Out-Greeneing the Greene: Tossing the TP (or... "Waste Not, Want Not")

Even though I know better, I had somehow come to perceive myself as living on the extreme side of Greene. I bring my lunch in Pyrex, reuse (and re-reuse) every plastic or paper bag I come across, and recycle like there's a contest and the prize is James Franco. I clean (*when* I clean, haha) with baking soda and vinegar, and have gotten tsk-tsked many times for attempting to send used paper through the copier at work. I love dirt, I buy local meats, and I feel appropriately guilty on the rare occasion that I forget my cloth grocery bags. I have even been known to tuck lightly-used paper restaurant napkins into my handbag for later. I know, right? I'm craazy. I could go on and on about my quirks, but you get the point: a garden-variety eco-responsible human -- slightly obsessed, but that's part of my charm.

That said, the sustainability spectrum is wide, and I recently found out just how wide. SortaCrunchy.net took me to school... à la toilette... when I stumbled upon this post about nixing toilet paper in favor of reusable cloth wipes. Fun for the whole family!

Image: http://www.thecrunchychicken.com

I commend this kind of hardcore footprint-reduction. I love SortaCrunchy's courage in putting it out there. And, props for her unflinching answers to the FAQ, which were very informative. Turns out, there is one more wonderful use for vinegar: scent-reduction in your "wet bag!"

I'm not gonna say "never," although this is definitely something (like getting a ferret, or being a Kardashian) that should be full approved ahead of time by one's housemates and mine, so far, have shown no interest in such a revolution. Also, in my case, there are so many other ways I can beef up my Greene that I don't even have to consider the question at the moment. (Phew!)

That said, if you are curious, but need a little nudge, just think, with all the tree pulp you save, you could be a beautiful bride...

Toilet Paper Wedding Dress!

Photos: http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com

... just let the lucky guy know ahead of time exactly what you mean when you say, "waste not!"