Earth Day is quickly approaching on Sunday, April 22nd and it seems being green is top of mind for many these days. It’s certainly top of mind for me as I continue to search for more ways to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. I try to do as much as I can to reduce my carbon foot print and I think I’ve been doing pretty well. I’ve made small changes to my daily routine that I know will add up to a great contribution in preserving our environment.

Recently I stumbled upon two great articles that offered the usual tips (reduce, recycle, reuse) and some not so familiar suggestions on how to be a little more green. What I liked about these articles was that they offered easy tips that are doable and easy to incorporate into ones lifestyle. Here are a few of the suggestions that stood out for me.

• Use soy-based candles. These are cleaner burning and burn for much longer than your average candle.
• Look for earth friendly cookware. Stay away from non-stick cookware and use other earth friendly alternatives like stainless steel.
• Check for eco-options on electrics. Most of the newer model appliances and electronics have eco-options. For example, televisions may offer contrast options so that it utilizes less energy.
• Look for Energy Star appliances. These are often produced with energy and cost savings in mind as well as the environment.
• Go for cloth. Ditch the paper napkins and get some pretty cloth ones instead. Not only are these more durable, but they look better and you only have to buy them once.
• Nix the dryer. Use outdoor or indoor clothes lines (in cities that allow it) to dry your clothes instead of using the energy-draining clothes dryer. Let the warm weather help save you a little money.
• Shower shorter and colder. Go a little cooler and reduce your shower time. You’ll notice a difference in your water bill. Oh! I read somewhere that cooler water is better for hair because the heat will usually dry it out and the cooler water helps keep it soft.
• Leave the grass. When mowing the lawn, spew the grass clippings back onto the yard. They act as a natural compost, putting nutrients back into the lawn.
• Stop Receiving Unwanted Catalogs. Visit CatalogChoice.org to put a stop to unwanted catalogs. Within 10 weeks, your mailbox will be empty of unwanted catalogs. A less cluttered mailbox means less pollution, less waste and less of the pollution that causes global warming.
• Check for Leaks in Your Toilet. A leaking toilet can waste anywhere between 30 and 500 gallons of water every day, so any leak should be repaired. To see if your toilet is leaking, put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the dye shows up in the toilet bowl after 15 minutes or so, the toilet has a leak. Leaking is usually caused by an old or poorly fitting flapper valve, which can be replaced by any amateur DIY-er!
• Watch your tire pressure. Increase your gas mileage by checking your tire pressure. If every American kept his or her tires properly inflated, we could save 2.8 billion gallons (10.6 billion liters) of gasoline a year and help curb global warming pollution.

Didn’t I tell you these were easy tips? Start off small by incorporating one or two of these tips at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself with all these adjustments. This way you’ll barely feel the difference in your routine and you’ll be on the road to making great strides in preserving the environment. To view the full list of tips visit ecoki and the daily green. Happy Earth Day everyone.

Photo: Sidelanes