When it comes to going green, every little bit counts and one of those little bits has to do with using paper towels. The less paper towels you use, the lower your carbon footprint will be. While this may seem like a small thing, every little bit adds up!  One great way to lower use of paper towels is to get some good quality kitchen towels that you can wash and reuse and make sure you have them handy for drying your hands, wiping up spills, and drying off dishes. Limit the use of the actual paper towels to the really nasty messes. It doesn’t really take much effort and you soon discover that you’re spending less money on paper towels at the grocery store each week!

Speaking of the grocery store, another thing you can do to help the environment is to stop using plastic bags and switch to those tote bags that you can use over and over again.  While the plastic ones might be convenient, there are literally millions of them that pileup in the landfills every year and may take up to 1000 years to decompose.

Plastic bags are bad for the environment, and plastic water bottles are bad for the environment and your health. Invest in some stainless steel drinking mugs to carry your water in instead of buying water in plastic bottles. You’ll be helping to reduce more plastic in your landfill as well as saving your body from harmful toxins that can leach into the water you are drinking.

Heating your home is another area where you can help the environment and save a little bit of money with your efforts.  Have your furnace serviced to make sure that it is working most efficiently and make sure that you caulk your windows thoroughly so that they are no little places that cold air can get in. Buy a programmable thermostat so you can keep your home at a steady temperature, but try to keep at 68° or below when you are home and 58° when you are sleeping or at work.

Everyone knows that using energy-efficient appliances can help reduce your carbon footprint and save on utility bills, but not everyone can afford to buy new energy-efficient appliances. However, there are some things you can do that will help reduce your electric bill and be good for the environment. If you have a home computer (and who doesn’t these days) then make sure you turn it off when you’re not using it. Don’t leave lights on in rooms that no one is in and take a good look at all the appliances that you normally leave plugged in all the time. Do they have little LEDs or lights? You might consider unplugging them as these little lights do consume some energy even when the appliance is off.

Going green doesn’t have to mean taking extravagant measures like converting your home to solar energy, or driving an electric powered car. Every little step counts, and you will find that these little steps lead to bigger steps and a less negative impact on the environment.

Here are 10 “green” things you can do that won’t crimp your style or your wallet:

1.    Use recyclable cloth grocery bags instead of plastic – plastic bags take eons to degrade and can be harmful to wildlife.  Cloth bags only cost you $1 and some grocery stores even give you a rebate every time you use them.  Not only that but they fit more groceries, can be used over and over again for anything and are easier to carry!
2.    Buy reusable coffee filters – you’ll never run out!
3.    Put your kitchen scraps in a compost pile – you’ll have great organic fertilizer for your garden and be making good use of your scraps.
4.    Use cloth kitchen towels instead of paper towels.
5.    Buy used items – need a new sofa or TV?  Try looking at your local consignment store or in the classifieds – you can get like new items for a fraction of the price and it keeps those items out of the landfill.
6.    Don’t print – do you really need to print that out?  Think hard before you print stuff on your computer – you’ll save a ton on ink and paper.
7.    Get your news online – instead of getting a newspaper delivered to your house, just go online and read your local news.  Almost every newspaper has webpage these days where you can get late breaking news.
8.    Work from home – if your company allows it, try to work from home 1 or 2 days a week.  You’ll be producing less carbon emissions and saving on gas (plus you’ll probably get a lot more done without your boss staring over your shoulder!)
9.    Buy local –  flying and trucking food all over the world creates a lot of pollution so if you have a local farmers market, try to support your local farmers and buy as much food as you can there.  It will be healthier for you and the environment.
10.    Turn down your water heater – most people have their water heater up too high – turn yours down to 120 degrees and make sure you but an insulating sweater around it.  This will help it run more efficiently and save you on heating your water.  For even more savings, insulate the pipes coming out of the water heater.

There’s plenty more you can do to help the environment but it can be overwhelming to try to implement too many things at once.  Try some of the tips above and, once you  have them structured into your daily routine take on more green living activities – before you know it you’ll be living a fully eco-friendly lifestyle!