We recently started asking readers to share home and garden tips with us. Here's a good one on reducing plastic bag consumption:
Reducing is nearly always preferable to re-using or recycling, so while
it's a great habit to use cloth bags or to re-use paper bags at the
grocery store and to remember to take previously used plastic bags for
veggies and fruits, bananas really don't need to be put in a plastic bag
of their own at all. Nature has already wrapped them and joined them
together in a tidy bunch; they're not sticky or likely to leak, so why
use another plastic bag? Most families could reduce plastic bag
consumption by more than 50 bags a year just by putting bananas into their
re-usable grocery sacks naked! Of course, reducing plastic bag
consumption can be carried a lot further with a little thought and no
inconvenience. For example, one doesn't need a plastic bag for a couple
of onions, or a garlic bulb, or a butternut squash, or an already
plastic-wrapped cauliflower, either.
-- Elaine Brown
Others included one last week on
and, the week before, ones
in the the past in the way of frugal tips.
We'd love to get your favorite home or garden ideas.
If
you have a great tip, send it to us and we'll pass it along with
readers in future Friday posts! Send us your thoughts and photos either
by email to gardens@oregonian.com
with Reader Tip in the subject line, or mail to 1320 S.W. Broadway,
Portland, OR 97201. Please include your name and town, along with
contact information; phone number or email address. Contact information
will not be published. And, as we have to say anytime we ask you for
items: All material sent to us becomes the property of The Oregonian and
won't be returned; it may be edited and may be published or otherwise
used in any medium.
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