Going Green – Strategies to Love the Planet More

Going green and caring about our planet is easier than you think. Here are some strategies you can use to try to lessen your impact on the planet and reduce your carbon footprint.

Buy Reusable Grocery Bags

Invest in some reusable grocery bags. Consider this one time purchase to tote all of your weekly purchases around. You can keep these in the back of your car so you always have them with you. 

Say No to Single Use Plastics

Whenever possible, consider the item you are buying. Does it come wrapped in plastic? Especially when it comes to produce.  If you are given the option to buy carrots wrapped in plastic or carrots without plastic, go without whenever possible! Many times things are unnecessarily packaged and I see this all the time. We as consumers can vote with our dollar. Use your own reusable bags and avoid single use plastics whenever possible. 

Single use plastics often end up in landfills. Plastic can take hundreds of years or more to biodegrade. Much of the plastic we use eventually ends up in our oceans, the final dumping ground. This wreaks havoc on animals and entire ecosystems worldwide. It is a sad state of affairs. There are some great people and organizations attempting to combat this by initiating efforts such as beach clean ups. 

Bring Reusable Containers for Carry Out

A simple way of going green is bringing reusable containers with you when you dine out. If you have leftovers package them up yourself. You can use the same strategy as the reusable bags- keep a few containers in the back of your car so you don’t forget them. 

Donate and “Upcycle” Your Things

Support Eco Conscious Companies

Buy in Bulk 

Many stores have sections where you can dispense goods such as lentils, rice, beans, and even cereals. Bring reusable containers from home and fill these with the product! Work with the team at checkout beforehand so they can weigh your container before you fill up… then fill up with what you need. 

Carpool

Share rides with friends and family so you don’t burn extra fuel. Is there someone you can share a ride to work with? Can you have the kids carpool with some of their friends and friends parents? With little effort and forethought you can organize ride shares. Hey, even companies like Uber are onto this and are offering reduced fares for people who don’t mind sharing a ride together. 

Consider Adopting a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet

Being vegetarian or vegan is not just for animal lovers but it is an environmental choice as well. The meat and dairy industries require a lot of land, water, and energy to keep up with the demand.  This results in some of the largest amounts of Carbon Dioxide being released into the environment, a major impact on global warming.  

What are some of your favorite going green strategies? We’d love to hear from you!