How to Recycle-Reuse-Reduce

There are three key factors when thinking about how to recycle – The 3 R’s:

On our recent trip to the Library I picked up thIt is full of save the Earth, but there is a lot of ideas that are good for a simpler life, frugal, and being good stewards of the earth. While flipping through for ideas our children could apply I found the following favorites we’ll be going over tonight.

1)     Make your room happier and healthier by adding a couple of potted plants. Just a couple of plants per room can help keep your air clean!

2)     Let the sun shine in! During the day, switch of the electric light and open the curtains. Move your desk nearer the window and soak up some vitamin D.

3)     Reuse and recycle paper. Cut down on how much paper you use by writing/drawing on both sides of your sheet of paper.

4)     Save water by turning off the water while you brush your teeth. Running the water while you brush can waste as much as 5 gallons per minute! If you brush 3 x a day you could be wasting 50 gallons a day!

5)     Cut showers down to 4 minutes. You could save over $6000 a year by taking a power shower. Use a timer and have the children make a game of it!

6)     Turn the lights off as you leave a room. Easy enough, huh? 

7)     Unplug!. At night, turn off the lights and see how many green and red lights do you see staring back at you!? Unplugging could save as much as $100 a year on your electric bill.

8)      Keep yourself healthy by staying active, fit and eating raw fruits and veggies. Open your lungs breathe deeply.

9)     Get interested in an environmental issue and write to politicians. Get your friends (and siblings!) to do the same.

10)Think before you buy. Do you really need it? Will what you want to blow your money on make you smarter, wiser, richer or a better person. Can you make it yourself?

11)Choose foods that create no waste! Foods that come in their own “packaging” rather than candy bars and other processed foods.

12)Buy your own reusable water bottle. Why pay more for something you can get for pennies out of your own water faucet!

13)Leave nothing but footprints! Don’t leave garbage and damaged property behind. Be respectful.