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Earth Day is celebrated every year as a way to introduce people to the concept of becoming more eco-friendly. But you don’t have to wait until Earth Day to do something useful for the planet or your own family. Turn every day into Earth Day with these easy-to-implement household changes!

Light Bulbs - You’ve all heard this already… so just do it! Go change your halogen light bulbs for the CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent bulbs) and not only will the environment feel the effects, but so will your pocketbook. Plus, these bulbs are said to last anywhere from five to seven years and you’ll be able to save hundreds of dollars on your power bill over the life of the bulbs. Imagine the savings!

Cloth Shopping Bags - If you thought changing light bulbs was easy, then you’ll be amazed at how easy switching to cloth shopping bags is. Many grocery stores and places like Wal-Mart have already started selling their own brand of cloth bags. These bags run approximately $1.00 per bag and a general household can probably get by with about six bags to do your weekly grocery shopping with (you’ll obviously need more bags if you shop monthly rather than weekly). That’s only $6.00 and you’ve just saved about twenty plastic shopping bags from being used by you each week. I, personally, despise those little plastic grocery bags. I swear the local bag boys around here only put 1-3 items in each bag before going to another one. It’s annoying!

Combine Errands - Everyone has those weekly errands that never seem to go away. You need to put gas in the car for the next week, buy groceries, stop by your grandmother’s house for a quick hello, drop off some goodies at your friends house, pick up little Suzy’s favorite ice cream, and numerous other things. So instead of doing one or two of these every day over the course of a week, why not just combine them all into one day? Pick a day (like Friday) and just do all of your running around on that day only. Make a list so that you won’t forget something and get to it. My errand day is Friday. I do everything from paying bills, to buying groceries, to buying clothes… everything that needs to be done in town. Even my kids have learned that Mommy only goes to town on Fridays, so if you want something special you’ll have to wait until Friday. By doing this you’ll be saving gas (and at the cost of gas, that’s a huge positive) and you’ll be reducing car pollution being added to the environment. Stop driving around aimlessly all week long and just pick a day!

Eat From Your Own Cabinets - You know those nights when you look in your fridge and can’t for the life of you figure out what to fix for dinner. Or your fridge is bare and it’s still a few days until your scheduled weekly shopping trip. Well, it’s time to look into those things beside your fridge… the cabinets (or pantry if you have one). Everyone has stuff in their cabinets that you don’t think will make a complete meal. But a lot of it really will. I came from a very poor family and we had to make do with what we had and a lot of times my mom had to be very creative with our dinner menus. I, myself, have had to be creative with my family’s meals at times also. There’s nothing wrong with having breakfast for dinner or making a casserole out of a box of mac & cheese, one pound of ground beef, a can of carrots, and a jar of salsa. It’s actually pretty tasty! So don’t rush off to the store before you’ve exhausted all possible menu choices. I’ve been known to adamantly refuse to go to the grocery store as long as there’s flour, milk, and eggs in my house.

Eco-Friendly Household Cleaners - One of the newest eco-friendly choices available on the market is the “green” household cleaner. At first I was a little skeptical, thinking that this was another way to raise prices by slapping on a “green” label. But, I have been happily surprised to see that these new eco-friendly cleaners are running about the same prices as their not-so-friendly counterparts. That makes it even easier to become an eco-friendly shopper without doing extra damage to your wallet.

Go to Paperless Bills - You already do your banking online. So why not stop receiving paper statements all together? While you’re at it, go paperless on your billing statements as well. Most companies all all for going paperless because it saves them postage and printing costs. You’ll receive an email whenever you have a new bill and you can either pay it then or schedule your online banking to pay it for you on a specified date each month. This also saves you postage on mailing out checks and saves the environment from paper usage and air pollution from the postal delivery of your payment. Go paperless and you’ll never want to go back!

Recycle - No well meaning eco-friendly article would be complete without mentioning the simple act of recycling. Unfortunately there are still cities in this country who don’t make it easy for its citizens to recycle. But with persistance and patience, even those cities will eventually become recycling-friendly.

Purchase Recycled Products - Since you’re recycling your used products, why not purchase products that have already been recycled? There are so many things out there that are made with recycled materials and most run close to the same prices as their non-recycled counterparts. You can even buy playground “dirt” that is made from recycled tires. It boggles the mind!

