ARSO is an acronym used by people working with the environment. It stands for…

Avoid

Reduce

Substitute

Offset

So what are things to Avoid?

• Certain plastics
• Pesticides
• Household chemical cleaners
• Non organic makeup
• Styrofoam
• Plastic with a #7 recycling code
• Things that are overpackaged
• Plastic utensils

What about Reducing?

• Car travel
• Temperature in house during winter
• Light use
• Printing paper
• Water use

What can you Substitute?

• Paper towels and napkins – use fabric instead
• Disposable batteries – switch to rechargeables
• Compact fluorescent bulbs instead of Incandescent bulbs
• Energy efficient appliances instead of energy hoggers
• Use a tote bag instead of a plastic or paper grocery bag
• Low flow showerhead instead of a regular one

How can you Offset your carbon footprint?

• Recycle what you can
• Give to green organizations
• Compost
• Socially responsible portfolios

Now since I am all for living simply, I would never suggest you start doing all of these at once. Choose one to work on this week and let us know how it went.