Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Every Day

G.E.T. staff

The Green Energy Times Team wants to share some ideas with you on what you can do now to help the planet and reduce your carbon footprint. We hope you learn some new ideas that you can adapt to your everyday lives. More ideas will be shared in the coming issues throughout the year. Send your tips to us at info@greenenergytimes.org.

1. Don’t leave chargers plugged in. Connect electronic devices to power strips and turn off the strips at the end of the day or when leaving for any length of time. This includes, phones, televisions, as well as any rechargeable tools we seem to require to live today. They waste energy when left plugged in. Unplug that power charger box when your device is charged.

2. Be quick when opening refrigerator doors. When the door is left open, it is pulling in heat from the room requiring the motor to run more to cool back down.

3. Use rechargeable batteries. Recycle them at the end of their life.

4. Stop using toxin-loaded dryer sheets. Use white vinegar as a softener.

5. Don’t put food waste in your garbage. It is a big source of methane in the landfill. Methane is a horrible greenhouse gas! Compost your food waste or take it to a location that accepts it to compost.

6. Never use single-use plastic water bottles. Use a reusable water bottle.

7. Never buy single-serving packages with excessive individualized packaging.

8. Avoid buying items sold in boxes, blister-packs, and clam-shell packaging.

9. Buy in bulk and divide contents into smaller containers. Store in reusable and resealable airtight containers.

10. Never accept plastic bags and use canvas, mesh or cloth bags.

11. Donate used cooking oil for recycling into biofuel. Never pour it down a drain or put it in the compost.

12. Do not eat or drink from paper or plastic plates and cups. Ban all Styrofoam products and never accept them from a restaurant for your leftovers. Keep re-usable containers in your car for leftovers.

Our final tip for this edition of G.E.T. is from Greg Whitchurch: stop thinking that what you do about the climate crisis is less important than any other person, group, company, political party, or country.  Change at any level is always dependent upon an individual.  Be one of them. Do what you can, as soon as you can.