We are responsible for taking care of the earth, and I think that we should all do our part, no matter how small.
Think before you buy anything - do you really need this item?
Recycle - if you don't already, then start now.
Magazines can be taken to Doctor's offices or Nursing Homes. Check with schools as they are often happy to receive them too. If they are intact and current, you can donate them to the friends of the library bookstore and they will sell them and use the funds to buy more books for the library. Now that's a good thing! Do the same with books that you are finished reading.
Cut down on all those catalogues that make their way into your home by contacting the company and asking to be taken off their list. Most catalogues can be accessed online, so take advantage of this.
Cut down on the junk mail by once again having your name removed from their mailing lists or go to 4lbs.org to get "black-listed". For any junk mail that does come your way, put it straight into the recycling box. Don't even bring it into the house.
The average American generates 4.5 pounds of trash every day. A startling figure I know.
Pay what bills you can online to reduce the amount of paper coming into your home.
Purchase some reusable grocery bags. Keep them in your car so that you have them handy whenever you need to buy some grocery items. (Once again - the Sierra Club tells us that in the US we throw away 100 billion plastic bags each year - the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil! Shocking, isn't it?) I also keep a string bag in my car to use in other stores so I don't have to use plastic ones.
Say NO to Styrofoam - Take your own cup or mug to work or if you are having a cuppa at Starbucks, ask like I do to have your beverage in a real china cup. They do have them, and it is much nicer having a cappuccino in a real cup.
Reduce the plastic in your life - do you really need to buy bottled water? Yes, it is convenient to be able to just grab a bottle when you are heading for the gym, but it really does not take that long to fill up your Nalgene bottle with water. Did you know that Americans use 25 million plastic bottles every hour, and most are NOT recycled ?
I know those plastic reusable containers are very convenient too for storing leftovers in, but consider ceramic containers that have their own lids. I have some corning wear brand ones that I have been using and reusing for years.
Cut down on the amount of garbage you generate. Buy reusable products, like rechargeable batteries.
Buy one multi-purpose cleaning solution that will clean glass, countertops, and disinfect. There are many eco-friendly brands out there now that have fewer chemicals, meaning fewer pollutants getting in to our air, land, and water. Buy refills and top up existing cleaning bottles. Better yet, make your own cleaning solution with vinegar.
Buy recycled products like toilet paper, paper towels and napkins. Actually when it comes to paper towels, I don't even use them. I have multipurpose cloths that I simply wash over and over again. As for napkins - I only use cloth napkins. There is something about using a cloth napkin that makes a meal at least seem that much fancier!
Help conserve water. This is as simple as not keeping the water running while brushing your teeth. By replacing a full flow shower head with a low flow one a family of four can save 20,000 gallons of water a year. Now that's something, isn't it? I grew up in Australia - a land where most of my life I learned to live with mandatory water restrictions due to drought conditions.
Save energy - Turn off lights in rooms when you don't need them. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. (According to the Sierra Club -if every US household did this, we would cut our electricity use for lighting in half)
Carpool to work, or if you live close enough - ride a bike or even walk .The exercise will be great for you too.
Recycle old mobile phones and computers. Go to earth911.org and enter your zip code to find out what and where to recycle.
By washing clothes in warm water, using the most efficient washing machine and letting clothes air dry, you can reduce the CO2 created by your laundry up to 90% and save money too!
When I was growing up in Australia we never had a clothes dryer. We had a clothesline outside and hung everything out to dry. This is still a common practice in Australia. One of my dearest Aussie friends and her family have just shifted back to Australia to live and she gave me her clothesline, so I am looking forward to hanging our clothes out to dry. If you have never smelled clothes that have dried on a clothesline, let me tell you they smell wonderful!
When buying new appliances - look for energy star labels and you will be able to reduce your energy bill this way.
Buy local, in-season or organic food whenever you can.
There is so much more you can do, and I'm sure that you do already. I just want to encourage you to do something to help our planet.
Check out these interesting websites
www.ivillage.com/greenwww.bikeleague.orgwww.computertakeback.comwww.localharvest.org
