Here are some easy ways to make a difference…
When you get coffee to go, B.Y.O.M. (bring your own mug). If we all used one less paper cup a week, we could save thousands of trees per year and much less would be dumped into landfills.
Boil water with a lid on the pan. It will boil up to 75% faster and will save energy because the heat won’t escape.
Run a full dishwasher rather than washing dishes by hand. It saves energy because hand washing can use as much as 26 gallons of water for 12 place settings, while a good dishwasher will use 4 gallons of water.
Filling your freezer makes it more energy efficient. You can store water in jugs and containers instead of food items.
Store and label leftover items with today’s date. This reduces the chance of it being thrown in the trash.
Computers, TCs and DVD players use stand-by power even when you think they’re off. Unplug them and save up to 10% on your electric bill. You could also plug a lot of items into one power strip and shut the power strip down.
About 70% of municipal waste comes from homes and accounts for almost 4% of the Earth’s greenhouse gases. Sorting out recyclables in the kitchen makes it easy to recycle paper, aluminum, glass and plastics.
The curtains in your home make a difference. Switch them out durinf the summer and winter months. In the summer, white curtains reflect heat, while dark heave curtains in the winter help warm rooms and allow you to lower the thermostat. For every degree you adjust the thermostat, you can save 3-5% on your energy bill (and reduce carbon emissions).
