Looking good on Earth Day 2009

Earth Day is tomorrow -- Wednesday, April 22. What are you you doing to look good?

Here are some ideas to consider...

When you shop - bring your own bag. I've been reading story after story about great reusable bags available for purchase at almost every store imaginable. Bring them to the grocery store, the mall and to the farmer's market. Plus, plenty of causes use bag sales as fundraisers. This is one bandwagon worth jumping on!

Are you recycling yet? I am very fortunate in that my community offers curbside pick-up. I can't imagine how much more I'd be sending to the landfill if this were not an option. Even if your community does not have a curbside program -- consider committing to your own program. Many communities allow you to drop off recyclables in one container -- also called single-stream recycling. Basically, it means an end to the once time-consuming chore of sorting paper from plastic and metal.

As you unclutter your home -- when you purchase new energy efficient electronics are you making sure you recycle your old electronics? Really not a good idea to just trash them -- many contain lead or other hazardous compounds. Please recycle properly.

Are you letting the light shine brightly in your home? Make it a CFL bulb and save tons more energy over the lifetime of the bulb. Just be sure you dispose of these babies properly. They do contain microscopic amounts of mercury -- but mercury is mercury -- no matter the amount.

These are just a few ideas. Be sure to check out Earth Day celebrations in your hometown and learn about even more ways to keep our Earth looking good.

-reenie