How to Go Green the Simple Way

The average person creates an extraordinary 4 ½ pounds of garbage a day and uses between 80 to 100 gallons of water. These figures are just one part of our daily impact on the environment. Going green promotes conservation but provides the added benefit of a noticeable difference in your monthly utility bills. Simple changes in your day-to-day habits at home and work will leave a much smaller carbon footprint behind. To go green just remember the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. By adjusting your lifestyle and your attitude about energy consumption, you will find it’s easy to be green.Be creative. Once you start being green, you’ll find there are so many ways in your day to day life to conserve energy.

Things You'll Need

• None

Instructions

1. Reduction in the consumption of water is a great place to start. Purchase low-flow shower heads and aerators for your faucets---this can save more than three gallons of water per minute. Take shorter showers and turn off the tap water when brushing your teeth or shaving. Wash full loads of clothes and dishes. Don't hose down your driveway; use a broom instead.

2. Reduce your electricity use. Buy low-energy, compact fluorescent light bulbs. These long-lasting bulbs use one-third of the electricity and last up to 10 times as long as a regular incandescent bulb. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Unplug seldom-used appliances as they create a draw of electricity even when they are dormant. Caulk windows and doors and keep the refrigerator temperature set to 37-40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer to 5 degrees. A standalone freezer should be set to 0 degrees.

3. Use something many times before trashing it. Better yet, repair it for continued use. Purchase reusable cloth grocery bags. An untold number of these flimsy plastic bags end up in our landfills every year, not to mention how many end up floating in the ocean choking fish and strangling turtles.

4. Buy reusable containers for sandwiches, treats and leftovers. Use a reusable coffee or soda cup rather than disposable. Use cloth napkins instead of paper and clean up spills and messes with rags instead of paper towels.

5. Never dump old clothing or toys in the trash. Repair, clean and donate your old items. Remember that your trash may be another someone's treasure.

6. Recycle in every room of the house, not just the kitchen. Recycle at work too. Empty toilet paper rolls, shampoo bottles, and soapboxes rarely get separated for recycling. Magazines, circulars, junk mail (remove your name labels), white paper, printer cartridges and newspapers can join the recycling pile. Sort everything according to local recycling regulations.

7. Recycle outside too. All yard waste, grass clippings, tree branches and plant trimmings should either be set out for recycling pickup or placed in a compost pile.

8. Purchase plastic products that are made from recycled materials. Look for product packaging that shows the recycled symbol on the side of the package. Recycled products such as printer paper, paper plates, napkins, and gift-wraps look identical to original packages but have significantly less impact on the environment.