Austin, TX is one of the first cities in the country trying to eliminate those annoying plastic grocery bags. My local store was giving out cloth bags last week to encourage shoppers. My toddler and I walked over the next day toting our new cloth bag to buy ingredients for supper. He was happy carrying the new bag, and I was happy knowing we were doing something to live a greener lifestyle.

When my husband and I lived in Rome, we used a two-wheeled cart for shopping. When I did end up with plastic bags, we used them in our tiny trashcans and had no need to buy garbage bags for two years!

My next new green idea is to try to buy more locally produced food. What changes are you making to live a greener lifestyle? Where do you live?

I opted for a solar hot water heating system. I thought about having solar energy electricity as well but it is quite expensive.

Paolo

Our local 'comune' in Sardinia, as most of them do now, make us recycle our waste. It's a pain in the arse having 6 separate dustbins for biodegradable waste, plastic, glass, metal, paper, and all other waste, but the European Union gives subsidies to the regions who recycle. I just hope they really do deal with the waste appropriately.
Apart from that I have a compost heap.

16 electric power windmills have been put up about 5 miles away from where I live so it looks as though ENEL (The Italian Electrical supplier) is looking to alternative power sources.

Our local 'comune' in Sardinia, as most of them do now, make us recycle our waste. It's a pain in the arse having 6 separate dustbins for biodegradable waste, plastic, glass, metal, paper, and all other waste, but the European Union gives subsidies to the regions who recycle. I just hope they really do deal with the waste appropriately.
Apart from that I have a compost heap.



I do think it is such a wonderful thing, Sardoman, even if it is indeed a pain. Like you I hope they take this excellent step all the way to the disposal.

I wish we had something like this in Singapore, but everything simply goes down the chute of my apartment. Recycling only happens from the dustbins in a few public spaces. I try to use glass bottles instead of plastic, and not use too many plastic packets, but beyond that my hands are tied. I try and get mostly fresh, organic stuff at home, and have tried to banish cans and packets from my life as much as possible. Since I live in an apartment, there is no space for a compost heap.

Me and my husband have been thinking of becoming carbon neutral, where you pay an x amount for redressing the imbalance your existence on this planet creates. But so far, none of us are convinced it is the most ethical way.

My Husband & I are pretty big on recycling but we have to take our plastic, aluminum, paper, glass and cans to a recycler in the next town. We don't have "curbside" recylcing because we live in the "country".

We are concerned about recycling during our upcoming trip to Italy. Recycling has become such a habit for us that we really do want to take this habit along with us on our trip to Florence in June 2008. Is this possible? I hope so.

One thing that I really look forward to doing in Italy is not driving a car. The US culture is so dependent on getting around in a car. It requires something close to major surgery to get unhooked from our vehicles and the gasoline they consume (and the pollution that they spit out into the air). My particular area where I live is very poor in public transportation and to live in an area that you can afford requires that you live away from the center of things and "drive" 20-30-45 minutes to an hour to get to where you need to work, go to school, or shop.

So that is my rant about cars. I would love to live in the city and walk, bicycle, or ride the bus everywhere, but I just can't afford it. It's what we call being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or up s**t creek without a paddle.

hi dmac,

I don't know what the situation is like with recycling in Florence. Here in Sardinia my local authority collects from remote country houses once a week. Each house has a set of recycling containers which you leave outside your house.

My experience of Italians using their cars is like yours. They drive or ride a scooter/motorcycle everywhere. My wife tells me that she used to drive to university which took 5 minutes and then spend the best part of 20 minutes finding somewhere to park. To walk there would have taken her about 10-15 minutes!!!
One major difference with gasoline between the US and Italy is the price. Here it costs 1.38 euros a litre!

in most city i north of italy we have a splendid service of recycle, the van for take off the we have to separate, plastic - alluminium - polistirol - paper - humid - glass - and big rubbish (furniture - home appliance) every day the van pass for take something, and in every block there are bigs Bins where you can throw away, glass, can, paper humid etc.

I know we are lucky isn't the same in all of italy
in some place no recycling

ciao

Fulvio
il papà del forum della pedana vibrante dunlop (http://www.lepedanevibranti.it/)

Hi Fulvio,

What is humid?

Martha

I used a two-wheeled cart for hauling groceries to take recycling to a collection bin in a piazza between my apartment and the supermercato. Each week I'd drop off a load and then go shopping. I love that the grocery stores charged for plastic bags - they only cost about a nickle, but it encouraged us to forego the bags whenever possible. I bet a lot more people in the U.S. would bring their own bags if they got charged for the plastic ones.

Hi Fulvio,

What is humid?

Martha


all is organic, is called UMIDO
food, skin of food etc...
Organic ..


ciao