The term “being green” is one that is often heard today on the news, from celebrities and in the press . What does that mean? Being green means to be more aware of helping the environment and to take action to help save the environment for future generations . This article will discuss the several ways you can be more green in ways like reducing paper waste by using rubber stamps and address stamps instead of stickers to encouraging all of your neighbors to recycle .

Americans waste a lot of paper and the result is too many trees are being chopped down which then affects our ozone layer and our air quality . There are many easy steps to help lower your paper use in your home now . The first is to reduce to amount of catalogs and junk mail you get in the mail. There are websites that you can find to stop the mailing of catalogs and junk mail to your residence . Those things that do continue to arrive can be placed in a recycling bin .

Recycling is only done by a small margin of Americans and this needs to change. The fee to recycle is such a small one and really something that all Americans should do even in this difficult economy. Once you begin recycling your plastic, glass, metal and paper you will be shocked to see how your household trash will be cut by more than 50% . This is a wonderful thing to get your kids active in to have a greater understanding of how recycling will help our planet by reducing the landfills which are taking over our country’s land.

Another environmentally friendly step is to attempt to combine all of your driving trips. Many people run errands at the last minute and therefore use their car more than is necessary . If they simply organize out their day ahead with the places they need to go to , it will help lower the pollution in the air and save you time and money too . If your job is nearby , consider riding your bike to work three times a week or even starting a carpool with a few coworkers that live near you .

There are a couple of other ways to be more environmentally conscious . One is to follow the lead of many people from other countries that bring their own bags or baskets when they go shopping. This will reduce the amount of plastic bags used and many stores now pay you for bringing your own bags to their store . Changing your light bulbs to the new fluorescent ones in your home is another way to save energy and help the earth . And finally, lowering the electricity and water in your daily use will help also . Shut off all lights and electronic devices when not in use to lower your energy bills in addition to take shorter showers and turn off the water while brushing your teeth all help to make a difference in our environment.