Simple Suggestion #190... Turn over a new leaf (and/or some old ones)

The words "New Year's Resolution" haven't quite faded from people's conversations or the media this year, not yet. So here are a couple of ideas along that line.

#1. In 2014, why not learn more about composting, recycling, and generally keeping waste to a minimum? The City of Edmonton is now taking applications for its Master Composter/Recycler Program, an excellent course that teaches citizens composting basics and almost everything you'd ever want to know about reducing, reusing, recycling, recovering, and refusing to mess up our planet any further. It also offers all sorts of ideas/contacts/connections/volunteer opportunities to be explored for years to come. I took the course in 2007, and it dovetailed so well with my efforts toward Voluntary Simplicity that I'm always recommending it in my Simplicity Study Circles. Deadline for applications is February 20th. Click here for the application and more information.

#2. In 2014, why not Simplify? There are so many aspects of our lives that are over-complicated by the consumption-based society in which we live -- food, clothing, employment, entertainment, cooking and housekeeping, self care, transportation, banking -- you name it, the marketers have stolen many simple ways of living in the name of profit. Half the battle is awareness, and that's why I'm inviting anyone interested to join me and a group of other simplicity seekers at 7 p.m. on Monday evening, January 13th, at Abby Road Coop (10950 82 Avenue) for conversation about ways to

If you don't live near enough to enjoy the latest incarnation of Simplicity Study Circles, there are all sorts of Simple Suggestions in these moodlings, and hopefully all sorts of books in the library nearest you about composting, recycling, and living more simply.

So there are two great ways to turn over a new leaf and show concern for our environment by our actions, and, perhaps, to turn over many old ones in a compost pile!

P.S. For more Simple Suggestions, click here.

Simple Suggestion # 158... Remember your seven Rs

A poster appeared on the Master Composter/Recycler page this morning, courtesy of Gerda, and her sharing has spurred this moodling... I was intrigued -- some of it I could guess the meaning, but other bits I wasn't sure (Recusar??) So I decided to see if I could figure it out, simply because I'm always interested in peoples' takes on reducing, reusing, and recycling. I hadn't seen a poster about seven Rs before.

After an hour of working on it, I'm guessing that because it's written in Portuguese, it might originate in Brazil, where there seems to be a lot of awareness about environmental issues and the need to live sustainably. Here's how it looks once translated to the best of my ability:

It's an excellent list, all in all. The only one that deserves a bit more consideration is #4 -- reuse. If we're living as sustainably as possible, of course it's important to reuse everything we can, but I would also caution against reusing things to make more "stuff" that isn't useful, unless you're in kindergarten. There are plenty of crafty websites out there that encourage the reuse of all sorts of items to make planters and wall hangings (and cute little knick knacks out of toilet paper rolls...) but we also need to remember that we probably shouldn't make more than we can use, or our psyches will be cluttered with too much stuff. Voluntary Simplicity is about living with just enough.

Other than that, it's definitely a list worth remembering...

For more Simple Suggestions, try here.