With these tips, you’ll not only become a more eco-friendly human being, but you will also be able to save time and money. You’ll be making an impact on the environment without dragging your wallet down during it. Yes, we’d all love to be able to afford to install solar panels on the roof of our homes, but some of us will have to be financially happy with purchasing half a dozen cloth grocery bags instead. Every little bit that we can do DOES help the environment… no matter how big or small. Happy Earth Day every day of the year!

Author: Christie Silvers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Humorous photo captions

“Going Green” has become an advertising tag line that is becoming as common as McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It”. Our eyes and ears are getting flooded on a daily basis with products and suggestions that are geared towards more organic products that are better for the environment. I am sure we can all agree that the environment and our health should be at the top of the priorities list, but these products come at a high cost.

In a recent article by CNNMoney.com titled “The high price of gong ‘organic’”, there are several very interesting quotes.

“…recent surveys show that American consumers are getting turned off by the organic hype for three reasons: price, skepticism and confusion.”

“…organic products still sell for a hefty premium, 50% to 100% more than non-organic alternatives…”

“The No. 1 complaint over the past 5 years is that organic products are expensive.”

With these kinds of numbers, we can see why the average consumer would be turned off by organic products in favor of the mass produced, commercial offerings. We are in a time period where the necessities are going up in cost faster than the purchasing public can keep up. Even restaurants are cutting down portions to keep up with the rising cost of raw materials…in this case food.

(For most hard working families, “going green” at this point in time is not even possible without some change in the price structure.

(Does these mean that we should not “go green” all together?)

I don’t think that is the direction we need to head in. As consumers, we need to become much smarter about the way we shop. There are ways to purchase organic and natural products without breaking the bank. During times like this, we can watch out for the environment by researching the products we are buying. This involves looking for better pricing and shopping incentives.

“Going green” is an important concept as we look towards our future. Are there companies that are going to use this slogan as a tag line in an attempt to increase business during the slow times? Of course, but as an educated consumer, you should research the products and services that you rely on for your needs. Companies like Nature’s Gate, Avalon Organics or Jason are going the extra step to make sure that “going green” is not just another tag line but a way to produce Earth friendly products that will make you feel and look better.

In a recent press release by Apple Computer, CEO Steve Jobs announced that Apple is going to make changes over the coming years to make it’s products more environmentally friendly. This trend is starting to gain headway with other major Fortune 500 companies, and should help us all in the long run.

In the meantime, during the current economic situation, we need to become smarter consumers by researching our products and finding better deals. There are ways to purchase “going green” products without emptying the wallet. It just takes a little extra time that will benefit our children in the future.

Author: Robb Sutton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Beading Necklace

The green revolution isn’t done until the paperwork is finished. Eco friendly paper products are a necessary addition to any environmentally friendly home. We all know that paper actually does grow on trees, but how much does the average person use?

When it comes to toilet paper the average ranges from 20,000 to 30,000 sheets per year per person. Add to this facial tissues and paper towels and you start seeing some significant numbers. The obvious green choice is to go with eco friendly paper products for all your household needs.

In this case eco friendly means recycled. Just one ton of recycled paper saves; 17 trees, 7000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air pollution, 2.5 cubic yards of landfill space and enough kilowatts of electrical power to run the average home for 6 months.

When shopping for eco friendly paper products look for the highest percentage of post-consumer content in the paper. This indicates the amount of waste paper collected from consumers and reprocessed. The higher the percent, the better the paper product is for the environment.

By buying these products you are not only helping the planet, but you are sending a message to the manufacturer and encouraging this cycle of recycling. Every year Americans use approximately 85 million tons of paper products or about 680 pounds per person.

Recycling is not just a good idea, it is becoming a necessity. But how can you be sure you are buying truly eco friendly paper products? Check the label, if your product is endorsed by Green Seal you are buying a quality product. The manufacturer can also make a difference, for example Seventh Generation produces across the board high quality eco friendly products of all sorts and openly discloses all ingredients.

Beware of products claiming to be “environmentally friendly,” “safe for the environment” or “natural” as these phrases carry little weight and do not indicate that the product is made from recycled materials.

Ultimately you want toilet paper, paper towels and facial tissue made from 100% recycled paper. All truly eco friendly paper products are made chlorine, free being whitened with an environmentally safe process and often coming free of dyes and perfumes.

Buying this kind of household paper will reduce the need for virgin wood pulp which is good due to the fact that 90% of American native forests are gone and won’t be coming back anytime soon.

Going green with your household paper products won’t cost you any more than with traditional brands and will give much more back to the planet. It is an easy switch and a necessary one.

