Our Fast Haul junk hauling truckBig trucks are quite useful here in the junk hauling business. Since those global warming numbers sure aren’t getting any better, we’re working to replace our fleet with biodiesel trucks. And when we’re not out working, we prefer to spend as much time off the road as possible. Luckily, cities like San Francisco are finding ways to limit the amount of time we spend in cars. The most effective way to do that? Sharing.

Bike Sharing is our favorite new method of transportation in the city by the bay. The city recently received $1.5 million from the federal government to invest in an electric bike sharing program. Hopefully the ‘electric’ part limits rider’s hesitation towards San Francisco’s massive hills. The money San Francisco received went directly to City CarShare (a non-profit vehicle sharing company) and to the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at Cal Berkeley who intends to study the pilot project and attempt to learn from it.

Car Sharing still involves actually driving a car, but it can be a wonderful alternative to owning your own car. When a person joins a car sharing service, they’re less likely to drive for small errands and more likely to walk, ride a bike, or take public transit. A friend of mine recently sold his car that he’s had for many years. The biggest result? He says he lost weight and got more active.

Sharing Your Own Car is a new option in California. A recent law makes it legal to receive payment for sharing your own four wheels. In San Francisco, JustShareIt is taking advantage of the new law to allow residents to loan out their cars to neighbors. Of course, they get a cut of the profit for doing so. We believe this is still more environmentally friendly, as it means that you’ll still only use a car when totally necessary.

Scooter Sharing is on the horizon too! Scoot currently only offers their fleet of electric scooters to businesses rather than private individuals. But we hope to see this model thrive. Electric scooters still require electricity, but they are far more efficient than cars.

Switching from a car-dependent lifestyle isn’t just good for the environment. A life without cars involves more time outside, getting exercise, and seeing the world around you. We like setting goals for ourselves to reduce our carbon footprint–luckily we can reach a lot of these goals just by going for a walk!