Take One Green Step at a Time
In a previous article, Living Green , I wrote about how to remodel your home the green way. You might not need to remodel your home but there are numerous little things a family can do each day to live green.
I listed some classic setbacks when going green but remember to keep trying and eventually the green way will become routine. We have been doings things poorly for a long time and we can’t change everything overnight. It will take time, practice and patience to change our old bad habits into greener good habits.
Setbacks, Tips, Thoughts and Ideas on the road to Green:
Using the green shopping bag- a great idea if you remember to bring them in the store.
Change your light bulbs to energy efficient ones but then forget to turn them off…leaving the lights on all day won’t help.
Forget to put your computer on standby because you just might feel the need to tweet something at any given moment.
Save your kitchen water for watering plants-that’s a good idea but in a reverse living house with the kitchen two flights up…is that one you are going to do? Try something you know you will do-Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth or washing the dishes. When you scrub the inside of a pot, it’s not necessary to let the water run on high pressure.
Keep up with vehicle maintenance… How many times do you bring the car into get serviced and only to get it back and then one thing after the next falls apart on you…the car was fine when you brought it in for routine check-up. I know it’s disappointing but keep the big picture in mind. At least, keep tires properly inflated.
Walk, Bike, or Carpool whenever you can.
Make your own eco-friendly laundry detergent…what busy parent that is getting the kids ready for school, working all day, cooking dinner, helping with homework, driving kids to soccer, cleaning up the kitchen is then going to make laundry detergent. It’s more realistic to try one of the eco-friendly detergents on the market.
Grow a vegetable garden… sure a couple of tomato plants, strawberries, peppers, herbs… but live off my garden?? Buy Jersey Fresh-shop at a local farmers market.
Make sure the dishwasher is full before turning it on-with a family of four, it’s full…twice a day. Try just keeping the same glass on the counter for the day to cut down on the dish washing!
Use cold water in the washing machine. Use your bath towel more than one time to dry off from a shower. After all, you are clean.
Unplug all electronics when not in use…we have so many, I would have to quit my day job. There are some that can be easily unplugged.
Turn off lights, computer, TV, and electronics when not in use. How many times do you walk in a room with the TV on and no one is watching it?
Raise your thermostat in the summer and lower it in the winter.
Paper Towels…we are all guilty of this one. How many paper towels do you use in a day. Try using a kitchen towel more.
You are watering your plants and then notice that the sidewalk is dirty…put the hose down and sweep-not water, the sidewalk.
Water yards and plants in the early morning hours and use mulch and soaker hoses to conserve water in the garden.
Sign up to help in beach clean-ups. Annual ALO on Long Beach Island is having a beach clean-up on Saturday April 17, 2010 and the 2nd Annual Earth Day Green Up Clean Up on Sat. April 24, 2010.
Instead of using chemical filled cleaning products in the kitchen use eco-friendly cleaning products
Green Take Out- if you know you always bring home a doggie bag from restaurants, bring a container from home instead of using the foam ones provided at restaurants.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle
Recycle plastic bags at local ACME food store on Long Beach Island
Recycle clothing –drop off in bins by ACME food store on Long Beach Island
Remember, it takes practice to turn better ways into habit.
Please share (in the comments below) your family green ways that have andor have not worked for you
Donate to Habitat for humanity of Southern Ocean County
Recycle at Southern Ocean County Recycling
Green Information:
