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Going a deeper shade of "green" is ridiculously simple

There are many minimal effort, low- or no cost ways to be kinder to the environment

By Samantha A. Wilber on Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 4:30 pm

Hand wash dishes or put then in the machine — not both. When you rinse your dishes first before putting them in the dishwasher, you’re wasting more water than you need to. Most dish washers today are equipped to handle dishes that have not been rinsed. By either hand washing your dishes or skipping the rinse cycle and just putting them straight into the machine, you're saving water and effort.

Recycle electronics. Everyone knows to recycle paper, glass, and plastic. But, have you thought about your electronics? Many pieces of old and broken electronics can be used to make new electronics. Most electronics stores and cell phone dealers have programs that will collect your used electronic equipment to put to good use.

Bring your own bag. Who isn’t tired of having plastic grocery bags rip and spill their contents? Cloth bags that can be bought at any grocery store are much sturdier and greener. Using cloth bags is a simple way to consume much less plastic and hold more groceries in fewer bags that will not break.

Bring your own cup. Get coffee on the way to work every morning? Then you should consider bringing your own to-go cup to the coffee store. It’s less wasteful, and many coffee vendors will even give you a discount for using your own cup.

Ease up on the lawn care. Trust me, your neighbors don’t actually care how green your lawn looks. The healthiest lawns are actually the ones that are mowed and watered less often. This is Florida, where heat and drought are common. Your neighbors will appreciate a responsible person who knows when to ease off the watering for the sake of the community more than one with the perfectly manicured lawn.

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Some people that want to live a life a little "greener" have a hard time knowing how and where to start. Thankfully, there are many low- and no cost, minimal effort ways to save energy, water, resources (and money) and be kinder to the environment. Here are a few easy ways to be eco-friendlier every day — so much so, it's almost ridiculous to think that many of us haven't been doing these actions already.

Unplug electronics. Many electronic devices still draw in energy when they’re turned off. By unplugging devices in your home like TVs and computers when not in use, you are reducing your energy cost and lowering your electric bill.

Do full loads of laundry. More clothes per load means less total loads of laundry, and therefore less water. Waiting to do laundry until you have enough dirty clothes to fill the machine will help you save water.

Use towels more than once. When you’ve used a towel once after a shower, there’s no need to throw it straight into the hamper. Hanging it up to use again will help you use less water than washing that towel every time.