Month: May 2010

In five steps

Recycle

Place recycling bins next to every trash can with each possible type of bin that makes sense for the area. The cafeteria is the best place to start. Make sure each bin is clearly labeled. In fact, a nice trick to ensure understanding and compliance is to show examples above the recycling bins. (See the picture from Whole Foods.)

Buy Local Food Whenever Possible

Sounds like a pretty cool field trip, too. This is a great opportunity to teach students where their food comes from.

Start a Garden

Grow your own organic food, and get the students involved. The best way to get students to start eating healthier is to get them involved in the process of producing healthy food. And gardening is therapeutic. Before you start thinking that you just don’t have enough room to start, research gardening in small places, and ask the students for their thoughts. Don’t forget to compost to further reduce landfill waste and as a means to enrich your garden soil.

Reduce Paper Consumption

Recycling is great, but reducing is better. Put used paper in the fax machine to print on the back side, or try web based fax services like eFax. Post important updates on websites and get parents to sign up for email lists. When you do buy paper, choose environmentally friendly, recycled paper.

Educate and Involve

Get the students and parents involved. Get them excited. Teach students and teachers the benefits of turning off lights when not in use. Make sure everyone knows how and where and what to recycle. Get feedback and ideas whenever possible. Create exciting projects. Why not encourage the shop class and the science class to team up to build a solar panel or a wind turbine for the school?

Being green, or being environmentally considerate, is more a mindset than a certain set of actions. It’s all about conservation, consideration, sustainability, and looking to the future. With the right mindset, your daily choices will result in a greener lifestyle.

Reduce, then Reuse, then Recycle

Recycling is great, but reusing something that may otherwise be thrown into the recycle bin requires little-to-no energy. You can always recycle the item later. Reducing your consumption is the best choice. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it!  Consumption for the sake of spending money or “keeping up with the Jones’s” is not a sustainable lifestyle.

Before making any purchase, a green consumer will consider both the environmental implications caused by the manufacturing of the product as well whether or not the product is something the individual really needs in the first place. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.

Older is Generally Better

While the new Lexus 420h hybrid SUV is pretty sweet to look at and gets pretty decent mileage, discarding an older Honda Civic for the new hybrid is not the greener choice. The environmental footprint of building a new car is massive. It will take years for the slightly improved mileage to pay off that footprint.

Local is Better

Buying an apple at a local fruit stand versus purchasing an apple at your local grocery that was shipped cross country or across the ocean is a greener choice. The shorter the distance traveled, the smaller the carbon footprint.

Buy Used

There are some very trendy used clothing stores where you can get designer clothing for 20% (or less) of the full price. Used cars, used bicycles, and used televisions can all be had at a substantial discount guaranteeing you a cleaner, greener conscious.

Strive to be Self-sustaining

Living off the grid is great, but even small steps can enrich your life by giving you piece of mind, a healthy hobby, and a healthier body. Consider starting a small vegetable garden. Maybe just start with tomatoes. After your initial success you’ll probably be hooked and begin taking more and more steps towards being self sufficient.

Avoid Chemicals

Most chemicals are not good for the environment or for us. Limit your use of plastics, use low VOC or no VOC paint when remodeling your home, and forgo chemical air fresheners and detergents. You’ll live a greener lifestyle and enjoy a healthier home.

Conclusion

Take a few steps and start thinking about your choices and actions as you go through your day. It’s all about consideration. As time goes on, you will train your brain to be more and more aware of environmental implications.

For an easy step by step guide to reducing yoru carbon footpritn while savign money be sure to check out Going Green Today.