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Community Corner

10 Ways Each of Us Can Save the Earth

Despite the push to go green, some suggestions, such as buying a hybrid vehicle, may seem remote. But the good news is that we can all do something to help the environment.

In the chaotic world of work, family and seemingly endless errands, it can be easy to reach for simple solutions to our everyday needs.

But grabbing a plastic bag for groceries, tossing out a plastic water bottle or letting the faucet run endlessly can be harmful to the Earth in ways too numerous to count.

Luckily, there are small things each of us can do help save the planet. Patch sought the expertise of Karen Traver and Dan Hunter, the brother-and-sister eco-duo who own The Green Store, a retailer and supplier of environmentally friendly goods. They gave us 10 ideas for implementing green practices into our daily lives.

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“There are so many things that are easy to do, and others that require some work,” said Traver. “Our goal is to get everyone to change just one thing – and that would help the Earth immensely.”

1. Take your own bags. Plastic bags may be convenient at the grocery store, but they are not necessarily needed, and once produced, they will be around forever. “We try to encourage people to take their own bags and not accept the plastic ones,” said Hunter. “Take your own bags – some stores will even give you money back – it’s like 10 cents, it’s not a lot – but the fewer bags we use, the less that will be produced.”

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2. Put down those water bottles. “There is an ad that says if we lined up all of the water bottles back-to-back, they would wrap around the Earth three times,” said Traver. “Those are never going to go away. Why not get a bottle that can be refilled?” That alone would save many bottles from ending up in the landfill, she said.

3. Turn off the faucet. Traver said it’s best to teach children when they’re young to not let the water run while they are brushing their teeth. “It’s an easy thing to do that will save water,” she said. “But they need to get into that habit when they’re young.”

4. Use environmentally friendly bug repellants when possible. Bug sprays are often highly toxic and can easily get into the groundwater, but there are more natural alternatives to keep the pests at bay. “Aphids can be kept away using dishwashing soap, for example,” she said. “It takes longer – patience is needed – but if it helps save the Earth, why would you not want to do it?”

5. Carpool. There are plenty of ways to avoid driving, despite the dearth of mass transit in southeast Michigan. “Find a friend that is as passionate about saving the Earth as you are, and share a ride to run errands,” Traver said. “In the summer months, if you live near work, ride your bike. That will cut down on emissions.”

6. Walk – it’s good for you. Plymouth is a highly walkable town, and during the seasonal months, why not park the car and walk to your destination? That saves gasoline and reduces emissions, Traver said.

7. When in doubt, use glass. Paper cups and plates – as well as those made of Styrofoam and other plastic-based materials – are costly to the pocketbook and to the forest, Traver said. “Use glass cups and plates,” she said. “They can be used over and over again.”

8. Invest in a good set of kitchen, bathroom cloths. A dishrag may not seem like a contemporary way to clean the kitchen, but a good set of towels will eliminate paper towel usage. Towels can also be used in the bathroom to clean up and to dry hands, said Traver. Towels can also be cleaned in the washer – in cold water, of course.

9. Convert to energy-efficient light bulbs. This one is going to happen eventually because conventional bulbs are being discontinued, said Hunter. But he added that the sooner people start using them, the better. “They aren’t that much more expensive, and they save energy,” he said.

10. Renew, reuse and recycle. Instead of immediately assuming an object is no longer of use, see whether it can be made into something else. The Green Store sells candy dispensers that are made of old glass jars and repurposed wood. “The less we throw away, the better off we’ll be in the long run,” said Traver.

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