Austin College Thinking Green
GreenServe 2012
EMBRACE YOUR GREEN SIDE
Doing a little collectively makes a BIG difference!
1. BAG THOSE GROCERY SACKS!
Did you know? … Americans use more than 40 billion plastic and paper grocery bags annually. Our communities are working towards fixing this problem. Austin, Texas, passed an ordinance in March 2012, effective in 2013, that will charge consumers for using a retailer-provided bag. This is part of a zero-waste strategy for the city. Bring your own reusable shopping bag to the supermarket and the mall.
2. BE CLEAN AND GREEN!
Did you know? … It is easy to use environmentally friendly cleaning products in your home…and it is better for your health. To make your own glass cleaner: combine ¼ cup of vinegar with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. This recipe also works well on many non-porous countertops.
3. GO TECHIE ON YOUR BILLS AND PASS ON THE PAPER
Did you know? … Paying online reduces paper usage as well as the carbon footprint to produce and deliver paper bills. Americans could save 18.5 million trees if we all switched to electronic statements and bill payments.
4. GO GREEN WITH YOUR GREEN!
Did you know? … Packaging used by some environmental companies contains up to 40% less plastic than standard packaging. That’s something to buy into. Support environmentally friendly businesses and products.
5. UNPLUG!
Did you know? … Unplugging idle electronics can save you about $94 annually on your electricity bill and reduce your home’s CO2 emissions by 1,430 pounds per year. Less energy = less pollution.
6. CARPOOL!
Did you know? … We could save 149 million tons of hazardous emissions and save on gas if everyone cut out one car trip per week.
7. EAT YOUR GREENS!
Did you know? … The total amount of soy and grain fed to livestock in the U.S. each year could feed everyone on the planet approximately five times over. Eat more veggies and less meat.
8. COME INTO THE NEW LIGHT!
Did you know? … If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star model, we would save more than $600 million annually in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.
9. SAVE THE TREES!
Did you know? … It is easy to reduce catalogs and other direct mail by registering at www.catalogchoice.org or at www.dmachoice.org. Save more trees, reduce waste and pollution, and rid yourself of junk mail.
10. HYDRATE AND REUSE.
Did you know? … If everyone in the U.S. embraced reusable water bottles, we could save nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil annually that is currently used to produce plastic bottles.
All green living changes, big and small, make a difference.
Living cleaner and greener makes the world a better place for everyone!