A Greener Home in Simple Steps
Reduce electricity use
·Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They can last 10 times longer and use 75% less energy.
·Unplug appliances. TVs, computers, appliances use 75% of their electricity while turned off.
·Purchase major appliances with an Energy Star rating.
·Wash clothes in cold water. 90% of energy to wash is used to heat the water.
·Skip the dryer and hang dry clothes.
Green your cleaning
·Chlorine bleach production releases dioxins, known carcinogens and hormone disruptors. Diluted white vinegar can be used for all general cleaning (vinegar has an 80 to 99 percent kill rate for viruses and bacteria).
·Laundry and dishwashing detergents are a major source of water pollution and contain chemicals that can cause health problems. Dryer sheets can contain several ingredients which appear on the environmental protection agency’s (EPA’s) hazardous waste list. Use natural soaps and detergents. They can be more expensive, but watch for sales and stock up. You can also make your own from a few simple ingredients. Many spray stain removers have harmful chemicals and should be replaced with more natural products.
Minimize water usage
·Showerhead - Replacing a 4.5 GPM showerhead with a 2.5 GPM head may save a 2 person home 10,000 gal/yr.
·Shorten your shower time – each minute amounts to 170 lbs of CO2.
·Toilet – New toilets are 1.6 gallons per flush. A brick or weighted bottle in the tank will limit the flush of a larger toilet.
·Faucets- Turn water off while shaving & tooth brushing. Install aerators on faucets to reduce water flow.
·Run dishwasher full and refrain from prewashing dishes.
Limit your plastics
·Choose plastics labeled #1, #2, #4, and #5 and avoid those labeled #3, #6, and #7 which have been shown to leach harmful chemicals into food and beverages.
·Carry a refillable bottle or mug for beverages on the go, and bring reusable cloth bags to stores.
·Avoid vinyl shower curtains which release chemicals. Natural fiber curtains can be washed and reused for years.
Reduce paper use
·Stop junk mail - Each year, 100 million trees are cut down and turned into junk mail, with Americans receiving 400 million tons of it per year. Cutting out junk mail is one of the most effective things people can do to reduce pollution.
·Replace paper napkins and paper towels with cloth napkins for the table and dishtowels or rags for cleanups.
·Limit printing from your computer, print on both sides of the page, reuse paper for hand-written notes before recycling.
Use rechargeable batteries
·Batteries contain mercury and that can leach into the soil in a landfill. Even if your local waste management company doesn’t recycle batteries (disposable or rechargeable), look for places that do. Some Lowes, Home Depot, and Best Buy stores have receptacles for old batteries.
Eliminate antibacterial products
·According to a 2000 World Health Organization report, antibacterial soaps are helping to promote growth of resistant bacteria. They encourage the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Triclosan, a commonly used antibacterial, also carries concerns of contamination from chloroform and dioxin.
Compost
·Composting is one of the simplest and most effective recycling methods. Both your garden cuttings and your green kitchen waste can go into an outdoor or indoor compost bin. If you don't have a garden yourself, find neighbors or a community garden that can make use of your soil. Composting food scraps will mean your regular kitchen wastebasket fills up more slowly and also won’t smell.
Recycle useable items
·Don’t put usable clothes and household items curbside. Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org. Goodwill and Salvation Army are also good options.
