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The Cost of Living Green  |
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You know you should be trying to live more green, but that doesn’t necessary mean you’re in a financial position to go buy a new, fuel efficient car or to convert your home into a solar powered, geothermal heated environment. Yes there are some big ticket green living items that may be a little out of reach for a lot of us, but that doesn’t mean that the little things, small changes and small purchases, won’t add up to make a big difference. If you would like to start living more green, without breaking your wallet, consider the following suggestions:
Ditch the disposable dinnerware: summer is a time to get together with family and friends for outdoor cookouts and BBQs. And it can be very tempting to just use disposable dinnerware. But using real dishes rather than disposable is a great inexpensive way to introduce green living into your life. Disposable dinnerware is a huge waste and an environmental problem. Using real dishes may require a little more work on your part, but it makes a big difference when it comes time to gather up the trash.
Use canvas shopping bags: It is estimated that it takes a plastic shopping bag over 1000 years to biodegrade in a landfill. Using a canvas shopping bag or just reusing plastic bags is a great way to conserve and to reduce the number of plastic bags that will ultimately end up in landfills.
Stop using paper towels: I know their convenient, and it may be hard to imagine your kitchen without a roll of paper towels, but paper towels are a huge waste. Consider turning old items of clothes into kitchen rags to use in place of paper towels. You not only save money, but you also give a second life to old clothes that may have just ended up in the trash anyway.
Plant tress: planting trees isn’t just for the granola munching, tie-dyed wearing crowd. Trees filter the air we breathe and purchasing and planting trees is very inexpensive. If you have the space around your home or where you work, consider planting a few trees. Trees filter CO2 out of the atmosphere, and as you know, there is a lot of extra CO2 in the air right now. Planting trees is a great way to help reduce carbon from the air we breathe.
Eventually, solar panels and alternative heating and cooling products will be the standard and cost won’t be the issue, but until then, don’t neglect to do the little things that can make a big difference. Remember, every little thing you do adds up.
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