Eco-Friendly Every Day

            We all know Earth Day is in April, and on this wonderful day, we focus on ways to go green and improve our environment. From planting more trees and learning to compost, to changing our types of lightbulbs and reducing our use of plastics, being eco-friendly is something that deserves more than just one day of green thoughts. Here are just a few reasons why: Did you know that enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle Earth four times? It’s true, and the shortage of landfill space is a growing problem, plus plastic can take hundreds of years to degrade. Vehicle emissions are also a growing problem. Cars and trucks alone account for almost 20 percent of carbon emissions in the United States. This, along with decreasing energy and water supplies are very serious concerns. However, each one of us can make a difference. Think of how different our world would be if each of us put forth “green” efforts each and every day.

Struggling with ideas on how you can contribute to our environment’s well-being? You aren’t alone. Below, are ideas for how you and your family can incorporate environmentally friendly habits into your daily life throughout the year.

• Ditch the plastic and use reusable bags as often as you can when shopping. Plastic is dangerous to our environment. Keep your reusable bags in your car so you always have them on hand when you run to a store.
• Instead of throwing unwanted food in the trash, create a compost in your outside garden or flower bed. An added benefit is that the soil produced from your compost is rich in nutrients. This is better for your yard and saves a trip to the landfill.
• Recycle all cardboard and paper according to your city’s instructions. Don’t have curbside pickup? Find a recycling drop-off near you and make use of it. You’ll be happy you did.
• Change the light bulbs in your home. By changing just one light bulb in your home to a fluorescent, you can make a serious impact on your energy consumption. Just imagine if you changed all of them!
• Turn lights off when you aren’t using them. Open the curtains or blinds and make use of natural light coming in through windows.
• Use cleaning products that are environmentally friendly.
• Give up the cleaning wipes and use an old dishrag instead. Then you can wash and reuse it.
• Instead of bottled drinking water, install a water-cleaning system on your sink. Believe it or not, plastic bottles are usually not recycled.
• Save water by taking a shower instead of a bath and try to cut your shower time to five minutes or less.
• Turn down your thermostat a degree or two at night.
• Save both paper and a drive to the post office for stamps by paying bills online. Sign up for paperless bills and statements. Also, use the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry’s OptOutPreScreen service to reduce junk mail.
• Turn off water between uses and when brushing your teeth. Turn it back on when you’re ready to rinse.
• Use less water in the shower by changing your shower head to a low-water flow.
• Plant a tree! Just one tree can make a huge impact and do great things for the environment.
• When washing clothes, use cold or warm water, not hot. Hot water consumes much more energy and it takes longer to fill in the machine.
• Conduct a quick energy audit of your home and replace electrical appliances with energy-efficient appliances. Check with your utility company to see whether you can sign up for green power.
• Hang-dry your clothes rather than using a clothes dryer. This will save a lot on the energy used to dry them.
• Do you have leaky faucets? Double check your shower heads and faucet caps, both inside and out. This includes toilets and sinks in the home. Make sure there are no leaks or drips. Even a small leakage can waste a lot of water. Look for faucet and shower caps that are designed to decrease the flow of water to replace the leaky ones with.
• Recycle or donate your old cell phones. The average cell phone lasts about 18 months. After this time, go ahead and give them a new life.
• Cut down on driving. Use public transportation, carpool or walk when the weather permits.
• Whenever you can, use recycled products. This includes paper, cardboard, printer ink and even a reusable mug.
• Buy in bulk. This reduces the amount of packaging needed and provides considerable benefits to the environment.
• Buy produce that is locally grown. Not only will your fruits and veggies taste better, but they will also help you reduce the use of paper, plastics and shipping material.
• When was the last time your vehicle was in the shop for maintenance? Be sure to take your car, truck or motorcycle into a repair shop regularly. This will reduce emissions and so much more!
• Keep your tires inflated. When your tires are low on pressure, they cause more wear to the car and more harm to the environment.
• If you use disposable diapers, consider switching to cloth diapers. Even if you use one cloth diaper a day, that will result in 365 fewer disposables in the landfill each year.
• Do you have items around your house that you no longer use or need? Instead of throwing them away, give them to someone who will use them, have a garage sale and make a little money, or donate to your local thrift stores.
• Going to a movie or concert? Purchase an e-ticket and reduce the use of paper.
• When filing taxes, file electronically. This also cuts back on paper usage.
• Connect all your electronic device cables to a UL-certified power cord.
• Make sure your car’s air filters are clear of dust to maximize your vehicle’s efficiency.
• Get rid of extra junk in your trunk that may be weighing your car down. It makes a difference.

We all play a part in keeping our planet clean and safe. This means that each one of us can do even more than we think we can to help make a difference. There are so many ways you can go green every day, and they’re all quite easy! You can make a difference in the world. Go green!

Quick Quiz:

1. Which is the best alternative to a plastic water bottle?

• a. Plastic cup
• b. Metal water bottle
• c. A plastic water bottle is the best alternative.
• d. Paper cup

2. What should you do with your computer when you aren’t using it?

• a. Leave it on.
• b. Turn if off but leave the wall switch on.
• c. Put it in sleep mode.
• d. Turn it off and unplug it.

3. How full should your dishwasher or washing machine be before running it?

• a. Mostly
• b. Halfway
• c. Completely
• d. Whatever you have in it at the time

4. What should you do with computers that no longer work?

• a. Throw them away in the garbage.
• b. Take them apart and use some of the pieces, then throw the rest away.
• c. Burn them.
• d. Recycle them properly.

Answers:

1. b

2. d

3. c

4. d

Kansas City mom and author Gina Klein works hard to go green on a daily basis, although she does slip here and there. However, practice makes perfect!