Greening Your Entertainment {Safe and Simple}

Accidentally Green –

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Did you know that a DVD or compact disc is estimated to last at least 500 years? Long after the disc is scratched – or even broken – it will be part of landfills, thanks to the disc’s polycarbonate and aluminum. And the jewel cases will be right there with them. [Source]

Unfortunately I can remember the days when buying as many CDs, video tapes and DVDs was a popular form of entertainment. I have a whole cabinet full of movies and music that at one time I thought I needed to have. Not even considering the trash aspect, I shudder to think of all the hard-earned money I wasted on the frivolity.

Today, it’s often even more tempting to buy entertainment you don’t truly need. Think about how many DVD bargains you can find at the store – old releases are sometimes on sale for just a couple dollars.

Greener solutions

Fortunately, digital downloads are helping to solve wasteful entertainment problems. Instead of renting or buying discs – or even paying for pricey cable channels – you can download then on Netflix or Hulu Plus.

If you shy away from digital downloads, there’s still a greener way to enjoy entertainment without buy discs – simply borrow them. Visit your local library and borrow as many as you’d like. Or head to local video stores (if you can still find them!) or a Redbox.

My personal preference

My family visits our local library a couple times a week. Not only do I access plenty of great books for homeschooling, but we also borrow videos like crazy – as well as video games for my husband and CDs for our son (our family’s budding musician). I’ll share more details about our family choices on Wednesday.

How do you help the environment with your own entertainment choices?

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