When it comes to greening your lifestyle, little things really do mean a lot. In fact, a few small changes to your daily routine can both get you green AND save you green!
Here are a few environmentally responsible Acts of Green you can accomplish today that will reduce your carbon footprint immediately and save you money. How’s that for an easy green incentive?
1. Replace Plastic Bags With Reusable Bags. Plastic is a scourge on the planet when it comes to life on land or sea, and plastic bags—those flimsy, single-use bags you get at the grocery or convenience store—are potentially the worst offenders.
For one thing, because they’re so flimsy, most people just discard them rather than use them again. Which means they end up in landfills, where they won’t degrade—ever. Those that don’t make it to the trash often blow out to sea, where sea turtles and other marine life often mistake them for edible prey.
Think paper is a better alternative? Think again. According to the Environmental Literacy Council, paper takes a greater toll on the environment than plastic, as it burns more fuel to transport (it’s heavier) and takes up more space in landfills.
Why not invest in a few sturdy, eco-friendly canvas totes instead? You can reliably use them for years and you’ll be able to show off your green smarts at the check out line.
2. Replace an Incandescent Light Bulb With a Compact Fluorescent Bulb. Incandescent bulbs—the ones you’re probably accustomed to—were considered a marvel of modern technology when Thomas Edison perfected the design in 1879, and it took a century for engineers to come up with a commercially viable alternative.
But how do compact fluorescent bulbs—or CFLs as they’re more commonly known—stack up against incandescent bulbs when it comes to energy efficiency? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there’s no contest when it comes to energy efficient bulbs.
While a typical CFL costs more ($3.40 for a CFL, compared to about 90 cents for an incandescent), the energy savings you’ll get dwarf the competition. CFLs last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, use about a quarter of the electricity to produce the same amount of light, and produce 90% less heat.
If you swap out just two light bulbs in your home or office today, you’ll save more than $100 just on bulbs over the next five years, and you’ll reduce your energy consumption for those lights by 75%.
3. Turn the Tap Off When Brushing Your Teeth. It seems like a no-brainer, but it’s an easy thing to forget to do. Here’s why you shouldn’t forget.
A lack of clean drinking water is becoming a global crisis. Today, more than 1 billion people lack access to clean and safe drinking water, and as the population increases, so will the crisis.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, turning the tap off while you brush your teeth in the morning and evening prevents as much as 8 gallons of good, clean water from going down the drain per day, which adds up to about 240 gallons per month per person in your household. And since most people pay a utility company for water, that also adds up to savings.
4. Recycling at Home. In terms of environmental impact, recycling your household waste is a big one, and it’s surprisingly easy to do!
Paper, glass, aluminum and many kinds of plastics are readily recyclable, and many cities offer collection of recyclables as part of their municipal trash collection services. If you’re lucky enough to live in one of those cities, all you have to do is keep recyclable trash separate from your regular trash and the city will do the rest!
Even if you don’t have access to a municipal recycling program, you can still recycle. All you have to do is find a nearby commercial recycling center. This website lets you search recycling centers by Zip Code.
The benefits to the environment are huge: Recycling can divert as much as 60% of the materials that currently end up in landfills. In addition, recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to power your television for more than 3 hours!
Once you’ve done one (or more) of the above, remember to check off the act from your “Acts of Green” list to find out how much carbon you’ve saved. Then, share your accomplishment with your friends and family!
Speaking of sharing, One Million Acts of Green can be found on Facebook too. From there, it’s easy to pledge, complete and also share your acts with friends. Hopefully, they’ll get in on the act, as well!
It gets even better! Our Three to Green sweepstakes can win you a $5,000 eco-shopping spree on BuyGreen.com. Each time you complete 3 acts you’ll be entered into the sweepstakes!
Other GREEN U Articles:
GREEN U - Orientation
GREEN U - Get your Green On and Win!
GREEN U - Go Green, Get Green!