Everything But The Weed

Approved by:
Linda Maze, a Wedding photography Gainesville FL in Gainesville Florida

Simple and economical , these LITTLE MEASURES offer ways that allow you to have a real impact on reducing your ecological footprint.  In addition, you’ll also help your neighborhood and beyond…

• Close the recycling sphere – Buy “post consumer waste” products, produces produced from actual customer use versus post production waste.
• Reduce – turn off the lights when leaving a room; walk or bike when you can; take short showers; stop junk mail; use both sides of blank paper; replace the filter on your HVAC system; install programmable thermostats.
• Install ENERGY STAR label products or other efficient light bulbs or other energy efficient bulbs– on top of the energy savings, there are rebates and tax credits available for certain ENERGY STAR products.
• Power down and unplug home electronics – or unite them to power strips so everything can be powered down for the night or a getaway .

On average, 25% of the electricity used to power home electronics  is consumed while the products are turned off.

• Wash clothes less – the average US household would reduce its carbon dioxide output by 1,281 pounds of a year.
• Update your wardrobe for less – exchange and donating clothes lowers the amount of harmful emissions from manufacturing new clothing. 
• Exchange CDs, DVDs and books – protect hard earned entertainment cash by buying or swapping used products – online or in town.
• Driving slower not only saves lives but it can increase fuel efficiency by up to 23%.
• Eat in the neighborhood and organically – fruits and vegetables pass thru 1,200 miles or more to you .  Support your local farmer while saving gas.
• Eliminate landscaping waste – during the hot days of summer, lawns and landscaping suck up 40% of your homes water usage.  Put in native grass; invest in a push mower; pull weeds after a rain.
• Change to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs – they use up to 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
• Fix Drips – A leaky toilet can squander up to 200 gallons of water daily.  Install faucet aerators.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save more than 200 gallons of water per month.

More easy green tips to benefit the local landfill:

• Holiday gift wrap and greeting cards – Try old maps, packing paper or reusable gift bags and recycled paper.  Re-fashion and resend favorite cards.

Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 full-grown trees, 7,000 gallons of water, three cubic yards of landfill space , two barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity – enough energy to power the average US home for five months.

• Rebuilt electronics can be smart in that it saves you money and it’s better for the landfill. 
• Tap water wins!  Fill a reusable BPA-free bottle with filtered tap water –literally billions of plastic bottles won’t eat up landfill space.  
• Reuse as many items from the kitchen as possible.  Items like: plastic silverware, plastic and glass bottles, and even yogurt containers.

Reusing glass translates into the fact that new glass isn’t produced thereby saving 30% of the energy it takes to produce the item in the first place.

• Dispose hazardous waste properly – many cities and companies offer free collection programs.  They may even pay you to recycle.

The web is an amazing resource for easy green living tips and ways to reduce ecological footprint – National Geographic explains why green is great in a EXCITING way.

How to be green at home strengthens community – when you think of community, think www.hometrax.com!