InFluential_Magazine_May_June_2017

influential-magazine.com
W
ith just a few habit
changes, you can limit
your environmental impact
by reducing waste and energy use
in the spring and summer months.
And as you change those habits,
don’t forget to recycle everything
you can, especially batteries.
To prep for the warmer months,
here are some easy tips to make
your spring and summer a little
more eco-friendly:
Tip 2
Bring your own
water bottle.
As the weather starts heating up,
staying hydrated is more important
than ever. Unfortunately, bottled water
is a major contributor to landfill
waste; Americans throw away more
than 60 million plastic water bottles
each day. To live greener, be sure to
bring your own refillable water bottle.
Tip 4
Recycle your batteries.
The warmer months bring a
return to outdoor activities like
gardening. When you head to your
local store to buy tools or plants,
bring along your used batteries
to be recycled. According to
Call2Recycle, Inc., 88 percent
of people in the U.S. live within
10 miles of a battery recycling
location.
Tip 1
Go easy on the AC.
Did you know air conditioning
accounts for nearly 20 percent
of electricity consumption in
American homes? That’s as much
electricity as is used by the entire
continent of Africa! To reduce
your system’s carbon footprint,
program your AC to reduce output
during the day, and increase the
set temperature by a few degrees.
Bonus: You’ll save money on your
energy bills too!
Tip 3
Trade out your charcoal.
Barbecues are a favorite warmwewather
tradition for many, but
most grilling charcoal emits high
levels of carbon dioxide when burned.
To reduce carbon emissions,
swap out your charcoal grill for
cleaner-burning propane option.
Their carbon footprint is about
one-third of standard charcoal.
Drop-off locations include
Best Buy, The Home Depot,
Lowe’s, Sears, Staples, and many
other retailers you may already
visit regularly, making it easy to
recycle on-the-go.
Programs like Call2Recycle(R) make
it easier than ever to do the right
thing by collecting and recycling
your batteries. By recycling your
batteries, you not only reduce landfill
waste, but it also gives batteries
a second life as they can be used to
make new batteries, kitchen appliances,
car parts, and more! To find a
recycling location near you, visit
www.call2recycle.org/locator.
(BPT) l
MAY / JUNE 2017
FLUENTIAL 33