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Going green is easier than you think. Use these simple tips to go green, one day at a time.
Compost Your Pumpkins
Reduce garbage going to the landfill by composting your pumpkins after carving jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.
Leaf It for Compost
Instead of bagging up all those pretty fall leaves and stacking them out at the curb, turn them into compost, and save energy and landfill space. Yard waste is the second-largest component of our trash stream (behind paper), according to the EPA.
Rake, Don't Blow
Leaf blowers and other lawn equipment can produce a lot of pollution. Try to use manual tools, electric equipment or more efficient models.
Clear the Air With a HEPA Filter
Reduce allergies, allergens and irritants with a true HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which will boost indoor air quality. Avoid slick marketing claims on HEPA-like filters.
Seal Those Ducts
Heating and cooling is one of the home's biggest uses of energy, so it's important to make sure all your ductwork is tightly sealed. Sealing ducts saves energy, lowers your carbon footprint and saves money.
Caulk Now, Before Winter's Chill
Fall is the time to winterize your home using caulking and weatherstripping to save as much as 30% on energy bills.
Do More than Just Leaf Peep
Leaf peeping can also lead to citizen science, with the Foliage Network.
Replace Your Furnace Filter
Cleaning or replacing furnace filters is part of annual and monthly maintenance necessary to improve indoor air quality and improve energy efficiency. Electrostatic or HEPA filters are more effective.
Think Twice Before Sealing Your Driveway
Driveway sealants made with coal tar produce high levels of pollution known as PAHs. Asphalt based sealants also create air and water pollution, but to a lesser degree.
Recycle Used Plastic Bags (Even Ziploc Sandwich Bags)
You can recycle ziploc and other sandwich bags along with plastic shopping bags at supermarket recycling bins.
Plant a Tree, Pocket $57,000
Trees are not only beautiful, but they have real value, not only to the environment (air pollution and water pollution reduction) but to our pocketbooks (energy savings, property values, etc.)
Lease Solar Panels and Save on Up-Front Costs
Companies like SunRun, Sungevity and SolarCity now offer leasing program for home solar energy installations. Consider them if you want to go solar on a budget.
Cover Your Plate (at Least) Half Full with Fruits and Vegetables
It can be hard to eat enough vegetables and fruits, but this easy tip - filling half your plate with greens and fruits - makes it easier.
Eat Canned Foods Sparingly
Because bisphenol-A (BPA) has been found leaching from the lining of cans into food, it might be wise to avoid eating a lot of canned foods.
Buy Unsweetened Organic Applesauce
Pesticide residue and added sugars make unsweetened organic applesauce a smart choice. See the results of taste tests for unsweetened apple sauces.
Fix Water Leaks, Save $20
Got a leaky faucet, sink, toilet or plumbing? Fix it, and cut down on waste of water, and save $20 a year.
Shut the Refrigerator Door, Save 7%
Shutting the refrigerator door when you're done looking inside is a simple way to save energy. Get in the habit.
How to Choose Safer Soap
Tips for avoiding triclosan, a common antibacterial agent, in soaps and other personal care products.
Put Food on the Back Burner
Gas ranges can produce indoor air pollution, but you can reduce the risk by cooking on the back burners and using your fan at the highest fan settings.
Plant Street Trees to Clean the Air
Trees, shrubs and other greenery can significantly reduce street level air pollution, according to a new study.
Green Your Laundry Room
Your laundry room can use a lot of water and energy. Check out these tips for going green.
Cool Off and Save Money
Keep your home cooler by avoiding the stove, the dryer and other appliances during the summer.
Park in the Shade
Decrease fuel lost to evaporation, reduce the need for a/c and stay more comfortable by parking your car in the shade.
Keep A Pitcher of Water In Your Fridge
Such a simple action as keeping a pitcher of water in your refrigerator has surprising benefits in terms of energy and water savings, as well as your health.
Switch to Solar Night Lights
Harness the sun's free energy to brighten up your driveway, paths, steps and decks. No wiring required! Easy energy efficiency and energy conservation with solar night lights for accent lighting.
