Here are just a few ideas for cutting down on waste and becoming less of a "consumer" in the new year. They're small things really, but if everyone did them...1. Buy some reusable grocery bags. Paula and I bought four bags a few months ago. They are very strong and shaped like the old paper grocery bags but with handles. Gone is that drawer in our kitchen that was filled with plastic bags that we didn't want to just throw away. The reusable bags are relatively inexpensive and a great way to do your part in cutting down on the half trillion plastic bags consumed this year alone.
2. Buy some fluorescent light bulbs. I'm not advocating replacing all of your light bulbs. After all, there are certain applications which require certain kinds of light. But for everyday use in lamps and overhead lights, the new fluorescent lights are really an improvement over the first ones that hit the market years ago. They use a lot less energy which is good for the planet and good for your wallet. One warning: they contain mercury so you need to dispose of them properly or your not really helping the environment at all.
3. Slow down. The government runs a fuel economy website that says, among other things, that for every 5 mph that you speed over 60 mph, it's like paying an additional 20¢ per gallon of gas. For my pick-up that means the following: if I drive the same speed as the others on the expressway filling my tank costs me an additional $13.80. Thas-a-lotta-munee.
4. Recycle. We got into the recycling program with our county sanitation department a little more than a year ago. Since then we have noticed a drastic reduction in the amount of garbage that goes out to the street every Monday and Thursday. If I had to estimate I'd say we have cut our trash output by two thirds. That's substantial and who could say that's a bad thing.
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