Use bamboo toothbrushes

Regular toothbrushes contain only plastic, which releases toxic greenhouse gases if burned and are completely un-biodegradable. There are 850 million toothbrushes discarded yearly, accounting for 50 million pounds of waste in the United States.

 Collect water with rain barrels

Even if it doesn’t rain enough here to get water for a full building, even using it to water your plants helps. There is also a $30 rebate in place for purchasing rain barrels in Charlottesville.

Reuse water bottles

Two million tons of water bottles that won’t biodegrade for another 1,000 years are currently populating US landfills. Reusable water bottles cost under $10 and can last much longer.

Don’t use plastic utensils

Most plastic utensils aren’t recyclable, so when at home, either buy reusable or recyclable. Six million tons of utensils are thrown out yearly. There are bamboo utensils here  for only $12.

Don’t leave tap water running

When brushing teeth or washing dishes, only let the water run when you’re actually using it. The same goes for taking shorter showers.

Recycle

This one is kind of obvious but still important. We have the McIntire Recycling Center near the Downtown Mall, so it is both local and convenient to do. Especially when something that could have been recycled goes to a landfill, this is a necessary reminder. Also, separating food waste for single stream recycling can increase the amount of uncontaminated material that is recycled.

Reuse shopping bags

You can get one or two for under $15, so this is an easy accommodation. Just leave them in the car you use for shopping, so you’re more likely to not leave them at home. Both the production and disposal of plastic bags are harmful to the environment, as they require many fossil fuels to make and mess up ecosystems.

Carpool, walk, or bike

The gas saved benefits the environment, and walking/ biking is good exercise.

Use ammonia/ bleach free cleaning products

Ammonia kills animals, so all waste is dangerous when released into the environment. Companies like Seventh Generation and Method offer a variety of cheap and eco friendly cleaners.

Use local produce and meat

Not only does that help to support smaller businesses and cut down on the emissions from transporting goods, but this also gives you better quality food.

Photo by andyarthur