Environmental tips: Reduce, reuse, recycle and remember?
Environmental issues may be complex, but doing your part to help the planet can be surprisingly simple. Living a greener lifestyle by making small changes to your day-to-day routine can significantly impact the waste you produce. Here are few easy steps you can take this fall for a green makeover:
REDUCE: Cut down on your water usage—Conserving water isn’t a hard thing to do. It simply means being more conscious about how much water you are using and what you’re using it for. Hold off on turning the washing machine or dishwasher on until they are full. Don’t heat a full kettle of water if all you need is one cup of tea or coffee. Encourage your family to reduce their shower time by one minute. Try storing water in your refrigerator rather than allowing the tap run if you want a cold glass of water. Not only will these simple steps help to conserve water but it will help save money on your water and energy bills.
REDUCE: Yard Sale— For those household items you’ve strategically stored away which you know will never to be used again, consider holding a yard sale. A portion of the proceeds can be donated to a charity like World Vision. Using their annual gift catalogue (
WorldVision.ca/gifts) you can purchase items that will benefit the environment while helping families living in poverty. Items like the Protect the Earth package provide farming communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America with techniques, education and tools to protect trees, promote soil and water conservation. You can also purchase a wood-conserving stove for a family or solar panels for a school or clinic in a developing country, which help provide environmental sustainability.
RECYCLE: Declutter your closet—Fall means it’s time to start preparing for winter, including purging of the things you no longer use, especially clothing. If you have clothing that you no longer wear, find a charity that accepts clothing donations such as the Canadian Diabetes Association. Their Clothesline program collects and sells used clothing and reusable household items. The money raised goes towards diabetes research, education, service and advocacy.
REUSE: Cut back on the shopping bags—Next time you go shopping, don’t forget to bring your reusable bag. Stores are now encouraging customers to bring their own bags by offering attractive, environmentally-friendly alternatives for a mere nickel or dime. To prevent forgetting your reusable bag, consider storing some in the trunk of your car. It may take a little effort to remember at first, but over time BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) will become a habit.
REUSE: Used books— Why not share your used books by donating them to your local school, hospital or seniors’ home? By recycling the books, you will have double the satisfaction knowing that someone else is benefitting from the pleasures of reading, and that you have taken one more step to helping your planet.
