Over the past few months I’ve noticed some makeup in the Avon book that accepts refills. At first I didn’t really understand why, which says something about the text and description in the book. This week I realized that these refillable products are basically a partially green product, because the packaging gets reused. Consider the countless amounts of people that use cosmetics daily for all sorts of reasons - beauty, work, even an alternative to acne scarring treatment. Imagine the impact this could have if all cosmetics companies did it. Some companies like MAC offer a free product when you turn in six used ones. So next time you’re buying cosmetics, look for something with a container you can refill.

Many people don’t really know how many ways there are to be green and help the environment. Here are tips to a greener house.

• Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth.
• Rearrange your furniture to make better use of natural light.
• Switch to compact fluorescent lightbulbs and keep them dust free to increase efficiency and output.
• Keep heating and air vents clean so that systems run efficiently.
• Make sure gaps are caulked and rooms are insulated to make sure you aren’t wasting the heat and air you use.
• Wash clothes in cold water.
• Use a clothesline to dry clothes whenever possible.
• Keep the dryer’s lint filter clean.
• Refrigerators are more efficient full than empty because they hold the cold better. Keep your refrigerator full without overpacking it, which causes poor circulation and makes it hard to control humidity.
• Store your food in glass or porcelain containers instead of plastic. It’s less recycling and chemicals don’t adhere to those surfaces as easily as they do to plastic.