6 Ways To Go Green Without Going Crazy

The New Year gave us a clean slate to start over and right our wrongs but how many of us actually factored our environmental wrongs into this as well? If you haven۪t, don۪t worry because we۪re only three months into the year and you can still alter the agenda and go green. Having an environmentally friendly lifestyle really isn۪t as difficult as it sounds, and small changes to your daily habits can make all the difference. Here's how:

No More Plastic Bags

The next time you hit up the mall for a Sunday brunch and retail therapy date with your girlfriends, carry a couple of foldable tote bags with you to keep your purchases in. Plastic bags are no biodegradable so they take millions of years to decompose. They often find their way to the ocean as well, where innocent animals choke or suffocate because of them. Vow to kick this habit starting now, and get all your ladies to join with you!

Use Less Paper

I am sure that we don۪t need to tell you how many trees are felled every day to produce the paper we use in our daily lives, whether it comes as a newspaper, tissue roll, post-it note or textbooks. We live in the time of the internet, so skip picking a newspaper on your way to work and read it on your iPad instead. If you۪re printing out something which is going to be thrown anyway, use both sides of the page and keep the font as small as possible to fit more text on a lesser number of pages. It might seem insignificant, but look back in a year and you will see how every page adds up. Don۪t forget to use the recycle bin when discarding old documents!

Public Transport Once A Week

We۪re not asking you to sell of your car and cycle everywhere that would be inconvenient and cumbersome. All we ask is that you make it your goal to take public transport at least once a week, even if it is a short distance. If it simply isn۪t an option, why not carpool with your friends? It۪s a win-win situation because you save on gas money and you save the environment a bit of damage. You go girl!

The Good Ol۪ Clothesline

Is it really necessary to run a load in the drier three times a week when the summer sun can do the job for you? Take advantage of the hot weather and hang your clothes and especially your designer swimwear out to dry instead of stuffing them into the drier. Not only are you helping the environment; you are also helping yourself because you will save money in the bargain and your favorite dress or your sexy Agua Bendita bikini will last much longer!

Creative Gift-wrapping

Now you can make a unique statement and help the planet at the same time. Is your boyfriend۪s birthday coming and you۪re still searching for the perfect gift wrap? Why not wrap his present up in an old newspaper or magazine page instead? It will look super quirky and stand out from all the other boxes on the table as well. You can totally customize this by using the pages from the sports section or his favorite magazine. Works equally well for covering notebooks with unsightly covers as well!

Save H2O

Small changes can result in huge savings on your water bill each month. How, you ask? For starters, make sure that you turn off the tap when you are brushing it takes zero effort so why not? It might be a good idea to take a shorter shower too. If you۪re always running late to work, you probably need to do this anyway. Just cut down your shower-thinking time by two minutes and you۪re doing a great job. Better yet, why not shower with your partner? Conserve water and have a wild start to the day!

Girls, give yourself a pat on the back for taking the initiative to help the environment! We are so proud of you.