1. Conserve water. Leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth uses about five gallons of water, while every toilet flush uses about six and a half. Don’t leave the water running when brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing dishes, and store water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool drink.
2. Kick the plastic bottle habit. Plastic isn’t biodegradable, and recycling one ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. Instead of plastic, carry water with you in a reusable stainless steel water bottle. They are safe for you and easy on the environment.
3. Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when full. If you have an air dry button on your dishwasher, use it. Your dishes will dry just as well and you will use 20 per cent less energy.
4. Conserve energy. Wash your clothes in cold water (and wash them only when you have a full load), and turn off lights, electronics and other appliances when they are not in use. Leaving you computer on constantly can increase your hydro bill by up to $120 yearly; by putting it in standby mode, the amount is reduced to only $15 per year.
5. Use biodegradable, phosphate-free detergents and cleaning products.
6. Save on heat. It’s cold, but try and set your thermostat one to two degrees lower than your usual comfortable temperature.
7. Buy local. Support the local economy and enjoy fresh local produce whenever possible. The average North American meal travels 2,400 km to get to your plate.
8. Buy your own bags. Keep re-useable shopping bags with you at all times and use them for all your shopping needs. They are also very useful for carrying anything you need to move from A to B.
9. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Try to reduce the amount of packaging you bring into your home and consequently throw out. Buy in bulk to save on packaging, buy fresh produce and skip the plastic bags.
10. Buy re-usable products instead of disposable products, including food containers, coffee mugs, water bottles and lunch boxes.

With information from Patsy Clark of Ecocentrik Apparel.