Easy Ways to Become Ecofriendly

Trying to start living in an eco-friendlier way can seem daunting when you start out. You may picture yourself having to live fully off the land, being able to put all the trash you make in a single jar, or going off-grid. It doesn’t have to be a giant undertaking though and many small steps can make a greater difference over time. Because we live in Dalton and Whitfield there are a lot of ways to tackle the barriers that hold others back from living in a way that works with the planet instead of against it.

One of the biggest barriers against living a “greener” life is cost. People often see products marketed to them as eco-friendly and it can get overwhelming both for them to keep track of and for their wallet. Making the right green choices can actually end up saving you money. Dalton has a wide selection of thrift stores where you can buy many items that still have plenty of life left for much cheaper than they would be new and you are helping keep those items from the landfill. You can also make a practice of making sure to turn off appliances and lights not in use to help you lower your power bill. You can limit your water usage as well as your power by taking shorter showers or collecting cold water as it warms up to use for things like watering your plants.  

You can also put a focus on reusing and repairing. You don’t have to go out and buy a bunch of new washcloths to stop using paper towels, you can still use your old ones, cut up old towels, and even cut up old t-shirts. We can reuse old food containers to help store our leftovers instead of newly bought containers. You can also take up some minor repair skills instead of sending things to the landfill or using up too much water. Repairs such as basic sewing like sewing up or patching small holes and tears and affixing buttons, fixing leaky faucets, or replacing cords for small appliances like a lamp or toaster. Before throwing something out or buying something new ask yourself, “Can I reuse or repair?”

Another big barrier for people is confusion about how to start. For example, recycling is notoriously confusing even though recycling is one of the easiest eco-friendly actions you can take with major impact. That is why we have multiple resources to help clear things up and to make it easy to ask questions. Online, you can visit dwswa.org for recycling guides, directions, and more and you can also email ahartline@dwswa.org. On social media, you can follow or message questions at the Recycling Ben or Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful Facebook or Instagram accounts. Prefer the phone for your questions? Call 706-278-5001 to talk to a recycling center employee directly. Thanks to these resources, you don’t have to figure it out all on your own.

The last barrier is the worry that our actions don’t really matter, but as someone who sees the impact of your waste choices every day, I can assure you that just one person can make a big impact with consistent effort even if it isn’t always perfect. According to the EPA the average American creates just under 5 pounds of trash ever day. If a family of four was able to cut down their trash by just 10%, they would be saving 728 pounds from the landfill not even counting what they would save in water, energy, or natural resources.

With a collection of small steps, your journey to an eco-friendly life doesn’t have to be drastic for you to be a caretaker of the earth.

Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.