40 Easy Ways to Go Greener at Home – Besides Recycling

by TSH oXENREIDER on APRIL 21, 2010

in GREEN & FRUGAL LIVING

1.  Plant an herb garden.  It’s good to have a reminder around of where our food originates.

2.  Switch all your lightbulbs to CFLs (or at least switch a few).

3.  Create a homemade compost bin for $15.

4.  Switch one appliance to an energy efficient model (look for the “energy star” label).

5.  Stop using disposable bags – order some reusable bags, or make your own. 

6.  Buy an inexpensive reusable water bottle, and stop buying plastic disposable bottles. 

7.  Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.

8.  Turn off lights when you leave the room.

9.  Don’t turn on lights at all for as long as you can — open your curtains and enjoy natural light.

10.  Drive the speed limit, and combine all your errands for the week in one trip.

11.  Better yet, walk or ride a bike to your errands that are two miles or closer.

12.  Support your local economy and shop at your farmer’s market.

13.  Turn off your computer completely at night.

14.  Research whether you can sign up for green power from your utility company.

15.  Pay as many bills as possible online.

16.  Put a stop to unsolicited mail — sign up to opt out of pre-screened credit card offers.  While you’re at it, go ahead and make sure you’re on the “do not call” list, just to make your life more peaceful.

17.  Reuse scrap paper.  Print on two sides, or let your kids color on the back side of used paper.

18.  Conduct a quick energy audit of your home.

19.  Subscribe to good eco-friendly blogs (The Daily Green, TreeHugger, and Keeper of the Home).

20.  Before buying anything new, first check your local Craigslist or Freecycle.

21.  Support local restaurants that use food derived less than 100 miles away, and learn more about the benefits of eating locally.

22.  Fix leaky faucets.

23.  Make your own household cleaners. 

24.  Line dry your laundry.

25.  Watch The Story of Stuff with your kids, and talk about the impact your household trash has on our landfills.

26.  Learn with your kids about another country or culture, expanding your knowledge to other sides of the world.

28.  Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.

29.  Unplug unused chargers and appliances.

30.  Repurpose something – turn one of your well-worn t-shirts into basic play pants for your baby.  Or save egg cartons for paint wells, seed starters, treasure boxes, or a myriad of other crafts.

31.  Collect rainwater, and use it to water your houseplants and garden.

32.  Switch to cloth diapers – or at least do a combination with disposables.

33.  Switch to shade-grown coffee with the “Fair Trade” label.

34.  Use a Diva Cup for your monthly cycles.

35.  Use cloth instead of paper to clean your kitchen. Be frugal, and make these rags out of old towels and t-shirts.

36.  Use cloth napkins daily instead of paper.

37.  Read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and open your eyes to the way conventional food is processed. Watch Food, Inc. while you’re at it.

38.  Repurpose glass jars as leftover containers and bulk storage, especially in the kitchen.

39.  Five-minute showers – make it a goal for yourself.

40.  Donate to – and shop at – thrift stores such as Goodwill.  You’ll be recycling perfectly usable items, and you’ll be supporting your local economy.

“Eating Green”

By Jonathan Hiatt

Food is pretty awesome stuff.  I love it.  You love it.  Our dogs and cats enjoy it, as well.  Food is an important part of our daily lives – we have to eat it to stay alive, but it’s also a major source of pleasure.   From salads and sandwiches to hamburgers and hotdogs to duck foie gras or Italian truffles… who doesn’t savor the thought of digging into a plate of hot (or cold), delicious goodness?

Of course, we don’t grow our food in our backyards for the most part – not anymore at least.  These days, food production and transportation doesn’t happen without a lot of energy and a cost to the environment.   Not as simple as it used to be.

