The following is a list of tips for living green - I cant remember where it is from - I found it scribbled on a piece of paper at the bottom of my bag, which means its from a class I went to, a radio show, a tv show, or a book I read. So, if you know, let me know so I can credit it!
- Replace lightbulbs as they burn out with compact bulbs (which means you need to commit to disposing of them properly as they have small amounts of mercury in them that is toxic in landfills). Apparently Ikea has a new disposal box you can drop them in - go ikea!
- Drive less - telecommute, combine trips, walk, bike, catch the bus - do whatever you can to drive less
- Compost your kitchen scraps - I will add a post about composting soon
- Line dry your clothes - I will post a recommendation for a washing line - but you can also string a line between two trees
- Wash clothes in cold water using earth friendly detergent
- Turn down your thermostat in winter and up in summer if you use AC by two or three degrees. Do you even need AC?
- Unplug electronics when you are not using them to avoid ghost loads
- Switch to a laptop when you need to replace your desktop - they take less power
- Make a menu and buy food to prepare it it - ideally from your farmers market or organic
- Buy food in bulk to avoid packaging
- Shred your recyclable paper (junk mail) that contains identifying information and put it in your compost (its fun to feed all those credit card offers to the worms!)
- Skip plastic water bottles - very few end up recycled - use aluminum instead
- If you have to buy plastic water bottles every so often make sure to remove the cap and put in recycling
- Let annuals reseed and share the plants with friends and neighbors
- Divide perennials and share with neighbors
- Grow seeds and share with everyone - a packet of seeds costs much less than plants and costs less to ship to you
- Put things you dont need on craigslist.org or freecycle.org - someone else may be able to make use of something that you would put in the landfill
Even if you only do one or two of these things, you'll be helping protect the planet.
Live green! Be well!
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