How to Go Green For the New Year

It’s a brand new year, which makes it the perfect time to consider how you can go green. There are a variety of ways you can do your part to fight climate change without making big changes. In fact, most of these tips will only take a few minutes out of your day.

And you’ve probably heard of a few of them.

5 Ways to Go Green in 2021

1. Recycle

Ah yes, recycling. That task you have heard about hundreds of times, yet, only 32% of Americans do it. It only takes a few seconds to decide if something is garbage or if it can be recycled. And even just focusing on specific items can make a huge difference.

For instance, there has been a huge focus on recycling plastic, and for good reason. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you can separate.

Consider aluminum cans that commonly contain beverages like soda or beer. These should always be recycled. In fact, in some states, you are already paying a deposit that can be returned to you by bringing the can to a recycling center.

At the very least, toss them into your recycling bin.

2. Turn off Devices and Lights

Electricity generation accounts for 27% of the United States greenhouse gas emissions, and we can easily reduce it by cutting back on wasted energy.  Did you know that residential energy, the energy you use at home, is only 65% efficient?

That means that 35% of the energy you are using is being wasted!

In our modern age, one of the biggest wastes of energy is when devices are not shut off or left in rest mode for extended periods of time. A great example of this is your electronic devices like computers, televisions, video game consoles, etc.

If you are not going to use it, turn it off.

3. Avoid Single-use Plastics

Single-use plastics have taken over our world. And soon enough, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Single-use plastic is anything made out of plastic that is used exactly 1 time before being thrown away.

Luckily, there are a variety of reusable alternatives that you should consider.

For example, plastic bags have been getting banned in various places around the world, with New York the most recent area to do so. Instead, you can use reusable bags or freezer-friendly bags. Not only are these better than plastic bags, but you can also use them for a very long time.

Just make sure to remember to bring them when you shop.

4. Build a Garden

While many have spent the last year inside, others have found things to do outside of their house. One of the most popular activities is building a garden. Not only can this be a fun activity, but it’s also a great source of delicious and free vegetables.

After all, store-bought vegetables might have to travel quite a distance.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be a vegetable garden. You can plant a variety of plants. This could significantly help struggling local insects like bumblebees that pollinate flowers. It can also help smaller animals by planting trees that they can live in.

There’s no better way to go green than adding some more green to your property.

5. Go Paperless

At this point, almost every single major business and utility in existence offers a paperless option. This can significantly cut the amount of paper sent your way. In fact, the US post office delivers over 143 billion pieces of mail each year.

And a lot of it could disappear if you selected to go paperless.

On top of saving trees, it also helps keep payments on time. Most customers who choose to go paperless set up automatic payments, which can save you a lot of headaches. It’s also far easier to view your statements online from a computer.

And of course, you can also use your smartphone to view them.