Eco Terms Simplified

Here at Significantly Simple, we try our very best to respect the earth and make eco-friendly choices. Because Laila and I have been really conscious about our choices for a long time, it has become second nature. However, I run into people quite regularly who don't recycle, don't know what a carbon footprint is (never mind how to calculate it!), and don't really know where to start with becoming more environmentally friendly.

I thought some definitions and a 'starting point' might be welcomed, so I'm going back to the very basics here. If you have anything you would like to add, we would welcome your suggestions in our comments section, on our Facebook Page, or you could simply email us.

Photo Credit
I would really rather the earth not get to this point, so I encourage you to share this post and your knowledge with others who might find it useful. :D

Eco-Friendly
Eco comes from the word ecology or ecological, as in something that is friendly for the ecosystem, or environment. There are hundreds or even thousands of companies that offer eco-friendly products - and remember - if products are friendly for the environment, they are friendly for your body - and the other way around! Laila wrote about the Dispicable Dirty Dozen where she shared information on the worst offenders and the most eco-friendly body products. Take a look - I'll bet you have more than one of the worst offenders in your home right now. And really, personal products are barely the tip of the iceberg! But, since we're on the topic of personal products, there is still time for you to WIN some incredibly fine eco-friendly LUSH products!

Carbon Footprint
Very simply put, it's the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced to support your style of living. Getting back to elementary school biology: Trees 'exhale' (create) oxygen. Trees 'inhale' carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 occurs naturally in the atmosphere, but humans also produce it. A LOT of it. Transportation, burning of fossil fuels (gasoline, coal, oil, natural gas), etc. produces CO2. Because there are so many people living on the earth creating CO2 and trees are being cut down at insane rates (often to accommodate our growing population), we have a serious problem known as global warming. Cutting your carbon footprint or even reversing it helps. If everyone cut a little, it would make an enormous difference. You can offset your carbon footprint by making a few good choices. One good choice is supporting tree planting projects. Another simple way of reducing your footprint is to use energy efficient lighting. Spring is right around the corner (please, please, please tell me it's right around the corner!) - it's time to take your bike out and get on it!

Recycling
Recycling is the processing of goods to make new things. And your part is so much easier than you may think! I posted about the Recycle Rub Off that takes place in our home every few months with international students, many of whom have never even heard of recycling. All it takes is to designate a collection bin (or bins, if your city requires recycling to be separated). As your day unfolds, simply toss your recyclable items into the recycle bin instead of the garbage bin. We pay $30 per month to have our un-sorted recycle picked up every week. It's a snap! And to give you just an idea of how much recycle can get thrown in the trash: Every single week we have a minimum of one drum size black garbage bag from Costco filled with recycle, plus any boxes that won't fit. Our garbage has been reduced to usually one small white garbage bag per week.

The recycling process is quite interesting - watch this video (with your kids!) to see how plastic milk jugs are turned into fence posts.



If there is a need to learn more, let us know and we would be happy to put more information up.