Sustaining our lives with Sustainability

By: Bill Fischer

When this project began, I thought that it would be difficult and produce little or no visible results. I was wrong. Immediately, I noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of trash generated by my household. Within a month, my water bill dropped by a couple bucks. By saving electricity, my power bill also has dropped. I am amazed that, by changing my habits a little, I saved money, water, and energy. I also saved a little time.

I did three things to reduce the amount of waste my household was generating. I began buying my food in bulk, which generated less packaging material. I began recycling aluminum cans, soda bottles, plastic, and other recyclable materials. Also, I reduced the amount of electricity I was using. Finally, I donated the items I was no longer using to the Salvation Army rather than just throwing them away.

I got a membership with Sam's Club where I could buy most of my groceries in bulk. Buying my food here decreases the amount of money I spend on gas because I only have to go to Sam's once every other week instead of going to Bi-Lo ever other day. Another benefit of buying in bulk is that many of the products have recyclable containers. This reduced the amount of trash in half.

Also, I changed my watering regiment. I did this by getting a five-gallon bucket and drilling a small hole in the bottom of it. I fill the bucket with water and set it near the base of my newly planted trees. This allows the water to penetrate the soil surface and feed the tree. The bucket technique is much more efficient than a sprinkler system.

Another thing I did was to start a recycling regimen. I recycle everything that can possibly be recycled. Central won't recycle some material, so I bring these to Clemson University and have them recycled there.

I saved money on my power bill by conserving electricity. Now I turn off the lights and television or radio when I'm not using them. I don't wash my clothes or run my dishwasher until I have a full load, which also conserves water. And during the day, I open the windows instead of turning on a lamp. This lets a lot of natural light in and makes my lightbulbs last a little longer, too.

Finally, I began donating clothing, furniture, and other items to the Salvation Army. Before this project began, I usually just tossed these a little less wasteful.