If I'm not careful, I have an awful habit of being an all-or-nothing person.  For example, if I'm going to start buying things in bulk, I want to buy EVERYTHING in bulk.  If I'm going to recycle, I'm going to recycle every teensy scrap of paper, right down to the little dots from the hole puncher. 

The problem is that that kind of thinking burns me out.  I get so wrapped up in the "all"ness of what I'm doing, that I get frustrated and quit.  Then it's on to the "nothing" phase of this vicious cycle. 

I'm working on it, truly I am.  And in one area in particular... the "greenness" of my life.

My dream is to one day live in a custom-built home (very small with no wasted space) built of only sustainable materials, run on solar power.  All of my home's grey water, as well as all rain water would be funneled into barrels that would automatically water my organic food gardens.  Already a vegetarian, I would eventually go vegan so I could live solely off of my land, and therefore never have to buy from the store again.  The toilets would be composting toilets (in addition to the composting systems I would already have for kitchen scraps and the like).  I would limit my consumables and therefore the wasteful packaging that comes with them...but anything that is recyclable would first be scrutinized to see if I could repurpose it...and if not, then be taken to the nearest recycling center.  Plus I'd make all of my own clothes and be able to build things and be wonderful at canning.  And have a body like Angelina Jolie (ok a girl can dream!). 

Need I go on??

*Sigh*.  It's not easy to just step out of one life and into the one we want, but we can't just sit on our tushes either, and wait til life's perfect to start doing something, right?  So here are just a few steps that we can take to get us there.  Some of these I've personally implemented in my own life and others I hope to implement soon:

6 SUPER EASY ways to be green:

1.  Reduce.  Reduce the amounts you use of anything.  Anything at all, I promise!  For example:

• Reduce your errands (or consolidate them).  This saves fuel, which is a precious resource (and expensive!)
• Reduce the single-serving packaged items that you buy.  More packaging = more raw materials used, not to mention the energy used to produce them.
• Reduce the consumption of non-recyclables.  Do you routinely buy something that comes in a container that you can't recycle?  (What's recyclable?  Check here:  earth911.org)  Stop buying that product and instead, buy a comparable one in a recyclable package (like glass!  You can even reuse glass jars and bottles!)
• Reduce the consumption of things...even if they are recyclable.  If you're an avid water drinker (go you!!) use a reusable water bottle and refill it.  You don't need to drink out of and throw away 4 16-oz plastic bottles a day!
  
• Reduce the use of electricity and water.  Cut off lights that you aren't using.  Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
• There are many more...

2.  Reuse.  Reuse things whenever possible.  Save those plastic tubs and glass jars from the butter and spaghetti sauce and reuse them to store food, toys, nuts and bolts, or craft items!  If you print a lot at work, save paper with print on one side, then print on the back when possible.  Reuse plastic grocery store bags as doggie poo bags.

3.  Recycle.  Anything that you can't reuse, try and recycle.  Become familiar with your local recycling facilities and their rules.  By the way:  You can recycle at work too, even if your company doesn't have a program for it.  If nothing else, bring in a paper grocery bag and fill it with your non-confidential papers that would've normally gone in the trash.  Simply add these to your home recycling (shhhh...don't tell the recycling peoples though).  You don't have to stop there...bring home your plastic and glass too.  And to earn your big gold star...research recycling programs in your area (there are companies who will service businesses for a fee), then create a proposal to the big cheeses trying to get them involved.  The upside for them?  They can brag about the benefit for the community!  Not only that, do a cost-analysis of how much it costs them to have the trash removed.  Would the cost of the recycling program be offset with less trash?  That would be a win-win!

4.  Refuse.  Refuse to take a bag from the grocery store if you don't need one.  It frustrates me that I'll buy one thing at the store and they insist on putting it into a bag.  Why?? I can carry it just fine or stick it in my purse.  Once, I had about 6 items, and the young lady asked if a plastic bag was OK.  Since I was running low on doggie poo bags, I said, "OK, as long as we get everything into ONE bag".  Then she DOUBLE-BAGGED it.  AARRGH!  We don't need half as many grocery bags as they want to throw at us, and we can use paper for what we do need.  Or, one step better-bring your own reusable bags.

5.  Eliminate harmful chemicals from your life, and consequently, the groundwater and earth.  If you can't find something organically in nature, it probably shouldn't be in or on your body.  Consider eating organically, growing your own food and using organic products for cleaning and gardening.  Don't be fooled into thinking that you can't effectively clean without chemicals.  Nature cleans itself just fine .    You can buy just about everything organic from your local grocery store these days, too...from shampoo to laundry detergent...and at very comparable prices.  By using non-organic chemicals, you directly expose your body to unknown side-effects, and indirectly contaminate our shared groundwater resources with the run-off.

6.  Compost.  When I first heard about composting, I thought it was something that was difficult and that only "those hippie people" did (forgetting for a moment that I'm a wanna-be hippie chick LOL).  Truly, it couldn't be easier.  In a nutshell (ha, see that's funny because nutshells CAN go IN the composter!), you are simply taking your kitchen scraps, and instead of throwing them in a plastic trashbag, to sit in a landfill where they get no air or light, you put them in a pre-determined place in your yard and let nature decompose it all for you.  What do you get out of the deal?  In a few months, you (almost magically!) get a nutrient rich, beautiful soil...free!  When planting, mix your compost to soil 50-50 and watch your plants thrive.  Check out The Happy Gardener  for more information (and please...tell them Crystal Halliwell sent ya! )

I know there are tons more easy green tips-please feel free to remind me and share with our readers in the comments section below!

Related Posts:

Repurposing & Reusing: Giving a New Life to Discardable Items

Mantras For the New Year

How to make a Mac-Daddy Sewing & Crafts Center

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