environmentalYou don’t have to live on carrots or sell your car this summer to help the environment.

According to Jennifer Meek, Director of Marketing for Enviro-Solutions, a Green cleaning chemical manufacturer, there are seven easy ways at home and in the office to make this summer Greener and more sustainable.

  1. Clean the closet. Stored chemicals can contribute to indoor and outdoor pollution. Dispose of any chemicals not used for more than six months and make this an opportunity to switch to Green-certified cleaning chemicals.
  2. Ditch the junk. Junk mail is annoying and it kills trees. Organizations such as greendimes.com or 41pounds.org can remove you and your office from junk mail mailing lists. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 44 percent of junk mail is discarded without being opened, equaling four million tons of wasted paper per year.
  3. Recycle electronics. Old electronics typically end up in landfills. Several major computer manufacturers offer recycling options or donate your electronics. The National Cristina Foundation will help you donate your PC or Mac to a nonprofit organization.
  4. Eat only veggies once per week. Meat production is energy-inefficient, demanding significant natural resources to prepare, package, and market. Consider eating only veggies once per week or more. This may also lead to weight loss.
  5. Change the lights. While commercial facilities have rushed to change to more energy efficient light bulbs, consumers have moved slower. Start replacing all incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.
  6. Also, put all electronics on a power strip so they can all be completely turned off when not in use.
  7. Drink tap water. North Americans have some of the best tap water in the world. Most bottled water puts a demand on natural resources to package and ship and once empty, most bottles still end up in landfills.
  8. There are dating services catering to environmentally-focused singles. Examples include Vegan Passions, Planet Earth Singles, and Green Singles. After all, two can be Greener than one.