Being "eco-conscious" means being aware of what you are doing, buying, using, and what it does to the environment. Why should I be eco-conscious?" you ask. There is a very simple reason: We live on one earth, and this is the only place we can live. If we treat it like the city dump it becomes dirty and unlivable. If we treat it well by being eco-conscious, the earth stays a clean place, perfect for living, for ourselves and our children.

1. Recycle – you hear it everyday, but are you really making an “eco-conscious” effort to apply it to your everyday life everyday? Knowing what you can recycle is half the battle to the lifestyle change – plastic, paper, glass, aluminum, steel and so much more! Contact your local recycling program to find out what you can do.
2. Wash Your Clothes in Cold - Use cold water to wash your clothes and save 50% of the energy you would otherwise use for hot water. Set your dryer on the moisture sensor, not the timer, and cut energy use by 15%.
3. Watch That Thermostat - For every degree you lower your home's temperature during the heating season or elevate during the cooling season, subtract 5% from your bill, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. Look for the Energy Star Label
4. Buy Local - Buying local produce from your state saves lots of money. Most of the time the fruit and vegetables you get have traveled thousands of miles in order to be in the stores which means they had to use lots of fuel, hence, more pollution. Stick to locally grown items!
5. Conserve Water - Don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth or wash your car, try turning the water off until it's time to rinse. When you wash dishes or clothes, wait until you have enough to fill a full load.
6. Put An End to Energy Vampires - Energy vampires are electronics (like TVs, DVD players and cell phone chargers, coffee makers, toasters, table lamps) that still use energy even when they're turned off. Unplugging all these electronics is probably not the most convenient, but at least take that cell phone charger out of the switch when you’re not using it, and unplug as many as you can if you plan to be away from your home on vacation.
7. Get Your Kids In On It - Going green is a way of living, and that means it must include your kids, too. Regardless of their age, your children can start learning what it means to live a healthier, more natural and environmentally-friendly lifestyle. If you begin instilling green values in your kids now, the more likely they are to continue a healthier lifestyle into adulthood.
8. Use Alternative Cleaning Recipes - To get a home that is truly clean, rather than covered in toxic chemicals, try making your own non-toxic cleaners at home. It's easy! Basic ingredients found in your kitchen can be used to make non-toxic cleaners for your different cleaning needs. Just a basic google search will pull up cleaning recipes that use common household products like baking soda, white vinegar and lemon juice.
9. Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste Properly - Many products found in your kitchen, bathroom, garage or garden shed are potentially hazardous substances. Because of their chemical nature they can poison, corrode, explode or burst into flame when handled improperly. When discarded, they are household hazardous wastes. Motor oil, paints, pesticides, antifreeze, wood preservatives, batteries and many household cleaners contain solvents, petroleum products, heavy metals or other toxic chemicals. When these products are dumped in the trash or poured down the drain, their hazardous chemicals can injure people or contaminate drinking water sources.
10. Stop The Paper Trail – You can get off the junk mail list by registering with the Direct Marketing Associaton’s Mail Prefernece Service at dmaconsumers.org. You will see a significant reduction in mail after three months. Opt out of receiving credit card, banking and billing statements in the mail – most have secured websites that you can login to view your account and pay online.

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