Go Green without changing your life
This post is part of Blog Action Day. The goal of Blog Action Day is to bring the environmental issues to everyone’s mind. My goal in joining Blog Action Day was to let my readers know how simple it is to green your life with little-bitty-won’t- really-affect-you-much life changes. In fact, I have a few ways you can green your life without even having to let your friends and family that you are slowly inching your way across the green spectrum.
Simple ways to be more green without changing your life:
- Recycle or Reuse: Find out about recycling in your neighborhood and start making an effort to at least do your small part in eliminating the amount of waste produced each day.
- Go Paperless: Switch your bills to paperless and remove yourself from unwanted junk mail lists.
- Be aware of the number of pages you print: How many times have you printed out directions only to find out the 3rd page only had 1 line of text? Always check Print Preview before printing. If possible change your print margins a bit to save on paper.
- Change your light bulbs: Switching to Compact Flourescent bulb (those spiral-looking ones) costs more up front but in the long run they will last longer, which will save you money.
- Call your electric company: Call your electric company and switch to an eco-friendly option. Most companies have a wind powered or other environmentally friendly plan.
- Wait to wash your clothes: Standard washing machines use 40 gallons of water per load. Think about how much water you are wasting by washing that one shirt you just have to wear tomorrow. Wait to do a load of laundry until you have a full load to wash.
- Be smart about plastic grocery bags: If you are not quite ready to carry your groceries our in eco-bags, at least do fun/smart things with your plastic bags when you are done with them – like use them for faster kitchen cleanup.
- Bring your own water: Not only can you save money by not buying bottled water, having a reusable bottle is a great way to save on plastic.
Americans use 3.3 million plastic bottles every hour but recycle only one in five. – realsimple.com
- Turn it off and/or unplug it: Listen to your mother’s voice telling you to turn the lights off when you leave the room. Turn off and unplug unused electronics.
- Eat More Peanut Butter: I found an interesting article on How eating Peanut Butter helps the planet.
"I bet you didn’t realize that eating three Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches could have the same environmental impact as switching your showers to a low-flow shower head."
The Federal Trade Commission website, www.ftc.gov, spells out how to remove yourself from lists. (Click on “For Consumers,” then “Telemarketing,” then “Unsolicited Mail, Telemarketing and E-mail: Where to Go to ‘Just Say No.’”) You’ll save trees, water, and emissions, too. If everyone in the United States reduced the junk mail he receives every week, 100 million trees would be spared each year. – realsimple.com
When in doubt Reduce, Reuse Recycle!
- Girls Gone Green – includes a section on Going Green in Texas
- 50 Quick, Painless Ways You Can Help the Environment Today
- Because Oprah says so … Going Green 101: What Your Family Can Do Today!
- Pink Magazine 20 Quick and Easy Things to Do to Save
Our Planet - Treehugger | How to Go Green
- Design Can Change: Graphic Designers unite to address climate change
- renourish | nutrients for the graphic design community
