Now is a great time to get your entire family thinking of ways they can contribute to improving our environment. It’s easy and rewarding to build an eco-friendly plan for you and your family. These ideas can give you some basic ideas you can implement right now and help your kids learn their actions can make a difference now and into the future.
*Leave the water turned off while you brush your teeth. This simple step can save up to four gallons of water a minute. That means that a family of four can save up to 200 gallons of water a week by implementing this simple step.
*Turn off lights when you leave rooms and ensure everything is turned off when you leave for the day.
*Make it a house rule that televisions, computers, DVD players, and game consoles be unplugged before you go to bed, because these days the off button for these items is not really off but a type of standby. This means they’ll be using energy even when they are turned off unless they are unplugged. This can add up to a savings of over $200 annually simply by ensuring you unplug these electronic devices.
*Set up a permanent recycling bin in your home or garage and use it everyday. It takes 90% less energy to recycle an aluminum can than to make new ones, so think of all the benefits that recycling has.
*Walk, ride your bike, or carpool in order to conserve gas and save money.
*Bring your own bags to the grocery store so that you do not have to waste plastic or paper bags.
*Start composting by using red wiggler worms. Worms speed up decomposition by eating and digesting organic matter like leftover foods and vegetables, lawn waste, leaves, and even paper. You can get starter worms and bins online and don’t need a large space to start the process.
*Buy locally grown fruits and vegetables in your town’s farmers market. Make buying local fresh foods a priority-it’s healthier for you and the planet.