greener living
There are many things people can do to live a greener lifestyle. This list isn't meant to be exhaustive but to serve as an example of small changes an urban crunchy family can make to live more healthfully and responsibly.

Shop at your local farmers market for organic products. They'll be more nutritious because they're in season and sustainably grown, and they haven't traveled very far to get to your plate.

The longer produce travels after picking, the less nutritive it is. Also, when products travel larger distances, more of your money contributes to its transport than its growth. Support local farms and ensure on-going prosperity in your community. Find a farmers market near you.

Use canvas bags instead of paper or plastic bags from the store to cut down on plastic pollution and paper consumption.

Walk more and drive less to include more physical activity in your day and cut down on emissions and our reliance on fossil fuels.

Turn off all lights and electronics when leaving a room, even if it's just for a few minutes. It'll save you money and decrease carbon dioxide emissions.

Use glass food storage containers instead of plastic containers. Glass will last a lifetime, much longer than any plastic container, and you'll steer clear of plastic leaching into your food.

Use non-plastic eating implements. Instead of plastic baby bottles, use glass bottles. Instead of sippy cups, use shot glasses or stainless steel water bottles. Instead of plastic plates, use ones made of wood or enamel (if you're worried about breakage).

Use natural beauty products instead of your typical drugstore or mall-bought products. You skin is extremely efficient at absorbing whatever substances it may contact. (Just think of all the new prescription drugs that are patches.) Choose products with little or no toxins and ones that do not put a further strain on our petroleum reliance.

Personal beauty tips: Instead of buying questionably safe and expensive makeup remover, use jojoba oil, a non-clogging oil available at your local health food store. For a body moisturizer, mix coconut oil and shea butter together (in a glass jar submerged in a hot-water bath). Experiment with a ratio that suits your skin type. I use a 50-50 blend.

Look up the safety/toxicity rating of your beauty products. Consult Skin Deep's database.

Use non-toxic cleaning solutions in your home. Buy only earth-friendly solutions or make your own. A quick Internet search will produce multiple sources for homemade cleaning recipes.

Personal cleaning tips: For our shower stall, I spray 100% hydrogen peroxide on the walls and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I scrub and rinse with water. For an everyday shower spray, mix a few drops of liquid castille soap with a few drops of tea tree oil in a 32-ounce spray bottle of water.

Drink from reusable water bottles made of glass or stainless steel instead of individually-sized plastic bottles. You'll avoid plastic leaching and significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in our landfills and oceans. Also, a tremendous amount of fuel and resources go into filling, packaging and transporting everyday water bottles.

Your best bet is to drink filtered tap water. There's no need to ship water half way around the world when it's as close as your kitchen faucet.

Save and reuse plastic bags when shopping in the bulk and produce sections of your grocery store instead of ripping a new bag off the roll and throwing it away when you get home. Literally, tons of plastics end up in our oceans. Give the little fishies a break.

Buy from bulk bins at the grocery store instead of pre-packaged products. Pre-packaged products require a substantial amount of energy and resources in their production. You don't eat the box or bag; that's the part you end up throwing away. And of course, remember to save and reuse plastic bags from previous trips to the store.

Use compact flourescent lightbulbs instead of incandescent lightbulbs because compact flourescent lightbulbs burn less energy and have a longer life.

Set cloth napkins at the table instead of paper napkins. Just throw 'em in the wash with the rest of your laundry and use them over and over again. The trees will thank you.

Make a conscious effort to buy and consume less. When you're reaching for your pocketbook, ask yourself, "Do I REALLY need this, or will this end up in the landfill one day?"

Donate unwanted items instead of throwing them in the garbage. Again, let's keep stuff out of the landfill and find someone or an organization that can utilize what we have.

updated 03.26.08