Tips On How To Live A Sustainable Lifestyle

1. Walk, bike, or carpool to work.
   • Transportation is the second leading contributor to greenhouse gases in the country. By driving your car less (or not at all), you can save a lot of money, as approximately 30%, the largest percentage, of a working family’s budget in the US goes to transportation. The less personal use of your car you do, the more you and the environment will benefit. Sustainable living not only promotes sustainability by reducing pollution and the consumption of natural resources, but walking or biking to work also improves your health and reduces the strain on public health resources. Carpooling assists sustainability and can provide an increased social outlet that can improve the quality of life.
2. Cut out the plastic.
   • According to a study by the Ocean Conservatory in 2015, plastic bags came in second to discarded cigarette butts as the most-identified type of trash. Items like plastic packaging, bags, and bottles are thrown away every day, and end up in trash sites as well as in forests, creeks, rivers, seas, and oceans around the world. While some of these items are recyclable, the growth of plastic consumption and its improper disposal currently outpace efforts to recycle and produce post-consumer plastic materials.  
   • Unfortunately, plastic is not biodegradable. In reality, most plastic does not ever disappear. When items like plastic bags break down, they readily soak up (and release) toxins that then contaminate soil and water, as well as harming animals that ingest plastic fragments. Producing recycled materials also uses copious amounts of energy. Thus, by reducing or even cutting off the use of plastic, one can have a beneficial impact on the environment.
3. Save energy.
   • Turn off lights when you exit rooms.
   • Unplug appliances if you don’t need to use them for the time being. Or, use a “smart” power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts “phantom” or “vampire” energy use.
   • Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
   • Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
   • Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. About 85% of the energy used to machine wash clothes goes to heating the water.
4. Save water.
   • Take shorter showers to reduce water use and lower your water and heating bills.
   • Fix your leaky faucets!
   • Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
5. Keep electronics out of the trash.
   • Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
   • Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins that serve as a growing environmental problem.

by: Kristie Lee