How To Be Green

It's all about making wise choices around just a few areas. But these areas have such a large impact on your self, your family and your environment.

There is no need to be uptight about being green - there is in all things balance. Hopefully this article will give you some easy do-able things so that you to can be more "green".

How to be green at home
~Cleaning products – choose a brand that is eco-friendly.
~Find pure products to use for personal hygiene
~Doing alterations? Consider using non toxic paints, wood sealers and making your home power friendly.
~Reduce, reuse and recycle – set up three bins to recycle paper, glass and metal.
~Use more eco-friendly pest control measures for ants (Borax), Moths (lavender) and mosquitoes (citronella candles), roaches (cleanliness and borax).
~Set up a wormery for organic waste
~Garden with only organic pest control
~Set up a compost bin for garden waste
~Consider swapping to solar power for your hot water cylinder
~Use a wood burning fire rather than an electric heater to warm your living rooms

Be green with food
~Shop at organic markets as much as you can
~Start your own veggie patch or indoor veggie garden
~Support local business and farmers
~Try not to buy imported goods
~Learn to bake your own bread
~Learn to cook what ever you can from scratch
~Forage for berries and mushrooms (if you are uncertain what is safe to eat, take an expert with you – don’t leave this to chance!)
~If you have space, keep some chickens
~Find out about gleaning at local farms where you can get berries and fruit and can them.
~Got pets? Make your own dog or cat food

How to be green with power usage
~As your old light bulbs die, replace them with long life energy efficient bulbs.
~Turn off all appliances not in use.
~Wash clothes in cold water
~Turn down your geyser
~Insulate your geyser
~Line dry your clothes when you can
~Boil only the amount of water you need in a kettle
~If you need indoor heat, service your boiler regularly
~Keep your fridge coils clean, which makes it work more efficiently

How to be green with water usage
~Use only natural eco friendly cleaners
~Use natural soaps
~Harvest rainwater for your garden usage
~Don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth
~Shower rather than bath
~Install a low flow shower head
~Get kids to share a bath one after the other – starting with the cleanest first!
~Use grey water to water your garden
~Consider swapping to a twin tub when your washing machine finally needs replacing
~Consider the addage about toilets: “If it’s brown, flush it down. If it’s yellow let it mellow!”

How to be green with kids
~Use clothe nappies/diapers or eco friendly ones
~Make your own baby food
~Shop ethically for kids toys
~Cook meals from scratch – stay away from fast foods
~Use natural bath products
~Get them involved in gardening
~Make feeders for wildlife to attract them to the garden
~Share what you are learning with them
~Find another alternative to the annual Christmas tree. We set up a manger scene instead.

How to be green with friends
~Give eco friendly gifts
~Get together for frugal fun instead of decadent meals
~Picnic together – inspires a love for nature
~Share what you are learning about being green (without being self righteous and bullying)
~Give non-green friends the grace they need to get to a place where they too want to be green

How to be green at work
~Take your own mug – don’t use disposable cups
~Save some of your dinner from the night before and take it to work for lunch
~Don’t buy bottle water, buy a bottle that you can fill at home
~Use both sides of your paper
~Can you telecommute once or twice a week?
~Pay your bills online
~Ask your bank and creditors for emailed statements instead of paper and postage

How to be green in the car
~Service your car regularly
~Don’t overuse heating and cooling systems
~Check your tyres are properly inflated
~Walk/bike instead, if you can
~Combine errands to one trip
~Could you arrange a lift club to work - 1 car for 4 people?
~Don’t go out for only one item, make a running shopping list and only go when you can no longer do without.

How to be green at the shop
~Take your own fabric bags
~Combine errands
~Read your labels
~Don’t buy cut flowers
~Learn to make your own cordials, don’t buy juice
~Use reclaimed furniture, don’t always buy new
~Grow your own herbs
~Only buy energy efficient appliances
~Join www.freecycle.com to swap what you no longer need for something you do.

Go Greener

At home ~ Learn to make your own cleaning product from basic non-toxic substances
With food ~ Eat vegetarian meals more often in a week
With power ~ Consider installing a solar geyser
With kids~ Teach them to discern green choices for themselves

At work ~ If your office does not have a recycling system, offer to set one up.
In the car ~ Consider switching to biofuel
While shopping ~ Before you haul out the credit card, ask: "Do I really need this?"