Every one of us, no matter how old or what we do for a living, is responsible for our planet. As more and more information surfaces about how our actions affect our environment, it becomes clearer that each of us needs to take our responsibility seriously. Many of us think that the actions of just one person cannot possibly make a difference, but if all of us take strides toward being ‘green’, the cumulative effort will make all the difference in the world.
Wondering how you can help? Here are a few ideas.
Recycling
Recycling is always a good place to start when beginning to make ‘greener’ choices in your consumer life. Instead of throwing away items like aluminum, paper and cardboard, you can recycle these materials very inexpensively and know that not only are you saving room in landfills, but you’re also helping save natural resources. It’s as simple as separating out your garbage and contacting a company that will pick up your recyclable goods at your curb. This small amount of effort can make a big difference.
Reuse
Reusing instead of buying new is always a good way to do your part in helping the environment. It’s not only important, but it’s also easy. Instead of getting new sacks at the grocery store each time, bring your own (either store bags from previous trips or reusable canvas bags). Instead of buying new storage containers for lunches, save the containers from yesterday’s lunch, wash them and use them again. Many stores sell product made out of recycled materials, which usually are not much or any more expensive than that made of new materials and much easier on the environment. Making a few small changes as this can add up to a big difference.
Using Environmentally Friendly Products and Services
There are plenty of ways to make your life ‘greener’ simply by changing the products or services you use. A good example is electricity. You might not even think about the environment when switching on a lamp or turning on the porch light. But energy is a huge part of being green and it’s easy to make changes to help out. At the very least, you can change out regular lightbulbs for long life bulbs that need to be changed far less often. If you want to take it a step further, you can bring an electrician in who has training in environmentally friendly practices and can advise you on installing energy-efficient lighting units, solar panels or energy-efficient appliances.
Although electricity usually enters our minds when we think of environmental issues, sometimes we don’t even think of other services we use that may be harming the environment. A good example of this is carpet cleaning. Traditional carpet cleaners can use gallons of water and toxic cleaners that are bad for the environment and for your family. An alternative would be a company such as Interior Dry Cleaning Services. Cory Schlisner of Interior Dry Cleaning says, “The carpet cleaning system we use saves up to four gallons of water per square foot of carpet cleaned. That is over 200,000 gallons of water in a typical year of cleaning 50,000 square feet of carpet. We also use a nontoxic, biodegradeable, green seal certified cleaner which makes our cleaning safe for families, pets and homes.”
It’s easy to incorporate ‘green’ strategies into your everyday life. Stay educated and work with local professionals who can help you make these environmentally friendly decisions. Your planet will thank you.