Nine simple ways to help the environment

While the 40th anniversary of Earth Day is marked this April 22, more and more, people are beginning to realize that every day is Earth Day. They are finding ways to contribute to help the environment beyond recycling garbage and old electronics. Practices and attitudes of living sustainably, leaving less of a carbon footprint, have become lifestyle changes and daily habits, both good for macro environmental concerns as well for local and personal concerns.

It takes time to see the waste people create in their lives. Reuse is the big ‘buzz’ word in green-speak this year, but it is an important aspect for saving the environment, and it can save money, too. From separating garbage for recycling to needless driving, discarding usable materials to extravagance with no purpose, there are countless ways people can stop making unnecessary waste in their lives by finding alternative uses for things they already have.

The goal for this year is to find 9 ways to pare waste in your life, both personal and professional, that will help create a positive change in your immediate as well as global environment. Listed below are some ideas to get started.

1 – Take an inventory of daily habits: Write a waste journal for one week that includes everything you do from driving to recycling to throwing away usable scratch paper. Then review the journal and note where you find unnecessary waste and make a plan how you can change these habits.

2 – Drive less: This one is not easy, as we live in our cars – partly because our busy lifestyles dictate that we need quick and immediate transportation. Still, find ways and days to ride your bike or walk to the store, to a friends’ house, to a restaurant, or take public transportation, especially to work.

3 – Carry a tote: Recycling plastic bags is great, but what if we didn’t use as many plastic bags? Totes and specialty bags are becoming chic, especially for grocery stores, as a replacement to plastic bags. Buy several and keep at least one in your car in case you need to make an unplanned shopping stop.

4 – Reuse plastic bags: When possible, reuse plastic bags – grocery or whatever – to use as garbage bags at home or in the car. A tremendous opportunity to reuse plastic bags is buying produce, where individual plastic bags are used for specific produce. Bring the bags back to the store and reuse them as long as possible.

5 – My friend Jennifer keeps scratch paper from old post-its, old envelopes, junk mail, bills, etc., to write notes to herself, to her husband and children. True, she has a pile of paper at any one time in her house, but she hasn’t needed to buy stationary or note pads for several years.

6 – Wear what you have: Any younger sibling will know about hand-me-downs. Why not give yourself a hand-me-down; sew ripped clothes or cover them with a patch, make a pair of shorts from pants, or even a tote from a skirt. Save some money and learn a new craft.

7 – Donate: Whether it is clothes you no longer can wear or a book already read or an old stereo collecting dust, donations keep items in circulation for reuse, helping to not only save the environment but also allows other people to be able to afford such items.

8 – Where are your drop-offs: If you must take recycling to the curb, there are two things to know. First, know what items are picked up curbside and do if they need to be separated. Also, if you can’t curbside an item, where can you take it? Know your communities recycling laws and drop-off locations.

9 – Fill er up in the A.M.: In the summer months, the midday heat warms the tanks at gas stations, expanding the gas. This means you pump less gas into your car than is registered by the pump. The ripple effect is you fill up with less gas and must come back sooner for gas, ultimately causing more use of oil and gas. Plus, it is a waste on your wallet. Fill up your car in the morning or wait until sundown.