In the past, the food we eat would have been cultivated just outside of town.  It would have been harvested by hand and grown organically…at no extra cost…at the peak of freshness! Today, the average food item travels over 1,500 miles before it gets to our mouths, and that is only the last leg of foods fuel-powered journey.  Take a moment to consider the relationship – the “love affair” - between food and the fuel and energy that is used in the production and transportation process:

1. Tilling
   Turning over the soil to prepare for planting, weed disruption, etc.  Typically done with a tractor.
   
   
2. Planting
   A massive machine is used to drop seeds into fields, burning five gallons of fuel for every acre planted.
   
   
3. Spraying Pesticide or Herbicide (also the work of huge machines or airplanes)
   
   
4. Harvesting
   Once again, the massive machine makes its way up and down the rows of the growing fields to collect the matured produce
    
5. Processing
   Includes everything from sorting, washing and packaging produce, to converting it from a whole food to a “food like substance” - this is a highly material and energy intensive process on both the food and packaging side of the equation.
   
   
6. Shipping
   Two to three separate journeys mostly semi trucks but also planes, boats, or trains
7. Retail
   Finally, the food has arrived and you can eat it.

Wow.  That’s a lot of energy.  On the upside, there’s a better way.  Here are a few tips to start eating green:

1. Farmers markets are an excellent place to get your hands on delicious, natural foods, and to get connected with local farmers.
   
   
2. Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSA) are available in many cities.  CSAs allow you to invest in/buy a share of local farms’ harvests in the spring, so you can then receive a weekly box overflowing with seasonal bounty once the goods are ready to be eaten.
   
   
3. Support small farms however you can.  They frequently use people instead of machines, and that can help keep the food footprint incredibly low
   
   
4. Processed foods – avoid them.
   
   
5. Avoid packaging whenever possible; check for items in the bulk isle before going to the packaged products. 

Are You Ready For A Green Fall?

By: Sylvia Hay

Fall means back to school, cooler weather and the dreaded fall clean-up. This year, go green instead of bright yellows, rich reds and russet that the season brings…with more environmentally friendly methods. Here are some tips from Thrifty & Green.

Fall Leaves

If you live in an area that is prone to plenty of leaves falling in your yard, you want to be sure you are handling the clean-up in an eco-friendly manner. Instead of using a leaf blower, use a rake. It does require more time and muscle, but what's better than helping the environment and getting a workout in at the same time? Leaf blowers create noise pollution and if they are diesel powered (bio-diesel is an exception), they also create air pollution as well. Another practice you want to avoid is burning the leaves. This creates a great deal of smoke and more so when leaves are damp, resulting in the release of toxic compounds and particulate matter. I think fall leaves are beautiful, so take the time to admire them and be kind when cleaning them up. If you have kids, you may even be able to do some fun art projects with some of the leaves, we used to do this in elementary school and it was great!

Eating In Season

Don’t forget the importance of eating local and in-season produce. Be sure to purchase all of the wonderful produce that is local and in season for the fall. If you have a Farmer's Market near you, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of it and get your produce there. It not only helps the environment, but your wallet as well! Some of the produce that is in season for the fall are, artichokes, arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, cranberries, eggplant, kale, leeks and zucchini. There are several more options than these listed for the fall, but this list gives you an idea. One source I use frequently for information and tips is fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. They have helpful lists and recipe ideas to use as well!

Football Parties

Another activity that goes hand in hand with fall is football! This is the time of year where many gather for football parties. So, what does being green have to do with football other than the field? Well, making sure to throw an eco-friendly football shindig is how! One thing to do is make sure you recycle any bottles used up during the game, have a place clearly designated for guests to drop their bottles. You will be making a statement and lessening your time spent gathering bottles after the party. Also, serve locally grown and organic snacks for guests to fill up on during the game! Instead of sending out invitations, send out an evite or be even more casual and pick up the phone to spread the word. Utilize tableware that can be used again. Buy some matching plates and silverware to be used specifically for parties to break out whenever you have one. This will cut out the use of paper plates, plastic forks and styrofoam! This may add a few minutes more to clean-up after the party, but every little bit we do counts in the long run.

It's so interesting to learn about all the ways we can be kind to the environment. Remember, with each season brings new opportunities to take advantage of.