George Kontos is the sales manager of Only Green, the world’s first direct-selling company specializing in green products for both personal health and the environment.

Outside the store, Kontos is practising what he preaches. This year, he traded in his gas-guzzling SUV for a hybrid (bought locally at Bourgeois Motors) in an effort to take a bite out of his own carbon footprint.

With a new focus on the environment, people know it’s time to change, but don’t always know where to start. And not everyone is ready to make a large-scale change like Kontos.

However, vital change can be made in little steps, and every small step makes a difference.

Kontos recommends five that can be incorporated into each day:
• Turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees.
• Take shorter showers.
• When light bulbs burn out, replace them with a greener choice.
• Get chemical cleaners out of your home.
• Shop locally for meats, vegetables and groceries.