going green

[spalady]

Are there any disers out here that are "going green"? and if so, could you please share your ideas with us who are trying to do alittle bit at a time

 

[comicguy]

In order to go green and save some energy, I have been slowly replacing the windown in my house as well as replacing regular light bulbs with CFL's.

That's it so far maybe more in the future.

 

[KERdad06]

Our wash machine recently broke down for the third time, so we bought a new energy star front loader.

Also, just last week we traded in our Expedition for a mini-van. It's not a hybrid vehicle, but it will use a lot less gas.

 

[princesspwrhr]

• Don't use paper towels - use towels/rags and toss them in w/ laundry you're already doing - in my house at least it seemed paper towels were mainly being used to wipe clean hands - what a waste.
• Bring your own canvas bags to the grocery store - try to ignore the incredulus looks and get used to bagging your own groceries, *most* clerks get confused when it's not plastic
• if you only have 1 or 2 items - skip the bag and carry your item out
• if you end up with plastic bags find ways to use them again - small trash can liners, dirty diaper bags, kitty litter liners, pet clean up, wet gym clothes, save them for garage sales if you have them so patrons can take their goodies away easily, drop them in the recycle at your grocery store
• turn off your water when brushing your teeth/shaving
• if you switch to CFL bulbs put them in rooms where the light stays ON for a while, not in on/off places like closets
• get a programable thermostat and set it to cooler at night and when you're not home
• walk or ride a bike to places that are close enough
• if you're going to 2 or more stores in the same strip mall, park in the middle and walk to each one coming back to the car to deposit purchases instead of driving to the other side of the parking lot
• pack/take lunches in reusable containers, not plastic baggies
• try composting
• carpool either for yourself or your kids or both
• if you live in a city/area with great public transportation use it
• make sure your house is sealed properly
• regular maintance/check ups on your appliances & vehicles to ensure they're running properly
• buy used when you can
• use the library
• turn off lights when you're not in a room
• use natural alternatives to harsh chemicals for cleaning and pest control/yard maintance
• reduce
• reuse
• recycle

 

[Aristomommy]

I use less water when brushing teeth (turn on only when needed), we have replaced light bulbs one by one as they burn out. I also use our school paper recycling program which earns the school money. I wish our garbage pick up would have a free recycling, I refuse to pay $18 extra and take our things to a local place for free. We are planning on buying a hybrid for our next vehicle. We also left most of the trees in our back yard to provide a habitat for animals. Part of our back yard backs in to a nature preserve park and instead of cutting all the trees down, we've left them alone.

I also have thought about this topic and feel that I want to leave the earth in better condition to our children. While I'm not a tree hugger, I do what I can. My next order of business is using canvas bags at grocery store and buy more local produce.

 

[Goofyzgurl]

I've replaced my bulbs, started using shaklee for my cleaning products, use water sparingly, recycle..those are a few things that I've started doing regularly.

 

[grlpwrd]

princesspwrhr has a great list.

I use natural cleansers about 95% of the time. I also tend to consciously choose less packaging as much as I can. I have a friend who is a dept manager at WalMart and they are heading in that direction.

I also personally try to buy local, too, and I frequent the boards at mothering.com . I always say don't let the extremists there scare you away (lol). They have more great ideas, too.

I think any effort even if small is good overall. GL!

 

[starwood]

Extra wire hangers go back to the dry cleaners, If you are replacing your carpeting - take the old carpet to the local animal shelter (they use it in the cages).

 

[spalady]

great ideas please keep them coming~I see I am headed in the right direction

 

[ceecee]

Reuse those plastic water bottles instead of throwing them away. Refill from a filter at your sink.
Baggies also take 100s of year in the landfills
This is a throw away society..reuse if possible.
Cloth diapers

 

[Muushka]

I have been "going green" for a very long time. They used to call it "frugal" ! I do the whole light bulb thing, water conservation, recycle.......

But just recently I did some more. I replaced my not-yet-broken dishwasher and washing machines for great water saving and less electricity. I donated the old washing machine (which worked fine) to an organization that I volunteer for. We are about to replace the refrigerator also (and donate that too). I made lined drapes for the living room which close tightly for loss through the windows. And I bought a French press coffeemaker. I had a drip variety but I thought of how much electricity is wasted making it and then keeping it warm. I just microwave the water and don't waste the paper on a coffee filter. When I rinse out the pot, I save the water and grounds for the plants. I also catch the water that I waste in the kitchen waiting for hot water. It is a gallon! I usually use cold for everything but washing dishes (I prime the water before turning on the dishwasher).

And as always, I walk around the house shutting off ceiling fans and lights in rooms where there is nobody

 

[rflorek]

Reuse those plastic water bottles instead of throwing them away. Refill from a filter at your sink.

I thought that this increased bacteria growth in the bottle? I recycle the few I have anyway - I usually just drink tap water.

I've always changed all my bulbs to CFLs, we have bi-weekly free recycling in my town for newspaper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum, and junk mail. I re-use all plastic bags from stores - I even bring my own Target bags back to Target! Since we rent, we can't replace the windows, but we seal them with plastic for the winter. We try not to use baggies - we've replaced them with reuseable plastic containers. I also try to run all my errands in as few trips as possible to save gas.

 

[kfeuer]

I rarely buy bottled water unless there's a compelling convenience reason to do so. DS takes a reusable water bottle to school (although I'm looking for something better then he has without spending a fortune--no luck yet).

I bought reusable shopping bags from Trader Joe's. They're cheap and hold alot.

I'm slowly replacing all the light bulbs in our house with CF bulbs.