Drive 55
On the highway, try not to exceed driving 55 mph, after which your car will burn gas much less efficiently. Your gas mileage and fuel economy will be better if you drive 55 miles per hour.
Buy an Energy Star Air Conditioner
Save money and energy with an Energy Star air conditioner.
Natural Termite Control
Protect homes from termites with non-toxic or less-toxic methods versus conventional pesticides.
Use Windows for Cross Ventilation
Keep homes and buildings cool with cross ventilation by opening windows or vents. You'll reduce energy and money used for air conditioning.
Cook Your Food, Not Your Kitchen
When it's hot, save on energy, and feel more comfortable, with these simple suggestions. You can save money on air conditioning in the kitchen.
Install Awnings for Natural Air Conditioning
Awnings on windows reduce cooling loads, resulting in lower energy bills. They are an easy, attractive form of passive cooling.
Before Swimming at Public Beaches, Ask These Questions
Beaches are closed due to water quality violations, and many beaches aren't monitored weekly. Ask these questions before swimming.
Eat Fresh!
Eating local food is better for the planet and you. Here are some tips how.
3 Plastics to Avoid
Chemicals like phthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA) can leach out of some plastics, including plastics number 3 6 and 7, so avoid these plastics to avoid waste and potential health risks.
Don't Be Fooled by "Organic" Dry Cleaning Claims
Scope out your local area for organic dry cleaners. But before you give them your business, make sure they are using the carbon dioxide cleaning process or another environmentally preferable process.
Save a Tree (and a Bird). Buy Recycled Paper
Choosing recycled paper products for office paper, napkins, paper towels and more can help save birds. Songbirds migrate to the boreal forest, which is being logged. Paper recycling means bird conservation.
Don't Close-Crop Your Lawn
Mow your grass long. Longer blades discourage weeds and pests, retain moisture and promote healthy roots.
Kick Off Your Shoes at the Door for a Cleaner Home
Go green with this extremely easy tip: Initiate a shoes off policy in your house. Taking your shoes off at the door helps keep 70 percent of dirt outside which makes it easier to keep a clean home.
Enjoy a Local 3-Day Weekend
Cut down on carbon emissions and rediscover the joys of your own community, instead of jet-setting off into the distance at the first sign of a three-day weekend.
Burn Local Firewood
It's our job to stop the spread of invasive species like the emerald ash borer by avoiding activities that spread them from place to place. Among those activities: transporting fire wood for camping trips.
Swap Ornamentals for an Edible Landscape
Instead of just flowers, discover the joys of edible landscaping. To start organic gardening, consider a one-to-one substitution of an ornamental for an edible, or start a container herb or tomato garden.
Don't Use Phosphorus Lawn Fertilizers
What we can learn from states that have banned lawn fertilizers with phosphorus.
Bust Runoff with a Rain Garden
Homeowners and businesses can stem the tide of polluted runoff threatening our waterways by setting up a simple "rain garden," which is beautiful as well as beneficial. Home water conservation made easy.
Plant a Butterfly Garden
Plant a butterfly garden for National Pollinator Week. Find plants that attract butterflies and other native pollinators, like honey bees, hummingbirds and bats.
Pull Weeds. Don't Pollute
Pulling weeds, rather than dousing them with chemical pesticides, may take longer, but is better in the long run for a healthy lawn and garden.
Plant a Bee-Friendly Garden
There is a wide array of common flowering plants that support bees, from annual flowers to popular perennials, garden vegetables, shrubs and even trees.
Water Plants in the Morning
Save water, and make plants stronger and healthier, by watering in the morning. It's an easy water conservation tip.
Use the Incredible, Energy-Saving ... Toaster Oven?!
Toaster ovens use much less energy than conventional ovens, and they have more applications than you may have thought of.
Sign a Petition
Signing a political petition on an environmental issues is an important step we can all take to help the environment, as Heart of Green Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ted Danson says.
Spread Mulch Around Your Trees
Save water and promote healthy trees by spreading mulch over tree roots around the trees in your lawn and garden landscaping.
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