Today is Earth Day. I try to reduce waste and recycle whenever I can. But here are a few easy things I try to do in addition to that, that you can try out:
1. Carry a handkerchief. I picked this up from my time living in Japan. It's really difficult to find paper towels in any public bathroom in Japan. That's because everyone carries a handkerchief around with them to dry their hands after washing. I keep one in my back pocket.
2. Print on the backside of paper. I teach art as my day job. We have a daily bulletin that go up in class. In life I come across so many pieces of paper that have a clean backside. I just collect them at my desk and insert them into my printer upside down. I print out these daily bulletins and other non-important documents on them.
3. Carry a pair of chopsticks. This is a new thing I'm trying out. When going out to eat at Asian food restaurants i've come to realize how many disposable chopsticks I go through. I'm trying to cut down on that by bringing my own chopsticks. Go to the bathroom after and wash them off. You can also use the chopsticks as a stirrer in place of the disposable wooden stirrers at the coffeehouse. At Japanese stores you can find a pair of chopsticks with their own little carrying case. You can keep a pair in your car, backpack or purse.
Our resources are limited and I want to live in a eco-friendly environment. Let's do our part whenever we can.