I’M A GREEN-LIVING GIRL STRIVING FOR A BETTER FUTURE
GREEN LIVING | RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL | NON-TOXIC BEAUTY | HEALTHY EATING | FITNESS
What is this blog all about
Do you ever sit and wonder what’s going to happen if we don’t start to look after our planet? I do, all the time and it frightens me.
I’m Katie and my blog is about green living, responsible travel, healthy eating, non-toxic beauty and anything that relates to leading a better quality of life in general.
My goal is to educate and help my readers to get them on the path to leading a better, more sustainable and fulfilling way of life.
Our planet is in desperate need of resuscitation and if my blog can inspire just one person to improve their carbon footprint, it’s a job well done.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
Travelling is a gift and it’s one that I try to grab with both hands when I can. Exploring faraway lands and seeing how different life is for those of us that aren’t so fortunate gives me purpose.
I’m a big advocate of responsible travel and love the fact that small changes when travelling can make a BIG difference.
It’s all down to making a conscious decision to plan better and educate oneself on why it’s now more important than ever before to give our planet the respect and care it deserves.
Responsible Travel
Green Living
Healthy Eating & Fitness
MY BLOG
Restore & Renew Clothing Vs Buying New!
Restoring and renewing clothing, particularly items made from materials like leather, can help extend their lifespan and maintain their appearance. The first step in restoring any piece is thorough cleaning. For leather garments, use a soft cloth or sponge and a gentle leather cleaner or a mixture of mild soap and water to remove dirt […]
Natural Methods for Mosquito Control
Mosquitos are a problem for most people in virtually every area of the world. Some have a few mosquitoes and other areas may have them ten months out of each year. It has a lot to do with how much moisture is in the area where you live and how cold the winters get. Another […]
Composting Toilet Vs Self Contained Toilet
With the constant interest in thriving through a “greener existence” we see a lot more of the tiny homes and people who enjoy RVing today. This is because people are trying to cut down on their overall carbon footprint and living life in a more simplified way. They opt to leave plots of land for […]
Restore & Renew Clothing Vs Buying New!
Restoring and renewing clothing, particularly items made from materials like leather, can help extend their lifespan and maintain their appearance. The first step in restoring any piece is thorough cleaning. For leather garments, use a soft cloth or sponge and a gentle leather cleaner or a mixture of mild soap and water to remove dirt and grime. Always test the cleaner on an inconspicuous area before applying it to the entire piece. After cleaning, allow the leather to air dry naturally—avoid using direct heat sources like hair dryers, as they can cause the material to dry out or crack.
Once cleaned, moisturizing and conditioning the leather is essential. Leather tends to lose its natural oils over time, leading to stiffness and cracks. Apply a leather conditioner or cream designed to replenish moisture, working it into the material with a soft cloth in circular motions. This helps to restore the suppleness and luster of the leather. For clothing made from fabric, consider using a fabric softener or specific conditioner designed for the material.
For deeper repairs, such as scratches, scuffs, or stains, a leather repair kit can be useful. These kits often come with filler compounds such as resolene fiebings and color matching dyes that allow you to restore minor damage. For fabric clothing, small holes or rips can be mended using fabric glue or a sewing kit, depending on the size and location of the damage.
Additionally, regularly maintaining your clothing through proper storage is key to prolonging its life. For leather, store garments in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent fading and deterioration. Use padded hangers for jackets and coats to preserve their shape, and for fabric clothing, ensure it is washed according to care instructions to avoid wear and tear.
By following these simple steps—cleaning, conditioning, repairing, and proper storage—you can significantly extend the life of your clothing and keep it looking fresh and revitalized.
If You Can’t Restore, Consider Donating
Donating clothes can save a significant amount of landfill space compared to throwing them away. According to various studies, including data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 85% of textiles in the U.S. end up in landfills or incinerators each year. In 2018, the EPA estimated that around 17 million tons of textile waste were generated in the United States alone, and most of this waste could have been recycled, reused, or repurposed.
