Everyday Green Tips

Stuff item summary

Reusable Bags

Consider purchasing a reusable bag to use on your trips to the grocery store. Plastic bags that are discarded just fill up landfills and can take up to 1,000 years to completely break down.

We have a nice selection of reuseable bags in the Discovery Center Gift Shop!

What's for lunch?

Giving your child a square meal to take to school with them is important, literally! Packing their lunch in a reusable lunchbox instead of a brown paper bag will save many trees each year. If you use plastic baggies to separate their snacks you can switch over to reusable plastic containers to be even more sustainable.

Compost

Start a compost heap with your family. It’s fun and easy. Just start the pile by gathering grass clippings and dry leaves from your lawn. Then you can add scraps from the kitchen that you would normally just throw away, like banana peels. In 6 – 12 months you’ll have the perfect fertilizer to either start, or add to an existing organic garden or flower bed.

Pure Products

Shop eco-friendly! Try to avoid buying cleaners that contain harsh chemicals that can harm the environment. When possible, look for products that are made of, or come in packaging made from recycled materials. Purchasing in an environmentally responsible manner will urge producers to offer even more products that help save resources and the environment.

Get outside!

Enjoy the outdoors! Spending time with nature is more resource friendly than going to the movies or mall. The exercise you’ll get from hiking a trail is an added bonus, too.  Your interest in nature is what keeps places like the Albany Pine Bush open and preserved.

VISIT

Save a tree

Don’t be a paper pusher. Keep it digital. Avoid printing out things that can just as easily be accessed on the computer.

Two is better than one

Dreading the drive through rush hour? Bring a co-worker with you and endure it together! Carpooling saves on gas consumption, and one less car on the road means less harmful emissions in the air. 

Fair trade

It’s possible to be environmentally friendly and still get your jolt of caffeine in the morning. Buying coffee grown with a Fair Trade certification helps ensure that coffee farmers in developing countries are paid fairly for their work and hopefully won't have to resort to unscrupulous growing practices detrimental to the environment. You can also look into purchasing reusable coffee filters.

Be a borrower

Don’t be afraid to be a borrower. Make use of your public library to get the books and movies you want. This will save on paper and ink use, plus save space in your home.