Eco Friendly Living Ideas

Begin the process of eco friendly living one step at a time. Pay attention to small and large things you can do differently everyday. It all adds up!

Let's take a look at some ideas to get more "green" in our lives. Some are really easy things we can all do right away - others require planning, research and major change.

Transportation

Walk instead of driving - it's great exercise, improves your health, and doesn't pollute! Many times we just hop in the car out of habit. Look for opportunities to take a walk instead! This is an easy step towards eco friendly living!

Bicycling - Bicycling can be a fun family activity as well as a quick way to get around without burning up fossil fuels. And it is great exercise as well!

Eco friendly cars - There is a new trend in the car market! Electric cars, hybrid vehicles, and alternative fuels are becoming popular. The next time you need a new vehicle, research eco cars and see if one might make sense for you. Consider an eco friendly car next time you need to get a new or used vehicle.

Mass Transit - Taking the subway, train, or bus usually uses less energy and creates less pollution than the same number of people driving individual cars. Car pooling can also help. Explore these options and see if they make sense for you.

Go Local - Shopping at local boutiques, shopping malls, grocery stores and farmers markets contributes to the economy of your community and uses less fossil fuels.

No Commute - Maybe an eco friendly job is in your future. Try working from your home and on your own terms. No commute, no business wardrobe neccessary!

Food

Go Organic - Eco friendly living means great taste! Have you ever noticed that many mass produced fruits and vegetables you find at the grocery store look normal but have not much taste at all? Try organic and see the difference!

Most grocery stores now have certified organic sections where you can purchase organically grown fruits and vegetables. They may cost more than non-organic alternatives, but I think you will find the price is worth the health benefits and improvement in taste!

Locally Grown - When you have a choice buy locally grown fruits and vegetables and meat. The short distance from the farm to the shop means less energy used, and less pollution created and fresher food!

Farmers Markets - Attend farmers markets to buy freshly harvested food. Be sure to check that food is organically produced before you buy.

Grow Your Own - Start a garden and enjoy the fresh taste of eco friendly living at meal time! It is amazing how good veggies fresh picked from your own garden can taste! Yum!

In Season - Whenever possible choose fruits and vegetables that are in season over those that need to be imported long distances. You will be reducing your carbon footprint by the meal choices you make.

Free Range, Organically fed, Hormone Free- If you buy meat, eggs or milk be sure it comes from animals that were

• treated kindly while they were alive
• allowed space to freely move and live
• fed organic feed suitbable to their species
• not growth enhanced with hormones

Clothing

Organic Natural Fabrics - Clothing made of natural fibers such as wool, cotton and silk are usually more conducive to eco friendly living than man made alternatives such as polyester. But only if they are grown without herbicides and pesticides and produced without toxic dyes and other chemicals.

Recycled Fabrics - Some designers are experimenting with statement clothing made fabrics created by recycling such things as rubber, plastic bags, and discarded clothing.

Re-Use - When clothing wears out it can be passed on to other family members, sold at a consignment shop, or given away to charities or those in need. Old towels and sheets can be cut up to make great dish towels or used as cleanup rags. In older times, old clothing was braided and used to create rugs.

Locally Produced - Locally produced clothing is becoming a rarity in North America. It is cheaper to buy clothing made in other countries that is shipped to us than to produce it here.

Fair Trade - Because most clothing is produced out of the country, it is important ethically to be sure your clothing is made by workers who are paid fair wages and work in safe environments. There is often a reason why it is so cheap.

Energy

Alternative Energy - Look at options to power your lifestyle in a more eco friendly manner. This is a big item that requires research and planning, and perhaps help from your local government or community. Options include wind, water and solar powered energy as well as energy from the earth.

Housing

Sustainable Products - Whether building new or renovating, the eco friendly living option is to choose flooring, countertops, and other building supplies that have been made from sustainable sources. For example, hardwood flooring that is made from managed sustainable forestry programs or from quick-to-grow sources like bamboo are far more conducive to eco friendly living than wood from old growth rain forests! You don't need to give up fashion or attractive appeal to go green - there are many gorgeous alternatives out there.

Recycled - Create a unique or old world look with recycled materials. From salvaged doors and windows to re-used barn wood, to antique furniture - the possibilities are endless.

Antique Furniture - Check out auctions for great deals on antique furniture. Eco friendly living can often mean living a more glamourous life cheaply! Prices are great at auctions and quality of often superior to present day standards!

Energy Star Appliances - Research appliances and consider buying energy star certified appliances that use much less energy than their counterparts. Be aware that appliances are one item where it may make sense to buy new rather than hang onto the old due to advances in energy efficiency!

Energy Efficient Light and Heating - Check out the many energy efficient options to heat you water and your home. These are big ticket items that need to be researched and budgeted for but can create future savings plus contribute to promoting to eco friendly living!

Lawns and Landscaping - There are many ways to make your lawn fit your new eco friendly living style! Consider an eco lawn mower learn about eco lawn care, or perhaps try a little "profitable gardening"!.

Recycling and Waste Management

Recycle - Take part in your communities recycling program - or if start one if it doesn't exist. There are also ways you can actually make money recycling .

Just switching to an eco friendly shopping bag can make a huge difference to the huge problems of plastic grocery bags at the landfills!

Watch for Excess Packaging - Take a stand against the waste of overpackaging. Don't buy overpackaged items, and choose items with recyclable packaging over those that are not. You will also find that if you buy fresh rather than processed foods you will reduce your the amount of packaging instantly!

Use Less - In many instances you can save money by using less resources to get through your daily routine.

Compost - Learn to compost your organic waste. Some municipalities even have composting programs!

As you can see there are many ways to you can start eco friendly living right away! If you adopt even half of the eco friendly living tips on this page you will have made a big impact towards the health of the planet and all creatures living on it!

Join in - Take The Eco Challenge

A good place to start is with our eco challenge. Try these five challenges that you can do as a family or even on your own.

We can all enjoy eco green living & have eco friendly houses by incorporating some earth friendly practices into our lifestyle.

Share Your Eco Friendly Living Tips

If you have lots of eco friendly living tips & suggestions not covered on this page, please submit them to us below, we would love to hear from you & will add the most useful tips onto the page for future readers!

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