28 Earth Day Tips to Go Green

Earth Day just wouldn’t be proper without a list of quick green tips. Most of these are something everyone can do, so no excuses!

You don’t need to follow every tip listed. Actually, if you and everyone else followed just one of them, the environment would be better than it is today. Educate and encourage your family and friends and do something green today. Every little bit helps.

Photo by girl_named_fred

In the home

1. Put more clothes in the washer. The fuller it is, the less water is wasted.
2. Dry your clothes outside. The clothes will last longer and you’ll save money and electricity.
3. Put your razor in a dry place. The most common reason razors get dull is because of water, not your hair. And since bathrooms are one of the most humid places in a home, it can cause your razor to go bad much more quickly than a drier location.
4. Take care of your vampire electronics. TVs, computers, DVD players, etc. all use electricity when they are turned off. Up to 15% of your electricity is being thrown out the window by these objects. Solve the problem with a power supply that has an off button and use it.
5. Turn off your PC off at night and when you’re gone.
6. Recycle your paper. The second most common recycling center in the United States is for paper. If everyone did their part, millions of trees would be saved.
7. Use a tankless water heater. With regular water heaters, the water is constantly heated and kept at the temperature you specify. Tankless water heaters are on-demand so less electricity is used and the possibility of water damage goes down.
8. Keep your water heater at 120°. There’s absolutely no reason a water heater should be above this and you will save up to 15% on your electricity bill.
9. Use less plastic. If you are someone who uses plastic cups or plastic plates, stop! I know it takes a little more effort to wash a plate, but the amount of damage plastic does to the environment is insane.
10. Use less paper towels. Some families use up to 4 paper towel rolls a week. That is 108 paper towel rolls a year-a huge amount of paper. Instead, try cutting your usage slowly by incorporating clothe towels every so often.
11. Donate old clothes. You’ll not only be helping the environment by keeping these clothes out of the landfill, but you will be helping someone in need.
12. Hook up a gray water system. Gray water is used water from the shower, sink, and washing machine. This water can be reused for watering your garden or simply flushing your toilet. Check out the systems available.

In your yard

13. Use a reel push mower. No gas means more savings and less pollution. It only takes slightly more effort to use a reel mower but your eardrums won’t be bleeding after your finished. The only sound will be the chopping of your grass. If you have a large lawn, check out the growing number of electric mowers sweeping the nation. And yes, there are even riding electric mowers.
14. Use a rainwater barrel. Buy a rainwater barrel and set it under your gutters. No, you don’t have to drink it, but you can use it on your garden, lawn, or other outside water needs.
15. Use native plants and grass. Plants which are native to the area require less management and less watering. Actually, they require almost no management after planting.
16. Have a garden. You’ll have vegetables just outside your door. It’s cheaper and more environmentally friendly than going to the store.
17. Create a compost. A compost can lower your garbage output by as much as 25%. Stick your vegetable and fruit skins and stems along with freshly mowed grass, leaves, and dead plants (but not diseased!) in a pile near your garden-even lint from your drier can go in there. Once it has composted, stick some with soil, it is a natural fertilizer.

On the road

18. Inflate your tires. You’ll use up to 20% less gas if your tires are properly inflated.
19. Change your air filter in your car and in your home. Changing the filter regularly will save both protect your engine and save you money on gasoline. Dirty air filters can cause your vehicle to use up to 10% more fuel.
20. Car pool to work. The less amount of cars on the road means cleaner air and less sound pollution. If your city has car pool lanes, you might just get there quicker too.
21. Drive the speed limit, at least on highways. 55mph is often seen as the magic number when it comes to fuel economy. Anything higher and the engine works twice as hard. The difference between 55mph and 75mph is 20% more fuel.

While shopping

22. If you can’t find what you want locally, buy organic. Organic foods have less harmful chemicals to both you and the environment.
23. Buy locally. You’ll be supporting your local economy and gas won’t be wasted shipping the food across state lines.
24. Try to eat less meat. Meat production uses a ton of resources to produce and cause an extraordinary amount of methane. Yes, there are many ways scientists are looking to lower the harm meat production and methane causes but many are untested and unreliable in their current state. Try eating just one less meat meal a week.
25. If you must eat beef, eat buffalo instead. Since buffalo are native to the land, they are better at using it compared to cattle. The meat is healthier for you too.
26. Use cloth bags instead of plastic or paper bags when shopping. Today, you can get cloth bags for around $0.50 to $1 just about anywhere. Just by buying two or three you will help save on plastic. If everyone did their part, shops could save money on bags and your goods will be cheaper and the environment healthier.
27. The next time you need a new appliance, buy EnergyStar or better. You don’t need all your appliances to be EnergyStar, but the next time you need a new appliance check out what they have to offer. Who knows, maybe you’ll love it.
28. Buy sustainable or recycled wood for flooring and furniture. By doing this, you’ll help save from deforestation and cause less damage to the environment.

Even with these tips, the single most important green thing to remember is reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Written: Apr 22, 2009

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