Going Green
Eco Friendly Tips
DRYER LINT
Stop throwing away your dryer lint! Put it in the backyard for the birds...they use it to feather their nests.
SHARE YOUR MAGAZINES
Read them then pass them on. Goodwill, the Kidney Foundation and other used goods collection agencies will usually accept them. You can also pass them along to a doctor's office for the waiting room.
FILE YOUR TAXES ELECTRONICALLY
To cut back on paper usage. Look into having your tax forms emailed to you instead of mailed as well.
DONATE OLD NEWSPAPERS
To animal shelters and take your plastic shopping bags back to participating grocery stores. Better yet, purchase cloth or canvas grocery bags and skip that part altogether.
TAKE YOUR OWN MUG
To the coffee shop...some shops will even give you a discount for bringing your own cup.
WASH IN COLD OR WARM
If all the households in the U.S. switched from hot-hot cycle to warm-cold, we could save the energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil a day. Only launder when you have a full load.
RETHINK BOTTLED WATER
Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. Buy a reusable container and fill it with tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health. The EPA's standards for tap water are more stringent than the FDA's standards for bottled water.
BRUSH WITHOUT RUNNING
You've heard this one before, but maybe you still do it. You'll conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop. Daily savings in the U.S. alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons--more water than folks use in the Big Apple.
Going Green - Save Energy to Save Money
- Use a reusable water bottle
- Plant a backyard garden
- Take shorter showers to reduce water use
- Unplug unused charges
- Switch regular lightbulbs to energy efficient types
- Turn off lights when you leave the house
- Wash laundry with cold water
- Lower temperature on your hot water heater
- Line dry your laundry
- Support you local stores
- Combine as many errands as possible in one trip
- If errands are close by; walk or ride a bike
- Pay your bills online
- Stop using disposable bags and start using reusable bags