Eco Tip: Ben Harper from susty.tv on Vimeo.

As my favorite music artist Ben Harper said, “A thousand small compromises equal a sacrifice.”

A few minor changes in your daily routine can make a big impact.  I try to do this every day by taking my own coffee mug to Starbucks and even get a $0.10 discount. I look for ways to reduce the amount of waste I create, such as tossing the sandwich from the local deli in my purse versus taking their plastic bag.

I also print on both sides of the paper (when I have to print), and make sure I recycle every page.  It’s really easy to take a few extra seconds to print preview and decide what pages I really need, and eliminate those at the end that are usually full of footers and signatures.  Check out GreenPrint, a downloadable software that will eliminate unwanted pages from being printed. 

I avoid turning on the light in the bathroom since we have natural light coming in, and turn it off every time I pass by and see it on (of course I make sure no one is in there first).  I turn off my monitor and power down my computer at the end of each day.  And finally, I try to gently educate others on these easy and small compromises. 

I discover new ways to reduce my carbon footprint every day. Global change starts with the individual, and I feel good knowing I’m trying my best to help contribute.