What Are Your Favorite Green Tips?
Posted on December 3, 2007 by
What green tips have you incorporated into your life (from this site or otherwise)? Let me know in comments and we’ll go through the best tips of 2007 at the end of the year.
Tip of the Day
Jump Start to Green - Turn the Water Heater Down
If you have kids, you may have already done this to prevent scalding injuries, but if you haven’t, you might want to take a look at your water heater setting.
~I started being more reliable about bringing my own canvas bags to the grocery store. I keep 3-4 of them in the back seat of my car, so now, it’s a no-brainer.
~When shopping, as often as I can, I decline to have my purchases bagged. This sometimes gets me odd looks, but I just explain, “I’m trying not to bring home too many plastic bags.”
~I did not re-new two magazine subscriptions because I can get the magazines at my local library. Yes, occasionally, there’s a long wait to get the new issue, but most magazines eventually have most of their issue on-line. Or, if I really want it, I can buy a recent back issue at my local Half Price Books.
~We’ve replaced all our standard light bulbs with CFLs.
~Last summer, I was pretty much the only one on my block who didn’t water their lawn. Just ask my neighbors.
~I never felt good about the amount of trash we could generate during our camping/hiking road trips. Last summer, while camping, I experimented with using cheap, plastic, washable dishes and *Light My Fire* sporks instead of plastic/styrofoam dishes and cutlery. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be!
~I make a point to recycle every scrap of paper I find - no matter how small - from my grocery list to my worthless Powerball ticket.
~I’m more conscious of how I cook foods. Instead of firing up my old, giant, inefficient electric oven, I try to use a toaster oven, crock pot, small electric griddle or gas grill when I can get away with it.
~I try to eat 2-3 meatless meals a week.
~Two words: THRIFT STORE!
~Using small bottled water (Dasanis) only when I’m leaving the house. Otherwise I buy bulk bottled water to drink while at home.
~Perhaps my greatest accomplishment: My son is a college junior majoring in Environmental Science!
Although you didn’t ask, I have a small list of things I’m going to try to incorporate in my life in 2008:
~Consistently using Nalgene bottles instead of individual bottles of water.
~Gradually revamping my front lawn into a landscape that needs little water and fertilization. Also, planting more and expanding my herb garden again.
~DRIVING MY CAR LESS!
Regular Lady, your list rocks! That’s awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
[...] and inspiring list of all the green changes she’s made. Check out her list in comments here. She has a lot of great ideas, and I decided that one of them should be today’s tip of [...]