This coming new year, I hope you will consider recycling, reducing waste, and reusing materials. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Use reusable coffee mugs.
Use reusable water bottles. Make sure you get ones that are BPA-free.
Use bar soaps to reduce the plastic material shower gels come in.
Reusable grocery and shopping bags. They come in various sizes, colors, and prints.
Reisenthel and Rume bags are good, but any reusable bag will do. Most grocery stores actually give you credit when you bring your own bags.
If you travel, consider using reusable tubes instead of buying the travel sized products.
GoToobs by are good. They are made of silicone not hard plastic so they are easy to squeeze.
Use plastic containers for snacks, fruit, cereal, etc instead of using plastic baggies.
Use reusable lunch bags instead of the traditional brown paper bags. They are washable so you can use them again and again.
Use an electronic reader. I know it takes getting used to not holding an actual paper book, but it does save a bunch of paper. Not only can you download books, you can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers. Kindle, Nook, and iPad are just some of them.
Try paying your bills online. This will save envelopes, stamps, checks, and paper.
Thanks for taking the step of becoming more environmentally friendly.
Our generation is counting on you.