Five Creative Ways to Go Green
20 Apr2010
Filed Under Green, Homeowners · Tagged: Earth Day, eco-friendly, Green · Print This Article
Happy Earth Day 2010! We all know that we can reduce waste (and save money) by turning off lights, reducing water consumption and bringing your own bag to the grocery store. But here are a few creative ways to be green that you may not have thought of.
1.) Choose Plastic Last
Almost everything is packaged in plastic. And recycling your plastic is a great idea. But take notice at the grocery store and perhaps select a product that is packaged in paper, glass or metal. These materials are easier to recycle, and paper will take a lot less time to break down in a landfill if not recycled. And consider cutting back on disposable plastic food containers. Glass containers last longer and will never leech chemicals into your food in the microwave.
Learn more about plastic recycling.
2.) Eat Your Veggies
Seeing as we live in Porkopolis, it’s not very reasonable to suggest that we all go eat vegetarian all the time in order to be eco-friendly. However, you may not think about the fact that producing meat is very energy inefficient, and it’s one of the least eco-friendly things humans do. So, consider eating vegetarian meals just once or twice a week. Not only is it a little bit more eco-friendly, it’s cheap and healthy! Then, just have your favorite cheeseburger or chili another day.
Learn more about meat and resources.
3.) Consider ‘Experience’ Gifts
We all love stuff. But we all have too much of it! Next time you need to buy a gift, say, Mother’s Day, consider an experience gift. A gift certificate for a spa service, a restaurant, a membership to an organization, event tickets, etc… These gifts offer your recipient a special day or night, and doesn’t add to his or her pile of stuff. And for a special someone, plan the experience together. Time together is better than material things! For those moments when you just want to send a card, consider an e-card. No waste or resources, and for just $10 at hallmark.com you can get unlimited e-cards for a year!
4.) Save your Skin
If you care about being green, then you should definitely care about what you put on your skin. Cosmetics get washed into our water system. But, more importantly, they are absorbed into your body! Many cosmetics have chemicals inside that are linked to health problems. The average woman can actually eat 6 pounds of lipstick in a year! Do you know what is in your lipstick (or lip balm, or lotion)? Skin Deep is a great website that stores information about the ingredients in your favorite cosmetics. And beware of marketing. Just because something says “natural” or “organic” doesn’t mean it may not contain some yucky stuff. (Or vice-versa.)
Look up your favorite products on the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.
5.) Dine in style
Make every meal an occasion with cloth napkins. Keep a basket on your table of colorful or seasonal napkins. Get a bunch of reasonably-priced ones, or turn something else into napkins (mismatched bedding, etc.) You’ll never need to find room to store those huge packages of paper napkins, and cloth ones work better and longer during a meal than a paper napkin anyway. This is one area where it’s great to have more. Have enough so you don’t have to wash them incessantly in small loads, which isn’t efficient. And, speaking of dining in style, for your next event, try forgoing the disposable plates and use your regular dishes. Or even china! It will feel like a very special occasion.
Check out some colorful cloth napkins.
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