When you donate clothes instead of tossing them, you help divert those items from landfills, where they would otherwise take up valuable space and contribute to environmental degradation. While the exact amount of landfill space saved can vary depending on the material and the volume of clothing, the broader impact is significant. For example:
- Clothing is bulky: Textiles, especially items like coats, sweaters, and jeans, are large and take up a considerable amount of space in landfills. Donating just one large bag of clothes can prevent multiple cubic feet of waste from filling up landfill space.
- Textiles can take years to break down: Some fabrics, like synthetics and blends, can take hundreds of years to decompose fully in a landfill. While natural fibers like cotton, wool, or silk decompose more quickly, even they contribute to landfill mass.
- Reuse reduces demand for new resources: Donating clothes extends their lifecycle, which reduces the need for new garments to be produced. This indirectly helps reduce the demand for raw materials, such as cotton, oil (for synthetics), and water, which are needed to manufacture new clothing. The production process for new clothes is resource-intensive and contributes to environmental issues like water pollution and carbon emissions.
Environmental Benefits of Donating Clothes
- Landfill space: Each ton of textiles that is diverted from landfills is equivalent to saving about 3.6 cubic yards of landfill space.
- Energy and resource savings: Donating clothes also helps reduce the energy and resources required to make new items, lowering overall environmental impact.
Practical Impact
If every American were to donate one additional garment per year instead of throwing it away, it would result in millions of tons of clothing being kept out of landfills. In 2020, it was estimated that 92 million tons of textiles were thrown away globally. If just a fraction of these items were donated instead, it could result in a substantial reduction in landfill waste.
In summary, donating clothes not only saves significant landfill space but also contributes to a circular economy by reusing materials, conserving resources, and reducing the overall environmental impact of textile waste.
Natural Methods for Mosquito Control
Mosquitos are a problem for most people in virtually every area of the world. Some have a few mosquitoes and other areas may have them ten months out of each year. It has a lot to do with how much moisture is in the area where you live and how cold the winters get. Another problem stems from the fact that not everyone wants to use chemicals to combat mosquitoes and their itchy, painful bites. In this case, we recommend you consider more natural methods for mosquito control.
What Mosquitoes Love to Live In
Areas that are damp are an instant mosquito magnet. They thrive in damp, dark places. Swampy areas are prime real estate for them to make their home in. The same is true for river beds, creeks, and lakes. These nasty little insects can even make a home in an old tire that you have lying around, your dog’s water, and your compost pile or bin. If there is any source of water available, they will make their home near it. Can you eliminate all the potential moist areas around your home? Or would you prefer to seek out ways to gain control of them and keep the water?
Natural Pest Control
If you are not worried about a little chemical being used, you can use very small amounts to help. We used a backpack mosquito fogger to pre-treat our lawn. Afterward, we looked into natural ways to get rid of mosquitoes. We built a garden that was filled with all the plants that are known to naturally send mosquitoes away. These plants include lavender, marigolds, catnip, citronella grass, and scented geraniums. We also planted rosemary and basil herbs. You can also use a natural spray around your home and your body when you go out during peak mosquito hours. A lot of scented oil options can be used to safely apply mosquito repellent to your clothing. You can find recipes or buy a spray that is all-natural and pre-made.
Another natural option for gaining control of your mosquito problems may be to use a trap. However, these devices may not effectively eliminate mosquitoes quickly. This could be a problem if you are trying to plan a backyard event that is coming soon. Bug zappers are also useful according to many home owners.
Things to Consider
Mosquitoes serve very little purpose except to bite us. At times, their larvae and the adults may be used as food for some animals, but overall, if we lived in a world without them, we would all simply be happier. However, because they are a natural part of the world we live in, extermination of them will not come easily. If you live in an area where you are the only one who works to eliminate them, you will still have some that find their way to your home. This means, in a neighborhood where everyone has a compost pile and only one person trying to control the mosquitoes; that person will always be trying to get rid of them. In similar neighborhood where everyone works together to regain control of these pests, everyone will begin to notice fewer of them.