hours, and it's reusable - just boil it in some water for 10 minutes after your cycle is done and voila! Ready for next month. I've been using the Diva Cup since July and it's been the best $30 I've spent all year, hands down.

If you're interested and want to learn more, check out their website, this blog post, or just shoot me a line and I'll talk your ear off about the awesomeness that is the Diva Cup.


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Just about everything having to do with girls and the ways we pretty ourselves up has to do with plastic, and it's a bummer. I'm still too poor/in college to really splurge on things like cosmetics in tins and really nice non-disposable razors, but I figure baby steps are always better than standing still.