It Ain't Easy Being Green

Here are some tips to be a greener scrapbooker. And I don't mean the colour! Scrapbooking can be a pretty wasteful hobby, but there are steps we can all take to be more earth-friendly!

REDUCE
Buy less stuff. Or just be smarter about what you buy. Purchase supplies with less packaging, or packaging that is easier to recycle or reuse.

REUSE

• Use more of what you already have, Get the most out of your paper scraps by using them on cards, or challenge yourself to do a "use your scraps" layout or two.
• Find supplies where you wouldn't normally look. Use wrapping paper as your background. Save unique packaging and use as pattern paper. Any "found item" will do.
• Reuse your packaging. Make an album out of your Heidi Swapp silhouette packaging...like I did!
• Buy more "reusable" supplies like stamps. They come in so many awesome styles and fonts no. Whatever your heart desires!
• Make your scrapbook space greener too. If you need more storage look for options around the house instead of buying something new. If you are going to buy storage, try to find things made of natural materials, not plastic. Baskets, cardboard or wooden boxes, glasses or jars are all good things to try out.

RECYCLE

• I have 2 "garbage" cans in my scrapbooking space. One is for garbage and the other is for recyclables. A lot of the packages our supplies come in are recyclable. Check you city's list of things they can and cannot accept. Cardboard recycling is pretty universal. That means the box your adhesive came in, the back of the felt flowers you bought, etc. etc. Plastic is the harder one. Edmonton has a pretty awesome recycling (& sorting) system, so I put most of my plastic in the recycle bin.
• Donate supplies you aren't using to charity or a local school. Or just to your kids or scrapbooking friends instead of throwing it all in the trash. Or if you;'re really ambitious, plan a garage sale and make some money back so you can go stock up again!

And last of all, if you are so inclined, and techno-savvy, try your hand at digital scrapbooking. If you don't print your pages, it's paperless!

If you have any other green scrapbooking tips, post them in the comments.