Starting eco-friendly solutions in your neighborhood

Regular recycling, composting, grocery shopping at your local market are some good changes to live a greener life. What more can you do? It’s time to step-up your eco-friendly inspirations into the community to support and inspire others in lightening their footprints as well.

Making a difference in your community doesn’t have to involve a boatload of time or effort, anyway. Here are some outwardly small ideas that will make a big difference for the environment – and they’re among the most likely to succeed regardless of the neighborhood. Start small, start simple, the important thing is to start making your community a better place to live.

Organize a Monthly Swap Get-Together. Spring cleaning doesn’t respect seasons, but what can you do with that collection of unused stuff? Try a swap get-together! Organize a once-a-month get-together with your neighbors and friends to exchange anything you’re ready to part with.

This local event in your home or at the local community center will help divert countless amounts of waste from landfills. As your kids grow, you may give their outgrown garments to a new mother on the block. And don’t throw that broken coffee maker, the tech-savvy guy living two doors down might find use for it.

Engage an Eco-Parents Group. Being a sustainable parent in itself presents unique challenges: plastic toys, diapers, school lunches, video games, travel to and from school… the list are endless. Where do you bring your family’s eco-anxieties? Well, why not band together to create an Eco Parents’ group?

Getting together to discuss communal issues will give the entire group a sense of direction. Imagine what could happen if every parent began to take charge and make small changes in the home. This could potentially change the world.

Start a community effort. There’s a 101 and more ways to assist your community in its growth and efforts to be sustainable. Joining a community garden, for example, will let you learn the basics of agriculture. Aside from that, composting your trash, using renewable energy sources, and doing other sustainable efforts.

However, sometimes your community itself doesn’t allow for much eco-solution. If you want a new start in a new place, then NPBS home loans will help you finance your plan to relocate your family to a new house and neighborhood where you can start over your sustainability efforts.

Take it to the local government. You might have a strong opinion about the new factory near the neighborhood, or like to see more bike lanes and added compost pickup service in your area. While it’s true that getting involved in national politics is a stressful and time-consuming practice, attending local government meetings are less intimidating and a place where you can easily inspire change. Visit your city’s local website or call your town hall to see when the next public meeting will be held. Stop by, take some notes and assess what the city is planning.

Town meetings are the perfect venue to showcase your ideas and concerns to draw attention to people who are in a position to make a change. If you want to make a bigger impact, simply draw up a petition and visit your neighbors for possible signatures. Take it the next time you go to a town meeting. It’s an effective way to look at certain issues and take action.