Living a greener lifestyle benefits not only the environment, but your wallet. Below are “Green Living Tips” that you can easily implement in your home.
Drink Tap Water
Did you know that it takes 4.7 million barrels of oil to product plastic bottles used for bottled water in a year? And, 80% of those bottles end up in landfills. Ditch the plastic bottle habit and get yourself a reuseable bottle instead.
Skip Plastic Shopping Bags & Use Reusable Ones Instead
Americans use 380 million plastic shopping bags per year and only 1% of them are recycled. Plastic bags don’t biodegrade – they photodegrade, meaning that they break down in smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating the soil and waterways. Eventually, these contaminated “bits” enter our food chain when accidentally ingested by animals. So, ditch the plastic – invest in canvas tote bags, each of which has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime.
Switch to Cold Water Washing
By washing clothes in cold water, you save 80% on energy used on laundry and an estimated $60 per year. Hang dry clothes instead of using a dryer and you will save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
Eliminate Vinyl Shower Curtains
Did you know that PVC vinyl shower curtains emit toxic chemicals into the air? PVC vinyl shower curtains can contain high concentrations of such chemicals as tuolene, enthylbenzene, phenol, methylisobutylketone and xylene which have been identified by the EPA as hazardous air pollutants (which can be harmful to the liver and central nervous system) in young children. Choose instead glass shower doors or shower curtains made from natural fabrics such as bamboo or cotton.