How Green is Your Home?

Being greener in our everyday lives is important to help conserve resources. There are small ways we can all help and make a difference in our everyday lives. Here are a few little ways you can make your apartments a bit greener:

• Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth, you could save upwards of 2,000 gallons of water a year by doing that.
• Switch to a low-flow shower head and you will cut the water you use in half.
• Use compact fluorescent bulbs in your lamps to reduce your energy consumption.
• Raise your thermostat by a few degrees in the summer to reduce your energy consumption.
• Bring reusable bags to the grocery store.

How many of these do you already do? Go to the blog poll and tell us how “Green” you consider yourself to be!

Simple Ways to Reduce Your Energy Consumption

April is Earth month and it’s a great time to think about being greener. Reducing your energy consumption will not only help you shrink your carbon footprint but it will help shrink your electric bill as well! Here are a few simple ways to cut your energy consumption:

• Set your computer to enter sleep mode after 30 minutes.
• Unplug items that aren’t being used to prevent “vampire” drain. You can also plug a number of items into a powers strip and turn it off when they aren’t in use.
• Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs.

For more useful tips and ideas go to Green Living at Real Simple.

Toxic Products

There are some products that really are too toxic to have in our homes, around ourselves, our pets and our children. Here are a few big one’s to avoid:

• Air fresheners mask odors with chemicals and do nothing to actually treat the smells.
• Toilet bowl cleaner is a very harsh cleaner that can burn the skin, eyes and lungs. It can be very dangerous to have around the house.

For more items that are better to keep out of your house check out this article on Shine.

For the Love of the Tree

Ah, the Christmas Tree… what evokes the spirit of the holiday season better than the smell of fresh pine in your home, the festivities of decorating it and the presents that pile up as we near the big day? But what happens to the tree when the holiday is over?  Many communities offer tree recycling now but there are other ways that you can make your holiday tree eco-friendly.
Consider replanting the tree or donating it to a local park or school. Switch to LED lights, which last longer than traditional lights, as a great way to save energy, and therefore cash, on your power bill. And really, aren’t we all looking for ways to do save?
Consider adopting or renting a tree. These options typically come with delivery and pick up and benefit various groups and areas.
Want to recycle your tree but not sure where to do it? Check out the earth911 website. Finding the closest tree recycling center is as easy as putting in your zip code.

Texas Recycles Day Saturday 14 November

Keep Carrollton Beautiful will be hosting a recycling day in the parking lot of Newnan Smith High School this Saturday from 9am to 1pm.  You can bring in old tires, batteries, computer equipment, cell phones or used clothing and know that they will be repurposed or recycled appropriately.  See the story on their website here.

It’s Time to Start Conserving Water

Conservation of water may become as important as energy and food production in the coming years.

Did you know that an average single family uses more than 70 gallons of water per day for indoor needs? Wow, that’s a lot considering when the average person in developing countries uses the equivalent of one flush of toilet water for cooking, washing and drinking in one day.

Help conserve water by doing these things:
1) turn the water off while brushing your teeth and shaving.
2) Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they are fully loaded.
3) Repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets.
4) Reduce your amount of time, and water, while showering.
5) While waiting for hot water in the shower, catch the cool, clean, water in a bucket and use it to water your indoor plants or run your garbage disposal.

Every little bit will help if we all do these things together. How do you save water? Read more about “saving water”

‘Tis the Season of Junk Mail

It’s approaching holiday season. And we know what that means: catalogs. Each year, North American companies produce 17 billion catalogs (59 for every man, woman and child in the U.S.). They hawk every category of gift or good, from the ridiculous (redneck pacifiers and big foot garden sets) to the most mainstream. Yet we know that junk mail produces as much CO2 as seven states combined. So how do you help aid in  stopping the tree cutting?

Read more…

Coat Hanger Clutter

Do you find empty hangers invading your closet?

Sure, they can be thrown away, but that leads them to go sit for years in some landfill. The best way to get rid of old coat hangers is to donate them to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or even your local dry cleaner to reuse. Not only will you free up some closet space, but you’ll also be saving the environment one hanger at a time.

For More Tips on Going Green Click Here