Big Changes, Little Steps

Some big changes have happened in our household over the last few weeks. Big changes that become the little steps our family is taking to reduce the impact we are having on the Earth. While they are undoubtedly the smallest of steps a family could take, they are exciting to us, because they are evidence of a shift in our thinking, and a commitment to the journey.

So, here they are:

• Making the switch to cloth nappies. Our oldest child, Miya, is toilet training and only wears nappies at night. Our youngest child, Eden, is two next month and only has about a year of full time nappy-wearing to go. We wondered if it was worth us switching to cloth at this late stage, but our hesitation was only financial, and Modern Cloth Nappies seem to only 'devalue' a few dollars when they are secondhand, so we have decided to go for it. We are buying mostly secondhand, and a few new ones from a local supplier (WAHM), and Eden loves picking which pretty nappy she will be wearing.
• Reducing our additive intake: This has involved learning to make a lot of the things we buy, at home. We now buy local, and where possible, organic fruit and veg, and have learned to make our own yoghurt, bread, tortillas, bacon, dried fruit, snacks, pasta sauces, pasta, self raising flour... next on the list are cheeses, beer and rum!!
• Collecting water from the sink, shower and laundry basin to use on the garden: we clearly have a long way to go in reducing our water usage. We fill a large watering can twice a day with 'wasted' water, which goes to show how much we use! I have invested in an 'Every Drop Shower Saver' which will significantly reduce our water wastage in the shower, but we need to work on the rest of the house!
• Reducing our landfill garbage: by buying bulk items, choosing products carefully based on the amount and type of packaging they use, purchasing sandwich wraps so we don't need to buy gladwrap, using cloth wipes on the girls' bums, making things at home, learning to sew (this is a work in progress!)

There are other little things we have done along the way also, but I guess these are the main ones. Every step we take, it does feel like our 'destination' is further away, but I keep telling myself that if I live each day more responsibly than the last, I'm heading in the right direction.