Green tips for the week…

Week 1: Plant a Tree
It is estimated that each person born in the modern world would need to plant 500 trees in one’s lifetime to offset one’s environmental impact. Enough said. See www.plant-a-tree-today.org.

Week 2: Hand Wash
Hand-washing laundry is one way that we can be more environmental. A washing machine uses between 35-50 gallons of water and .300 kwh of electricity per load. Use a basin to minimize water waste and only let the water run when rinsing. One dryer is estimated to use 3.3 kwh of electricity per 45 minutes. Another benefit, clothes and delicates will also last much longer and fade less.

Week 3: Carpool
Create carpools. Synchronize trips with your officemates, neighbours, family members and friends whenever possible. Who knows? It could be a way to do things on a more communal level, get close to other people and develop a sense of camaraderie. With a fun spirit it could be like having play dates wherein you schedule trips to the grocery and manicures together for example.

Week 4: Walk
On a nice day, leave the car at home if you need to do things in your neighborhood and walk your way instead. The exercise will be good for you, your pocket and the environment.

Week 5: Go Paperless
Paper accounts for 40% of the world’s industrial forest use. Going paperless for documentation purposes and sending e-mails rather than letters can go a long way in reducing paper use. Print double-sided, use smaller fonts and reduce margins.