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.
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
- 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.”
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
Photo via Pixabay.
Check out this US Carbon Footprint Map, an interactive United States Carbon Footprint Map, illustrating Greenest States to Cities. This site has all sorts of stats on individual State & City energy consumptions, demographics and much more down to your local US City level…
Excellent tips – some of which I follow (he says, looking sheepish). I really can’t remember the last time I printed anything out at home.
Another tip – don’t buy fast food. The main reason the rainforests are being cut down is to make room to graze cattle, which are needed to supply the fast food industry with meat.
i love it! everyone should know how easy it is to be a hippie… even if they’re not ready to come out of the hippie closet just yet!
Check out EcoFoot and take the quiz to see how your live day to day affects the planet.
Not that I love Lowes over other stores, but they recently put out a lot of energy saving tips from easy simple changes all the way to big projects to save energy in your home.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=/Energy-Efficiency/Energy_Saving_Projects.html
One thing I always do is buy cold-water detergent and always set my washing machine to use cold water instead of hot.
Eat more peanut butter? I’m there.
Okay freaky. I was just about to post pretty much exactly what the Lisa above me wrote. And then I was like “wait… did I write that?” and it was WEIRD over here for a minute.
But anyway. Um, “eat more pean…
k, never mind. My thunder was stolen.
what are the chances that TWO Lisa’s would be commenting at the same moment? craziness!
Those are all great tips elya! I drive my husband crazy by turning off the printer and computer every night. He says that it wastes to much of his time. Bah.
Those are all great tips Elysa! I drive my husband crazy by unpluggin the printer. Says it wasted too much time. Bah.
Woopps. Double post AND I spelled your name wrong. Am now headed to blog pergatory…
I am SO glad I matured up and recycle now!! I can’t believe how I have more recycle stuff than trash! Every bit helps!
all i have to say is bring on the pb. awesome news!
Happy Blog Action Day!
Great tips you’ve listed to keep in mind. Haha, I wait until I have a full load of laundry not for the environment but because I waited until the last minute and I absolutely needed to laundry, lols!
Came over from The Lisa Show – great post!
I use my grocery plastic bags for my kitty litter cleaning duties, and speaking of peanut butter, read this article by a friend of mine on honey!
http://community.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/VanishingHoneybeesThreatenFoodSupply5WaystoHelp.html
I am so on board with the peanut butter suggestion!!