I recently finished reading “It’s Easy Being Green.” In it are a number of recommendations on what you can do to help the environment, a day at a time. So I’ve listed the items I want to focus on here so I can add them to my eco-wishlist.
- Take short showers.
- Turn the faucet off while shaving and brushing your teeth.
- Toss trash in the wastebasket, not the toilet.
- Take care of your vinyl shower curtain. – I now have a fabric shower curtain.
- Use water-based paints.
- Properly dispose of latex paint cans.
- Use rags instead of paper towels.
- Choose hydrogen- or oxygen-based bleaches.
- Buy concentrated products.
- Don’t wash clothes after every wear unless they’re really dirty.
- Buy phosphate-free, earth-friendly detergent.
- Keep my refrigerator full to cut down on energy.
- Keep the fridge at 37º F and the freezer at 3º F.
- Maintain my fridge twice a year.
- Use the toaster oven for smaller portion cooking.
- Switch to CFLs.
- Turn off the lights when not in use.
- Use ceiling fans to better circulate the air.
- Manage radiant solar gain.
- Buy gift wrap made of recycled paper.
- Reuse gift wrapping decorations.
- Get creative with gift wrapping.
- Recycle my Christmas tree.
- Choose energy-saving Christmas lights.
- Make my own gift tags.
- Participate in St. Jude’s Ranch for Children greeting cards program.
- Shop at my local farmer’s market.
- Eat less meat.
- Switch to cloth napkins.
- Decline silverware, napkins and condiments when ordering out.
- Wash fruit and veggies in a bowl of cold water.
- Turn the faucet using half the volume.
- Buy in bulk instead of single-servings.
- Collect grey water for watering plants.
- Buy quality products.
- Use rechargeable batteries.
- Buy a paper shredder.
- Recycle old athletic shoes with the Nike program.
- Recycle plastic peanuts with loosefillpackaging.com.
- Download software instead of buying the CDs, when possible.
- Buy only plastic bottles labeled with 1 or 2.
- Create notepads out of scrap paper.
- Ride my bike when running errands three miles away.
- Once a week, use public transportation instead of driving.
- Buy eco-friendly antifreeze.
- Decline housekeeping when staying at a hotel.
- Don’t take the complementary bottles.
- Use biodegradable pet bags.
So a number of new items on the list. I’ll indicate that these are from It’s Easy Being Green with an “E” to clarify the source. Here’s to an eco-friendly 2008!
UPDATE: Reviewed Jan. 4, 2009.
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