home

• Adjust your thermostat a few degrees warmer in summer and cooler in winter or open a window instead of running air conditioning at all.
• Turn off fans and air conditioning when not home.
• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows and insulate walls, attic, crawlspace, and ceilings.
• Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning and heaters regularly.
• Minimize opening your oven door when in use. It reduces the temperature by 25-30 degrees every time.
• Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees.

Appliances

• Refrigerators and freezers use more electricity than any other household appliance up to 1/6th of the electricity used at home. Keep them clean and full and open them sparingly to save energy and money.
• Run only fully-loaded washing machines and dishwashers, and use natural dishwashing soap.
• Wash clothes only when they are dirty. You could save a load a week and about 160 gallons of water a month.
• Your dryer will use less energy if you clean the lint filter after every load.
• Try drying your clothes outside. They, look, feel, and smell great.
• Wash clothes with cold water to save money and energy on heating. New products are developed to clean just as well in cold water.

Water & Gardening

• Gas lawn mowers may contribute as much as 5% of our air pollution, according to the EPA. A great alternative is a push mower. It's not only pollution free - but gives you a free workout with every use.
• Save between 1,000 and 8,000 gallons of water a year by installing faucet aerators and high-efficiency showerheads.
• Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth to save gallons of water every day.
• Water the lawn in the morning or evening to use less water. Watering during the day wastes water because it evaporates in the sun.
• Try composting your kichen waste into your garden – free and natural nutrients for your yards.
• Leave grass clippings from mowing to decompose and return nutrients to your yard.

Power

• Turn off lights and appliances when not in use.
• Avoid the phantom load from appliances that drain energy when not in use by unplugging them or turning off powerstrips.
• Replace light bulbs with environmentally friendly compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Switch to using all rechargeable batteries.

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shopping

• Use reusable bags instead of getting new bags every time you shop.
• Americans use 3.3 million plastic bottles every hour but only one in five is recycled. Use a reusable bottle and stop contributing to the mess.
• Use cloth instead of paper for towels and napkins.
• Start noticing packaging. Avoid products with lots of it and try buying in bulk.
• Buy secondhand – everything from books& music to outdoor furniture.
• Before throwing away, donate unwanted items to charitable thrift stores.
• When shopping for cars, investigate all alternative and fuel efficient vehicles.
• Laptops use about half the energy as a desktop. Look for Energy Star® certified laptops that use 70 percent less energy than noncertified models.
• Use re-usable containers instead of plastic wrap or foil and even reuse takeout containers.

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transportation

• Commute by bus, bike, walking, or carpooling. Cut your gas cost in half by riding with just one other person.
• Consider using the most efficient transportation method for each trip. You could even go car-free!
• If you have to drive, drive efficiently. Speeding, accelerating fast, and braking hard waste gas.
• Don’t idle your car when not required. Turn off your engine when stopped for more than 30 seconds.
• Check tire pressure every month and get a tune-up when recommended. You could raise your fuel efficiency up to 40%.
• Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil.
• Take your car to the car wash instead of washing it in the driveway.

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work

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. It’s healthier and more eco-friendly.
• Ask your employer about telecommuting or a compressed work week.
• Use sleep mode and turn your computer off when you are gone. By activating the sleep mode on your computer you can reduce its electricity consumption to less than 5% of full power.
• Only print what you need, print with low ink resolution, use both sides of the paper, and print two pages per sheet when possible. Paper can be up to 70% of a typical office’s waste.
• Put a plant at your desk to protect from germs, absorb pollutants, replenish oxygen levels, and reduce fatigue and stress. A plant not only looks nice at but it also acts as a natural air filter.
• Try reusable containers for packed lunches to avoid unnecessary trash.

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