Energy-Saving Tips
There are many things, besides recycling, that you can do at home, at the office and in your community to help protect our environment. Please continue to visit this page, as we will update it periodically with new and innovative ideas!
This month’s tips:
At home
- Wash your clothing in cold water rather than hot water. This reduces your energy use by 90%!
- Purchase non-toxic cleaning products. Use natural fiber sponges and cleaning agents that are biodegradable, phosphate-free, chlorine-free, and unscented.
- Reduce paper use. Use rags instead of paper towels; cloth napkins instead of paper ones. Buy post-consumer recycled paper and recycle it when you’ve used it.
- Refurbish responsibly. Use water-based or vegetable-based paints, stains, and varnishes. Don’t wash paint thinners, household cleaners, oil, or pesticides down the drain or pour them on the ground; use them up, give leftovers to friends or a charity, or dispose at your local toxic waste disposal center.
- Replace disposable goods with renewable ones. Buy rechargeable batteries. Use dishes instead of paper plates.
- Plant for the planet. Strengthen your garden’s resistance to pests by planting resilient plants, by rotating the fruits and vegetables you plant, and by attracting friendly bugs to prey on the pesky ones.
At the office
- Start a recycling program if one isn’t already in place. Lead by example!
- Copy on both sides of the paper. This is especially efficient for internal documents and drafts.
- Reduce documents to fit two pages onto one. Use for circulating rough drafts or file copies of documents.
- Use lighter-weight paper. Lighter paper requires less energy and fewer raw materials when it’s manufactured.
- Use your e-mail and other tech-savvy alternatives whenever possible. Instead of printing out e-mails, organize the folders in your inbox for good record keeping and easy access.
In your community
- Use your bike for shopping, visiting and errands. Add a carrier rack or baskets to your bike to make it easier to transport your briefcase or groceries.
- If you must drive, don’t speed. Speeding uses extra gas. Rapid acceleration and hard braking are also inefficient and lower your gas mileage.
- Turn your car off. If you are thinking of hitting the drive-through, consider parking and picking up food inside. For short waits, put your car in neutral to avoid burning gas.
- Inflate your tires properly. Car tires that are under-inflated will lead to poor gas mileage. You can often find the correct pressure for your car printed on the edge of the driver’s side door.
- Take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints.