Good Little Habits That Only Seem Hard

Hopefully, you have by this point in your life adjusted to turning off the lights when you exit a room and turning off the water while you brush your teeth. We all have slip-ups now and then, but these basic “green” skills are becoming such a part of our culture that most people are now doing something to help the planet. Some habits, however, seem too difficult to put forth the effort. They’re not. Below, five ways to up the eco-ante:

• Recycle your bottles and cans, already! If your area offers curbside recycling services, you basically have no excuse – all it requires is dropping the items into one bin versus the other. If you don’t have access to curbside recycling, set aside a place for your accumulations and take them periodically to the nearest recycling center on your way to somewhere else. Your conscience will thank you for it!
• Do the reusable shopping bag thing. The investment is minor – many chain grocery stores now sell inexpensive bags – and once you remember the bags a few times in a row, you’ll rarely forget them again. What I’m working on now is trying to widen my use of the bags to stores other than the supermarket.
• Set your computer on stand-by or turn it off for the evening. Not only does this not harm your hard drive, it also saves a great deal of energy and sets boundaries on computer-time in your life, which can only be a good thing. Go here for more details.
• Combine errands for more efficient car trips. All it takes is a little forethought, and you can visit the post office, the bank, and the grocery store in the same trip each week. Once again, this habit is easy to maintain after the initial effort required.
• Look for products with green label components, like certified organic, post-consumer recycled content, dolphin-safe tuna, and others. With so many companies coming on board with at least one environmentally-conscious practice, it’s not difficult to incorporate this into your shopping routine. Hey, you already compare unit prices and squeeze the fruit, don’t you?