Environmental Safety: Easy Ways to Live Greener

 Easy Ways to Live Greener-Part 1

Think you’re doing all you can to give the environment a break and make your home a little healthier for your family? Or do you want to go green but you’re not sure where to start? Scan this list of green ideas and start adding a few to your routine every week.

1. Carry reusable bags with you anytime you shop.
2. Recycle just one more thing each week.
3. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
4. Skip bottled water, use filtered tap water.
5. Decorate with plants to improve air quality.
6. Add a low-flow showerhead.
7. Turn down the thermostat.
8. Unplug chargers and appliances when you’re not using them.
9. Recycle electronics through e-waste collection programs.
10. Sign up for recall alerts at recalls.gov.
11. Take shorter showers.
12. Plant bee-loving plants (sunflowers geraniums, pumpkins, blackberries, rosemary, sage, honeysuckle).
13. Share toys with another mom when your child outgrows them.
14. Use the microwave or the toaster oven to cook small meals to save energy.
15. Turn off the water while shaving or brushing your teeth.
16. Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
17. Scrape rather than rinse dishes before loading into the dishwasher.
18. Repair leaky toilets, which can waste 200 gallons of water a day.
19. Sweep outside instead of using a hose.
20. Use durable coffee mugs instead of paper or Styrofoam cups.
21. Use cloth napkins and hand towels.
22. Set your water heater to 120 degrees – also a good rule of thumb to help prevent burns.
23. Buy paper products, like toilet paper, made from recycled paper.
24. Compost food scraps, grass, yard clippings and dead plants.
25. Change heating and cooling system filters every month.
26. Install a programmable thermostat if you’re away from home for set periods of time every day.
27. Insulate your home, pipes and water heater.
28. Buy unbleached coffee filters.
29. Use rags instead of paper towels to wipe up spills.
30. Buy biodegradable wax paper.
31. Buy eggs in cardboard cartons instead of foam packaging.
32. Use low-phosphate detergent or phosphate-free laundry detergent.
33. Use a little less detergent than manufacturers recommend.
34. Keep car tires properly inflated to save gas and tire life.
35. Have your tires rotated and balanced every 6,000-8,000 miles.
36. Buy cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers, which can take 500 years to decompose.
37. Give kids a lunch box or insulated cooler for lunch instead of a paper or plastic sack.
38. In cafeterias and fast food restaurants, take only the napkins, straws, condiments and plastic drink tops you plan to use.
39. Print and copy on both sides of paper when possible.
40. Save files and e-mails electronically and don’t print out hard copies unless you have to.
41. If you are leaving a room for more than 15 minutes, turn off the lights.
42. Carpool to school, sporting events and shopping.
43. Turn trash such as Popsicle sticks, newspapers and used office paper into craft projects.
44. Wash and reuse sandwich baggies and other plastic bags.
45. Donate your old computer to a community or senior citizens center.
46. When you replace your cell phone, donate it or pass it on to a new user.
47. Don’t air condition an empty room.
48. Walk, ride your bike or take public transportation.
49. Pay your bills online.
50. Dry towels and clothes on a rack instead of in the dryer.