Saturday, February 21, 2009

Live Better, Live Greener

By Simon M Skinner

It seems all you hear today is about living a greener lifestyle. You need to reduce your carbon footprint and your environmental impact. We all know that this is important, but it can feel like being lectured at times.

Happily, there are some simple steps you can take towards living a greener life. In most cities, there is curbside recycling; so all you need to do is to separate your recyclables and place them out on the curb along with your trash for pickup - the pickup service takes care of the rest, all you have to do is separate your recyclables and take them to the curb.

Joining your local Freecycle list is another great way to live greener. Don't throw things away - put them on the list and look there for things you need instead of buying new items. Odds are, someone will want what you've got to give away. By the same token, if there's something you need, it is more than likely to be found for the taking there as well. This keeps these items out of landfills and saves everyone money.

Food scraps make great fertilizer when composted and a mess in the garbage can, so why throw it away when it can be used? You can add leaves and grass as well as coffee grounds and egg shells to your pile of compost. Fruit and vegetables that have spoiled or waste from peeling or chopping certain foods such as potatoes can also go into the pile. Don't use meat or bones as it will take too long to break down and also attract flies and other nasty insects. Water it down when it needs it to keep it active and when it comes planting time you can add it to your garden soil and grow some nice healthy vegetables.

You can use solar lights in your yard - these lights work just as well as electric lights, but cost nothing to operate and conserve the use of electricity. There are many appealing designs available and they can fit into anyone's budget. You don't need to have an electrician install them and the lights are quite bright enough to illuminate your yard. You can even get solar holiday lights, adding a cheerful seasonal touch without adding a thing to your electric bill.

Batteries are another way that you can save money and go green at the same time. Modern rechargeable batteries are long lasting, easy to charge and save you a lot of money. When they do finally run out of charges for good, they are recyclable at your local hardware store, just like broken fluorescent bulbs.

Contrary to popular opinion, it is easy to be green and even easier too go green. It saves you money while doing something good for the environment. Before you know it, living green will be second nature and you'll be looking for ways to add some more green living to your lifestyle.

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