Interested in going green? We want to make it easy for you and your family to embrace a sustainable lifestyle. We encourage you to make the commitment, as it will have a huge impact on our planet for many years to come.
Below are the top 10 ways to going green in your home or business. When you go green, you don't have to turn your life upside down. Green living is all about taking small steps to simplify your life and keep the planet healthy.
Take the extra step today. Your grandkids will thank you!
1. Print on both sides of recycled paper.
- American businesses trash over 21 million tons of paper each year. Not every home or business has a printer with duplex capability; however we suggest switching if you are big on printing. Recycle the paper you don't need and remember to shred anything that contains sensitive information. Going green means less paper, less mess, and more money in your pocket.
2. Buy non-toxic, concentrated, green cleaning products.
- This is a great way to save money and reduce the negative impact on the environment.
Using concentrated, eco-friendly products is an absolute must. Most cleaning products, including some so-called green products, are made up of mostly water! Using eco-friendly, concentrated cleaners reduces the amount of discarded packaging and keeps abrasive chemicals out of the environment and your home
3. Go paperless and pay bills online.
- Most banks offer online bill pay services that enable you to electronically view statements as well as receive and pay bills online. All this can be done without ever having to use envelopes or postage. Check with your bank for online services, save yourself money, and spare a landfill. You'll also appreciate no longer being tempted to use the "convenience" checks that are sent with each paper statement. Going green does have its perks!
- You'd be amazed at the things we trash into a landfill. Most recyclables are identified by the recycle triangle. Look for the recycle triangle at the bottom of plastic bottles including prescriptions, hair care, face wash, salad dressing, vitamins, and the like. Always recycle cereal boxes, newspapers, cans, glass, magazines, and paper towel rolls. Items like glass can take millions of years to decompose in a landfill. There's no better way to going green than recycling!
- Buying gum? Skip the bag. The U.S. alone uses 84 billion plastic bags a year. Fourteen plastic bags have enough petroleum in them to drive a car one mile. For big grocery shopping trips bring a laundry basket. If you don't want to mess with the basket, consider a reusable bag. Keep the reusable bag(s) in your trunk or by the door as a reminder.
6. Use less paper towels and napkins.
- In public restrooms, some people use four and five towels to dry their hands, then more to open the door! Consider using, at most, two or three towels and retain those same towels to open the door. Also, reduce the number of napkins you snag when you are eating out. Do you really need 15 napkins to get you through the meal? The average American uses approximately 2,200 napkins a year or roughly 6 per day. Yikes!
Reduce waste, live smart, go green!
7. Omit coffee stirrers and bring your own cup.
- Love coffee? Think about how many disposable cups and stirrers you throw away each week, multiply that over a year, and then picture this dumped in a landfill over a lifetime. Consider skipping the stirrer. Try putting your sugar and cream in first, then pour in the coffee and everything should mix just fine. If you are insistent in having a stirrer, use a reusable spoon or an uncooked spaghetti noodle. If you make a coffee purchase, bring your own cup. Most coffee shops will be happy to fill your own cup and may even offer you a discount! Going green saves you money once again!
Keep the earth as green as possible while keeping more 'green' in your pocket!
8. Launder with cold or warm water.
- Switching from hot water to warm or cold water may reduce your normal laundry energy usage by half! Using cold water is actually just as effective for laundering as warm water. This will save money on energy costs as well as spare excessive fading of the fabric, prolonging the life of your clothes. Launder only when you have a full load.
9. Adjust the thermostat and turn off your computer.
- Adjusting your thermostat by one degree higher in the summer and one degree lower in the winter may save you lots of money on your monthly energy bill. Switch your computer off at night instead of putting it on sleep mode. This could save you 40 watt-hours per day and $14 per year. It may not seem like a lot, but over a lifetime, you are making a difference.
10. BYOW (Bring Your Own Water).
- Bottled water fan? Almost 90% of water bottles are not recycled. If you bring bottled water to work, consider a reusable container filled with filtered water from home. Even better, bring your own filter pitcher. Not only will you do your part to help the environment, but you will save the money you were spending on a weekly bottled water supply. It is also important to note the Environmental Protection Agency has stricter quality mandates regarding tap water than the Food and Drug Administration does on bottled water. Ditch the disposable and drink to your health!
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