Did you know that 50% of the waste that ends up in landfills in Marion County could be recycled or composted?
Or that the United States consumes 25% of the world’s resources — but is only 5% of the world’s population?
Today in honor of Earth Day – change one habit. It can make a huge difference on our environment! This article by Ceil Petrucelli highlights a few simple changes you can implement to make your home a greener and healthier place to live.
- Take your shoes off when you come into the house. We bring in a lot of dirt on our shoes, so place a mat, bin, or tray by your main entry and take your shoes off when you enter. I have a tray by my front door (no real “mudroom” at my house) and I leave my “outside” shoes there and keep a comfy pair of slip-ons or slippers to wear around the house. My “inside” shoes don’t usually go outside.
- Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Did you know that CFLs use up to 75% less electricity and last up to 10 times longer than regular light bulbs? They’ve come a long way over the past few years, too. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but worth the investment in the long run. Just replace your other bulbs as they burn out.
- Shop with canvas or cloth bags versus using paper or plastic. Keep a few in your car so you’re not caught without one when you go grocery shopping or running errands. Think of the trees you’ll be saving. The production of plastic bags uses up large amounts of non-renewable petroleum; they are not biodegradable; most end up in landfills (or in the ocean) polluting the soil and water and often pose a serious threat to wildlife and birds.
- Replace your paper napkins with cloth ones. Cloth napkins are available at many retailers, or you can make your own from a yard or two of inexpensive fabric. You may also be able to find them at tag sales and flea markets.
- Begin using non-toxic and natural cleaning products.
click here to read the article in its entirity.
A few years ago I had no idea that toxins from paint were still in the air long after the paint smell was gone! We’ve implemented most of these changes in our home and business and love giving new life to items by repurposing or updating them.
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