How to Switch to a Greener Lifestyle

This article is contributed by E3 Man and Van.

People are becoming more and more aware of the state the Earth is currently in. Which means that they start changing their daily habits in order to give their contribution to preserving our planet’s health. Adding the financial recession, the need of going green is bigger than it has ever been. However, there are people that understand the necessity of adopting such practices, but for one reason or another still can’t ‘force’ themselves to do so. Here are some of the so called “green guilts” and how to deal with them:

1.Switching from incandescent bulbs to CFL bulbs

Many people can’t seem to make the transition, for they claim that they like the warm glow of the old incandescent bulbs. However, you will have to switch to energy saving CFL ones. Why? Firstly, the saving s you will generate are great. Not to mention the effect regular bulbs have on the environment. By replacing even one regular bulb with a fluorescent one (CFL) you prevent the emission of more than 300 pounds of greenhouse gas.

2.Not recycling jars because of them being too dirty

Sounds strange, but it is the truth. Some people admit being too lazy from time to time and that is why they don’t bother to wash their jars but rather throw them away. Especially jam, mayonnaise and peanut butter jars, which are quite difficult to wash. However, the easy thing to do here is to just pour some soapy water in the jar, put the lid on and give it a shake. This will definitely do the trick.

3.Buying water in plastic bottles

Sure, a lot of people are reluctant to drinking tap water and it is easy to understand why. But using a huge amount of plastic bottles is definitely not the ‘greenest’ thing one can do. Plastic is probably the material that dissolves the slowest and if not properly recycled can contribute a lot to the world’s pollution. However, many are still reluctant to giving up using plastic bottles, as they consider them quite convenient. The solution to this is to just install a water filter under the sink. It is a smart investment, no doubt about it.

4.Not recycling batteries

This is actually quite a big deal, so to speak. Batteries contain corrosive acids and heavy metals and should not be discarded along with your regular trash but rather recycled, as they pollute the soil, water and air. There is no excuse for not recycling, as nowadays there are bound to be dozens of places near your home where you can take the batteries to be recycled. And try using rechargeable batteries that will last you much, much longer.

5.Using paper and plastic cups instead of a thermos or a mug

The statistics here are quite striking. In North America alone, over 130 billion paper cups get used each year. And since they are usually coated, they can’t be composted or recycled. At the office, bring a coffeepot and ask everybody to bring a mug of their own. However, if you travel by car, there is basically no excuse for not carrying a thermos.

6.Not bringing a tote bag to the store

A lot of folks still use a ton of plastic bags each month. And if you are not sure what harm they make to the environment, just go back and look at the example with the plastic bottles. Totebags can be reused for years and years, making them a cheap and efficient investment. In order not to forget to bring one to the store, keep your totebag near the front door so that you can take it o your way out. Ladies can easily keep one in their handbag.

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Green Living, recycling