Green

One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year is to live more greenly. [Is that a word?] Anyway, that means living in a way that benefits the environment as well as myself.

So, I’ve done some googling & complied a list of easy tips that anyone can [& should] do!

Make sure your car’s tires are filled to the proper air pressure.

Drive at a safe speed, avoid accelerating too quickly or slamming on your breaks.

Make sure anything heavy in your car isn’t there…take out heavy items when you don’t need them. [I will be leaving my salt bags in the trunk while snow is a possibility. But as soon as spring hits, someone will receive a donation of 12o lbs of water softener salt!]

Walk or bike if you can. If you can’t, plan all your errands for one day & if you can, to as few stores/places as possible.

Wash your clothing with cold water.

Don’t dry your clothing unless necessary. [I only dry my towels, socks & jeans. Everything else I air dry. This also has an added bonus of making your clothing last longer!]

Take canvas totes to stores to use instead of plastic bags. [I’ve already gotten quite a few odd looks, but it’s worth not wasting 3-4 plastic bags for every shopping trip!]

Turn off lights, television, computer, etc when you aren’t using them. And unplug appliances in the morning before you leave and at night before bed. For example, your hair dryer, cell phone charger, etc. They do soak up electricity even when they aren’t on!

If you only need a cup or a pot of hot water, warm it up yourself! Don’t let the tap run until the water is hot!

Take shorter showers…try cutting down on just five minutes!

Don’t buy single serving anything. It’s just wasted plastic & more garbage. Buy in bulk whenever possible & use reusable containers to make your own single serving sizes.

DO NOT buy bottled water. What a waste! If your local water is approved, drink from the tap! Or, invest in a britta filter or other device to filter your water. Or, if you must buy bottled water, buy in gallon sizes & reuse the gallon jugs!

Keep an eye out for products you purchase. Make sure they are in recyclable containers.

Use rechargeable batteries. If you still have one time use batteries, make sure you dispose of them properly. Throwing them in the trash bag is not the proper way!

Don’t use disposable items. For example, use cloth napkins [easy to throw in the wash with your towels!], use real silverware, cups & plates. If you get morning coffee from the local gas station or starbucks, bring a washable mug instead! [If you use a Starbucks brand travel mug at Starbucks, you’ll get 10 cents off your order as well.]

Keep your blinds & curtains closed. This will keep heat in during the winter & heat out during the summer.

Watch your thermostat. Keep it two degrees cooler in the winter & put on a sweater! Keep it two degrees warmer in the summer and sip a nice glass of iced tea! [Plus, the heating/air conditioning is horrible for your skin, hair & mucus membranes in the nose!]

Buy a plant for your room [or the room you spend the most time in]. It’ll help you clean your air without investing in a costly air purifier and is much prettier!

Those ‘flushable’ wipes and tampon applicators only mean that they’ll go down the pipes. But they can end up on beaches & in the environment. Use tampons without applicators and toss those wipes in the trash [or better yet, use a washcloth!]

Don’t wash everything each time you use it. Jeans can get about three wears before they need to be washed & if you layer items like I do, you won’t need to wash that outer sweatshirt layer every time you wear it!

Never litter. Ever.

Only run your dishwasher when it’s full. Avoid using the extra features if possible.

Turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth or washing your hands [the bubbly soap part].

Donate used clothing & items you aren’t using. Don’t just trash them!

If you eat fish, make sure they were caught [& killed] in a responsible way.

If you have any tips you think I should add, let me know! I left out tips such as replacing your hot water heater & windows, because I live in an apartment. But you can google other options for homeowners as well!

Also, you can take the quiz here to check your carbon footprint. Mine is 19. The average for my area [Chicago] is 24, so I suppose I am doing better than the average. But it makes me feel guilty just the same! I hope I can start biking to work in warmer weather. That would help!

Click here to advertise on thousands of blogs including mine

Filed under: Main on December 30th, 2007