Summer is officially here and it’s the perfect time to think about ways to reduce your environmental impact. From food and shopping to traveling and entertainment, we’ve got you covered with tips for going green this summer. What is going green exactly?

Read on to find all about the benefits of going green and going green facts. The buzz word of late seems to be going green. Everyone from automobile makers to mobile phone makers seem to be flaunting their green credentials.

But what does going green mean for you and me? What are some of the smaller things that we can all incorporate in our lives and encourage others around us to make those choices?

What does ‘Going Green’ mean to the average person?

It basically means maximizing your finite resources by utilizing only as much as necessary. Here are some of the things that all of us can do and proudly join the going green wagon.

• Get active: This is the simplest thing that all of us can aim for in our lives. Get of that couch! Walk that small distance or ride a bike. It will help cut down on the automobile emissions and get you in shape. Win-win.
• Go Paperless : Chances are that all your bills are available online so there really is no sense in having all those bills delivered to you every month. Contact your utility companies, your phone companies and the rest and tell them that an e bill will be sufficient for you.
• Save Water: Water conservation is going to be one of the big struggles ahead of us down the line. Using low intensity showers, switching off the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving are all small but extremely useful things that all of us can incorporate in our daily lives.
• Reuse: Reuse what you ask? Reuse everything that you can. Use reusable coffee mugs, reuse the packages and shopping bags, glass water bottles…. You get the idea.
• Buy green: It is now mandatory in large parts of the country and the world to have a green rating on all your appliances. Look for the ones that have a good energy rating and try and buy that one please. It may cost a little more but it will pay for itself over its lifetime of use in energy savings. A lot of appliances are available that help you save energy. The Nest thermostat is one that has attracted attention over the last year or so that is ‘intelligent’ enough to understand your energy needs to adjust itself accordingly and save energy. This is just one example of the most popular one, however there is no dearth of other companies offering similar advantages.
• Eat local: You may ask what is going green in that? Well, it’s the transportation cost to the environment of shipping food across the world that needs to be cut down rather than ‘organic’ food. Take an interest in where your produce is coming from and try and buy local. Shopping at your local farmer’s market is a useful way to go green.
• Recycle: It is old school and not as glamorous as filling your car with vegetable oil but it works. And everyone can do it. Make sure you distinguish between what can be recycled and separate your trash accordingly.
• All of these things do not require any investment on your part other than an interest in saving the environment. Or, at the very least, not worsening it.

Read more about ways you can make a difference to your community by leaving less of a foot print at https://gogreentravelgreen.com/8-tips-for-going-green-this-summer/.