Our own health is directly affected by the health of our planet and it is high time that we took care to adapt certain good and lasting green habits.

1. Start to walk or bicycle instead of driving
An average household is found to spend on their cars an amount which is equivalent to the expenditure on food and health care. Walking or bicycling will keep the air cleaner, save money and reap rewards on your health.

Walk Score’s most walkable neighborhoods:
1 San Francisco Chinatown, Financial District, Downtown
2 New York Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho
3 Boston Back Bay-Beacon Hill, South End, Fenway-Kenmore
4 Chicago Loop, Near North Side, Lincoln Park
5 Philadelphia City Center East, City Center West, Riverfront

2. Drink tap water
In certain parts, bottled water is as expensive as fuel. Just check out this statistics – 1,500,000 million tons of plastic are used to make 89 billion bottles of water a year! As a better option you can drink tap water or if needed use a filter to get a better taste.

3. Give stuff away to good causes
Instead of filling up the landfills, donate anything that can be reused. In some cases you can claim a tax donation. You can also recycle with a yard sale. Go visit a landfill to see where the garbage goes, it doesn’t just disappear.

4. Use natural cleaning solutions
The house cleaning products are expensive and not eco-friendly. So, get organic and turn to basic products like, vinegar, baking soda and olive oil or else use less soap and cleansers for every application.

5. Vacation close to home
Air travel happens to be one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases. So, won’t it be better for your pocket, environment and the local economy if you plan your vacations in closer getaways?

JWT, an ad agency giant has identified staycations as a top travel trend. The US Department of Transportation revealed that Americans drove 53.2 billion miles less than they did over the same period a year earlier. DOT showed this trend starting in November 2007 and topping the 1970s’ total decline of 49.3 billion miles.

6. Unplug unused electronics
Put power strips on your tv and other power consumers to turn everything off when you go to bed or leave for the day.

7. Check your food at the table
Buy local produce. Give up one paper napkin a day or replace with cloth ones. Use the same cup over and over. Use an electric skillet more and a range top and oven less. Reduce your meat intake and save polluting emissions from the beef industry.

8. Lawn care
Set your lawnmower higher than your neighbors and mow far less frequently–in the fall, install multiple blades to pulverize fallen leaves

9. Compost
Fertilizers are expensive and undesirable too. Re-use your food scraps as a fermented material for your plant food.

10. Fill your laundry and dishwasher
Be that your dishwasher or your washing machine, wait till you have a full load before turning it on. Use a clothesline for drying when possible.