What are other ways to "go green" instead of recycling?
Posted by admin on Jun 5, 2009
I just got an idea for an event where i work and i'm thinking since being green is "all the rage" not to mention you're doing good for the community and the environment. i wanna build on this idea..what are sum suggestions besides the obvious, recycling, to go green?
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.
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.
That's cool that you're interested in this. One thing that I recently did was I purchased an electric bike. For pretty everything I do around town, I take it and only use my car when I'm going to a different city or any type of long drive. I got my bike from http://www.premiumelectricbikes.com. Another thing that you can do is just general conservation. Turn your lights off when you leave a room, get reusable grocery bags, avoid using as many plastics when possible. Stuff like that will go a long way, especially if everybody does it.
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its really ez to go green. instead of recycling you can use "green" products. some say "green" on it. u can also help by planting flowers and stuff to keep the environment haelthy, i mean like u can totally put it on ur windowsill or something. theres so many ways its so hard to pick a few. go to hugatree.comtheres way more info on tht.
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Reuseable coffee cups and drink cups. Starbucks recently had a reuseable cup, for hot or cold, that came with a straw. I love mine. I take it everywhere I go. I also carry bamboo eating utensils. Try challenging everyone at work to go plastic free for a week. Except for things that can't be avoided (ie. contact saline, prescription meds. etc) if it's made of plastic or comes wrapped in plastic or has any plastic connected to it, it can't be used or purchased. That would mean the little styrofoam trays that lots of things come packaged on are out, the lids and straws that come with all take out drinks are out. This excerise is a real eye opener as to how much plastic is really out there.
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Plant a garden. Use both sides of paper. email instead of sending letters. cancel all your JUNK MAIL… thats a big one. buy those eco lights from walmart. pick up litter even if its not yours. carpool. ect
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switching to geico.
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stop buying into this neo- religon by the environazis there just a many scientist who say this is just the cycle the planet goes thru & if you look at the fossil record it show there is usually a 30 to 40 year cycle like this up until 1975 many of the global warming crowd were saying we were heading into another ice age check Time magazine article about it in that year also this was one the coldest winter on record so most likely this will be ending in the next couple of years
References :
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 http://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.
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, http://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.
References :
There are many ways, for example walk or cycle short journeys instead of using car, reuse bags instead of getting plastic bags each time in store,
use energy from sustainable resources eg solar, wind hydro or obtain your power from a supplier who is green. Try to buy local produce to reduce carbon miles, the amount of transportation on some goods is huge,
Grow your own then there will be no carbon miles and it will be lovely and fresh.
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I was lucky enough to do Permaculture course at Kinsale College of further education Ireland
COMPOSTING! You can compost almost anything. I would say start with things in the kitchen (ex: vegetable peels, napkins, coffee filters/grinds, egg shells)
CLEANERS! instead of using harsh chemical cleaners use simple vinegar and water…Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and can be used on almost all surfaces.
FOOD! Buy local… Buy local!!! its summer time now and that means local farmers markets will start to open up, maybe even in your neighborhood. You could be eating fruits and veggies that were grown right by your home rather than buying ones that have traveled a very long way and have used a lot of fuel to reach their destination.
—-Hope this has helped you. Good luck with building on your idea! Please, keep me posted.
Gina
gina@newtonstudios.com
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Use hybrid cars, don't waste electricity or water. Turn things off when you're not using them. Take 10 to 15 minute showers.
VIVA LA RAZA!
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The best "non recycling" way to go green is simply conserve. Don't throw stuff away. When stuff breaks, fix it. Turn off lights. When its yellow don't flush. Turn up the AC in the summer and turn down the heat in the winter. Replace all of your home lights with CFLs. Ride a bike to get places.. Plant a garden. Food grown right at your house does not have to be trucked hundreds of miles before you can eat it.
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Another way to go green besides recycling is to reduce the consumption of natural resources. It will help conserve the resources at source. For instance - if we reduce our consumption of paper plates, less trees will be fell. In the case of water, recycling water is expensive, so we need to save fresh water. Here are some tips on water conservation that might be useful - http://www.bewaterwise.com/tips01.html
In my opinion reducing and reusing can be very effective steps in going green, apart from recycling.
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One of the best alternatives to recycling is reducing your energy consumption. Here's a great resource:
http://www.greenstudentu.com/encyclopedia/energy/conservation
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http://www.greenstudentu.com/encyclopedia/energy
To help better understand how can we contribute to a greener environment and also save money while doing it, i have written this:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1701455/what_it_means_by_going_green_and_save.html?cat=57
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