Your Green Home: Dining Room

Your Green Home: Dining Room

This is my second installment to Your Green Home series.  If you missed the first, you can find it .  Today we are moving into the dining room to look at small changes you can make to create a more eco-friendly environment.

Cloth napkins: One of our first green changes we made at the Shepard house was to use cloth napkins.  I had a handful I had accumulated over the years that were collecting dust in a drawer.  We also had a stack of bandanas left over from my son’s cowboy themed birthday party.  So I decided to put them all to use on our table.  I brought up a basket from the basement, folded my napkins and bandanas and put them all on the table for everyone to use and haven’t looked back.  They absorb a lot more than paper and don’t fall apart when wet, very important with kids.  The red and blue bandanas are my favorite because they hide ketchup and marinara stains much better than the light purple paisley ones. When they are dirty we just throw them in the laundry to be washed with everything else. 

Reusable dinnerware:  I have never been one to use disposable dinnerware on a daily basis but I know some people who do.  By picking a reusable plate, be it plastic or fine china, it is washable and therefore keeps one more thing out of the landfill.  If you do use disposable and washing dishes doesn’t appeal to you, try one of the eco-friendly lines.  They are starting to make biodegradable tableware that can go straight from your table to your compost pile.  Or, if you are like me, to the garbage can, but at least you know it will break down quickly in the landfill. 

Soy/Beeswax Candles:  Most mass-market candles are made with petroleum-based paraffin which emits toxins into the air when burned.  In order to keep your air quality a little more pure, opt for a soy or beeswax candle.  Or try one of the electric candles that doesn’t use a real flame.  Yes, I know, that isn’t the same as burning a real candle but when you have kids crawling on the dining room table and swinging from the chandelier, you will be glad they aren’t real. 

Light Bulbs:  Incandescent light bulbs are becoming a thing of the past.  Countries all over the world have phased them out in favor of the newer more energy efficient options. So, the next time you find yourself on the light bulb isle of the local hardware store, check out the LED, halogen, and florescent options.  And remember, less energy means less money you are paying the utility company!    

Furniture: For those of you who know me, you know I love a good bargain.  Furniture is no different.  I love to repurpose or to find something old I can make new again.  So, without meaning to, our furniture choices tend to be on the green side.  Here are some of my strategies.  Find a hand-me down and make it your own.  Recover the seat; paint the top, whatever it takes.  Mix and match and call it eclectic.  Slowly decorate over time.  Keep a running list of pieces you want for your house and browse antique stores, garage sales, or thrift stores with those things in mind.  If you don’t see it, keep looking.  If you do buy new, look for furniture built with sustainable woods or woods that are harvested in coordination with replenishment efforts and other natural factors.