by J. Van

Created on: March 05, 2009

Going green is on everyone's to-do list these days, but the concept can be intimidating if you don't know where to start. Here are a few tips for some simple ways to make your personal environmental footprint just a little bit smaller.

Buy Organic AND Buy Local

In addition to the health benefits to your and your family, buying organic food and household products is a tangible way to show your support for green companies. In a way, you are using your hard-earned dollars to "vote" for producers who do not use environmentally harmful substances, such as certain herbicides and pesticides, on our landscape. However, since mainstream producers still outnumber organic ones, organic products sometimes need to be shipped over longer distances than their mainstream counterparts. Shipping burns fuel, increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Your best option, then, is to find a local source of organic products. The shorter the distance the product travels between its origin and you, the better. This policy is applicable to every item you buy.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

It's not a new philosophy, but it's a good one. Take a hard look at what you consume. You may find it surprising how much you waste. Look for ways to reduce the number of items you buy, and the number of trips you take to buy them, if you're travelling by car or other motorized transportation.

Look closely at the amount of packaging used in products you buy the most. Some markets allow you to bring back used egg cartons or juice containers to be re-used, in exchange for a few cents off your bill. Most grocery stores sell sturdy cloth grocery bags as an alternative to paper or plastic ones. Consider bringing one of these with you when you are out doing other kinds of shopping, too. Get creative with materials that you regularly throw away. For example, the backs of those brightly colored flyers mixed in with your junk mail would be perfect drawing paper for the kids, and, with the addition of the "confetti" from your home office hole-punch, you having the makings of a fun art project.

Make recycling routine in your home. Try making your kitchen garbage a small container, and repurposing your old garbage as a recycling bin. The small space available for "real" garbage will force you to stop every time you go to throw something away, and consider whether it could actually be recycled instead. If it takes a few moments to separate a recyclable from a non-recyclable, take that time. Try to fill the tiny kitchen garbage as slowly as possible, and you will be well on your way to decreasing the amount of waste your household produces.

Out of Sight Is Not Out of Mind

When we pull the plug on the kitchen sink or flush the toilet, it's easy to forget that our plumbing leads to somewhere. While waste water seems to magically disappear from our homes, it doesn't cease to exist. Most sewage goes through treatment facilities before it re-enters the environment, but some substances are not readily removed, and could be a threat to water quality. Do not pour toxic substances, such as cleaning fluids, paints, or expired medicines, down the drain. Instead, talk to your local authorities about the proper way to dispose of them. Some communities sponsor events where hazardous chemicals and other unwanted materials can be dropped off for safe disposal. Consider using non-toxic soaps and detergents, or better yet, make your own out of non-toxic ingredients. Baking soda and a little water is great for scouring surfaces; vinegar and water cleans and deodorizes like a dream.

The time and effort you take to make your lifestyle greener will pay dividends in our children's futures. Your investment in our beautiful world is worth it.

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