Happy Earth Month! The Makeup Examiner isn’t going to tell anyone how to live his or her life. All I’m going to do is simply pass along information that I’ve learned along the way in my personal journey towards being a better global citizen. First, I’d like to take a second to thank my mother for teaching me how to respect the planet … attempt not to recycle something in that woman’s house and you’re likely to end up buried in her compost. Uh … love you mom! I, digress. Moving on …
So you’ve probably heard Recycle, Reuse and Reduce, but what does that really mean and how can you implement these ideas, easily, into everyday life?
Recycling can be a bit confusing because sometimes we’re not sure what is and isn’t recyclable. Check out this recycle chart from One MoreGeneration!
Cost effective and eco-friendly ideas:
- Don't heat an empty house - During the winter, turn down your thermostat to 68 degrees when you're home and 55 degrees at night or while you're on vacation.
- Clean your refrigerator coils – You’d be surprised how much gross stuff accumulates at the bottom of your fridge. By vacuum out the dust you actually help the fridge work more efficiently, therefore saving money.
- Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins – This might be a really foreign concept at first, but once you get used to it you’ll be pleased with the financial savings and you’ll also save a tree.
- Pack your lunch – This saves money, but when you pack your lunch use an insulated lunch bag versus a paper bag. Also, use a refillable bottle versus a plastic one.
- Cancel your newspaper subscription and read the news online – Like beauty news, here at The Makeup Examiner! :) Okay, shameless self-promotion aside … catch your news online.
Put your money where your mouth is: There’s a lot of power in your wallet and committing to purchasing eco-friendly products lets companies know that you, the consumer, are in charge.
- Shop for eco-friendly beauty products – Throughout the month, TME will be reviewing and highlighting quite a few eco-friendly beauty brands.
- Switch to eco-friendly detergents or make your own eco-friendly cleaning products.
Eco-friendly odds and ends:
- Collect your dryer lint and put it in the backyard for the birds. Now’s the perfect time, as the birds a building nests.
- Donate your magazines - Read them then pass them on to friends or your local hospital.
- Organize your errands – by scheduling errands, you’ll save on gas and help the environment. Also, try carpooling.
- File your taxes electronically to cut back on paper usage. Heads Up … tax deadline is a just few weeks away.
- Take your own canvas bags when shopping – Seriously, do you need to add to your plastic bag collection?
- Make a resolution to be even more eco-friendly … starting today!
The tips above are all examples of basic R’s of sustainable living. You can find lots more tips at Tree Hugger.
