I believe that the key to eco friendly living lies in the details.  I don’t think it’s in the big overt gestures but rather it’s in the little things we do when no one is looking.  Before you toss or recycle something, ask yourself if it can be reused in some way.  If it’s in good condition, join your local Freecycle and offer it up to other members.  Or look for eco friendly ideas to find another use for it.

For example, should you have an old shower curtain that needs replacing.  There’s no need to chuck the old one out – use one of these eco friendly ideas to reuse it!  Not only will you be saving it from being landfilled but you will also save money on the things that you won’t have to buy!  Here are a few suggestions for use in the garden and for your kids:

In the Garden

• use as a barbecue cover; simply tie in place with rope or strong twine
• cover the outdoor woodpile with an old shower curtain
• spread on your plant potting table for easy cleanup
• cover tender plants with a shower curtain on frosty nights
• use as a weed barrier around trees, shrubs and flower beds
• kill weeds by covering with an opaque shower curtain weighted down until weeds die off
• a shower curtain can double as a tablecloth for the picnic table
• use a vinyl shower curtain as a pond or fountain liner
• fold into a rectangle and use as a damp-proof kneeling pad when planting or weeding
• spread out as a dry place to sit down when the grass is damp
• use as a tarp when raking leaves in the fall

For the Kids

• cut up an old shower curtain to make durable school book covers
• spread over the work table before the kids do art work
• let the kids have an old shower curtain to make a pup tent indoors or in the backyard
• overlap the ends of two shower curtains, lay them on the grass and soak with the hose as a slip-and-slide toy
• use tiny pieces of clear vinyl shower curtain to make see-through windows in a doll house
• cut a rectangle out of a shoebox top, line with clear shower curtain vinyl, and use as a window for a shadow box scene

These are just a few eco friendly ideas for you to use or reuse in your life.   There are plenty more just waiting to be found.  You just have to look for them.  Think before you trash.

Many of the ideas included here were contributed by members of the WasteNothing Yahoo Group, a great online community devoted to tips for reusing and recycling almost everything