Do you believe you are earth-conscious? You are out there doing your part to save the planet and live a sustainable life. You are the expert of all of your friends when it comes to being eco-friendly. Are you sure you’re doing all you can? Take this self-evaluation to determine just how eco-friendly you are.
* Use energy-saving light bulbs in your home.
* Turn off electronics at night (TV, computers, radios, etc.).
* Turn off lights when you leave a room.
* Don’t rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.
* Only run full loads for the washing machine or dishwasher.
* Wash laundry in 30-degree water.
* Hang clothes to dry.
* Skip the oven preheat except for baking.
* Recycle newspaper.
* Recycle glass.
* Recycle aluminium.
* Recycle paper.
* Recycle mobile phones.
* Recycle ink cartridges.
* Recycle hangers.
* Use an eco-friendly dry cleaner.
* Use both sides of a piece of paper.
* Reuse gift wrap like bows and gift bags.
* Use reusable bags at the grocery store.
* Use reusable water bottles.
* Use reusable coffee mugs.
* Use a water filtration system instead of buying bottled water.
* Use reusable lunch bags.
* Don’t use coffee stirrers.
* Stop paper bills/statements.
* Pay bills online.
* No baths, showers only.
* No running water while brushing teeth.
* Take short five-minute showers.
* Adjust your thermostat, keep your house cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer.
* Open windows and turn off air conditioning whenever possible.
* Walk or ride a bicycle in most places.
* Use public transportation or carpool to work.
* Work from home whenever you can.
* Keep your car tuned up and well maintained.
* Plant a tree.
* Clean your home with eco-friendly cleaning products.
* Maintain your garden with eco-friendly products.
* Use matches instead of lighters.
* Cut down on the junk mail.
* Give away clothes and other items you don’t use anymore.
* Buy second-hand products.
* Use cloth nappies on your baby.
* Use wash cloths instead of wipes.
* Don’t use paper towels.
* Download software instead of purchasing the disc.
* Use e-tickets wherever you can.
* Use rechargeable batteries.
* Buy local food.
How did you do with this list? Are there areas you could improve? Are you truly the eco-conscientious person you always believed yourself to be?
Being eco-conscious is not only something you’ll find is good for our planet, but you’ll also notice some huge money savings. Your energy costs will go down as will your grocery bill. So work on reducing your carbon footprint on this planet, one thing at a time. And before you know it, you too will be living an eco-friendly life.