So far my efforts include:
I’ve changed the light bulbs.Replacing just one 75-watt incandescent bulb with a 19-watt CFL cuts 75 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year and up to 750 for the life of the bulb, not to mention the money savings on your energy bill.
Bought a reel push mower which is great because it doesn’t require gas, oil or maintenance really, just someone to push it.
I’ve switched to soy based toilet cleaners and I buy my green cleaning products at Whole Foods Market. Using green cleaners cuts down on your environmental impact, since conventional cleaners are filled with a host of chemicals that produce harmful byproducts during production and harm aquatic life when they wash down the drain. Green cleaners are also healthier; they have fewer volatile organic compounds that can trigger asthma and other respiratory problems, and rarely do they contain chemicals that can poison you or your children or cause serious skin reactions if spilled.This is extrememly important. Do a little research on the dead zone in the gulf of Mexico. Fertilizers from farms wash down the mississippi river and end up in this dead zone. It’s called the dead zone because there is no oxygen in the water to sustain life. I urge you to read up on this! There has to be a move toward natural pesticides. I come from a farming family, so I know there is nothing natural about the fertilizers and pesticides they are currently using.
I never buy paper napkins or paper towels, I use cloth that I can wash and reuse.
For those of you who love Costco, they are getting more and more organic and eco friendly items. Try ECOS laundry detergent, it works and smells great.
I’ve started a compost container that I also purchased from Whole Foods Market at a reasonable price, which lives under the sink and gets emptied every 2-3 days into the yard waste container behind my building.
I have also bought bamboo eating utensils, chop stix, fork, spoon and knife made of bamboo that I wash and reuse for lunch at work or picnics at the park.
Seattle is banning styrofoam containers beginning Jan 1 I think. I have to admit that I cannot resist getting Pho for take out and they currently use styrofoam.. so I wash it out and use it for picnic items that I want to keep cool or hot. I’ll work on this.
I recycle my styrofoam packing from mail order deliveries at the local UPS store, they are more than happy to reuse packing materials. Recycling is probably the easiest thing you can do to go green! It even cuts up to 1,000 pounds of annual carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. Even though you do recycle, you can be even “greener” by choosing products with the least amount of packaging possible and by choosing easily recyclable packaging, like paper or glass; very few municipal recycling programs accept plastics other than those labeled #1 and #2.
I try to buy local fruits and vegatables and I try to support local/small business.
I have reusable shopping bags that I take to the grocery store or market, there are a number of cloth bags you can buy made of recycled materials or organic materials! Seattle is going to start charging for paper or plastic bags soon, so its a win win to bring your own. Bringing your own bag is the more environmentally responsible choice. In the U.S., petroleum-based plastic bags consume about 12 million barrels of oil annually, and many are not recycled, meaning that they end up in trees and waterways where animals mistake them for food. Paper bags consume four times as much energy to produce as plastic bags and they generate 70 percent more air pollution during manufacture. I’ve heard reports that it can take 50 years for a plastic bag to decompose in a landfill, and 500 years for a single diaper! SWITCH TO CLOTH!
I watch BIG IDEAS FOR A SMALL PLANET for tips… TIVO it on Sundance channel.
Lights off and appliances unplugged when not in use… well except for the TIVO! I try to fill the dishwasher to capacity before turning it on, rarely washing by hand because it uses more water. Hand washing dishes can actually use up to 50 percent more water than a water-saving, energy-efficient dishwasher. But before you celebrate, check the date on your dishwasher. Those made before 1994 use more water than current models, so it may be time for an upgrade to an Energy Star-rated model, which is 41% more efficient than the federal standard. Even if you have a brand-new, hyper-efficient model, you can still conserve water and energy. Only run full loads, and don’t waste time and water pre-rinsing dishes; new models are equipped to handle even the most stubborn gunk.
I use britta filtration for tap water in my refrigerator to reduce use of all those plastic bottles. Switch to tap! There’s very little evidence that bottled water is any safer, as tap water must meet stricter federal and local standards for chemical contaminants. Furthermore, drinking tap water helps eliminate the waste associated with single-use plastic bottles, only 10 percent of which are recycled each year. If you’re concerned about water quality, buy a reusable bottle, and invest in a tap-water filters that eliminate lead, which can leach into water from decaying pipes, and chlorine, often added to sanitize water and eliminate bacteria. Filters generate less waste than bottles. Also.. Aerators cut water usage from 5 gallons per minute to 2.75 gallons or less. The most efficient models use only 1 gallon; if yours isn’t a 1 gpm model, replace it and save even more water than you already are.
