Going Green
An eco-friendly lifestyle does not need to be difficult or expensive. Small changes can really add up to huge results for the environment. Use these tips to go green:
In the bathroom, use a high-efficiency shower head to save up to 3,000 gallons of water each year for each person in your home. Water plants with recycled water by keeping a bucket in your shower. Before showering, fill the bucket with the cold water while you're waiting for warm water. Replace your old water heater for a new tankless or solar water heater, which will greatly cut energy costs.
Strategically plating trees around your home on the south and west sides and around your air-conditioning unit will save you on heating and cooling. Adding insulation and installing thermal shades will retain heat in the winter and keep you cool in the summer.
Cut outdoor lighting energy and costs by installing motion sensors on nonessential lights and replacing floodlights with compact florescent bulbs, which will be just as bright and will use a quarter of the energy. Replace your landscape bulbs with LED versions, which can last up to 10 years.
For indoor lighting, replace high-use lights with compact florescent or LED bulbs, which come in a variety of sizes for almost any light fixture. You will pay more up front than a traditional light bulb, but they will quickly pay for themselves. Installing dimmer switches in living, dining, and bedrooms will also dial down your electric bill. Consider trading your traditional Christmas lights for LED lights during the holidays.
Do not run your dishwasher or front-load washing machines unless they are completely full. Both machines are huge energy and water users, so it's important to wait until you have a full load. It's proven that hand washing dishes uses more water and soap versus using a dishwasher, so it's best to wait. Also, don't waste water by rinsing before loading--new dishwashers are powerful enough to clean the dirtiest of dishes. If you're still using old washers, it's time for updated high efficiency versions.
Keep two trash cans in the kitchen: one for food scraps, and one for recyclables. You will be surprised at how quickly your recyclables can will fill up versus your food scraps can. Most waste management companies do not recycle glass, so gather up your glass bottles and bring them to a local collection bin, which can be found in many grocery store parking lots.
Don't just throw out unwanted items; instead, choose to donate. Cut plastic waste by using refillable water bottles and installing a faucet-mounted water filter. Bring your own bags when shopping and bring reusable containers for leftovers when dining out.
Make the change and go green!
