Eco-Friendly Lifestyle: 7 Simple Tips on Staying Green!

#1: Use glass whenever possible! Storing your food in glass is an eco-friendly and healthier alte
ative to plastic. Plastics contain harmful chemicals which leach into our bodies, our water supplies, and the soil. There are huge islands of plastic floating around both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, composed of plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris has grown to be twice the size of Texas!

If giving up your Ziplocs is not an easy task, I understand. Try Debbie Meyers Green Bags. I love these and use them all the time! They are a great alte
ative to the average plastic food storage bag. They are reusable up to 10 times thus saving money and waste, the company claims that they reduce vitamin loss of produce up to 50% and that they are designed to keep certain produce fresh for up to a month. Nothing ever even lasts that long in my house but in my experience, they do seem to keep things fresher longer and I love that I can reuse them. In fact, I probably reuse them more than 10 times!

#2: Buy Recycled Goods and Materials as much as possible! Nowadays you can purchase everything from garbage bags and wrapping paper to building materials such as windows, pipes, and doors made from recycled products. I use Seventh Generation products they're 100% recycled paper, bleached with hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydrosulfite.

#3: Avoid purchasing packaged food as much as possible! Food packaging accounts for a huge amount of waste in today's world. Most packaged foods are processed and no good for you anyway. Buying and consuming fresh foods are better for your body and better for the environment!

#4: Bring your own bags when you go shopping! Whether you are shopping for clothes, knick knacks, or groceries, there is no reason to use plastic bags. Bring your own recycled and/or reusable bags. Some of them fold up so small that you can keep them in your purse!

#5: Choose Local and Organic foods as much as possible! Organic foods are grown without pesticides therefore you are protecting the planet as much as you are protecting your body by eating fresh wholesome organic foods. Local foods don't travel which means less gas, less emissions, and less pollution.

#6: Clean Green! There are more and more green cleaning products on the market these days. I've tried most of them all and really love Biokleen Natural Cleaners but I also tend to stick with some of my old favorites for cleaning everything from windows, countertops, the refrigerator, the stove, and even the floor. What I probably use the most is white vinegar. White vinegar contains acetic acid which makes it an effective disinfectant, and deodorizer. It cuts grease and soap scum, dissolves mineral buildup, and even inhibits the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.

Baking soda is another great green cleaning product. Use it as a laundry detergent and your clothes will come out fresh and clean. Make a paste by mixing it with a little water and rub it onto to stains and it will lift them away. This even works for blood and wine stains!

Have you noticed how many products contain lemon? Lemons have natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties that can be used all over the house. Add lemon to white vinegar to disinfect the bathroom, refrigerator, countertops, or whatever you are disinfecting. Squeeze it into a dishpan filled with warm water and a dash of white vinegar to clean your dishes. Add some baking soda to the mix to scour pots and pans.

#7: Compost! Composting enriches the soil, reduces landfill pollution, and can even clean up contaminated soil. The U.S. EPA estimates that the equivalent of 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions could be prevented each and every year if 100% of American's food waste was composted. 20 MILLION TONS, folks!!! Now if that's not an incentive to be greener!!