Looking for a New Year’s resolution? Why not commit to doing your part for the environment. Check out these ten tips to get started.
- Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Leaving the water running for two minutes can waste up to five gallons a day.
- Take a travel mug to your favorite coffee shop instead of using paper cups. Replacing one disposable cup goes a long way; 58 billion paper cups are thrown away annually in the United States alone.
- Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. (Also, use a reusable water bottle.) Americans spend about $1.22 per gallon on bottled water every year while tap water costs less than a penny per gallon on average.
- Bring your own reusable bags to the store when doing your shopping. A plastic bag can take anywhere from 15 to 1,000 years to break down, depending on the environment.
- Buy items in bulk. These larger containers reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills.
- Sign up for paperless billing. The average American uses about one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree’s worth of paper per year.
- Unplug unused chargers and appliances. The United States uses approximately 23 percent of the world’s energy, but only has about 5 percent of the world’s population.
- Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 90 percent of the energy used in a wash cycle goes in to heating the water.
- Try cooking meals using small appliances such as the microwave or toaster oven. These appliances use 30 percent less energy than a full-size oven.
- Try carpooling or taking public transportation to and from work. An average American spends 40 hours each year stuck in traffic, why not have some companions along for the ride?
Here’s to an eco-friendly 2018!
