How small changes at home reduce your footprint on our earth
Much of the recycling and earth conscientiousness I practice has come from watching my clients. You all teach me more than you think! I’m proud to see so many families throughout Chicago recycling and being mindful of small steps that make a huge difference over time. Here are a few ideas. How many of these do you already practice, and which ones could you add to your day?
- Use a water bottle instead of buying plastic cases of water.
- Use a cloth napkin at dinner time instead of buying paper napkins
- Get a programmable thermostat like the Nest which helps you conserve energy and suggests settings to help you save money.
- Use glass leftover containers instead of plastic. They last forever. My favorite!
- Bike or walk instead of driving. Shopping local allows me to walk to the store and cuts down on using my car.
- Rent clothes instead of buying clothes. I love this new trend which many are adapting. You need less closet space and you get to wear lots of different clothes without the waste of turning over clothes you’d typically buy and then donate.
- If you have a little land here in the big city, create a composting garden and add the usage of rain barrels.
- Stop incoming mail. There’s no reason you can’t go paperless. All statements, bills and even medical records are all online. It pains me to still see gobs of wasted paper and envelopes and postage.
- Stop printing. Consider spending some time setting up folders in your email to drag and drop emails. Organize your emails instead of printing them. If you’re printing something to “remind yourself” come up with a different way to remind yourself. Set an alarm, put it on your calendar, use an app, etc.
- Shop less. Consume less. See how long you can go without shopping. People always ask me… “how do you stay organized and keep your house organized?” My answer is always is the same—I rarely consume. I rarely shop. Less stuff means less time I must spend taking care of it all. Yes, I only have 4 bras, 5 pairs of jeans, 3 swimsuits, and 2 sets of sheets, 6 bath towels.
This list could go on and on. It’s just a start. Add more ideas to your list and see how you can reduce your footprint.
