Check back every Monday for more ways to incorporate living green into your everyday life!

Use a straw.
Not plastic of course. Plastic uses a lot of resources and never biodegrades so anytime you can use something else its best. I think most of us still want straws sometimes though. So what should you do? Try glass straws which can be washed and reused. If glass worries you because of kids or you are afraid you will break them there are other options like bamboo straws or stainless steel. For a bigger impact drink an organic shake with your straw. Organic foods are better for the environment and you.

Fill Up Your Fridge
You don’t want to overfill your fridge but keeping it well stocked will help it run more efficiently. Same goes for the freezer. Use pitchers of water to fill up space when it’s not as full. For a bigger impact make sure you keep your fridge at 37 degrees for food safety and efficiency.

Don’t Drive Thru
When going to get food, to the bank, or fill your prescriptions be sure to park. On average you use 18 cents worth of gas to let your car idle while waiting. For a bigger impact ditch the car and walk or bike if you can.

Insulate Your Pipes
Make sure your water pipes are properly insulated. It will help keep them from freezing in the winter, reduce energy waste, and cut down on cold pipes sweating which supports mold growth. You can buy pre-cut foam sleeves at places like Home Depot. For a bigger impact insulate your water heater.

Save water when flushing.
Even if you aren’t ready to buy a new more efficient toilet you can conserve water when flushing. Just take a 1 liter plastic bottle, fill it with water, and stick it inside the water tank. You will save that liter of water every time you flush. For a bigger impact buy a toilet lid sink, the water is clean in the water tank and can be used for hand washing before it fills your toilet.

Use Cold Water
When you use your garbage disposal. For a bigger impact don’t use it at all. You will save money, water, and power. It’s also better if you have a septic system. Also disposal waste can be harmful to wildlife.

Don’t Preheat
If you are cooking something for an hour or more don’t preheat. Even for breads and baked goods never preheat more than 10 minutes. Your house will stay cooler and you will save on energy cost. For a bigger impact use a solar oven and let the sun do the work.

Ditch The Plastic
Use glass containers for food storage. Plastic uses a lot of oil, doesn’t last as long, is harder to recycle and contains toxic chemicals that can leach into your food. For a bigger impact look for recycled glass.

Green Baby Food
Buy organic baby food in reusable glass containers. If every year 1% of baby food jars were saved and reused and/or recycled 680,000 pounds of glass would be kept out of the landfill. 680,000 pounds is almost as much as a Boeing 747. For a bigger impact make your own baby food in reusable containers.

Automatic Paycheck
Request your paycheck be automatically deposited. You will get your money faster and reduce time and fuel used to deposit the check. For a bigger impact get paperless statements from your bank.