If the idea of becoming an eco-champion overnight is too overwhelming, forget long powerful strides and settle for baby steps. Injecting a little frugality into your everyday consumer habits can make environmental and economical differences over time.
In addition to turning off water during showering and brushing teeth; and washing clothes and dishes only when loads are full, there are other penny pinching steps you can take to stretch your household budget and cumulatively decrease your use of mass-produced items. Consider slightly watering down products such as shampoo, mouthwash, hairspray, condiments and non-carbonated beverages. You can extend their shelf life without noticeably affecting their quality. Slightly reduce the size of meal portions, the amount of food seasoning, or even use a tad less milk in morning cereal. Scale back on the amount of cleaning products you use, such as detergent and dish washing soap, from 100% to 80% of normal. The concept isn’t to reduce the effectiveness of household products beyond a practical stage. However, by finding the point to which you can “cut back,” you can experience a cumulative benefit. Every unit you don’t purchase over the course of time reduces the number of potentially environmentally unfriendly containers and packaging materials being produced.