Eco-conscious living isn’t just for hippies and Greenpeace anymore. Everyone from Al Gore to Jessica Alba has jumped on the bandwagon to promote a greener lifestyle. If you’ve been toying with the idea of doing your part but aren’t sure where to start, there’s no better time to get involved then Earth Day on April 22.
“We only have one earth,” says Paula Aldarelli, Executive Director of EarthShare New Jersey, an environmental non-profit in Trenton. “With technology, we’re learning more and more about the impacts our actions have on our environment. We can’t change what’s been done in the past, but we can make sure what we do in the future doesn’t have a negative impact.”
Here are Aldarelli’s top tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle:
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Air Freshener
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that the air within homes and buildings can be more polluted than outdoor air. Since we spend 90 percent of our time inside, this could be an easy thing to correct. Circulate the air by opening windows and using fans.”
Less Is More
“Use less water by taking shorter showers and only using appliances when you have a full load. Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth. Choose smart appliances for shower heads, low flow toilets and faucet aerators. Plant drought resistant vegetation that won’t require as much water. In the end, you’ll not only reduce your water usage but also your water bills!”
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
“Global warming is causing serious changes in our climate and weather systems. Help change that by driving a fuel efficient car, walking, biking or carpooling, or using mass transit to get around. Weatherize your home and use energy efficient appliances.”
Help Pets Go Green
“Adopt from a shelter. Have your pet spayed or neutered. Keep cats inside. Get rid of fleas and ticks naturally with a fine-toothed flea comb, or add garlic or brewer’s yeast to food to make them taste bad to bugs. Use biodegradable poop bags and buy green ID tags made from recycled materials.”
Recycle and Reuse
“Only 30 percent of water bottles actually get recycled and there’s no proof that the chemicals used to make plastic aren’t leaching onto your water bottle. Thirty-eight pollutants were recently found in ten brands of bottled water, some of which are linked to cancer. Filtering your own tap water also saves you money!”
Waste Less Food
“Americans spend $90 billion annually on food that never gets eaten. Shop wisely by using lists. Buy fruit that may be perfectly good but isn’t the perfect color or size. Compost food scraps and donate non-perishable items to food banks, soup kitchens, pantries and shelters.”
Turn Off Your Car
“Do you sit in the car at the drive-up window with the car running? Turn off the engine. Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning the engine on and off. An idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than driving at 30 mph. Fifteen minutes of idling emits almost 1 pound of CO2. By turning off the car, you decrease costs for fuel, car maintenance, health care and global warming.”
Say Sayonara to Snail Mail
“Select electronic billing and cancel unwanted catalogs. This saves trees, reduces global warming, saves water which is used to produce and recycle junk mail and saves you time from dealing with it. If you can’t stand to part with the hard copy, make sure you recycle the mail you don’t need!”
Give Your Gym a Green Makeover
“Take your workout outside whenever you can, or inspire a green makeover at your club by encouraging recycling bins and energy-efficient equipment. Select cotton or bamboo threads for sweat-friendly green fabrics. Invest in secondhand equipment rather than a new bike and weights. Use a refillable water bottle and recycle your cross-trainers through Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program so they can take on a new life as a track, basketball or tennis court.”
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