It’s Kind Of Easy Being Green

Kermit was right.

So today is Earth Day. I think it’s great that there’s a day devoted to taking care of the Earth, though I feel similarly about this “holiday” as I do about Thanksgiving. We only honor it once a year? That’s silly.

I’ll be honest: I’m not the most “green” person in the world. Far from it.

But I do try to be conscious of certain activities I partake in. I don’t really want to make this planet worse. Here are some easy things I do daily that, in my mind, make me an eco-conscious city dweller:

I use a cup at work. I used to go through about a dozen plastic or paper water cups daily at the office. I drink a lot of water. But now I drink it from a pretty pink cup that I reuse every single day.

I also use a reusable water bottle at the gym.

I avoid using plastic bags. I bring my own to the grocery store. This one is easy. Really easy. If you run to the drug store to pick up something small, you don’t need a bag for it. Just throw it in your probably-oversized-anyway purse. I also bring my lunch in a Lululemon bag most days instead of a plastic or paper bag.

I recycle. I love recycling. It means my trash can doesn’t fill up as fast! I recycle the basic things: paper, plastic, cardboard, boys… Just kidding about the last one. Mwahaha.

I turn off the lights. Enrique Iglesias says no to. He obviously hates the Earth. But if I’m not using a light, it’s not on. Simple. Growing up my parents always used to yell at me because I would turn on every light in the house and leave it on whether I was in the room or not. Now that I pay my own electricity bills, I’m much more conscious about this.

I unplug stuff. Like above: If I’m not using it, it’s not plugged in. Saves electricity. Saves money. And this doesn’t just apply to my hair dryer. I unplug my toaster oven, microwave, etc.

I’m starting to think the main reason I try to “go green” is because I want to save money… Whatever motivates you, right?

I’ve gone paperless. I get all of my bills online, including bank statements. I also canceled most of my catalog subscriptions (sorry Victoria’s Secret, you’re gone, but I kept J.Crew).

I walk and take public transportation. I don’t own a car because I live in Manhattan. It still counts. I’m so green…

I don’t do laundry very often. I think this is a good one. Yeah, I should do laundry more often. Yeah, this weekend I went out to buy new underwear instead of doing laundry. But guess what? I single-handedly saved this entire planet by not doing my laundry. So you’re welcome, planet.

I run outside. I don’t know why, but I think this counts. Maybe I’m conserving treadmill energy or something? I ran three miles this morning. It was a brisk 40 degrees outside, but the sun was shining and the running path was filled with happy people and cute dogs.

I stopped toward the end of my run to use a park bench to do 100 tricep dips. A few of you have asked, so to clarify, I don’t do 100 dips without stopping. I would die. Instead I do a set of 40, then rest for a few seconds, followed by a set of 30, 20 and 10. For the first three sets I keep my legs slightly bent, but I challenge myself to straighten my legs in front of me for the final 10 dips. It’s tough!

And, of course, in honor of Earth Day, I wore green today.

Alright, time to do some work then off to the New York City Running Show! Eeeek!

TELL ME: How do you go green? I’d love to learn some new easy ways to be eco-friendly. (Though don’t tell me to start composting. I won’t do it. Easy things, people, easy.)