All the little stuff means a lot. This is especially true
when it comes to the environment. During Earth Month, I like to look around and
see what more I can do to protect our environment.
These tips aren’t just for those of us in apartments; these
hints should make life simpler and save you money.
- Switch to cloth bags for shopping. They are handy, and
there are lots of cool choices for bags. Plastic bags from stores take a long
time to decompose in landfills. Toss a couple of cloth bags in your car. You’ll
never have another plastic bag tear on your way into your apartment.
- Reuse plastic bags. Sometimes you just have to use a
plastic bag. Have a dog? Reuse plastic bags to clean up after Rover, or donate
bags to a local dog-park dispenser.
- Run only full loads of dishes in the dishwasher, at night.
Save time and money by putting dishes in the washer. You shouldn’t have to wash
plates before putting them into a newer washer. Run your dishwasher at night
when it’s cooler and electricity is cheaper.
- Shop for food and cook at home. Cooking creates less
waste. Fewer takeout cartons or bags will have an impact on your trash. Try cally grown foods and make enough for tomorrow’s lunch.
- Fill up your washing machine or reset the water level.
Don’t run small loads of clothing, if you can avoid it. Washers use not only
energy, but water. If you run smaller loads, adjust water settings. This is
another appliance to run at night.
- Switch from water bottles. It can be tempting to use
convenient water bottles but they create trash, even if recycled. Cases of
water can be heavy to get into your apartment. Try a refillable pitcher with a
filter in the refrigerator. You’ll save money, time and the Earth.