Michael Fiore, Corporate Director of Environmental Occupational Health and Safety/Sustainability at NorthShore, wants people to know that there are little things you can do that can make a big impact.

These small living green changes not only benefit the environment, but your health too:

• Ditch the car. Biking or walking to work will help you bulk your wallet up with the money you’ll save and trim your waistline with the bonus exercise. When you are at work, consider walking meetings versus commuting to an offsite location. If your job allows for it, ask if you can telecommute one day a week. Leaving your car at home just one day a week can reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by an average of one ton annually!
• Claim it! Cutting out carbonated, sugary drinks helps prevent diabetes. Instead of pop, reach for iced tea or homemade fruit-infused water. When at picnics or parties, bring a sharpie to write your name on your healthy drink. This prevents your cup from being tossed because everyone will know it is yours.
• Reduce and reuse. Instead of reaching for your baggies to your lunch, use reusable containers! Utilizing these containers is a great way to manage your portions and trim your waistline.
• Skip the plastic. You can easily add a filter to your faucet or buy a reusable water bottle with a filter in it. Buying bottled water costs thousands of times more than tap water, not to mention the waste it adds to our landfills.
• Partake in Meatless Mondays. You may be able to save money by going meatless once or twice a week. Additionally, meatless meals help prevent deforestation and can improve your health. Reducing your meat intake can lower your risk of heart disease and some cancers.
• Practice mindful shopping and eating. Look at your pantry, fridge and freezer to see what food you have. Then come up with recipes made with these ingredients and create a shopping list of things you need. When you go to the store, stick to the list! This promotes less wasted food.
• Lettuce reduce vegetable waste. Too often we do not use all of the vegetable that a recipe calls for. Instead of letting it go to waste, make it part of a stew. Freeze your vegetable stew in individual containers for easy go-to lunches and dinners.
• Borrow books from the library or use audio books. By visiting your local library (on your bike!) to borrow books, you help save money, ink and paper. You are also exercising your brain which can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

What unique ways have you gone green?