Green Eyes On: Three Green New Year's Resolutions
by Sara Snow 
on 01. 5.09
Photo via Flickr
A few weeks before we even rang in the start of 2009, I was already thinking about my New Year's resolutions. And then I started wondering what resolutions other people were making. I heard both the usual: eat better, exercise more...and the unusual: write more thank-you notes, focus on organics, for example. And that last one got me thinking: there are so many people who are still dwelling on the fringe of greener living. What better time to take the plunge than the start of a new year?
Here are three progressive ways to live greener in the New Year.
1. Dip Your Toe In: Start Eating More Organic Food
Eating more organic food is the perfect place to start. Did you know that the average child in America is exposed to five pesticides a day in food and drinking water? Yet--according to a study involving school-age children--switching to an organic diet for just five days virtually eliminates any sign of exposure to organophosphate pesticides. And, as an added bonus, you can increase your antioxidant intake by 30 percent by switching to organic foods. Start by replacing two items each week on your grocery list with the organic counterpart, then grow from there.
2. Start Using Recycled Products
I’m sure that you, like many people, are already recycling. Maybe you’re even composting. And you’re proud of how little trash you actually send to the dump each week. But let’s take it one step farther. Without a market for recycled-content goods, there could be no need, or opportunity, for us to recycle. So this year, don’t let your recycling bin be the only green badge you wear, make sure the products around your house sport the triple-arrow recycling symbol, too. Recycline makes Preserve, a line of cutting boards, colanders, and other kitchen goods from recycled materials, and Seventh Generation makes 100% recycled content bathroom tissue, napkins and other paper goods. When you buy, look for the triple arrow recycling symbol that is also a triangle, which indicates that something is both recyclable and made from recycled materials.Find the third green New Year's resolution on page 2!
page: 1, 2
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Improve Your Running Naturally with 4 Easy Yoga Poses
- High-Carbon Foods = Acne-Causing Foods
- Are You Harboring These Dangerous Products?
- Remove Nail Polish Remover From Your Life
- Rainy Day? Entertain the Kids with Green Activities for Under $25
- Manage Ticks Without Environmental Toxins
Cheeky much? Or have you simply missed all that stuff about the term "green" and how it basically makes everyone puke now?
Well, it did not make me puke...I thought this was a great set of practical and resolutions that will make a difference...Hope you don't ming that have posted it on my blog. Thanks for the suggestions Sara.
Patty