by Annie M Manzi

Created on: February 28, 2010   Last Updated: March 27, 2010

Eco-friendly living means to exist in your habitat or environment in a simple and responsible way that does not harm your surroundings or the atmosphere. To determine if you are eco-friendly you should ask your self several questions.

* Are you recycling? Do you have home recycling bins for cans, bottles, plastics, cardboard, newspaper and anything else you can recycle easily? Do you recycle metals, batteries, oils, tires, electronics, appliances, motors, leftover commercial household cleaners, home agricultural products and paper products? Even food can be recycled in the manner of composting everything but animal matter and oils.

* Are you buying products in recyclable packaging or reusable packaging? Look for lightly packaged products. Many products being sold are over packaged. Let companies know how you feel about their packaging policies and ask them to be more eco-friendly. If enough people show concern, they may reconsider their packaging to be more eco-friendly.

* Are you using reusable bags or backpacks to carry your purchases in instead of throw-a-way plastic bags? Most disposable bags do not breakdown fast and they clog up the landfills or oceans for more than a century or two. And when they do start to break down, they often turn into chemicals that pollute our ground, air and water. Some companies use bio-degradable bags that will not take forever to disintegrate. Buy from them if you can.

* Are you buying used products and clothing? Why spend a fortune on things when you can buy them used for much less. Give the items a second life without being discarded into the landfills. Look on websites like craigslist.com or go to thrift shops, local stores, local shops, the classified ads, etc to look to buy used useful items for much less money and reduce waste.

* Is your home and home living energy efficient? Is your home insulated properly and do you have energy efficient windows? Are you wearing clothes appropriate to the weather outdoors? Dress warmly in the winter and keep you heat temperature lower. On the other hand dress lighter in the summer and keep the air conditioner off as much as possible. Cool down your house at night when the outside air is much cooler and button up the house during the day to keep the worst of the heat out. Wash your clothes in cold water instead of warm or hot. You won’t see much if any difference on how clean they get.  You will not be using energy to heat the wash water.

* Are you taking advantage of the

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