Five Easy Ways to Live Green
Environmentally Friendly Choices That are Easy and Fun
Are you daunted by the idea of trying to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle? Try these quick, easy ways to live green.
Changing your lifestyle to be more environmentally friendly doesn't need to be difficult, expensive or messy. In fact, once you get started you may just find that living green is more fun and rewarding than a more wasteful lifestyle. Here are five easy changes you can make in your daily life to help you go green.
Switch to CFL lightbulbs.
Compact florescent lightbulbs cost a little more initially, but over the course of their long lifespan they save up to 80% of the energy used by a standard incandescent bulb. It's as easy as unscrewing one bulb and screwing in another, and you will save money on your electricity bill too.
Recycle
If you don't already recycle your glass, paper and plastic, now is a great time to start. Many municipal waste programs already collect recycling at the curb with your regular garbage pickup, so all you need to do is set aside a space to store your recycling before you take it out with the garbage. Just remember to rinse out your containers to avoid creating unpleasant smells, and recycling can be as simple as taking out the trash.
Compost
Once you are getting the hang of recycling, take a look at the contents of your garbage can. You'll probably notice that a large percentage of your garbage is now made up of things like potato peelings, apple cores, coffee grounds and spoiled food. Most kitchen waste can be composted, except for meat and dairy, which will cause your compost to smell foul and attract pests. Garden waste such as grass clippings and dry leaves can be composted too. Check out the Compost Guide to help you get started.
Switch to reusable grocery bags
Plastic grocery bags seem to multiply by themselves in drawers and cupboards, but they are also a hazard to marine life such as sea turtles and they create a large amount of garbage in landfills. Reusable grocery bags are now available at most stores for a reasonable price, and apart from being kinder to the earth they are also sturdier for carrying heavy milk jugs and canned goods. If you find you often forget to bring them with you, try storing one in your handbag or keep a few of them in the trunk of your car.
Use green electricity
Do a bit of research on the electricity providers in your area to see if any sell electricity generated from renewable sources, such as wind or water. Prices can be very competitive, and making the change is as easy as making a phone call.
Environmentally friendly lifestyle choices do not need to be painful. It may take a little bit of time and effort to learn how to create the best compost heap or sew your own grocery bags, but you can also choose to invest more money and purchase a self-contained composting unit or pre-sewn bags, which help to save you time and effort. Other green choices, such as switching to CFL bulbs or green electricity, require a single investment of time and money, but continue to save you money and support the environment well into the future. When you feel confident with these initial changes, look for other places in your life where you can reduce, reuse or recycle. You may be surprised at how easy it is to live green!
