1. Choose organic produce whenever possible. Look for the USDA organic seal on the package.  This means it was grown naturally without any harmful chemicals or pesticides, which is better for your body and the earth!
2. Look for products that come in recyclable packaging. Often time dairy items come in number two plastic containers or cereal and crackers in cardboard packaging.  This is all stuff that can be brought to your local recycling center.
3. Look for environmentally friendly cleaners. These are cleaning products that don’t use harsh chemicals.  They smell great and are much safer if you have children or pets in the house.
4. Look for products that are made from recycled materials. For instance, certain trash bags are made from recycled plastic.
5. Carry a reusable shopping bag. Meijer has $0.99 reusable bags for purchase at the front of each store.  They can be used over and over again and are an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic and paper bags normally used at the checkout.

Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
CFL bulbs are more expensive, but even the cheapest energy saving CFLs will typically last for 5,000 hours compared to only just over 1,000 hours on average for the best conventional bulbs. The effort is good both for the earth and for your wallet in the long run. You can save $30 or more in energy costs over each CFL bulb’s lifetime. According to US News and World Report, a household that invests $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12 percent discount to estimate the savings.

Compact Florescent Light Bulbs (CFL) are great money and energy savers. Just make sure that you dispose of them properly when they burn out. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage. These bulbs contain a small amount of mercury that can be dangerous if the bulb breaks in your trash. Visit www.earth911.org or call 1-877-EARTH911 to find out what the disposal options are using your zip code. You can also check directly with your local waste management agency to find out what recycling options are available.

Buy a programmable thermostat for your home.
They cost between $30 and $100, but that’s money you’re sure to make back over the course of just ONE year because your energy bills will drop. A programmable thermostat allows you to adjust your home’s temperature on a predetermined schedule, so you don’t unnecessarily waste energy when you’re not home or when you’re sleeping. Don’t feel like you need to buy the most expensive one, either – all you need is one that works.

Ditch the bottled water.
Plastic water bottles create small-scale environmental disasters – and seriously, you’re spend an average of 5 or 6 dollars on 24 bottles of water that is available right in your kitchen! American demands for plastic water bottles requires the use enough oil to annual fuel approximately 100,000 U.S. cars for a year. Use filtered tap water in a reusable bottle, and you’ll save money as well as show the world that you’re green.

Shop around for green products that work for your family.
For example, if you have a baby in the house, consider that it takes up to 500 years for a disposable to biodegrade in a landfill. Cloth diapers are baby friendly, earth friendly AND the most cost effective diapers on the market. If the thought of cloth diapers grosses you out, we also found these new, green diapers – they’re called G-Diapers – that are a sort of hybrid between cloth diapers and disposables. But they are all natural, flushable and compostable for about $0.10 more per diaper than disposables.

Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage.  These bulbs contain a small amount of mercury that can be dangerous if the bulb breaks in your trash.  Visit www.earth911.org or call 1-877-EARTH911 to find out what the disposal options are using your zip code.  You can also check directly with your local waste management agency to find out what recycling options are available.

1. Buy a bin studded with holes and place it outside. Check out http://www.composters.com for some various options.
2. Fill the bin ¾ full with leaves or newspaper. Add enough water so it resembles a damp sponge.
3. Toss in scraps of food (avoid meat and dairy) along with any paper, yard waste, etc., and stir regularly. Each time you add in more waste, top with a layer of newspaper or leaves.
4. In about two months, compost will have formed at the bottom. This compost can be used in your flowerbeds, plants and as fertilizer on your lawn.