I have a love/hate relationship with paper towels.  They are so convenient for cleaning messy things and then the dirty paper towel is thrown away.  The problem is that there is no “away”.  The used paper towels end up in a landfill, where they create methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) as they decompose.  Production of paper towels is not environmentally friendly, because it requires chemicals, lots of water and many process steps that require energy.  I have reduced my use of paper towels significantly, although I do still use some.  Here are some ideas:

• Many public restrooms provide paper towels.  If you shake the water off your hands before drying them, usually only one paper towel is required to dry your hands.  Try it with one towel before you reach for the second towel. 
• Some brands of paper towels package them as half sheets, so you can use a smaller piece.  I frequently tear the half sheets in half if that’s all I need.  Or you can create your own partial sheets by tearing the full sheets in half or into quarter sheets. 
• Use rags or cheap towels for your cleaning projects and then wash the rags or towels for reuse. 
• I keep a cloth towel at work for drying my lunch dishes instead of using the provided paper towels in the office kitchen. 
• Production of paper towels made from 100% recycled materials uses 40% less energy so look for recycled content.   
  

Sometimes I go to a store to browse because I don’t the know exact specifics of the item I need, and sometimes I plan a trip to a store to buy a very specific item.  I now call the store before I leave home to ask if they have that specific item in stock at the store.  Calling ahead sometimes saves me a trip if find out that the specific item I need is not in stock and so I save both energy and wear on my car.  And sometimes, calling ahead allows me to drive to a different store that does have the item, so I make one trip instead of two.  I also try to save up errands that require driving and do all the errands in a specific location in one trip. 

Healthy soil in your garden or lawn leads to healthy plants.  Depending on the region where you live and the past history of agriculture or gardening in your area, the soil will contain different nutrients and properties.  Some soils are deficient in one or more important nutrients, which inhibits growth of healthy plants.  In addition, different varieties of plants require different soil conditions.  Getting a soil test tells you exactly what nutrients or adjustments your yard needs, so you don’t overfertilize or add unnecessary products.  Soil testing is relatively inexpensive and can help you achieve a balanced ecosystem in your garden or yard.  The link at the bottom has more good information on how to use soil testing to amend the soil and increase the health of the plants and ecosystem in your yard.  Some things to consider:

• Soil testing is an effective way to control pests, diseases, and weeds without using pesticides or herbicides. Infestation of any kind is usually caused by nutrient imbalances in the soil. Getting a nutrient profile of the soil helps you know what the soil in your garden or yard needs.
• While using a fertilizer product that contains “everything” may be convenient, you may be adding chemicals to your soil that are not needed.  Try to buy individual products that contain only what your soil and yard need.  Choose products that are formulated for your area of the country. 
• Follow instructions for how much fertilizer to apply and use care to keep the fertilizer off areas where it can be washed into storm sewers or nearby streams and lakes.  Nutrients and chemicals in fertilizers can negatively affect the ecological health of streams and lakes. 
• Only use herbicides or pesticides when conditions require it and there is no other way to fix the problem.  These chemicals can harm useful insects, birds, and, if washed into lakes and streams, the fish and other creatures that live in the lakes. 

https://ecogardener.com/blogs/news/reasons-why-soil-testing-is-an-essential-part-of-gardening
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