Every April 22, we celebrate Earth Day to help raise awareness for the issues that affect our planet every day. It was first celebrated in 1970 and is now recognized in over 192 countries and is considered the largest secular holiday with over a billion people celebrating. Here are some ways to save a little green while going green this Earth Day.
SAVE WATER
Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Cut your showers down to ten minutes. Only run your dishwasher/washing machine when they are completely full. Don't water the lawn in the middle of the day. Install low flush toilets in your home. Make sure faucets and pipes aren't leaking water. These are just some of the minor adjustments you can make in your daily routine that will not only help save water but a little money on your water bill each month.
DITCH THE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE
Did you know that more than half of all bottled water comes from the tap? That means you are potentially re-purchasing the same water that is already in your home. On top of that, the garbage from water bottles is a major source of pollution. If you aren’t a fan of the taste of your tap water, try purchasing a filter for your faucet and a reusable water bottle. While it’s more of an upfront cost, you will save more in the long run by not having to purchase several plastic bottles.
SAVE ENERGY
Your electrical devices are always using energy, even when they are turned off. This phenomenon is known as standby power. The best way to help reduce this is to either completely unplug things when you’re not using them or purchase a power strip that can be easily switched on and off. Replacing your traditional incandescent lights with energy-efficient light bulbs can reduce your energy use by 75% which can result in saving about $70 year and up to $135 per bulb over its lifespan. Energy-efficient light bulbs have a life of 10,000 hours compared to traditional bulbs which only have a life of 1,000 hours this means you will buy 1/10th of your previous amount of bulbs and create less waste.
GO PAPERLESS
Switch to E-Statements to eliminate the waste and clutter that comes from paper statements. Simply log-in to home banking and choose ‘account preferences’ under the ‘preferences’ tab and select the online option. You will receive an email notification each month when your statement is available online. The statement is available in PDF form, so you can save it to your computer for your personal records or access it from any smart device, wherever you are, using mobile banking.
