Natural Living Des Moines

1. Save your waste printer paper and use the other side! (I save all of my waste paper – whether it’s an extra page I didn’t need, or a paper whose contents are no longer needed – and then print “for my eyes only” type documents on the empty sides.) It’s easy and saves you money too!

2. Take your own reusable cloth bags when you go to the grocery store. This cuts down on plastic waste.

3. Buy local, buy organic. Opinions vary as to whether it’s best to buy local or best to buy organic. Obviously, if you can buy local, organic foods, that’s clearly best, but if you have to choose between the two, follow your conscience or do your own research and decide what’s best for your own family. Our family prefers local over organic if we have to choose.

4. Support local businesses, especially those that sell products which are manufactured locally or made from local materials. Buying locally-produced items means you cut down on the amount of energy that is required to get products to you. Our family makes many of our own personal-care items, but when we buy, we buy locally-produced products from Prairieland Herbs located near Woodward.

5. Use reusable cloth diapers on your children, and reusable cloth pads (or menstural cups) on yourself (if you’re a woman). For more information on these options, please visit these pages.

6. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins, handkerchiefs instead of tissues, rags or towels instead of paper towels.