Simple changes to your day that could go a long way for our planet.
Hey there, fellow Earth enthusiasts! Let's have a heart-to-heart about going green, shall we?
We get it—saving the planet can sound like a daunting mission, especially when you're juggling a busy schedule. But fear not! We're here to dish out some down-to-earth advice on making eco-friendliness a breeze in your everyday life. Forget about those grand, intimidating overhauls; instead, let's focus on the little tweaks that pack a punch.
Think of it as dipping your toes into the ocean of sustainability, one manageable step at a time. Let's dive in!
Refill
Many stores sell items in bulk. Take your own shampoo/conditioner/soap/lotion or food containers & refill them at your local market. It usually costs less and you can use the same container over and over again. Think of all the plastic and glass you’ll keep from the recycle center or landfill. Yeah!
Walk
Walk, ride your bicycle, roller skate, skateboard or skip instead of driving your car whenever possible. You’ll get a little exercise and do the planet a good turn at the same time. For an added bonus, carry bags to collect trash and recycling during your walk.
Stay on the trail
From hikers to Hummers, we all have an impact on the earth. It is up to each of us to decide what kind of an impact we want to make. Mitigate the more negative ones by walking gently upon the earth. The cumulative impacts of multiple user groups harm natural areas. We can all do our part and watch where we are going when we hike, bike, or off-road. Respect the earth. It's the only one we've got.
Choose Alternatives to Plastic
Use cloth bags or a basket when you shop. Many stores offer a cash discount for each bag you bring. Show your individuality or promote a cause with your favorite tote bag.
In the United States, 14 million trees are pulped and 12 million barrels of oil are used to make paper and plastic bags each year.
Change your Lightbulbs
If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified LED, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars! Change out all your old bulbs for low energy CFLs or LED's and save your old bulbs for spares. Do it today and watch your savings mount.
Compost
Composting is a great way to reduce waste going into the system, while creating something beneficial for your garden. You can have a very simple system - a simple bin where you throw compostable items - "compost happens", or mine the gold in your waste. Check out A Guide to Composting for more information.
Unplug your electronics
Virtually all of your electronics are sucking up energy even if they're turned off or not being used. Some of the biggest culprits include your TV, computer, and printer. Even your electric toothbrush is drawing energy when it's plugged in and sitting idle. On its own, the "vampire power" used by one device might seem minuscule, but collectively it amounts to more than $4 billion a year of wasted energy here in the United States.
What's more, the Department of Energy says that about 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.
The easiest (and most obvious) thing you can do is get up right now and unplug whatever you're not using. Candidates include:
Your laptop or tablets
Your hand-held vacuum in its charging station
Power drills
Automatic coffee makers
The TV that's collecting dust in the guest room
The empty refrigerator in the garage
Mowercize
A gasoline-powered lawn mower run for an hour puts out about the same amount of smog-forming emissions as 40 new automobiles run for an hour, according to the Clean Air Yard Care. Consider switching to a push mower or a cordless electric mower. Today's non-gasoline-powered reel lawn mowers are easier to push than the old models. Their eco-benefit: zero emissions (plus, you're getting great exercise). If you prefer a power mower, consider a quiet, battery-operated model from Black & Decker. The average cost in electricity to run one for a year is five dollars. Check out this information from eartheasy