Tips for Going Green in Your Kitchen, Garden and When
Exercising
Reduce your carbon footprint by limiting the number of
trips you make to the grocery store.
Leaving your car at home can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1,600
pounds per year. Save up errands and
shopping trips so you need to drive fewer times.
Make it a full load.
Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Don’t pre-rinse dishes as tests show
pre-rinsing does not improve dishwasher cleaning, and you will save as much as
20 gallons of water per load. When you
buy a new dishwasher, look for one that saves money. Water-efficient models use only about four
gallons per wash.
Exercise outdoors?
Regular exercise makes us feel great and keeps us healthy. Before you
head out for your workout or run, check the air quality forecast for your local
area. Look for EPA’s Air Quality Flags. The Flag Program
uses brightly colored flags based on the U.S. EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI) to
notify people and their
communities about outdoor air quality
conditions. Organizations raise a flag each day that
corresponds to their local air quality forecast.
Compost it. Compost helps improve soil so that it holds
more water and plants grow better. Allow grass clippings to stay on the lawn,
instead of bagging them. Food scraps and
kitchen waste also makes good compost, and you can save money on fertilizer.
Tread lightly. Use
public transportation, carpool, walk, or bike whenever possible to reduce air
pollution and save on fuel costs.
Leaving your car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by an average of 1,600 pounds per year.
Don’t be a drip – fix that leak! Leaky faucets can waste thousands of gallons
of water each year, like money down the drain.
Repair or replace old or damaged fixtures. If you are not sure if you have a leak, check
the water meter before and after a two hour period when water is not being
used. If the meter does not read exactly
the same, you may have a leak.
Just bag it. Help
protect the environment when you shop. Keep reusable bags on your car seat or
near your door so they are easy to grab when you go. And you can even combine shopping bags. Just tell the cashier that you don’t need a
bag and put all your purchase in one bag and hang on to all of the receipts. 
No comments:
Post a Comment