How can I be and live more green in simple ways?

Question

I feel guilty when I am not living green when I know I can be. I am still young, so some simple ideas would be nice! Thx!

Answer 1

There are so many things you can do. To name a few:

-Recycle - including print cartridges, paper

-Turn off the water when you brush your teeth

-Use canvas shopping bags

-Use cloth napkins

-Use a toaster oven to reheat rather than a conventional oven

There's a list of 50 things you can do to be more green here:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Save money and the environment by making your own foam soap:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Answer 2

there are so many ways you can get involved.  

-try not to keep lights or tvs or things on to save electricity

-don't waste paper

-recycle (that is a big one)

-don't litter

-ride your bike or walk to places instead of using your car as much as possible

there are so many ways to get involved

Answer 3

There are a that I could put on here but I don't have all day and I don't think you want to read millions of ideas so here are just a few simple adjustments that'll make your life just a little greener. =]

* turn off lights when you leave the room. This'll save a lot of energy.

* Unplug cords for chargers, TV, boomboxes, VCR's etc when not in use.

* Let clothes air dry in the summer.

* Use environmentally friendly "eco" cleaning products such as Method, 7th generation etc or make your own cleaning solution from baking soda and vinegar with a little lemon juice for a "fresh" scent that's not artificial.

* take the bus, ride a bike or walk to school/ work.

* take reusable, durable bags (canvas ones work well) to the grocery store to eliminate plastic bags from landfills.

* If you go to get coffee use a reusable mug so you don't have as many plastic cups in the landfills.

* turn faucet off when you're brushing your teeth and take shorter showers.

* invest in environmentally friendly lightbulbs and water conserving shower heads.

* buy rechargable batteries with a charger because they never need to be disposed of.

* buy "organic " or "100% natural" foods whenever possible, go to the farmer's market or grow your own foods.  

Answer 4

Great ways to be green. You can do the littlest things and yet make a big difference.

For example: Unplugging things like chargers, fans, TV's, and things like that to save energy.

You can also recycle plastic bottles and soda cans.

You can buy 100% cotton clothes and you could be helping the environment and still look good.

these are just some thigns i know could help. =)

I would suggest a hybrid car haha but for now stick to the little things.  

Answer 5

There are so many simply ways to help the world.

Recycling is important-lots of stuff can get recycled, not just cans and bottles-computers, papers, etc.

Reusing is even more important-recycling takes energy to make the stuff into new things, reusing takes no extra energy-use cloth towels instead of paper towels, carry a refillable water bottle instead of buying water in plastic bottles, give stuff you don't need away on freecycle or craigslist instead of tossing it

Don't use more electricity than you really need-turn lights off when you leave the room, don't have the tv on when you aren't watching it, really important-unplug stuff when you're not using it, tvs and stuff use a lot of power even when they're not turned on

Carpool-next time you're in a traffic jam look at all those people who are sitting alone in their cars, two people per car=half as many cars and a lot less gas used plus less traffic jams

Buy local-it really hurts the environment to buy fruit from across the country when maybe that same type of fruit grows right near you, try to buy when local growers and eat food that is in season, not stuff shipped in from Chile or somewhere.

These are some simple ideas to help and there are lots more out there.

Answer 6

All of the answers on here are very good.  One thing I've done is I've sold my truck and bought a bicycle.  I'm not saying everyone can do this except I only live 2 miles from my job so I can ride to work.  But I think most people are relatively close to a grocery store or pharmacy so instead of jumping in your car to run an errand try jumping on one of the most efficient forms of transportation known to man: a bicycle.  Or walk if you prefer.  Just a suggestion!

Answer 7

Carpool

Turn off the lights when not in use

Buy organic clothing & inspire others to be green: http://www.peacefrogs.com/store/category...

Walk instead of driving

Recycle, recycle, recycle: http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/...



Found some good tips for making your home environmentally friendly on HGTV:

http://www.hgtv.com/organizing/carters-e...

A fun blog on going green and sharing your own recycling ideas: http://www.peacefrogs.com/pfblog/

Also, a very resourceful site with 50 tips to go green: http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22...

Answer 8

How about inspiring other people?

Check this link for great ideas:

Answer 9

All the stuff that's been said is good - and quickly habit forming!  We do a lot of this stuff anyway cuz it saves money.

Now here's one I think is huge:

Ride a bicycle.

Not only do you save a ton of money if you don't need a car say to get to work (insurance, gas, car payment, maintenance, parking, etc.) buy you do make a difference in the single largest source of air pollution in our cities... the automobile.

Also - as a life choice you are healthier and more active.  It can be daunting though if you live in a city where anything but an auto on the road is an annoying afterthought.

Answer 10

Going green is easy, there are so many great resources about the subject. My personal favorite is "The Green Book" which has parts of its book online as well at www.readthegreenbook.com.

As I have been striving to "Go Green" I realize it is like stepping back in time without getting rid of my modern conveniences. I'm doing many things I learned as a child, like line drying my clothes, sweeping instead of vacuuming, opening the windows in the morning to catch the cool breeze, only buying what I need instead of everything that looks cool, growing some of my own food, and canning what I can't eat now.

To me "going Green" is a frame of mind. Do what fits your lifestyle and do the easy things first, it is a process and like dieting if you go to radical to soon, you are more likely to go back to bad habits. I also believe there are good, better, best choices in most things. If you aren't ready to start a home garden, then try finding a farmers market, until you locate one look for produce grown as close to home as possible and go organic when available.

Many people think "going green" is expensive, I disagree. Some changes may take an initial investment, but they usually have a short payoff time. Things like weatherstiping and insulation cost, but the energy savings will add up quickly. You may need to purchase reusable bags, but most stores give you a 5 or 10 cent credit, so you are paid back within a few months.

My top tips are make your home more energy efficient, that also means using natural light, cooling and heating.

Reduce your packaging, if you eat more fresh food you will generally reduce packaging, it's the same thing they tell dieters, shop the perimiter, that is where all the meat, dairy and produce are located. Only buy what you will use, many Americans throw away a lot of unused food. Buy in bulk, that doesn't just mean large packages, but that area with the bins that you buy only what you plan on using.

Replace disposable items with durable items, if you eat outside often and use disposable paper or plastic plates, it is a wise investment to purchase a set of reusable plastic plates. Replace disposable razors, diapers and cleaning products like swiffer. Avoid bottled water, get a home filter like Pur or Brita.

Recycle, www.earth911.org will help you locate the nearest recycle center. I try to only purchase plastics that are #1 or #2, they are more easily recycled. I also buy recycled products when available, that includes paper towels, napkings, toilet paper, tissue, school/office supplies and clothing.

Detox your cleaning, vinegar and baking soda clean almost anything, they can even losen a hair clog. Seventh Generation and Method are a couple mainstream brands that are very earth friendly.

Just start small and build from there, don't get overwhelmed.

Answer 11

I have been asked myself the same question! I have been trying to buy recycled products. I buy all recycled office supplies. I buy them through http://www.SupplyBrothers.com

Not all of their products are recycled but a lot of them are. visit their green page at http://www.supplybrothers.com/green-supp...

to find out which ones are recycled.