Sunday, February 9, 2014

Resolving To Renew, Reuse And Recycle This 2014

By Lenna Stockwell


You are sure to find some interesting New Year's resolutions each year. Many people wish to lose weight or to stay fitter. While some resolve to either read more or maybe achieve work-related goals. And still there are people hoping that they can do something good for our planet. This 2014 if you are among those who want to help our Earth, read some of the suggestions here.

For most of us, going off the grid is really not an option. Most people also cannot afford the expense of installing solar panels or some device on our home to capture wind energy. However, we can all reduce the amount of energy we use. Make sure lights are off unless you need them, regulate your thermostat to conserve energy use and only wash large loads of laundry to reduce energy and water usage. You also can ensure that the light bulbs and appliances that you use are the most energy efficient possible.

Since water is a daily consumed natural resource, being introduced to ways on how to reduce its use is a must. Planting native grasses and plants in the yard is a good start as these require less water. Take quick showers by limiting it to no more than three minutes each time. Should heating up consume time for your water to use, collect them in a bucket which you could later use in watering your plants.

Public transportation may be readily found when you are living in urban areas. Driving to work though becomes a "must" for many Americans who have no easy access to transportations like buses, trains or subways. What can be done though is committing to carpool with others for even two to three times in a week. And then there are those who may have workplaces close by, which means it might be feasible to walk. Walking about three times in a week is not bad. You see, you can definitely help in the reduction of carbon footprint and at the same time save on gas money and be physically fit too.

You ought to know that recycling is by far the easiest way you can help our planet. In fact most cities and towns have their respective recycling programs so the least you could do is to recycle stuffs like plastic bottles, newspapers and aluminum cans. It is the schools which at most times attend to collecting bottles and newspapers which is a great way to recycle and at the same time raise money for a worthy cause.

In general, all aluminum and most types of plastic are recyclable. When it comes to plastic, there are two types - thermoplastic and thermoset plastic. The latter of which is not recyclable, but all forms of thermoplastic can be recycled and many cities accept all types of thermoplastic packaging and thermoplastic products in the recycling bin. So you can recycle everything from water bottles to milk jugs to food trays and even Styrofoam cups. The more you recycle, the less you end up putting into your local landfill.




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