The 5 best ways to go green at work and at home

Green practices that you implement at home can very easily be carried forward into the office and if your office complex doesn’t recycle, consider carrying your recyclables home with you. Every little bit that people do is one step toward a healthier environment.
“Going green.” It’s not just a catch phrase and it’s more than about taking your soda cans back to the store and tossing newspapers into a blue bin. Taking care of the environment is a conscious effort that more and more people are undertaking as a way to be more earth conscious. Recycling your cans and bottles and paper products is a great beginning but here are more ideas:

1. Be more efficient. Efficiency comes in all forms – from using energy-saving light bulbs to combining car trips, it all adds up. Another way to be more energy efficient is to unplug appliances that aren’t being used and to buy Energy Star rated appliances when you make your purchases. Use an on hold message player that receives its messages on hold via the internet or email.
2. Use less. “Reduce” is the first part of the popular, “reduce, reuse and recycle,” catch phrase but reducing is a great first step in going green. Think about it, if you create less waste then there will be less waste to recycle or reuse. Reducing could come in the form of not eating dinner on paper plates, not drinking bottled water and tossing the bottles (use reusable bottles for your water), when you grocery shop spend the money and buy a reusable grocery sack. Sign up for paperless billing or bank on line.
3. Support local businesses, not only will you help keep your local economy viable, but you’ll spend less fossil fuels if you stay in town. If you think about the fact that vegetables purchased in the grocery store likely travel close to 2,000 miles before making it to your plate, it makes sense to frequent local farmer’s markets to purchase your produce.
4. Use the blue bin. Many municipalities have made it mandatory that you recycle various items. Your trash collector will likely accept aluminum, certain plastics, cardboard, newspapers and glass. You can do more than just worry about what goes curbside, though. You can recycle your old electronics at recycling centers, or consider making your own backyard compost pile. Donate unwanted or unused clothing and items to a local charitable organization.
5. Reduce your carbon footprint. Is it possible to ride a bike to work or to complete your errands? Is there public transportation that you can avail yourself of? If you drive to work, is it possible to carpool? When you’re in the market for a new vehicle, why not consider a hybrid?