We hope you’ve been following along in this week’s series on how to go green at home. If not, we invite you to catch up with Monday’s post on recycling and Tuesday’s post on reusing things instead of throwing them away.
Today’s tip is about a commodity that we all take for granted–water. Read on for some good ideas about how you can conserve this precious natural resource…
3. Turn off the water. U.S. households waste thousands of gallons of water every year. A significant amount of this water goes down the sink while we are brushing our teeth, washing our hair, or soaping up in the shower. Turning off the water during these activities can save a huge amount of water, which not only helps the environment, but also saves you money. Additionally, capture the cold water that is running from your faucet while you are waiting for the hot to come. You can use this to water plants or even flush the toilet.
We hope to see you again tomorrow for the next post in this week’s Going Green series!
This week we’re discussing simple things you can do at home to go green. Today’s tip asks you to change an old habit…
2. Don’t throw it away! We have a tendency not to think about items we throw away. They disappear from our sight, so they are out of our minds. But all those things that the garbage truck hauls away every week do have to go somewhere, and that place is a landfill. Landfills are a major cause of greenhouse gasses and ozone depletion. So next time you get ready to throw something away, ask yourself if you could possibly use the item in another way or donate it.
Visit tomorrow for tip #3, on saving water.
Going green, also known as eco friendly living, is a growing trend around the world. Now more than ever, people are beginning to realize the impact their actions and decisions have on the world around us. Every time we get in a car, ride on a plane, or make a purchase at the grocery store, we know that energy is consumed, greenhouse gasses are created, and landfills get a little fuller. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the vastness of it all, but relax and take a step back. No one of us has to save the world alone. But what we can do is each take a few small steps every day. Small changes make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. With that in mind, in the next five days we’re going to discuss a few easy things that you can do at home to make a big difference in the world around you.
1. Recycle. Experts agree that recycling is one of the best and easiest ways to make a difference. If every person on the planet recycled, we could reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gasses in a very significant way. Most communities have recycling programs in place already, making it easy to participate. If your city doesn’t, inquire with local officials about starting a program.
Follow up with us tomorrow for Tip #2. We’ll be counting down our 5 tips for going green all week long!
