If I have to add one more thing to my To Do list I’m going to scream! Hmmm, so is now a bad time to ask you to add 3 ways to be green at home to the list? :-0
I didn’t hear any screaming so I’m going to (very cautiously) throw out three – yes, just three – super easy things you and your family can do TODAY to be greener at home. They don’t require you to run any errands (yeah, no crazy parking lots to deal with!), do research online (whew, cause I’m out of brain power at the moment) or purchase gadgets to install (oh, thanks goodness!).
Ready? Be prepared to be underwhelmed ‘cause these things are sooo easy you are probably going to respond with a big, fat, “That’s it?” when I share them with you. And you will probably also think to yourself, “That is not going to make one bit of difference or save the planet! Why bother??”
I’m not going to lie and tell you that you and your family can single-handedly save the planet all on your own. However, I am going to tell you that without a doubt the small changes that you and your family make are absolutely worth it. I truly believe that it’s the aggregate efforts of us all that can and will make a difference. Call me naïve, call me a dreamer, call me crazy…but is it really going to hurt to give it a try?
Okay so here are the 3 super easy things you can do TODAY to be greener:
- Turn off the water!!
Water is a precious resource and there is not an endless supply. Once it goes down your drain it heads to a water treatment facility which uses energy to clean the water to be reused. So, why not keep the amount running down your drain needlessly to a minimum?! (To find out how much water is going down your drain check out my post, “How Many Gallons Per Minute Are Going Down Your Drain?“) Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth. Turn the water off between washing and rinsing dishes. Turn the water off after 5 minutes in the shower, not 20.
2. Turn off the lights and electronics!!
Lights and electronics use electricity which comes from burning fossil fuels which are also not an endless supply. In addition, fossil fuels are not a renewable or clean source of generating electricity so unless your home is powered by clean, renewable energy like wind or solar do your part to conserve. Turn off the light when you leave the room. Turn off any electronics that you can – or better yet unplug them. Make sure that when you walk out the door that everything that can be turned off is off! If you have to, send your kids running around the house to turn things off – it will take an extra 30 seconds! I know I’ve done it!
- Sort your trash!
Put as little as possible into the trash can ‘cause you know where all that stuff is headed?? To the landfill! Make sure you are recycling everything you can. And if you aren’t set up with bins for sorting just grab some empty bags or boxes and go with it until you can get yourself properly set up for sorting. (For tips on how to get yourself set up for recycling check out my post, “How to Start Recycling at Home With Your Family“) If you are set up to sort, make sure you give everything a second look before you drop it into the landfill (trash) bin. Can you pull the packaging apart and then sort it? Can you reuse it in some way? Can you start a pile in the garden for compost?
