Spring Into Eco-Action

It's Spring!

It’s the season to enjoy the outdoors and time to start thinking about warmer temperatures. While you clean out your closets and tidy up your budget, it’s also a great time to Phase Green In with some money-saving, planet-saving ideas for spring:

1. Use cloth kitchen towels and napkins or at least half-sheet recycled paper towels.

2. Get a water filter or refill dispenser jugs vs. single-serve, single-use plastic bottles. Check out www.greenfeet.com for some great products!

3. Avoid purchasing single serving packaged items. Instead package them yourself in reusable containers by shopping the bulk bins or buying large packages to save packaging on grains, beans, cereals, pasta and snacks.

4. Reuse shopping bags and/ or buy reusable shopping bags, and not just at the grocery store (though we do give you money back). I carry mine everywhere, even to the mall! Check out www.greenfeet.com for some super cute styles or purchase from stores like Whole Foods for $1!

5. Make and take your lunch and avoid the waste of single-use packaging or take-out containers. Taking your own lunch is not only healthy for the environment, but healthy for your bottom line. Eating lunch out 5 days a week at $10 per day can really add up!

6. Wash clothes in cold water because roughly 80% of washer energy used is to heat water.

7. Watch your portion sizes to help balance consumption with resources (and help your health).

8. Shop the sales on eco-friendly cleaners, recycled paper goods and local, organic and seasonal goods. Check out stores like Big Lots for discontinued Method products, your local grocery store (Kroger often clearances out Seventh Generation Products) and even Whole Foods (periodic sales on a variety of cleaning products) Also, check out my favorite coupon links on the right!