Sustainable…in the Suburbs?

One of the primary themes in A Splash of Substance is sustainability. If you’re like me, you’re interested in the idea of sustainable living to some degree. After all, there are limited resources out there and being a steward of the Earth God gave us means using it responsibly. But, again if you’re like me, you might look at your life and wonder how (or if) it’s possible to live sustainably in the suburbs (or the city, or a small town, or… well you get the idea…anywhere that isn’t a farm.)

I’ll admit that my family is still a work in progress, but we’re making some baby steps. And maybe one or two of those baby steps will work for you, too.

1. Look for local produce. This might mean a farmer’s market, it might not. I’ve found that two of the grocery stores have a section (admittedly small) of local produce right there in their larger produce aisle. Sometimes the fruits and veggies there are a little more expensive, but for me it’s worth it to realize that I’m helping out a local farmer (and by local, I mean in-state at this point, vs. being flown from across the US or somewhere international – the food is still traveling.) Plus, it’s ripe right now. No more waiting once I get it home to see when and if it’s going to be ready. (Flip side: be sure you use it quickly! It won’t hang out happily quite as long in your fridge.)
2. Think about reuse before recycling. And recycling before the trash. Taking the time to ask myself, “Can I use this for anything else?” has netted some fun projects for the kids and me. But even if the reuse idea is a resounding “no”, I’m being more vigilant about recycling little things like junk mail that usually headed into the trash (cause it was easier to dump it than to walk to the garage to recycle it.) (Yes, I can be lazy.)
3. Be aware of the electricity you’re using. For me, this has translated to checking to see if lights are on before we head out for the day and opening blinds and curtains before flipping on a light, to see if the sun is enough (often it is, sometimes it isn’t – and we don’t live in a dark hole just to save energy. If you need a light, turn one on! Just turn it off when you’re finished.)

Those are a few of the baby steps we’re making. Nothing earth shattering. And not even really anything that translates into inconvenient, which was always my biggest objection to the idea. What kinds of things do you do to live gently – or what little steps could you take to make a start?