January 2nd, 2011 
Tushar Mathur Going green is becoming more than a trend these days. Schools, companies, public figures and many individuals are going green by being friendly to the environment. This fresh idea is spreading and there are many ways to keep up with the trend. As we decide to go green, there are some tips we can follow to save our environment. Here are some of the steps we like to share with you to go green and stay that way. Keep in mind that a lot of these will also save you money. This is because the main way to go green is to save energy, and we all know how expensive energy (oil, electricity) can be.
- Turn off your lights when you’re not in the room. Is there really any need to have your bedroom fully lit while you are downstairs eating breakfast? If you are not in the room, you don’t need the lights on. Also, if it is daytime, just open your blinds and avoid lights altogether.
- Unplug electronics if you aren’t using them. We understand that it’s not the most convenient thing to have to plug your lamps in every time you want to use them. However, if there are electronics in your house that you use sparingly, you should try to keep these unplugged. A toaster is at least one easy electronic to keep unplugged. Normally the outlet is right behind it, so it takes very little effort to plug in. Also keep in mind that vacations are a time to unplug your stuff! If you are going away for a few days, why not unplug a few major appliances that you won’t be using. We unplug our lights and kitchen appliances every time we go away.
- Turn off your sink when you’re brushing your teeth. There’s no need to have water running while your tooth brush is in your mouth. This can save a lot of water if you remember to do it. If you have roommates or children, remind them too. This is one change that sometimes we forget about, so we like to put little post-it reminders by the sinks!
- Take a quick shower. Sure, there are some times when you just need to relax in the shower, but aside from these moments, make it quick. Get in, wash your hair and body, and get out. There is no need to be wasting water.
- Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs. Yes, they are more expensive, but they last a reported 8-12 times longer. We love them in our house. They are brighter than our old incandescent bulbs.
- Turn down your refrigerator. As long as your food is staying fresh, a higher temperature in your refrigerator is fine. Turn down the settings in the fridge and freezer to save energy. Refrigerators can account for about 20% of your electricity use. If you can save energy here, you’ll be helping the environment and your bank account.
- Recycle. It’s not a difficult task to bring your recycles once a week. By separating bottles and paper, you are keeping our landfills down and allowing for reuse of good materials. We promote recycling by having a separate bin right in our kitchen. You can feel good about your input to helping the environment when you recycle.
This post has been provided by Nicolas D’Alleva. Nicolas is the owner of Specialty Answering Service, a Toronto answering service serving customers in Canada. Specialty provides both a large Fortune 500 answering service and a small business answering service.
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