6 easy ways to waste fewer resources

These things will not solve the problem of resource depletion but they will contribute to minimizing your personal energy and resource consumption, your carbon footprint. That's an important step, truly. As a member of society it is your duty to help safeguard that society for the well-being of all. That social covenant, ya know. Anyway, here are six things that you should be able to do easily that will help:

Drink tap water and stop buying bottled water

You probably already pay taxes to have your water treated so it is potable. So use it! And this will cut down on the waste of plastic bottles which, even though recyclable, are an unnecessary strain on the environment in terms of energy spent fabricating and then recycling them. Skip a step and drink tap water. Many municipalities are promoting the use of tap water; the city in which I live, Matane, has recently banned bottled water from official functions and is instead promoting the use of potable water from our municipal water supply.

Use reusable bags for shopping

These have become de rigeur and, in many cases, almost fashion statements. Keep bags in your car trunk, and get a small, lightweight bag to keep in a pocket so there's always a bag handy for an impromptu stop at the corner store. So easy; what took us so long to adopt such a simple habit?

Keep the thermostat at a reasonable temperature and wear a sweater

I would say 19C is fine but forget a standard, find your own comfort zone. But when you get a chill, change your habit so your first instinct is to put on a sweater instead of bumping up the thermostat a degree or two. Stay comfortable but think about the more energy-efficient solution to keeping warm.


Use mini-fluorescent bulbs

Replace your incandescent bulbs when they burn out by mini-fluorescent bulbs. They even make them to look like the familiar old style.


Walk more, use your car less.

For small errands get in the habit of doing them on foot. Good exercise and no pollution created. A true win-win situation.


Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Try to cut down on wasteful packaging by purchasing bulk items. When you are tired of something (toys, furniture, clothes) don't just throw them out but donate them to an organization that will give them to families in need. Most municipalities have recycling programs. Participate by recycling all possible materials such as paper products and most plastics. It's really easy.

These six things are obviously far from a panacea. The reality is that construction and industrial activities use far more resources than any individual or even community of individuals does. But if everyone takes small measures to create less waste, well, every bit helps!