Earth Day April 22, 2010

Ways to Green Your Earth Day

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
It sounds simple but it really works. Get in the habit of incorporating the “three R’s” into products you use on a daily basis. This process can have an effect on what you choose to buy. It also affects how you use and dispose of things you already have. Recycle your household waste.

2. Green Your Garage

Chances are you’ve got more than a few items sitting in the garage that you don’t know what to do with. It could be:

Household cleaners

Paint/paint thinners

                                  Batteries
                                  Old sports equipment
                                  Car care products

3. Create a Compost Pile
Earth Day is in late April. Winter is over and gardens are in bloom. One of the key ingredients to your perfect garden will be nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Luckily, you can make your own fertilizer and reduce waste at the same time. This is known as composting. You just mix raw food scraps from your kitchen with leaves from your back yard and water.

4. Buy Recycled
You likely already do this without knowing it. When products are recycled, this material is used as the main ingredient for new products. So buying recycled content creates a market for recycling. Most times the packaging will be labeled if it is recycled content, so keep an eye out.

5. Party Smart
Late April is also a great time for parties. But parties can generate a lot of waste. Here’s a few tips for an eco-friendly party:
Set up recycling bins for plastic bottles
Buy large quantities of food and drinks to reduce packaging
Encourage guests to bring their own glasses and/or plates to reduce waste (there will also be less confusion about which drink belongs to each person)

6. Take Advantage of the Weather

Depending on where you live, this time of year has some of the nicest weather. Try opening windows instead of running the air conditioning and/or heater. This will also save some money on your energy bill.

Nice weather is also a great excuse to drive less. Walking helps your health and is better for the air.

7. Use Water Wisely
Saving water around the house is important because it is a limited resource.
Here’s a few easy ways how:
                                                      Take shorter showers
                                                      Put a filled bottle in your toilet tank
                                                      Reuse water around the house, such as
                                                      using cooking water for plants

8.Ask a friend to go with you to a farmers’ market, and buy local products when possible. A huge amount of energy goes into transporting goods from where they are produced. Stuff produced closer to home uses less of that energy.

Well that was just a few ideas on how we can be green. There are so many more ways that we can help our environment stay green.   
Take Care,
Roger & Lisa
Good Living Products