Monday, January 4, 2010

New Year Resolutions Go Green

This new year, make a few resolutions to help keep the environment healthy. Simple changes in daily routines followed throughout the year can really make a difference. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Banish paper and plastic bags from your life. Do you opt for paper or plastic when at the grocery store? Neither is a good choice. Twelve million barrels of oil were used to make the 88.5 billion plastic bags consumed in the United States last year. And it takes four times more energy to make paper bags. The best choice is reusable shopping bags. Put a few reusable shopping bags in your car so you have them handy on your next shopping trip. And if you happen to forget your reusable bag (as we all do!), choose paper if you will recycle it or plastic if you will reuse or recycle it. The Berks Conservancy has great bags onsale for only $3.00 - order one today.

Stop Buying Bottled Water Did you know that it takes 26 bottles of water to produce the plastic container for a one-liter bottle of water, and that doing so pollutes 25 liters of groundwater? Don't leave a trail of plastic water bottles in your wake! Stop buying bottled water. Use reusable water bottles instead made from materials like stainless steel or aluminum that are not likely to degrade over time. If you choose a plastic water bottle, check the number on the bottom first: Plastics numbered 3, 6 and 7 could pose a health threat to you, so look for plastics numbered 1, 2, 4 or 5.

Give Up Hot Water in the Clothes Washer
Did you know that only 10 percent of the energy used by a typical washing machine powers the motor? About 90 percent of the energy is used to heat the water, and most clothes will come clean in cold water. Switch your washing machine's temperature setting to cold - you will be surprised how clean your clothes still get.

3 comments:

  1. A reuseable water bottle was on my Christmas list.

    I had no idea the production of plastic bags used so much oil. Thanks for the information.

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  2. Some stores pay you for bringing your own re-usable shopping bags: Redner's Warehouse Markets deducts from your bill $.06 per bag used. AT CVS, if you buy a green tag, each time you bring in a reusable bag and have the card scanned, you can earn $.25!

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  3. In addition to Redner's Warehouse Markets giving you back money, Trader Joe's will enter you into a raffle to win a $50 gift card everytime you bring in a re-usable bag.

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