Green tips ....

I came across the H&M magazine while waiting at the bank some weeks ago and saw some green tips in it. That set me thinking about the green things that I do to create less waste in this world.

NO. I do not do this. I just buy. Although .... most of my clothes are in boring black, white, blue and brown that anything I buy would match with most of my clothes, shoes and bags.

YES. I do this. I carry around my Envirosax reusable shopping bags everywhere I go. I also love my Rootote bags. Since I discovered Envirosax and Rootote, I have a LOT fewer plastic and paper bags in my house.
The only time I take plastic bags is during my weekly grocery shopping. I need the plastic bags to throw my trash.

NO. I don't do this. I am NOT a coffee drinker. I have a huge mug in my office and I use it to make myself a giant cup of green tea every morning.
Even when I buy an occasional hot chocolate during lunch, I just use the disposable cup provided.
I do carry a reusable water bottle around but my motivation to do this is to ensure that I drink enough fluid during during the day.

I really do not see how is this a green tip. This is more like an endorsement for the Health Promotion Board.
NO. I am not a vegetarian, I do not use organic products and I do not have a dog.
I do hot yoga in a very heated room but I do not see how that is being green. Maybe I should stop doing hot yoga to be green ....

NO. I do not do this. But I think this is a FANTASTIC idea. I will bring back all half-used bottles of shower gel and shampoo starting from my next trip.

Some other things that I do to be green:

• I bring my own light-weight bath towel when I stay in hotels. Not because I want to reuse the same towel for my entire trip but because I have heard horror stories from my colleagues about what they use hotels' bath towels for.
• I only use the hotels' shower gel and shampoo. I pack and bring the rest of my toiletries.
• When I am checking out at hotels, I tell them NOT to put my hotel bill in an envelope.
• I do not take receipts from ATM machines and tell my banks not to send me paper statements.
• At work and at home, I use both sides of my plain paper. I print what I need on one side and use the other side for other purposes .. like my son's maths practice.
• I jog outdoors, not on treadmills.

There is still a LOT that I can do, like ... use less toilet paper, use a cloth towel and not paper kitchen towels, walk and not drive to work, buy soft drinks from a fountain/tap instead of buying them in cans/bottles, etc.

But I am taking one small step at a time in the belief that every small bit helps.

Till my next blog post, do something green! =)