Taking Little Steps Towards Being Green
Going green can sound intimidating. There are so many
things you should do to be green that even getting started is difficult.
But that's why taking little steps makes so much more sense. You don't
need to be thoroughly environmentally sensitive in a day. If you take it
a step at a time you can get to where you want to be with less of a
struggle.
Pick something simple to start with, perhaps as simple as turning on
fewer lights in the house or replacing incandescent bulbs with compact
fluorescent bulbs.
Another easy place to start can be recycling. This is easier in some
areas than in others. Depending on where you live you may be able to
recycle paper, metals and most plastics, or you may be more limited.
Many areas only take plastics numbered 1 or 2, for example. You may be
able to throw it all into a single bin or you may have to separate your
recyclables.
The thing to remember is that recycling does not take you significantly
longer than just throwing things into the trash. Just a moment's thought
as to whether or not the item needs a very fast rinse and where should
you put it?
As you get comfortable with the little things you can do to be more
green you can work on the more challenging items. Little things like
remembering to watch for recycle bins when you are out and about, or
taking recyclables home are not always easy or convenient.
Taking on the Challenges
More challenging can be making the bigger lifestyle changes, such as
simply consuming less. Despite the temptation, it makes more sense to
buy less than it does to upgrade to environmentally friendly items. That
old cutting board still works? You don't need the bamboo one. Wait to
replace the things you already own until they actually need replacing.
Electronics can be very hard to cut back on. Most families have more
than one television, and things like MP3 players, cell phones, computers
and so forth. The trouble comes in how often these get replaced, and how
that is done.
Electronics should always be recycled. This isn't always easy, but you
can search out places where you can do this in your area. But more
important is to decide how often you really need to be buying new
electronics. You just have to watch all the people crowding to buy the
latest gaming system or cell phone to know that a lot of electronics
that still work just fine are about to be disposed of. Do you really
need to take part?
There are many more things you can do to be more environmentally
friendly in your lifestyle. Making changes can take time and aren't
always going to be easy, but you can start with the changes that are
easier for you and work up to the difficult ones. Individuals can make a
difference when they choose to work at it.
About the author
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://www.greensahm.com/ about being green as a stay at home mom. For more tips on being more environmentally friendly, visit her site.