We're going to be replacing our washer and dryer next year. If we can afford it, I want to get front loaders. We're in a severe drought and they're saying our water supply could be gone by the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if water is in short supply for some time to come, so using less water is a very real concern.

When we replace our minivan it will be with something more fuel efficient.

I want to start using more eco-friendly cleaners, that's on my to-do list.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Here is our list:

1. We replaced all of our lightbulbs but need to do more research due to the mercury content of these bulbs.(CFS) We are not sure which is worse for the environment.
2. I do all of my errands once a week and bring my shopping bags with me.
3. We replaced all of our blinds with solar blinds to block out the heat in the summer and open them up in the winter to help heat the house.
4. Only wash full loads and only use hot water for whites. (sheets and doodles).
5. When I use the oven I make three entrees at a time and freeze two.
6. We donate all of our newspapers to the Humane Society and recycle all of our books, clothing..etc... to their thrift store.


One thing we will do is replace our SUV and buy a hybrid as soon our vehicle needs to be replaced.

When the price comes down we will replace our roof with solar panels but right now it would cost way too much, especially since the roof does not need to be replaced as of yet.

 

[4Seasons]

We are already doing much of what's already been mentioned. I bought 6 packs of the CFL bulbs at Walmart this past weekend for $12.xx and replaced all the incandesents. We have the front load washer (which I LOVE by the way!) and I always wait until I have a full load before washing.
We also just bought electric blankets so that we can turn the thermostat down at night and still be comfortable.
The one thing that really has had me concerned this year is the drought we've been under. We have a well, but we've been extremely careful with our water usage. It was so sad to see the wild animals around here looking for water. I made sure the bird bath was kept full over the summer, and I put a shallow pan out in the yard for the many box turtles and lizards we have that live around us (after I found 2 lizards that had fallen into my fish pond and died, I guess from trying to just get a drink because there was no water to be found elsewhere. The turtle on the other hand was more fortunate, I found him swimming and was able to get him out before he drowned too!).
I'm such a sucker for animals

 

[BibidiWannabe]

Nice list princesspwrhr!

I have a good one:

Rent my son!

He keeps following us around the house and turning off all the lights!

I think that movie An Inconvenient Truth made quite an impression on him.

 

[Alice's Mom]

Last night I responded with a list of things, but then my internet turned itself off before I could hit post so I went to bed.

Most things have been listed now, but I wanted to add...

Unplug appliances that you don't use regularly, I keep my toaster, mixer, juicer, blender and cell phone charger unplugged as they do use power even when not in use.

Recently I cancelled the barrage of catalogs I get. I didn't request most of what I receive and I can visit the website of retailers I am interested in. I also will let the subscription run out on the two magazines I get. Tennis was a gift and most of Budget Travel's info is on their website as well (plus I never go anywhere ).

I bring my own grocery bags to the grocery store, a popular trend around here, plus the grocer will deduct 5 cents per bag used off your bill. I bring a bag when I go shopping too, I just don't need store bags.

I don't purchase things with a lot of packaging, I buy the 2.5 gallon containers of water, because even when recycled, the manufacturing of the bottles are very harmful.

If you are a regular at Starbucks bring in your own travel mug. They will discount your drink 10 cents.

When your dishwasher hits the drying cycle open the door and pull out the racks, they will air dry nicely.

I eliminated plastic sandwich bags and paper towels. What a waste. This summer at the Disney store they had sandwich containers and square tupperware containers. I picked up a few and they work great, plus no more smashed items.

I love where I live, I live outside Los Angeles in a beautiful city. I hike in the hills, birdwatch, enjoy the beach and great weather. I would like to leave my future generations with same.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

 

[Ishy]

Be green when cleaning.
Baking soda and vinegar clean alot -but avoiding caustic chemicals is important --- dont use draino - instead put half a cup of baking soda, followed by half a cup of vinegar, followed by a cup of boiling water down the drain - best to do monthly to keep drains clog free. (learning this)

Buy LOCAL! Pay attention to how far your food travels. Grow your own if you can, frequent local stands and farm markets. Buy in season. (started doing this more and more)

 

[kfeuer]

Buy LOCAL! Pay attention to how far your food travels. Grow your own if you can, frequent local stands and farm markets. Buy in season. (started doing this more and more)

The last time I was at the farmer's market they had oranges from New Zealand. I stood there thinking about how much energy it took to get those oranges around the world and just shook my head. I'd much rather just see produce that's in-season and will taste good. As consumers we need to stop expecting to buy every kind of fruit/veggie year-round.

 

[ekball]

I'm sorry to repeat, but here's what we have done -
1. CFL's
2. Cloth napkins
3. No paper towels
4. We use our woodstove a lot in the winter - DH has found an eco-friendly compressed block that he buys at Home Depot, instead of wood.
5. We mostly line dry, we do sheets & towels in the dryer.
6. When we do use the dryer, make sure the lint catcher is clean & throw in a dry dish towel.
7. I clean with a lot of vinegar/water (works great on my floors!)
8. Turn off lights - if we aren't in the room, the light goes off
9. Cloth bags for groceries - our stores sell them for $1 each.
10. Turn down the hot water heater thermostat.
11. Turn off the clock on appliances (microwave, oven)
12. Unplug small appliances when not in use.
13. Short showers (I'm better at this one than DH, believe it or not)
14. Handwash dishes - but turn off water as you wash.
15. Veggie garden in the summer.

Sometimes we slip, but we try our best. And BTW - aside from helping the environment, we've really seen major savings with implementing some of these changes!