I’ve asked my coworkers to begin recycling in our work area, this is tough but is going fair to good. I still have to sift through the trash can when I leave for items that were placed in the wrong can. I carry it home to put in my recycle recepticle because my employer only recycles paper. Can you believe it? I’m working on this! I found a web site that might be fruitful in getting my employer to go green and recycle everything. http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/
5 recycling tips:
A March 2000 study by the GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRRN) finds that while a record 28% of municipal waste was recycled in 1997, Americans were simultaneously wasting more—landfilled and incinerated waste increased by 4.4 million tons. Here are some tips on how to help reduce this.
1. Drink Boxes: Only about 25% of U.S. households have curbside recycling for drink boxes. To find out if yours is included, contact the Aseptic Packaging Council at 800/277-8088, www.aseptic.org, or your local department of sanitation. If not, contact Tetra Pak, the manufacturer, for how to bring drink box recycling to your curb: 847/955-6000, www.tetrapak.com. Or choose to use washable drink containers instead.
2. Polystyrene: As part of a new “Foam from Home” program, you can bring Styrofoam trays, cups, and packaging to schools or businesses that have a Styro Solve system. This converts Styrofoam into a compact, recyclable gel. Learn more from International Foam Solutions, 800/856-3626, www.internationalfoamsolutions.com. You can also bring those irritating packaging peanuts to most Mail Boxes Etc. stores to be reused.
3. Computers: In 1998, some 20.6 million PCs were retired from use, but only an estimated 11% have been recycled. Donate your computer to charity: Share the Technology, www.sharetechnology.org; The National Cristina Foundation, www.cristina.org. Or send your old PCs to IBM for recycling ($30, including shipping), http://www.ibm.com/ibm/environment/products/ptb_us.shtml, 888/SHOP-IBM.
4. Batteries: Although rechargeable batteries do eventually quit, they are recyclable. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation will help you find recycling centers near you for nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium ion (Li-ion), and small sealed lead batteries (800/8-BATTERY, www.rbrc.org). (Call your local department of sanitation to learn how to dispose of regular alkaline batteries.)
5. Cardboard: In 1997, Americans threw away 10 million tons of corrugated boxes. If your town lacks curbside cardboard recycling, ask officials for it. In the meantime, you can often give unsoiled boxes to grocery stores or other businesses for recycling or reuse. For more recycling help, call 800/CLEANUP, or see www.earth911.org, which provides recycling locations by zip code. Resource: GrassRoots Recycling Network, 706/613-7121, www.grrn.org.
I bring my coffee to work in a reusable mug and bought a SIGG bottle for water that is both reusable and is NOT plastic. Did you know that some plastics leach carcinogens into the contents and are slowly poisoning you?! Reusable mugs are healthier for you and for the planet, leaving trees in forests where they belong and keeping non-degradable polystyrene out of landfills.
My car died 3 years ago, so I now walk, bike or bus to nearly every place I go. Costco however does require a trip in a car. When the day comes that I am too old or debilitated to hoof it around the city, I’m hopeful to have more green options for transportation. Unless you’re driving a hybrid, or an electric car if you’re lucky, you should probably look for a greener mode of transportation, like a bus, subway or—if you’re up for it—totally carbon-neutral walking or biking. An average 12-mile daily commute generates 2,750 pounds of CO2 annually.
I have switched to electronic statements for banking and billing.
Greendimes.com Sign up! They can reduce your junk mail considerably and save trees and water in the process, reducing your carbon footprint!
I need to look into purchasing green power from my utility. It may cost a little more than coal power, but a home powered by green energy cuts down on both greenhouse gas and mercury emissions coming from coal plants. And it protects natural environments from destructive coal mining. Speaking of coal mining… we need to get away from fossil fuels. I know that those living in places like West Virginia need to earn a living, but can’t we find something other than logging, tobacco farming or coal mining for them? Also a solar charger for my backpack might be a good idea.
Test yourself here: http://www.thegreenguide.com/quizzes/greenIQ
You might also be interested in this web site: http://www.treehugger.com/green-basics/
