Environmentally-friendly causes have become more prevalent and are catching on quickly these days. Earth Day is April 22, so there is no better time to start living a greener lifestyle. Helping the environment can have many positive effects on your health and wallet, so it’s becoming more obvious as to why thinking green is the way to go. Here are ways to add green to your lifestyle:
- Reduce energy usage in your home. Simple things you can do to be more energy-efficient include lowering your thermostat, unplugging unused appliances, and taking shorter showers. Consider buying ENERGY STAR appliances to help with your energy-saving efforts. Replace incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs. These bulbs provide the biggest energy savings in fixtures that are on for longer periods of time during the day. When you practice these efforts on a regular basis, you end up conserving more energy and as a result, save money on your home energy bills.
- Weatherize and insulate your home. Look for cracks and gaps in your windows, exterior and interior walls, roof, floors, siding, and chimney that could cause air leaks. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal any problematic cracks and gaps. Consider installing double pane windows in certain rooms to better insulate your home.
- Use non-toxic cleaning products. Most traditional cleaning supplies contain poisonous chemicals. Look for cleaning products that don’t have chlorine or ammonia and have labels that say petroleum-free, biodegradable, or phosphate-free. Consider making a homemade cleaner by combining vinegar with water or lemon juice. You can use this to clean windows and remove soap and grease build-up.
- Carpool, use public transportation, or drive a fuel-efficient car. All of these methods will decrease the amount of fuel you use on a regular basis. By using less fuel, you will save money while helping the environment at the same time.
- When it comes to your office, reduce the amount of copies you make and documents you print. When making copies or printing documents, use both sides of the paper when possible. Recycle any paper and packaging that does not need to be kept. See if your company participates in a recycling program and if so, find out other ways you can be green at the office.
- Buy products with less packaging and recycle papers, plastic, and glass. Consider using recyclable grocery and shopping bags.
- Plant a tree. Trees use up carbon dioxide and provide clean, fresh oxygen to breathe in.
Incorporating just a few, simple green efforts in your daily routine will save resources and energy and improve the environment. To make living green easier, keep in mind that being eco-friendly can equate to being economical!
