Suggestions on Living a 'Green Life'

Living Green is Good For the Environment and For You by Simon M Skinner

You hear a lot these days about how important it is to live a greener life... that you should lighten your carbon footprint on the earth. Sometimes it seems like we're getting lectured everywhere we turn.

But there are several ways you can live a greener life that are easy to implement. Most cities have garbage services that pick up recyclable materials in addition to your trash. It is simple to set up a separate container for cardboard, plastics and other recyclables. On trash day, your garbage service takes it away and does all the hard work of recycling all those materials.

Another easy way to live greener is to join your local Freecycle email list. Instead of throwing away items and buying new stuff all the time, use the Freecycle list. If you have an item you don't want anymore, simply list it. Chances are, someone in your community can use it and they'll come take it off your hands for free. Likewise, if you need something, post your needs and see if someone can help you score the items for free. This reduces trash in the landfills, and everyone gets what they want.

When you do things around the house, there are a lot of green products you can use that cost very little. If you replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-saver bulbs, you can save a considerable amount on your energy bill, and the costs of the bulbs are very similar to the incandescent bulbs. These compact fluorescents last much longer than a traditional bulb as well as using less energy.

Out in the yard, solar lights can save energy and help illuminate dark areas. There are enough different designs on the market now at varying prices to make them affordable to most people. They don't require an electrician to install them, and with the new solar technologies, they are brighter than solar lights used to be. They even have solar powered holiday lights you can use to decorate your yard without using cords and increasing your electric bill.

Another place to go green and save money is with batteries. Today's rechargeable batteries last a long time, recharge easily, and save you money. When they finally do run out of their charging ability, rechargeable batteries are recyclable. Just drop them off at your local hardware store for recycling along with any broken fluorescent bulbs.

As you can see, it is easy to begin going green. It is not only good for the environment, it is better for you and it will save you money. Living green will soon become a habit, and before you know it, you'll be looking for more ways to be even greener. So don't be afraid to take that first step. It's easier than you think.

Simon M Skinner owns http://www.green-base.com an eco friendly website offering green products and services to protect the environment. We also offer free environmental and green news and views and information to help you choose an eco friendly lifestyle.

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