Use Less Stuff to be "Green"

Use Less Stuff to be "Green"
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Photo © Saniphoto - Dreamstime
If the desire to "go green" leaves you feeling a bit overwhelmed, keep it simple with a "less is more" attitude, advises Bob Lilienfeld, sustainability expert and author of "Use Less Stuff." You'll be amazed at how simple lifestyle changes can affect your impact on the environment and your budget.

Recycling has long been touted as the centerpiece of environmentally conscious behavior, Lilienfeld notes. But the truth is that recycling by itself can't solve the environmental issues we're now facing. "The real key to saving the planet is to shop smarter so that we manage our consumption and stop creating waste," he says "Beyond recycling, we need to reduce and reuse in all areas of our life."

Here are Lilienfeld's tips on how to shop with a "use less stuff" mindset:

Make a List, Check it Twice
The best way to get what you need—and not what you don't—is to start from a list. Doing so keeps you from purchasing impulse items that you really don't need and have to pay for. And, if you include items that you're almost out of, you'll prevent yourself from having to run out for that one thing you either ran out of or forgot to buy. So, you'll save time, money, and gasoline. Less is More
Concentrated products are better for the environment because they use fewer natural resources. Concentrated products not only mean less waste, but also less weight you have to carry around. Concentrated products use 22 percent to 43 percent less packaging and up to 44 percent less water in the formulation than before, so you get a product that is a better choice for the planet, without any performance sacrifice.

A great place to find concentrated products is the detergent aisle. There are a number of top brand detergents, like Tide, Gain, Cheer, Era and Dreft that have been recently reformulated to provide the same number of loads in detergent bottles that are about half the size, resulting in a more convenient product that is easier to carry, pour and store.

Reduce, Reuse, Refill
Buy refills for your favorite products. Take a spray bottle for example. You really don't need a new sprayer, just more cleaner. Buying the larger refill bottles means you throw away less, get more product, and save money, too, since you're not paying for a spray top that you really don't need.

A Bright Idea
Invest in the just-introduced, second generation compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs. They last 16 times as long, use 75 percent less energy, and now provide light that's as natural looking as standard incandescent bulbs.

For more information on how using less stuff can help the environment, visit www.use-less-stuff.com.