How to Live Greener
September 28, 2021
The human impact on our environment can be lessened, but lots of people don’t know where to begin. A hearty thank you to Rianna at TipTar and Rebecca at Minimalism Made Simple, for a few ways to go green at home – reusing, reclaiming, repurposing and reducing water and energy consumption – to help insure a healthier future for everyone.
1. Shop with intention
Most people go grocery shopping with a list of a few things they want or need, and end up with much more than what’s on the list (or is it just us?!). If that results in wasted food that doesn’t get eaten or recycled into compost – it may end up in a landfill which can be a serious problem for the environment. As we generate more and more garbage– 2 billion tons in 2016 according to the World Bank, and growing let’s be on purpose about what we’ll actually eat the next time we head to King Soopers for groceries!
2. Use Apps that fight food waste
Several apps can connect you with restaurants that offer free or reduced-price food that is leftover. It’s a win-win for you, the restaurant, and the environment; you get good food at a reduced rate, the restaurant doesn’t have to toss goods and it prevents waste.
Check out Too Good to Go and Olio.
3. Grow your own produce and herbs
A great way to reduce your food costs and become eco-friendlier is to grow your own garden. Try herbs, berries, or tomatoes to start, and spinach, arugula and zucchini – some of the easiest to cultivate for new gardeners.
4. Start Composting (and/or share your scraps)
You can reduce your food waste by saving some scraps like apple cores, bread crusts, or fruit peels to compost. You can also share your scraps with neighbors who actively grow their own veggies – check out Share Waste to find out how.
5. Recycle whenever you can
There are a number of programs and resources in Aurora to help you recycle or dispose of household hazardous chemicals and other items that cannot be disposed of safely in the trash. Just scroll down to the buttons below.
Visit www.earth911.com for other local opportunities to recycle that we can all take advantage of. Youcan also recycle waste with TerraCycle, and return plastic bags to most grocery stores for recycling. For electronics, check out Techno Rescue for safe disposal of electronics waste.
7. Harbor house plants
Like rescued pets, the last 18 months have been popular for house plants. Plants don’t just add color and warmth as items of interior décor — they also help provide clean air. And plants can be relaxing and aid in de-stressing after a rough day at the home office. If you’re skittish about indoor plants, try mother-in-law’s tongue AKA snake plants, which give off oxygen at night.
8. Eco-Drive your car
Eco-driving is safer and cleaner. Eco-driving involves checking tire pressure, regular vehicle maintenance, not over-loading your car, and rolling the windows down in instead of hitting the A/C. All these steps can help improve fuel efficiency and/or save energy.
9. Buy gently-used furniture
Furniture is expensive to purchase and environmentally-taxing to create. Buying gently-used furniture helps reduce your home’s footprint. Check Freecycle, local thrift stores, or Facebook Marketplace for deals.
10. Donate extra items
We all have old books that collect dust, used furniture that we no longer really use, and clothes we never wear. Try flipping all the hangers in your closet backward and as you wear something, flip it around. After 90 days – or when you trade out seasonal items – you’ll know which items you wear making it easy to donate the don’ts!
Green Citizen rounded up 21 more environmental blogs for people who want to live a sustainable green lifestyle. And The Green Living Guy regularly publishes ways to pursue greener lives. His suggestions can contribute to the joint effort to change our day-to-day habits with tiny actions toward a better environment. Check him out!
Green Living in Southshore
We just gave you a few dozen options for contributing to the greening of planet earth starting in the master-planned community of Southshore. Don’t live here yet? Stop by and check out the brand new homes priced between the $400s and the $700s from Taylor Morrison, Century Communities, Richmond American Homes and Toll Brothers. Because Life at the Lake is hard to beat when you want recreation minutes from your front door!