Author: Keith King
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rates

Going green is a term that most people understand to mean using products and doing activities that are environmentally friendly.

Often going green simply means thinking about your life and considering what you are doing. It’s taking time to consider who you are buying from and how they are impacting the future of our planet. Going green is becoming more popular, but even more important, it’s good sense: for you, your family, and the entire world.

Consumers are becoming very aware of green technology and in many cases purchasing decisions are based on their knowledge of environmental issues concerning a product. Most consumers have access to information on almost any product via the Internet, so, as a society, we are better informed than ever before. Going green is more than an altruistic aspiration to save the planet. Going green is a necessity that companies will need to embrace as consumers demand green alternatives.

There are increasingly complex products and numerous ways to be green, but some of more common and easiest ways are;

• Recycling – everything from paper and cardboard to plastics, glass and electronics
• Buying chemical free carpets and furnishings
• Using biodegradable cleaning products
• Wear clothing made from natural fibers like cotton and linen
• Choosing construction materials that are energy efficient or are made from renewable resources
• Use bath and skin care products that are organic
• Using cloth or biodegradable diapers
• Driving fuel efficient vehicles – or better yet not driving unless absolutely necessary
• Using electricity produced by solar, wind, geothermal, or other renewable sources to heat and cool homes and offices
• Buying paper and other products made from recycled material

You may be aware that Apple has patented a solar cell to use on its iPhone and iPod. Wal-Mart Canada will build the country’s largest rooftop solar energy system. The green building industry saw an increase in revenue last year and is expected to grow again in spite of the housing slump across the U.S. Finally, the Pittsburgh convention center is helping change Pittsburgh’s image as a gritty, grimy steel town by creating one of the most environmentally friendly buildings of its size in the entire country and includes an organic garden, its own water reclamation plant, and a smart cooling system.

See a short video clip here: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/27/pittsburgh-convention-center-helps-green-up-citys-image/
People, consumers, are increasingly flocking to environmentally friendly green products and organic foods. As concerns about our environment increase it will be even more necessary to go green in our homes, our vehicles, and our work places. We don’t mind paying a bit extra to buy products that are proven to be better for us and for our environment.

Going green whenever possible will make an impact.

Author: Winifred Churchill
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card

The green movement gains strength everyday and makes finding an eco friendly cleaner easier for the average consumer. Traditional laundry detergents have come under fire in recent years for some of the harmful ingredients they use to get your clothes clean and green companies are coming up with solutions. Below are 5 easy tips for finding a eco friendly cleaner to replace your traditional laundry detergent.

1. Ingredients are of utmost importance. In order to qualify as an eco friendly cleaner, the detergent must not contain ingredients harmful to the earth. Phosphates, which can cause massive algal blooms in waterways that mess with ecosystems by robbing the water and aquatic life of all-important oxygen, have all but been removed from laundry detergents. Obviously any eco friendly cleaner worth its weight in dirty clothes will be free of phosphates, chlorine, petroleum chemicals, but as always make sure you check the label.

Unfortunately the burden of finding product ingredients often falls to the consumer as many large companies frequently choose not to list all product ingredients. A more complete list of contents can often be found by calling the toll free information number usually found on the product label.

2. Make sure the eco friendly cleaner you’re contemplating is both septic safe and gray water safe. It should also be 100 percent biodegradable and contain only nonpolluting ingredients, especially the surfactants (agents used for wetting and cleaning and contained in all laundry detergents).

3. A true eco friendly cleaner will have a neutral pH balance. The rating of 7 is generally considered a neutral pH. A neutral pH is generally kinder to sensitive skins.

4. The detergent should be plant-based as well. An eco friendly cleaner derived from plants will contain no hazardous chemicals or petroleum constituents and they are also more friendly to allergy prone people.

5. An eco friendly cleaner is most often available in concentrated form. By removing excess amounts of needless water, the green cleaners reduce the weight and therefore the cost of shipping and packaging. This cost saving can then hopefully be passed along to the consumer.

6. No animal testing or animal ingredients are ever used on an eco friendly cleaner.

But how does an eco friendly cleaner compare to your regular laundry detergent? The answer is, very well. The results of course will vary depending on what your wash requirements are, but some of the earth friendly manufacturers like Seventh Generation and Ecover produce laundry detergents that clean equally if not better than their non-eco friendly cleaner competition.

The industrys direction in recent years has been toward green products, not away and this trend will only help to create better, less expensive, eco friendly cleaners in the future.

Author: Keith King
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card