Print on both sides of paper
American businesses throw away an estimated 21 million tons of paper every year, equal to more than 175 pounds of wasted paper per office worker reports 50waystohelp.com. Remember to print on both sides of sustainably certified and/or recycled paper and recycle all paper after use.
Give something away
Make a commitment to give something unused away each month. A book, an item of clothing, a DVD you won’t ever watch again or even an item of furniture gathering dust in the garage. Each item or object that is reintroduced into the consumption stream means one less item will be manufactured.
Obey speed limits
The laws of aerodynamics say that the aerodynamic drag on your vehicle increases as a squared term. This means that going 10% over the speed limit results in an increase in drag force of 21%. Since more than 50% of the engine power is used just to overcome drag and maintain a steady pace at highway speeds, the faster you drive the more gasoline you use. Obeying the speed limit eliminates unnecessary gasoline waste.
Use a green toothbrush
Most dentists recommend you change your toothbrush every three months. The unfortunate part of good dental hygiene is most toothbrushes are made from plastic and are not recyclable.
If you consider that a person who lives an estimated 85 years (with teeth intact) could potentially brush their way through 340 toothbrushes in their lifetime. Multiple that by the combined North American population of 339.2million people (33.5million Canadians and 305.million Americans) with everyone discarding 340 toothbrushes in their lifetimes and more than 115.328billion toothbrushes will potentially end up in the landfill. Choose a green toothbrush with a replaceable head and with a handle made from recycled content.
Read an eco-book/watch an eco-film
Commit to watching one eco-film or reading one eco-book each month. The planet is in serious crisis and before we figure out how to fix it, we have to wake up to the reality of the depth of problems facing every living thing on earth. It is hard to change laws when people don’t understand what is wrong and continue to believe climate change is a just some weird weather anomaly. Visit our Reviews Section for some green book and film suggestions.
Adopt a shelter animal
Each year in the USA, more than 5-6 million healthy dogs and cats are euthanized because shelters are unable to find homes for the animals. Yet people still continue to purchase animals from puppy mills, pet stores and breeders. Choosing a shelter animal saves a life, reduces unwanted animal euthanasia, and directly contributes to reducing the unwanted domestic animal population.
Pay your bills online
Eliminate unnecessary paper usage and greenhouses gases created by trucks delivering bills to your home each month. If every U.S. home viewed and paid its bills online, the switch would cut solid waste by 1.6 billion tons a year and curb greenhouse gas emissions by 2.1 million tons a year, according to Time Magazine.
Switch to green power
Contact your local energy provider and find out if you have the option of switching to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as hydro, wind and solar. Consider using the Green Power Network to figure out what’s available in your area or purchasing Green-e Certified energy options for your home or business. http://www.green-e.org/
Empty your car
Empty your car of excess weight. Don’t drive around with old camping equipment, roof racks, etc. on your car. Carrying an unused roof-rack around increases fuel consumption by increasing the cross sectional area, and therefore drag, of your vehicle. Having excess weight in the car while you drive around town also reduces fuel efficiency, creates unnecessary greenhouse gas and adds pollution to an already smoggy urban environment.
Use natural body products
It’s hard to be healthy when the products we use on our bodies are filled with toxic chemicals, additives, dyes and perfumes. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that 1 in 5 personal care products contain chemicals linked to cancer, 80% contain ingredients that commonly contain hazardous impurities and 56% contain penetration enhancers that help deliver ingredients deeper into the skin. Choose natural or organic products for everything you put on, or in, your body.
Show/Hide comment form
