You can find all sorts of “green” lists all over the internet. Best green products. Best green vacations. Greenest cars. Greenest sheets. Usually the list evolves (or devolves, depending on your perspective) into a list of upscale items made with a blend of premium $$$ organic cotton and bamboo. I’ve seen a couple articles here and there about being green on a budget, but it still sometimes seems like the green movement has spiraled into a set of must-haves—whether a new hybrid car or a new green toilet cleaner, “being green” seems to be less about conservation and more about purchasing power.
Since I started working for a conservation organization a little over a year ago, I’ve been face-to-face with environmental issues on a daily basis. Gaining fluency in issues like climate change, freshwater shortages, and invasive species has redefined the green movement for me. It’s brought me closer to the place the green movement grew out of, and further from the corporate green-washing that uses so-called environmentalism to sell products. (My current pet peeve is the bottled water ad that promises to send 10 bottles of water to Africa for every one bottle you buy. I’m not opposed to giving poor nations water, but you can do that with your wallet just as well as with #2 plastic.)
I should state for the record that I live like neither a hippie nor a monk, and that many of my friends openly mock the number of moisturizers and lotions I have (all those bottles? not so green). In other words, I’m probably not that different from you.
So I thought I’d make a list of things I do—and things you can do—to lessen your impact on the environment. Which is really what “being green” is all about.
1. Not buying new things makes the least impact of all.
I can’t remember who pointed this out to me, but it was kind of an epiphany. Not because I can’t recognize the obvious, but because it made me think about spending in a different way. It’s easy enough to justify new purchases (who doesn’t love new shoes?) and juggle a budget around. But those new shoes—the materials, the packing, the shipping—make an impact on the environment, too. I’m nowhere near the point of only purchasing essentials (I really don’t live like a monk, and I really do like to buy things), but I have cut down tremendously in the past few months.
What you can do: Question your purchases. Is it worth the environmental impact? Do you really need that second widget? I know it’s really cute, but do you need it? If so, is there an alternative? If you’re into thrift stores, get busy thrifting. Look for places like RefurbDepot that sell factory refurbished electronics. Donate your used stuff to Goodwill. Use Craigslist and FreeCycle.
2. Stop buying all those cleaning products!
This gets especially tricky if you’ve already committed to the green movement, because all those environmentally friendly cleaning products? That stuff’s expensive. Save the guilt and make your own. I repurposed an old Lysol spray bottle and followed a recipe (see under “Household cleanser”) I found at the excellent blog No Impact Man. I use it to clean everything from the bathtub to the kitchen floor. I have no complaints—it’s actually a very good cleaner. Better yet, I have not purchased glass cleaner, toilet cleaner, tile cleaner, or kitchen sink cleaner in at least six months. I plan never to purchase those things again. And I’m much happier using lower toxicity cleaners, especially with two cats who get into everything. (Removing the borax will make this recipe virtually non-toxic).
What you can do: Tap water, borax, castile soap, vinegar. A few cheap ingredients go a really long way. This is easy, effective, and will save you plenty of money in the long-term.
3. Unplug.
When I first started doing this years ago, I noticed an immediate difference in my monthly electric bills. Not enough to buy you that dream vacation, but a couple bucks a month.
And it’s easy. Unplug your electronics. I have my tv and stereo system plugged into a single power strip. I unplug the entire power strip from the wall when I’m not using it. Even if you have your electronics on from the time you get home at 6pm to the time you go to bed at 11pm, you’ll still be unplugged for 19 hours a day. People, time is money! If you’ve never heard about phantom loads before, now is a great time to start.
What you can do: Walk across the room and pull the plugs. Are you using it right now? Will you be using it in five minutes? Then pull it out. I live in a small one-bedroom apartment, so this is very easy for me. But power strips should make it pretty doable for a lot of people. If you have a larger living space, consider leaving your least-used room unplugged all the time.
4. If it’s yellow, let it mellow…
I’ve been trying to flush less lately, and I’ve found it’s a really hard habit to break. But when I’m at home, I try to remember to only flush every other time I use the bathroom. I flush at work, at other people’s houses, and when I have company. I’m trying to lessen my impact, not be disgusting.
What you can do: Flush less. Save more.
Rosie inspired me to use fewer cleaning products. She is my source for all green information, and she tries so hard when she comes to our house, and in the nicest of ways. For a while though we actually had DOUBLE the amount of cleaning supplies because we had “hers” and “ours.” Now we’re just down to “hers.”