18 Interesting “Going Green Tips”

Every once in a while I come across an interesting way to help save the environment or go green that I hadn’t even thought of.  I file it away until I have enough to pass on to you!

1. To conserve energy in your home, if you have central AC, don’t close vents in unused rooms. This may increase pressure and cause leaks in your ducts. 
2. Turn down or turn off your water heater when you are away for extended periods of time.
3. Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing yard equipment.
4. Both at home and in the office, copy and print on both sides of paper.
5. Encourage your school or company to print their documents with less toxic soy-based inks. See if you can do this at home too.
6. In your fireplace, always burn seasoned wood as it burns cleaner than greenwood.  And avoid slow-burning fires.  They produce the most pollution.
7. Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints in order to minimize emissions.
8. Re-vegetate or mulch any disturbed soil as soon as you can, as it will protect the water table..
9. Take your car to a car wash rather than washing it yourself in the driveway. The car wash will dispose of the soap properly.
10. Create less trash by purchasing items in bulk from loose bins.
11. Don’t buy products that use several layers of packaging.
12. Use livestock to mow your lawn.  If Google did it, you can too
13. Block unwanted catalogs and unwanted mail by going to www.cataloguechoice.org, and eliminate junk mail by sending a letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
14. Don’t preheat the oven…just put your food in.  Unless you are baking of course!  And don’t open the oven door to check on it – use the light instead.
15. Use your cruise control – you can get up to 15% better gas mileage.
16. Ask not to get the paper phone book delivered. Online works just as well and is often more up-to-date.
17. Don’t use a coffee stirrer.  If you put your milk and sugar in first, the coffee will mix itself.
18. Keep your eyes open for “greenwashing.”  That means that a company uses environmentalist language without updating their practices, according to NSF International. 

Do you have any unique tips for going green?  Share them here!