10 Easy Tips for an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle!

Ever heard the saying “small changes make a big difference”? Well, we have – in fact, we believe there is a lot of truth to that maxim! Consider this: turning off the water faucet while you brush your teeth or shave can save up to 3 gallons of water each day! That’s 90 gallons of water you save a month, just imagine the cost savings to your household energy bill (not to mention the impact this could have on the rapidly declining freshwater sources like The Great Lakes!).

We’ve compiled a list of 10 basic tips which we believe serve as a great starting point for anyone concerned about reducing waste and leading a more earth-friendly lifestyle. It’s worth emphasizing that these tips, although very helpful, are quite basic. There is much more to be done if we are to reduce our harmful effects on this earth.

1. Close the curtains in your home in the summer when it’s sunny and when it’s cold in the winter. This creates additional insulation and could reduce your energy consumption by up to 25 percent.
2. Stop delivery of phone books to your home and use online directories instead. If you must receive paper telephone directories, be sure to recycle them when you no longer need them.
3. Reuse paper or plastic shopping bags as trash can liners. You’ll not only save money on those expensive trash-liners, you’ll save some energy and a few trees along the way!
4. Use a clothesline to dry your laundry whenever it’s possible. You won’t be paying for the sunlight you’ll use, which is always a bonus!
5. Take a shorter shower. Spending even two minutes less in the shower could save more than 10 gallons of water.
6. Even better, install low-flow water-saving shower heads. This could save as much as 800 gallons of water per month!
7. Use solar chargers instead of the traditional electric chargers to power your electronic devices. Solar chargers on the market today can be bought for under $100 and can usually be used interchangeably with different cell phone brands as well as to power mp3 players. Solar energy is not only less harmful to the environment than electricity, it’s also free!
8. Recycle your old electronics. Electronics are widely known to harbor toxic materials like lead and mercury. Dumping old computers, televisions, and/or cell phones can lead to serious health and environmental risks since the toxic materials in these electronics tend to leach into the ground and neighboring water sources.
9. Reduce your in-home energy consumption by using less electricity. You can use less electricity by investing in compact fluorescent light bulbs or LED lights. These are much more energy efficient than the traditional incandescent bulbs and are proven to reduce carbon emissions!
10. Do you use an automatic sprinkler system to water your lawn? You might want to consider installing a rain sensor which will override your sprinkler cycle during and after rain, preventing your yard from being watered unnecessarily.