How To Green Your Home
- October 7, 2009
- 27 Views
from
Brigid Scott
Subscribe
Like charity, environmentalism begins at home. Here are some painless ways to join the green brigade.
You Will Need
- A low-flow shower head
- Fluorescent light bulbs
- Baking soda
- A cloth grocery bag
- Eco-friendly cleaning products (optional)
Step 1: Cut water consumption
Cut water consumption by installing a low-flow shower head. And opt for showers over baths: A four-minute shower uses about 10 gallons of water, while a full tub wastes 15 to 25 gallons. And, while you’re at it, don’t keep the water running while you brush your teeth.
Step 2: Conserve electricity
Conserve electricity by turning lights off when you leave a room and unplugging appliances when they’re not in use. And invest in long-lasting fluorescent light bulbs – compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, they save about 150 lbs. of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Step 3: Switch to non-toxic cleaning products
Switch to non-toxic cleaning products. Baking soda, for example, can deodorize, unclog a drain and clean an oven. Not into concocting your own cleaning potions? Eco friendly cleaning products are now widely available.
Step 4: Buy locally-grown food
Buy locally-grown food and you can reduce the amount of energy required to transport it to you by 20 percent.
Stash a string bag inside your handbag so that when you’re picking up just a few things in the market you can pass on the plastic bags, which take a long time to decompose.
Step 5: Stop the paper madness
Have your name removed from unwanted catalog lists and solicitations by contacting the Direct Marketing Association. Pay your bills online and you’ll not only save trees, but postage.
Step 6: Recycle
Recycle glass, plastic, and paper. Consider this: If you recycle just one glass bottle, you save sufficient electricity to light a 100-watt light bulb for 4 hours.
Americans receive an average of more than 500 pieces of junk mail annually, which comes to 4.5 million tons nationally, according to the Native Forest Network.
Something wrong? Report this How-To
How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
- 17,515 views
- Chris_Davis
How To Shear a Pygora Goat
- 333 views
- GardenGirl
Comments (0)
There are no comments. Be the first!
Sign in or create an account to post a comment. Or, sign in using your Facebook to comment
and share your activity with your friends