Good for the environment, and your dollar power. Every little bit counts. If we each only save one inch of tree, one ounce of nature, one speck of energy, multiply that by, wait, how many are we? more than seven billion... heck! I can't count, but it makes a big difference!
1. Don't dry your clothes in a dryer: I always hang my clothes outside on a line in the wind, or you can use a rack if you live in a flat, in your bathroom or on your balcony. Towels are harsh, but I love it, it's like a loofah scrubbing effect!
2. Wrap presents in newspapers: it looks artsy, funky, whimsical, thrifty, no matter, it looks different! Since I am a big newspaper buyer, I use first the comics, then the arts pages, the food section, travel news, then the front pages, unless they have depressing news on it.
3. Recycle gift wrapping, ribbons and tags: Don't squeeze them in a ball in your hand after opening your presents, just flatten them and put them away for when you can re-use them. I have a special shoe box for those. On the same topic, stop buying Christmas/Hanukkah/Easter/Kwanzaa cards, just send FREE emails. Save the trees, save on stamps. A double winner.
4. Never drive over 55 miles per hour: no joke! Do you know why the car builders have decided that the speed limit should be just that on interstates? Because that is the speed at which the gas usage is the most economical as far as the ratio speed/gas is concerned. Faster speed means higher gas consumption. And you thought the President of the United States had decided on that?
5. Use beach sand for cat litter: OK, I know what you are going to say, yeah well, she lives in Florida, so that's easy for her to say! True, but you can buy construction sand at local builders' stores, for cheaper than cat litter at any store. Your cats will adore the feel of it under their paws; they know about the chemicals you're trying to make them use.
6. Use baking soda for... everything, really: laundry detergent, scouring powder, fridge sanitizer, skin scrub, teeth whitener, and of course food recipes. Oh, and you can also add it to the sand box where your cat goes. Seven ways right there of avoiding harsh chemicals in your daily routines.
7. Keep and wash the food receptacles: When you buy food at a deli, it comes in either a plastic box or a Styrofoam container, both ultra bad for the planet. But at least if you use them again, instead of splurging at the Tupperware Club, they can be put to "good" use. Plastic will recycle many times over, Styro will not, grrrrrr. Some battles cannot be won.
8. Use your toaster oven: Instead of blasting full heat and full power into the stratosphere of your kitchen, think of re-heating food in the toaster oven. You can even cook a normal dish just like in the big oven, as long as the container fits, it will cook. And you will save energy and heat in your environment, which would crank up your AC.
9. Rechargable batteries: That's a no-brainer. Why keep on buying and using harmful batteries when you can keep the same ones for years? Batteries contain heavy metals, and when I say heavy, I really mean that, so heavy that we can never get rid of their effects! They are bad for our air, for our water, for our eyes, our pets, our babies, our health.
10/Drink the tap water: I am the worst offender here, as I only like Evian water (no, they don't pay me to say this), but really, using disposable plastic bottles is a joke, as they are NOT disposable at all. Buy a beautiful glass bottle and re-use it over and over, adding style to your chic. If, like me, you don't like the taste of your city water, try sugar-free powders in various flavors, or do what I do when I am a good girl, add lemons and sugar and make your own original lemonade.
You can, I can, we all can: Go green!
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