Most people think that when you “go green” you need to have an organic compost pile in your back yard or use oil lamps to reduce electrical consumption. However, if you are truly concerned about the environment, and want to live a bit greener, it is possible to make small changes in your lifestyle without going to the extreme.
Some changes are so simple, they take only a few moments of your time and then you can forget about them, while others may take a bit more getting used to.
Here are 5 ways you can do your part to live a little greener without having to be inconvenienced or make drastic changes to your lifestyle.
Brighten Up Your Life
Start by going through your house and replacing your incandescent light bulbs with CFL or compact fluorescent light bulbs. The bulbs are a bit more expensive, but if you switch out a room at a time you will hardly notice the cost. In the long run it will save you money because you will find that you are replacing lightbulbs far less often. CFL bulbs last up to 10 times longer and use less energy to light up your life.
Take A Cup Along
No need to grab for a paper cup when you go to your favorite coffee place, take your own cup along. This will save the cup waste and the paper sleeve to. You can help to reduce landfill waste and save a tree at the same time. Most places like Starbucks even sell the reusable cups in their store. The next time you go to get your coffee, treat yourself to a new cup and ask the barista to make your favorite coffee in your new favorite cup.
Go Paperless
The next time you go to pay your bills, check your statement and see if they offer a paperless service. It might take a bit to get used to a new system, but think of all the paper you will save. Things like your cell phone bill can be anywhere from two to six pages long. That doesn’t include the envelope it comes in or the return envelope. Not only will you save paper, but think of all the paper clutter you can get out of your home.
Get Yourself Some Shopping Bags
Don’t you just love the reusable shopping bags? These bags are made of ecofriendly materials and come plain or even in decorative prints. You can get the bags for about a dollar a piece (or less!). They fold nicely to stow just about anywhere. You can keep a few in the car so you always have them on hand. The bags are great for other thing too!
Shut It Down!
Finally, shut everything down that you don’t use regularly. Unplug your unused appliances and electronics. By unplugging you are reducing the unnecessary energy draw in your house. This will not only save energy, but it could help to save on your energy costs as well.
These simple changes, that take just a tiny bit of effort, can really add up!
