Living a more eco-friendly life does not have to involve completely renovating your home or growing all of your own food. There are many simple things you can do to reduce your environmental impact and help preserve the planet. For instance, here are five green living strategies you can adopt today:
Go paper-free in the kitchen.
Every paper towel and napkin you use not only contributes to deforestation but also adds waste to landfills. Reduce your impact by going paper-free in the kitchen. Tear up old bath towels to use as rags instead of reaching for a paper towel when there's a spill. Switch to cloth napkins, which are easy enough to launder once a week.
Follow the "full load" rule.
This rule applies to both your clothes washer and your dishwasher. Never run a load unless the washer is full. This reduces the amount of electricity, water, and cleaning chemicals that you use. Not only will the planet thank you, but your utility bills will go down! For even more energy savings, wash all of your clothing on cold so you're not using electricity or gas to heat the water.
Buy items with less packaging.
When buying food and other goods, pay attention to the amount of packaging on various brands and products, and buy the items with the least amount of packaging -- or with biodegradable dollars. A big part of green living is voting with your dollars. By buying items with earth-friendly packaging, you're telling companies that this is what their customers want.
Choose well made, energy-efficient appliances.
Whenever you purchase a new appliance, make sure it carries the Energy Star label, which indicates that it uses less energy. Also spend time reading reviews to ensure you're buying a durable, well made appliance. The longer it lasts, the less waste you're contributing to the landfill.
Cut down on driving.
Do you really need to drive around the block to the store, or could you walk? Perhaps you could go to the grocery store after work instead of making a separate trip. Combine errands and walk when possible to minimize your driving and reduce air pollution, and consider carpooling sometimes, too.
Green living starts with small changes to your everyday habits. In addition to following the tips above, make sure you're also buying your energy from a green supplier like Frontier Utilities.
