May is all about mothers. That includes Mother Earth. She does a lot for us, so the best gift you can give her is to go green. Doing so doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. In fact, it’s surprisingly easy. Just follow these tips:
Recycle, Upcycle
Recycling is as easy as setting up a recycling area in your kitchen or garage. Buy some containers so you can keep separate paper, plastic and glass products. Many communities offer weekly recycling pick-up. An even easier way to keep items out of landfills is to upcycle. That means repurposing items you might otherwise throw away. POPSUGAR has some great ideas for turning trash into treasure.
Skip the Bottled Water
Grabbing a bottle of water after a workout is convenient but bad for the environment. Plastic water bottles take 1,000 years to decompose. While doing so, harmful toxins can leach into the ground ultimately affecting our groundwater. Buy a reusable water bottle and install a water purification system instead.
Buy Organic
Organic foods have been steadily decreasing in price making it easier than ever to eat pesticide-free foods and save the environment. How? When you purchase locally grown organic produce you are reducing pollution. Non-organic produce is often trucked hundreds of miles from farms to grocery stores. The more locally grown produce you buy, the fewer trucks there are on the road.
Purchase Less
How much stuff do you really need? Keep clothing and other items out of landfills by purchasing less. Buy high-quality items that will last a lifetime instead of less expensive things that break quickly and need to be thrown away — only to be replaced by something equally cheap.
Donate
You might not want your gently used items but someone else does. Donating to a thrift store helps less fortunate individuals purchase inexpensive clothes for themselves and their children. Many thrift stores support charitable organizations which in turn helps your community.
Use Fewer Chemicals
From cleansers to fertilizers, we are constantly contaminating the environment with harmful chemicals. Eco-friendly detergents, cleansers and degreasers are available at most stores and cost only a few cents more than their less environmentally friendly counterparts. Compost your leftovers instead of purchasing fertilizer for your garden.
Go Paperless
Most of us use our computers, but many of us still print out copies of reports and emails. Do you really need to do that? Store files on the Cloud instead. Use both sides of the paper when you must print.
Turn It Off
Leaving your electronic devices on can add up to 10 percent to your energy bill every month, according to the Department of Energy. You’ll save even more if you turn off lights and unplug appliances when not in use.
Try Meatless Mondays
There is no need to go vegetarian or vegan to save the environment, but one meatless Monday a week could save the equivalent of driving 1,160 miles. Less driving means less pollutants in the air.
Opt Out of Junk Mail
Nobody likes receiving junk mail, but did you know it takes 24 trees to produce one ton of the paper most used in junk mail? That’s 96 million trees per year. Save trees and time by opting to receive fewer mailers. Here’s how.
Support Locally Owned Businesses
Small, locally-owned businesses deserve your support. They give back to the community, create jobs and often are environmentally friendly. You’ll also use less gas getting to them.
Purchase a Home in Amira
A new home isn’t an inexpensive purchase but can help save the environment. Beazer Homes has received the 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award six years in a row. It was one of only three publicly traded builders to do so this year. Perry Homes takes extra measures to be environmentally responsible by integrating building materials that are durable, sustainable and/or made from recycled materials. Both builders install ENERGY STAR appliances that are more eco-friendly and energy-efficient.
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