Things You Can Do At Home

You don’t have to make huge sacrifices or big lifestyle changes to become more environmentally conscious.  Here, from earth911.org, are a few easy tips to employ:

Around the Home:

• Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. They can be used over and over again and thrown in with your weekly load of towels each week.
• Make your own less toxic cleaning alternatives using baking soda, soap and vinegar. You will save money and your house won’t smell like a hospital!
• When repainting a room, be sure to look for paint that is low VOC (volatile organic compounds). Several manufacturers now offer VOC paints and they don’t leave that paint fume smell!

In the Home Office:

• Pay your bills online (saves paper and postage $$, too!)
• When printing documents, print on both sides of paper. You can cut your paper consumption in almost half.
• Email documents and information instead of printing and mailing them.
• Save documents on your computer or on a disk instead of in a print copy in your filing cabinet.

Your Gadgets

• Donate working electronics to charities or school programs.  They can resell or refurbish them.
• Recycle when they break.  Electronics are the new “hot” item being recycled across the country.
• Refill or recycle your inkjet or toner cartridges
• Use recycled, post-consumer content paper in your printer. Most local office supply stores, such as Staples, offer a growing selection of environmentally friendly papers.

For lots more info and practical steps you can take to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, visit www.earth911.org.