13 Days Till Earth Day

*13*

Sometimes it's hard to know what to do...

Pardon My Planet by Vic Lee, dist. by King Features Syndicate

I am always trying to figure out what we can do to be more earth friendly, but sometimes you just don't know what to do. Certainly recycling is a good thing, but even better is reducing the amount you buy, and reusing what you already have.

Reducing:
* buy less stuff - this is really big. How much do we really need? Where does everything go that we throw away?
* use less water generally and less hot water specifically - take shorter showers, use cold water for your laundry, use the water from the cats' water bowl to water the plants (not while they're drinking it)
* don't drive if you can walk or ride your bike; consider combining errands and map out the shortest route; go to the closer restaurant or store.
* buy products that have the least packaging/wrapping to throw away
* please watch (or re-watch in my case) "The Story Of Stuff" (see video below)

Reusing:
* reuse real plates, forks, and coffee cups at work instead of disposable (yes, you'll have to wash them)
* reuse an old folder/purse/gift bag instead of buying a new one
* reuse last year's Easter grass, last year's Christmas lights
* carry a refillable aluminum water bottle instead of buying more plastic ones
* reuse canvas grocery bags. Keep them in the trunk of your car so they are always "with" you; you just have to remember to bring them into the store :-)

So... don't start loading up on paper so you can recycle it, but do evaluate your daily choices and habits and look for ways to reduce your contribution to the creation of waste and use of resources.

The Story Of Stuff video: