The way to save the planet is not through a big initiative by governments or giant corporations. It’s a million little gestures made by everyday people on a regular basis. If you think going green is an overwhelming notion, integrate the following eco-conscious habits into your daily routine. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make a difference. A bonus: Each of these efforts saves you money too! —Erika Lenkert
MINIMIZE ELECTRICITY USE. What Mom taught us when we were kids still applies today: Turning off the lights when they’re not necessary saves energy and cash. Once you’ve gotten good at monitoring light use, kick it up a notch by turning off your sleeping computer and unplugging appliances (coffeemaker, hair dryer, cell phone, and iPod chargers, for example) that waste energy while waiting around for you.
CANCEL UNWANTED MAIL-ORDER CATALOGS. Rather than tossing yet another thick unread catalog into the recycling bin, get the sender to take you off of its mailing list. It’s easier than ever if you do it through Catalog Choice, a service dedicated to eliminating unwanted mail from your mailbox. Or call the company directly.
BYO COFFEE MUG TO THE CAFE. Toting your own cup to the coffee shop will save you from tossing a cup and lid into the trash each day and almost always gets you a discount on your beverage purchase.
WATCH YOUR WATER USE. Do you let the water run while you brush your teeth? If so, that’s about a gallon of water down the drain per person per brushing. Turn off the water while you brush and you’ll save hundreds if not thousands of gallons of water per year. Ditto if you turn off water while scrubbing dishes and shorten your shower by a few minutes. You can learn how much water you use right now with this water-use calculator.
BYO REUSABLE BAGS. According to ReusableBags.com, an estimated 500 billion to a trillion plastic bags are consumed annually worldwide. That comes out to more than a million per minute. To be part of the solution rather than the problem, invest in a few reusable bags. Until you get them, you can request paper bags at checkout and reuse them next time you go to the store.
One thing that can be added to the list of being eco friendly. Buying ecological and organic clothes can make a lot of difference for the planet, for our own health and for the people working in the fields. The manufacturing of e.g. cotton can produce a lot of damage to the planet. This means looking out for materials produced ecologically and environmentally sustainable. Eco fashion can look smart also. Personally, I like ecological materials e.g bamboo T-shirts and hemp. Actually right now Iżżżm wearing hemp, both in shoes and hats, from Simple Shoes in California, very smart looking items, comfortable and recycled, which I found at Berthas Eco Fashion.
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