Earth Day 2010 is Here

on Apr 19 in Green Wedding

I will once again be videotaping the annual Earth Day Wedding for the DC Green Wedding Consortium.  I am donating my videotaping services – a value of $3500 – in order to promote Green wedding practices.

As we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, it is important to remember a few basic rules to live by.

Reduce. Lower your consumption.  Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth.  Turn off the lights when you leave a room.  Don’t print out that email if you can review it on your blackberry.  Don’t buy that extra pair of shoes or hand bag or TV if you don’t really need it.  When you reduce your consumption, less energy is used up from what remains and fewer products have to be manufactured.

Reuse. Cut back on disposable items.  Use a real broom, not one with throw away cloths.  Use a sponge instead of paper towels.  Use a razor that can be used many times over and not just once.  Use the blank side of used paper to make a notepad.  And buy one of those fancy aluminum water bottles from REI or Target, rather than continuing to use plastic bottles that contain hazardous chemicals anyway.  When you reuse items, you not only get the most for your money, but you also cut back on waste.

Recycle. Obviously recycle products that your local recycling company picks up – paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, cans, etc.  Additionally, make sure your local garage recycles the oil when they do an oil change.  Recycle the ink or toner from your personal or company printer.  Recycle old CDs and DVDs – usually through your recycling pick up, though check with your local recycling center.  And take your old TVs, monitors, and computers to a company like PC Recycling that recycles technology.

Those are rules to live by.  And remember, when you get married, make it a Green Wedding!

For more information on Green Wedding practices, check out the DC Green Wedding Consortium!