For green living made easy, try tapping into some of these tips on a day-to-day basis—you’ll please the planet, nourish your body, and ease your mind.
>>1. Ditch one-use plastics like single-use water bottles. Instead, grab a reusable water bottle to use when you’re on the go or playing sports.
>>2. Buy paper products made from 100-percent postconsumer content. This includes paper towels, toilet paper, and printing paper! There is no reason to buy these products made from virgin trees anymore.
>>3. Vote with your dollars and buy organic food: This is such a positive action to take because you are protecting your health, protecting the earth, supporting organic farmers, and making your voice heard!
>>4. Consume less! Cheap fashion items encourage us to buy or toss and also to collect a lot of “stuff” that we just don’t need. This includes home wares and even food. Be mindful when shopping: Do you really need everything in your cart?
>>5. Buy or make your own nontoxic cleaning products. Your home should be just as clean as the foods you eat and skincare products you use. I like Ecos because they are a very green company.
>>6. Create a drought-tolerant backyard: Brown is the new green! In drought-stricken areas like Southern California, there is no reason to try to maintain a neon-green lawn anymore. Look for succulents and drought-tolerant/native plants.
>>7. Spend just two minutes a day signing an online petition for a greener, cleaner Earth. I go to NRDC (nrdc.org/action/where) where you can click to take action on any issue that you feel strongly about.
>>8. Choose cleaner, greener personal care products free from harsh chemicals.
>>9. Cook from scratch: This is the single greenest thing that you can do because you will be avoiding tons of packaging and unhealthy ingredients.
>>10. Digital detox: Spend an hour a day with all your devices turned off, and get in tune with nature by taking a long hike or walk. This encourages a connection with the environment around us, and also helps us to live a little more mindfully.
Green living is a lifestyle that tries in as many ways as it can to bring into balance the conservation and preservation of the Earth’s natural resources, habitats, and biodiversity with human culture and communities. Our choices need to not only be sustainable, but also sustain us on a personal or spiritual level.
