B - BE Less Wasteful

But if we had to narrow it down and say what really makes somebody or something green, it’s mostly that it isn’t wasting resources. By conserving resources and reusing what we can where we can, we have taken the biggest single step we need to save the planet. And we also save a great deal of money and reduce all the extra, unwanted stuff that clutters our lives. Remember: health is flow; sickness is blockage.

1. Reduce – Choose products that come in very lightweight packages, regardless of the material or materials from which they are made. Buy larger sizes, and buy in bulk. Purchase items in bags, rather than bags-in-boxes. And most importantly, buy only what you need or can use before it spoils.

2. Reuse – Why throw things away when you can use something more than once? Disposability is the current trend, but it actually takes more energy that it gives. And the planet can’t take it.

What to do? In a nutshell, anywhere you can replace a disposable item with a reusable item, do it.

Benefits:

a. Save money in the long run
b. Reduce items in a landfill
c. Feel better reusing something than always wasting

Examples:

• Use hand towels, they clean better anyhow
• Wash out and re-use glass jars for storage
• Buy canvas bags for grocery shopping
• Avoid excess packaging; buy in bulk

3. Recycle and Compost – The key to recycling and composting is mainly to be consciuos that when you throw something away, there is no “ away”. There’s some landfil that has near it an aquifer or underground river that ultimately will affect your drinking water. And that’s just one example of how it’s all connected.

The main thing to keep in mind regarding our waste stream is that, as much as possible, things should end up as they started out. The company that made that plastic radio, when it stops being a radio, should take it back. Send back your broken appliances to the manufacturer with a note: “ I think this is yours.” Look up local reuse non-profits in your town. And mainly, separate your trash.

But mostly, Be conscious of what you’re using. Just about anything that’s disposable has a non-disposable alternative.

A – Keep AWARE

C – Don’t CONTAMINATE

THE GREEN HOME ABC’s