Reusable Bags
Say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. The New Year brings us a chance to make small changes to our lives – and stick to them. Here’s a small list of eco-friendly New Year’s plans, including a list of built-in excuses, and ways to (re)discover that it’s easy being green after all.
Walking Anywhere
The 2011 Excuse: It’s all too easy to take the car. That’s one time-honored excuse to avoid walking. It’s equally as true that certain areas don’t lend themselves to easy strolls to the grocery store. Who wants to cross busy streets on foot when it’s easier to drive?
The 2012 Plan: If you walk only a half-hour a day, you’ll reduce carbon dioxide by over eighty million tons. Plus, you’ll add some stress relief and some daily exercise to your new, 2012 routine.
Buying a Water Bottle
The 2011 Excuse: Why buy a stainless steel or BPA-free water bottle if you can drink out of a plastic bottle that’s available in every vending machine or drug store? Plus, sometimes we’re just lazy, tricking ourselves into thinking it’s easier to buy water bottles in bulk from the supermarket.
The 2012 Plan: Dumping the plastic water bottles for good can cut down on waste. After all, most plastic water bottles are a waste of resources. When you drink from plastic water bottles on a regular basis, chances are you’re ingesting chemicals from the plastic. Most eco-friendly reusable water bottles can be found for a relatively inexpensive price and are well worth the purchase. You’ll be protecting your body from toxins and protecting the environment from extra waste. If you must drink from a plastic water bottle, go with one that has the numbers #1 or # 5 on the bottom and avoid numbers #3, #6, or #7, as those numbers all contain potentially toxic materials.
Reusable Shopping Bags
The 2011 Excuse: We can reuse those plastic grocery bags for anything from trash liners to doggy messes. But the problem is that we can easily stockpile bags. I’m guilty of the same thing: I’ve somehow managed to compile dozens of plastic grocery bags, more than we could ever use.
The 2012 Plan: Keep a small pile of reusable shopping bags in the trunk of your car. Once you’ve unpacked your groceries, make sure that the bags go right back out to the car. Make a vow not to bring new plastic bags into the house until you’ve safely used the ones you’ve got.
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