Living a Green Lifestyle

With the new recycle bins that have appeared at everyone's home, we as a community have embraced the value of recycling.

A thousand years is a long time… but that’s about how long a plastic water bottle will last before it disintegrates.  The fact that you’re reading this probably indicates you care about the environment and want to do your part to protect it.  

More and more homeowners are taking the following simple – but important and effective – steps to make their lifestyles greener… and their planet more beautiful and healthy.

• Invest in a water filter. It’s a much greener (and cheaper) alternative than buying and discarding aforementioned plastic water bottles, which will outlive you, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren, your great-great-grandchildren… you get the picture.  
• Bring your own grocery bags to the store instead of using their provided plastic or brown paper bags. If you must use a plastic bag, make it do double duty as a trash bag for your bathroom waste can or for collecting pet droppings from the yard.
• Wash and reuse plastic plates and cups instead of buying and throwing away paper or Styrofoam whenever you host a barbeque, picnic or party.
• Bring your own mug when you go get coffee. Being green is even trendier than toting around that branded cardboard cup.
• Go paperless: Pay bills and bank online. You’ll use less paper and put money in your pocket by not using stamps.  
• Start a compost pile in your backyard. Alternate layers of garden waste and food scraps with thin layers of soil and stir every one to three weeks. Add some earthworms to make your compost especially fertile.  Once the pile turns dark and crumbly, work into your garden or lawn as a conditioner.
• Whenever possible, leave your car at home and carpool or use public transportation to get to work, school or shopping.
• Want to brighten your home?  Let the sun shine in:  Open the blinds and let the sun’s warmth flow in instead of flipping on the light switch in every room of the house.

Get involved in a local club that promotes green awareness, sets up community recycling programs and interacts with government officials when it comes to environmental legislation. Not only will you do your part for the environment, but you’ll also meet new and interesting people.