Make an impact on the Earth in a positive way today. Here are five different ways that you can reduce your footprint and go green right now. They don’t require major changes in your lifestyle or complicated equipment.
1. Wash your laundry in cold water. Since heating water is the biggest energy requirement in most houses, switching that dial or setting to cold will immediately make a big difference. For a bonus, use a clothesline or indoor drying wrack to dry your laundry.
2. Give up the bottled water. Here is a secret. Most bottled water is actually just tap water that is, well, bottled, for consumer use. Most people can’t tell a difference between tap water and bottled water. Get a home filtration system and a couple of good non-plastic reusable water bottles and fill the bottles at home. As a bonus, you’ll save money, too.
3. Install power strips. There are so many electronics that suck up electricity in standby mode. Some examples of this include flat screen televisions, DVD players, game systems, stereo receivers, cable boxes and more. Basically anything that can go on with a remote or has a light on it. Switch the power off using the power strip when you aren’t actively using these items.
4. Cut down on new paper. Replace your paper towels with dishcloths, wash cloths and rags. It takes less energy to wash these items than it does to produce the paper versions. As a bonus, you will save money. For items that you can’t live without when it comes to paper, such as bathroom tissue, look for products that are made from recycled paper. You can save thousands of trees this way.
5. BYOB. Bring your own bags when you go grocery shopping. Who needs all of those plastic bags piling up in your home anyway? Plastic bags stay in the landfill forever. And paper bags, while they are a better choice if you are truly stuck, still kill trees. Throw a bunch of reusable bags into the back of your car so they will always be available.
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