Double the use.

I love to use things over and over again. I am a minimalist. I don't like having things sit around that don't get used. I feel better about myself and the mark I'm leaving on the planet is I can reuse things at least once before throwing it away. I am proud to say that I haven't bought paper towels in months. I try to use cloth diapers when home and am branching out recently and taking them with me instead of store bought. I never buy any new cloths unless needed. I have no fashion sense but when you spend most of your time at home with the kids you learn that they aren't worried about labels, and you realize that they love you no matter what your wearing or how bad your hair looks. I breastfeed, which saves cost on bottles, and formula, and the making and delivering process. I save cereal bags. I use them for wax paper, to put coatings in and shake my chicken in, to put chicken in and store in the fridge, to wrap meats in before freezing. I know it sounds crazy but it makes me feel better when I throw it away. My husband thinks I'm crazy because I will wash a Ziploc bag and let it dry and then reuse it. He said (if it bothers you that bad then quit using them) so I am on the look out for sandwich holders and other small things for lunches. I am not a bag lady, I just hate to think about all this plastic sitting in a landfill somewhere never breaking down. I reuse old cloths for cleaning and to take the place of paper towels. I save jars that pickles, tomato sauce, etc come in and have used them for canning, catching bugs, storing nuts and bolts. All I am asking is that you look at something and ask yourself if you can give it one more use before it hits the trashcan?