I recently saw a news article about a man who decided to hold onto all of his trash for a full year just so he could grasp what he and his family goes through. Think about it. Think about a given week, then imagine 52 garbage cans lined up your driveway. It makes you stop and wonder where that waste is going and how necessary it really was in the first place, huh?
To start off, take one day just to THINK about every little action and how it affects the environment around you. Consider every piece of trash you throw away, consider every light you leave on too long, consider how your every move affects this earth.
Start off first thing in the morning. Do you leave the water running while you brush your teeth? Did you start the dish washer even though it's only half-full? These are little things that, when everyone does them, adds up to a big difference.
Here are some more questions to ask yourself to get going:
1. How did you get to work today? If you drove, was it necessary? Are you withing walking distance of your work or can you take public transportation?
2. Did you turn off and unplug all unused electronics - including computers, cell phone chargers, lamps or other electronics? These types of equipment are using electricity even when they're not in use - just for being plugged in! Think about hooking up all items to a multi-plug strip with an on/off switch to save energy, then you just have to unplug the strip instead of all of the items.
3. How much of your daily waste is recyclable? Consider finding ways to increase that percentage.
4. How much time do you spend using electronics for entertainment? Are there alternate forms of entertainment that could provide fun for less money and help the environment?
This gets you going. Now you're ready to think greenSMART.
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