Five Simple Steps to Living Green

1. Saving Energy Around the House

The first steps to protect the environment you can take involves the usage of energy.  Installing CFL’s (compact fluorescent light bulbs) will definitely save you money in the long term.  CFL’s live 10 times longer then regular incandescent light bulbs and use 50% – 80% less energy.  Another easy step you can take is to unplug appliances when not in use.  Even when an appliance is turned off, it uses 40% of its energy.

2. Eco-Friendly Room Renovations:

If you are planning on remodeling a room and you don’t have any insulation, you might want to think about adding some.  You should also look for the Energy Star Approval Sticker (shown below) while searching for new appliances.  This means that it has been approved by Energy Star as an efficient appliance and will use less energy.

3. Organizing a Recycling Bin:

Another great step to help the environment is to set up a recycling bin.  If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save over 25,000,000 trees a year!  That is why recycling is such an important step in protecting the environment.  To begin recycling, you should request a list of recyclable materials from your local collector.  Next, have an individual bin for paper, aluminum cans, plastic containers, and unbroken glass. You then just arrange for a weekly pick-up time from the city. Most cities will do this for free.

4. Tips for Greener Travel:

We are all worried when we travel.  Are we aware of what our travel could be doing to the environment?  The number one rule of travel is to take the train, not the plane.  That simply means to travel aboard a train, rather than flying in an airplane, for planes have been proven to emit 90% more CO2 into the atmosphere than recently upgraded trains.  Also, when you are booking reservations for a hotel or resort, make sure they are an eco-friendly company and are trying their best to protect the planet.

5. Ways to “Go Green” at the Grocery Store:

Another place you should be environmentally aware is the grocery store.  Remember to bring your own cloth bags to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags.  Even though buying organic is usually more expensive, it is still healthier than eating foods grown with pesticides.  You should also try to avoid plastic containers and instead aim for glass and metal containers.