3 Reasons to Go Green and How to Do It

Where I live in Miami, the recycling plant recycles the typical plastics, glass and newspapers. Where my parents live in Virginia, however, the recycling plant even recycles office paper, junk mail and window envelopes. My father, however, still tries to say his recycling bin for junk mail is the trash can no matter how much my mother and I chastise him.

I'm sure dear old Dad isn't the only one struggling with why he should go green or even some of the ways he can do it (besides recycling the junk mail instead of throwing it away).

3 Ways to Go Green and Why You Should Do It

1. Just do it. You may not think that you, one little person, cannot make a difference, but you can. And if everyone thought they couldn't make a difference with what they're doing then where would we be? Every single person makes this planet a little greener by recycling, walking to work, using reusable bags at the grocery--whatever it is you can do, just do it.

2. Grow a garden. Planting your own garden of fruits and veggies contributes to the health of the environment and to your body. It can also help you cut down on your grocery bill. Not to mention emissions from not having to truck the fruits and veggies in from around the country. Growing green also means you're feeding the environment the oxygen plants give off and the plants are sucking up the carbon dioxide from the air. It truly is a win-win.

3. Recycle more plastic. There is so much more plastic that can be recycled--beyond soda bottle and yogurt containers that you may already be throwing in the recycling bin. There are plastics that you can't put in the recycling bin but you can still recycle these products.

Aveda--a local beauty store--accepts the plastic bottle caps that the recycling bin doesn't allow

Whole Foods--the organic and healthy grocery store--recycles your water filter cartridges

Earthworks collects and recycles used gift cards and some other plastics

I'm going to keep trying to get my dad to recycle junk mail in the recycling bin. What can you do to go a little greener? It's well worth the small effort.