AisleDash

We often have the idea that going green is more expensive than doing it the old way. It sure seems so, with organic foods tending to cost noticeably more than non-organic, and with the whole range of new "green" items on the market. Want to go green? Buy, buy, buy!

Going green, however, does not mean buying a heap of new stuff with "green" or "eco" in the label. If you think about that for a second, it's pretty clear that "buying stuff" and "going green" are mostly opposites. Going green doesn't require trips to the store and a huge outlay of money: it requires creativity.


Look around you. See what your resources are. Look at things in a new way and come up with creative uses for everyday items. Consider the picture above, taken from Epicurious. It would be a stunning set-up for your casual outdoor wedding reception, wouldn't it?

And what is it? Plywood sheets set atop saw-horses for the tables. White folding chairs, which could be rented, with an assortment of red cushions, possibly borrowed from a dozen helpful friends? Assorted glass jars -- jam jars, pickle jars, whatever -- filled with lilacs, easily clipped from a backyard tree, as centerpieces. The napkins are bandannas, and probably new: You can send them home with the guests. Call them favors.

A bright, stylish, beautifully put-together display, very little of it had to be purchased, and none of it is single-use. Green and inexpensive: what's not to like?