Photo by kazuend on Unsplash

 

Easy Ways To Live Green – Start To Do One Thing

It has not been easy for many of us want to live green or adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Either life becomes too hectic to have time to make a change in our lives or we tend to keep on keeping on doing what we have been doing. In addition, many of us think that living green is expensive.

There is a difference between living green and adopting a sustainability lifestyle though these terms may be used interchangeably. When we talk about Green, we are actually referring to a term coined by the commercial industry to encourage the consumer to buy a new product that might not be an energy product. A better word is Sustainability which is the use or production of a material that does not disrupt or damage its surrounding area, pollute the air, or permanently reduce the supply of resources. Sustainability focuses on the most efficient use of energy and elimination of waste. Hence when we look at a green product, we need to be thinking of whether the product is a sustainability product.

How to start reducing your impact on the environment because raw materials have to be taken from the environment and processed to support us on the earth?

HOME

  • Declutter: Recycle this magazine. Get off junk-mail lists by registering at www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist/
  • Conserve:
    • Install Energy Star–qualified double-pane windows for better insulation.
    • Buy energy-efficient appliances (look for the Energy Star label)
    • Turn off the lights when you leave the room or install an electric sensor
    • Install low-flow showerheads and take shorter showers
    • Don’t let the sink faucet run when you wash dishes and brush your teeth
    • Clean the fridge coils for better productivity
    • Turn off the dishwasher’s drying cycle
    • After you finish baking, turn off the oven and leave the door open to heat your home
    • Cover pots on the stove to avoid losing excess heat—and wasting energy
    • Line dry your clothes when possible
    • Install a ceiling fan to improve heat and cool-air circulation
    • Keep your shades down in the summer and up in the winter
    • Upgrade your toilet to a low-flush model
    • Fix leaky faucets
    • Buy low-VOC paint and donate the leftovers (find local reuse programs at earth911.org)
    • Donate old cell phones and help save the African gorilla (eco-cell.org)
    • Fill up your freezer, since the fuller it is, the less energy it uses to keep food frozen
  • Buy recycled toilet paper
  • Print on both sides
  • Use concentrated soaps and cleaners since less packaging means less waste
  • Unplug your electronics (DVD player, TV, cell-phone charger) when you’re not using them
  • Conserve energy by using power strips (many electronics suck power even when off—but power strips in the “off” position don’t)
  • Use greener cleaners. Baking soda will clean just about anything!
  • Shut your computer down when you leave work—especially on Fridays
  • Don’t use pesticides on your lawn
  • Bring your own bags to the grocery store
  • Find new uses for old things
  • Put as little in the bin as possible: recycle, reuse or compost instead.
  • Start gardening
  • Go toxin-free at home
  • Switch to a reusable coffee filter
  • Eat only sustainably harvested fish to help protect the health of the ocean
  • Reuse your Ziploc bags
  • Purify indoor air with plants instead of with artificial room fresheners
  • Use clean energy
  • Support recycling by buying products made from recycled materials
  • Buy or borrow pre-used moving boxes
  • Use rechargeable batteries
  • Get a library card
  • Go for bamboo (for flooring, cutting boards, towels, sheets, and so on)
  • Pass on the Paper Towels, use cloth towels
  • Find New Uses for Old Things – upcycle them
  • Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones
  • Start composting
  • Seek out reclaimed wood furniture
  • Buy organic food (especially milk, meat, fruits, and vegetables)
  • Bring your own mug or thermos to your favorite coffee spot
  • Collect rainwater and use it for landscaping
  • Use natural—not artificial—fragrances
  • Swap, don’t buy (try eBay.com, craigslist.org, and freecycle.org)
  • Use organic beauty products
  • Buy Fair Trade

WORK/BUSINESS

  • Install dimmers or motion sensors for your lights
  • Skip the elevator and take the stairs
  • Support your local economy and curb excess fossil-fuel consumption by shopping close to home
  • Invest in environmentally conscious mutual funds
  • Choose reusable instead of disposable products
  • Sign up for online banking
  • Opt for an Energy Star–qualified laptop instead of a power-guzzling desktop
  • Bring lunch to work in reusable containers (a “no-garbage” lunch)
  •  Dress sustainably

FOOD

  • Eat less meat
  • Sign up for an organic vegetable box from your local farm
  • Join a food co-op
  •  Eat what’s in season
  • Join a community supported agriculture (CSA) program (visit localharvest.com)
  • Buy in bulk to avoid excess packaging

TRAVEL/COMMUTE

  • Take the bus (or train)
  • To save gas, drive under 60 mph, or don’t drive as much
  •  Give your car a tune-up so it drives more efficiently
  • Choose the most fuel-efficient car available
  • Stop idling in your car to conserve fuel and keep carbon dioxide emissions at a minimum
  • Carpool
  • Check the air pressure in your tires since under inflated tires reduce fuel efficiency
  • Unload your trunk; the lighter the load, the less gas your car consumes
  • Drive a hybrid
  • When traveling, ask your hotel what it’s doing to be sustainable

COMMUNITY

  • Volunteer your time at local conservation agencies
  • Encourage others to be mindful of their impact on the environment and you might find yourself creating a more eco-friendly world.
  • Consider donating household items such as clothing, toys, and computers to nonprofits, shelters, and rescue missions
  • Establish a no-idle zone at your school, church, or temple