5 Fast Ways To Clean Up Your Act And Start Limiting Your Water Use

Western culture uses too much water – it’s just that simple.  We take advantage of this resource and often take it for granted, but little things can go a long way – make some changes in your life and make the world a better place.

1) The average toilet flush usually consumes about 5 liters of water.  Here is a simple way to reduce this volume AND to do a little bit of recycling: Take an empty plastic bottle, fill it with water, seal it tightly, and leave it in the tank of your toilet; this will decrease the amount of water that fills in your tank and lower each flush.

2) You might have some leaks between the tank and the bowl – these slow and steady problems can be huge water wasters.  Check your toilet by placing some food coloring in the tank of the toilet after a few hours of not flushing check the bowl out; if the food coloring has seeped into the bowl then you know there is a leak somewhere.

3) There may be a leak or a drip somewhere else in your house.  Set aside a 2 hour block where there won’t be ANY water used.  Check your water meter at the beginning and end – if it isn’t exactly the same… then you might have a problem to find.

4) Sure, showers feel SO good sometimes, but did you know that even a four minute shower uses somewhere in the ballpark of 30 gallons of water?  Using a timer in the shower to limit the amount of time and water used can change your water bill and help the planet!

5) Relying on your garbage disposal unit at the kitchen sink is a fairly common thing in most households.  These units require water to work properly.  Instead of dumping so much food waste down the sink you should start a compost pile; now you’re saving water and preparing better options for your gardening endeavors for the future.

5 Easy Steps Toward A Greener You

Whether you’re a bohemian and organic yogini or just a person wanting to be a little more green, there are a few things you can always do to make a difference. Even for the greenest of us, remembering some basics can help to reignite and remind us of simple things to make our lives a bit better.

1) Reduce

Let’s face it: even in tough economic times most people live in somewhat of a state of abundance, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. We also could all use for a little reduction in how we buy and how we consume. Use less paper, print things less often, open the windows, don’t make as much food, actually eat your leftovers, put a timer in your shower, don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth, etc. Look at your life and find at least 3 ways today to reduce your use.

2) Reuse

The best part of reusing anything is in the creative opportunities that can be found. Not only can you get in touch with your inner artisan, but there are also real-life practical ways to reuse household items. Use your old socks as cleaning rags, make a blanket or quilt out of old t-shirts, old bills and junk mail can become crap paper for notes, jars can become flower vases, and more. Next time you go to throw things away, take a moment and get creative before you toss that junk in the garbage

3) Recycle

Many communities offer a diverse recycling program that can keep many things out of our landfills. I recently learned about a service in my community that will even take away old appliances AND provide you with a credit off a utilities bill if a new energy efficient appliance is purchased. Electronics are also in high demand right now for recycling. Check out EPA.gov for more information about local recycling electronics efforts.

4) Shop smarter – Shop greener

Shopping greener doesn’t necessarily mean buying organic goods from your local mega supermarket. So many day-to-day products now offer eco-friendly, safe, and (often) organic alternatives; sometimes these alternatives may be a bit more pricey, but the positive difference they make over heavy chemical brothers and sisters. You can also find green alternative products that have been recognized and approved by various organizations like Green Seal.

5) Power down

Most everybody has fallen asleep with the TV on, or left a light on in the bathroom while leaving the house in a hurry. Mistakes happen, but being conscious and powering down really DO make a difference. Beyond being aware of simple things, there are several little things that we often overlook: don’t leave things on the charger after they have finished, turn off your computer when you are done, take advantage of cooler days and turn off the AC, etc.

There are so many ways to be more green for beginners and veterans! Organic Bug offers tools, goods, gifts, and more to help make your life be a little more green!