Valerie's Favourite Green Tips!
In celebration of Earth day, I've decided to write up a few of the things that I do in trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle (every day, not just on Earth day!). They're all really easy and they're good for you, your home, and the environment! I encourage everyone to try to make at least some of these tips habit! Love the Earth!
1. Make an eco-friendly cleaning kit! It's super easy, cheap, and you avoid all the nasty toxins found in most conventional cleaning products. You probably already have most of the ingredients you need, too. Check out a few how-to tips here http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html and here http://www.threadbanger.com/decor-it-yourself/episode/DEC_20080401
2. Thrift/swap! Shopping at a thrift store means that one less garment has to be made, packaged, processed and shipped - and it saves you money. Swapping clothing with a friend gets you some new pieces while clearing out some of the stuff you no longer wear. Donating clothing to thrift stores keeps them out of landfills, and makes more affordable resources for others. If you're on tumblr, check out http://swapmeet.tumblr.com
3. Keep your thermostat two degrees lower in the colder months, and two degrees higher when it's warmer. It's hardly enough of a difference to have a noticeable effect on how you feel, but it'll save a lot of power over the year. A little more info here http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/room-by-room/better-blankets
4. Buy handmade, or do it yourself! So much money goes to big box corporations (who often use sweatshops). Wouldn't you feel more comfortable knowing just where your money is going? Support an independent artist by buying artisan goods, or (if you feel capable) make it yourself! This will help the environment because you'll avoid mass overseas shipping, wasted packaging. Also, many artists choose to use eco-friendly or upcycled materials. You can do this too if you DIY - reupholster your old chairs, turn an outdated garment into something you like, repaint those tacky picture frames - no need to trash and replace them! http://threadbanger.com and http://www.instructables.com are both great DIY resources, and http://etsy.com is my favourite place online for handmade and vintage goods.
5. Buy organic or locally grown produce. Choose something that wasn't grown with harmful pesticides and keep them out of your body and out of the ecosystem. Support local farms rather than purchasing foods that were shipped across North America - buying in-season helps with this.
6. Bring a reusable bag when you go shopping - especially to the grocery store. I even keep a cloth one folded up in my purse in case I end up buying something unexpectedly while I'm out. So many thousands of plastic bags go into landfills each year when it can so easily be avoided. Most stores now sell reusable shopping bags, or you can make your own.
7. Walk, bike, carpool, or bus when possible. I mean, do you really need to drive to the store two blocks away just to get milk? Not only will this save you on gas, but you won't be pumping as much exhaust into the atmosphere. Plus, walking or cycling are good exercise!
8. Get a reusable water bottle and/or travel mug. Those Starbucks and Timmies cups aren't recyclable, nor are the bottles of many water brands. A few facts about plastic water bottles http://www.care2.com/greenliving/enough-with-the-plastic-water-bottles-already.html
9. Bring a reusable container when you go out for dinner, especially if you're like me and often can't finish everything on your plate. A lot of restaurants provide styrofoam containers, which aren't biodegradable and contain a lot of harmful chemicals.
10. Turn things off when they aren't in use. You don't need to keep your computer on overnight - your downloads can wait, you'll save a ton of energy if you turn it off when you aren't using it for extended periods. Shut off all the lights when you leave the house, and consider turning off all power bars/unplugging laptop and cellphone chargers when you are away for extended periods - they do leech power even when just plugged in. This will also trim a little off your power bills.
A few other links to check out:
Probably my favourite online resource for green living - http://www.care2.com
Why you should by less stuff - http://www.care2.com/greenliving/help-the-earth-buy-less-stuff.html
Crafter and host of Threadbanger's Decor it Yourself Meg shares a lot of eco-friendly tips and links in her blog - http://enderbynest.blogspot.com
National Geographic's Green Guide - http://www.thegreenguide.com
Etsy's Eco-Friendly gift guide - http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/environmentally-friendly/130
Ratings of natural/green/health products - http://www.goodguide.com/
1. Make an eco-friendly cleaning kit! It's super easy, cheap, and you avoid all the nasty toxins found in most conventional cleaning products. You probably already have most of the ingredients you need, too. Check out a few how-to tips here http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html and here http://www.threadbanger.com/decor-it-yourself/episode/DEC_20080401
2. Thrift/swap! Shopping at a thrift store means that one less garment has to be made, packaged, processed and shipped - and it saves you money. Swapping clothing with a friend gets you some new pieces while clearing out some of the stuff you no longer wear. Donating clothing to thrift stores keeps them out of landfills, and makes more affordable resources for others. If you're on tumblr, check out http://swapmeet.tumblr.com
3. Keep your thermostat two degrees lower in the colder months, and two degrees higher when it's warmer. It's hardly enough of a difference to have a noticeable effect on how you feel, but it'll save a lot of power over the year. A little more info here http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/room-by-room/better-blankets
4. Buy handmade, or do it yourself! So much money goes to big box corporations (who often use sweatshops). Wouldn't you feel more comfortable knowing just where your money is going? Support an independent artist by buying artisan goods, or (if you feel capable) make it yourself! This will help the environment because you'll avoid mass overseas shipping, wasted packaging. Also, many artists choose to use eco-friendly or upcycled materials. You can do this too if you DIY - reupholster your old chairs, turn an outdated garment into something you like, repaint those tacky picture frames - no need to trash and replace them! http://threadbanger.com and http://www.instructables.com are both great DIY resources, and http://etsy.com is my favourite place online for handmade and vintage goods.
5. Buy organic or locally grown produce. Choose something that wasn't grown with harmful pesticides and keep them out of your body and out of the ecosystem. Support local farms rather than purchasing foods that were shipped across North America - buying in-season helps with this.
6. Bring a reusable bag when you go shopping - especially to the grocery store. I even keep a cloth one folded up in my purse in case I end up buying something unexpectedly while I'm out. So many thousands of plastic bags go into landfills each year when it can so easily be avoided. Most stores now sell reusable shopping bags, or you can make your own.
7. Walk, bike, carpool, or bus when possible. I mean, do you really need to drive to the store two blocks away just to get milk? Not only will this save you on gas, but you won't be pumping as much exhaust into the atmosphere. Plus, walking or cycling are good exercise!
8. Get a reusable water bottle and/or travel mug. Those Starbucks and Timmies cups aren't recyclable, nor are the bottles of many water brands. A few facts about plastic water bottles http://www.care2.com/greenliving/enough-with-the-plastic-water-bottles-already.html
9. Bring a reusable container when you go out for dinner, especially if you're like me and often can't finish everything on your plate. A lot of restaurants provide styrofoam containers, which aren't biodegradable and contain a lot of harmful chemicals.
10. Turn things off when they aren't in use. You don't need to keep your computer on overnight - your downloads can wait, you'll save a ton of energy if you turn it off when you aren't using it for extended periods. Shut off all the lights when you leave the house, and consider turning off all power bars/unplugging laptop and cellphone chargers when you are away for extended periods - they do leech power even when just plugged in. This will also trim a little off your power bills.
A few other links to check out:
Probably my favourite online resource for green living - http://www.care2.com
Why you should by less stuff - http://www.care2.com/greenliving/help-the-earth-buy-less-stuff.html
Crafter and host of Threadbanger's Decor it Yourself Meg shares a lot of eco-friendly tips and links in her blog - http://enderbynest.blogspot.com
National Geographic's Green Guide - http://www.thegreenguide.com
Etsy's Eco-Friendly gift guide - http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/environmentally-friendly/130
Ratings of natural/green/health products - http://www.goodguide.com/