Go Green-er tips

luke · #1 03-04-2009, 06:42 AM

Hi im new here and starting to see some great tips!
i recently purchased a programme on the net the other month which helps cut down energy in the household which was really great, cut my energy bill in half!(see sig)

But hat else could i do ? i want to do more i mean i recycle basically everything, i currently have a petrol car (i know , im sorry) but i cant yet afford a hybrid , so im hoping the very cheap energy bills are helping towards a new car but, what can i do for now with like driving , and even saving energy in work becuase im a kitchen fiter and use alot of power tools any help would be great and thanks for reading!

clayward · #2 03-04-2009, 09:24 AM

Hey, consider hanging up your clothes to dry instead of using a drier. A drier uses up an incredible amount of electricity. Big savings there. And all that lint the drier makes? That's your clothes being slowly destroyed! So hanging up is better for your fashionableness too.

-clay

luke · #3 03-05-2009, 06:34 AM

great tip i never knew what all that stuff was thanks, weather wet atm so i could hang in garage or somthing maybe!

ECOture · #4 03-08-2009, 12:40 PM

Hey,

I have set up my own small home-based business selling ECO-friendly products including; homeware, giftware, bags and fairtrade handmade jewellery.

ECO - IS THE FUTURE

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Kind regards,
Metala

GreenvsGreedy · #5 03-10-2009, 06:27 AM

Hey Luke,

Just joined this site today. Recently, I helped my son pick a green article for current events project in his 3rd grade class.

During this process, I started thinking about my own lifestyle, choices and what steps I could take to live a more eco-friendly existence.

This new sense of awareness led me to start a blog a couple of weeks ago. The goal is to share some simple tips to help busy people live greener.

I am learning a lot and trying to make some changes.

http://greenvsgreedy.blogspot.com/

FruGalGreen · #6 06-19-2009, 06:29 AM

Hi Luke,
I'm new to Greener People as well, but not new to the idea of reducing my impact. ' -) I teach environmental science online, so we cover many ways to reduce our impact over a 9-week course. I recommend you take the footprint quiz, as that will help identify your personal contributors (everyone is a bit different). There are many versions of the footprint quiz online, but for starters you can try: Ecological Footprint Quiz by Redefining Progress

You say you already recycle, which is great! Do you freecycle, too? Or, find ways to recycle those hard-to-recycle products? See earth911.org.

Also, take a look at your individual usage of:
1. Water - do you have high efficiency appliances (clothes washer, dish washer, low-flow showerhead, low-flow toilets). Change your habits here, too. Do you need to shower more than once/day? Limit your shower time to 5 minutes or less (set a timer initially to get used to the "change").
2. Fuel usage in your home - programmable thermostat is a must. Set to 78F in summer time (if you have A/C) and 65F in winter. If you're no where near these setpoints, make a 1 degree change every couple days. It will allow your body the time to grow accustomed to the different temp. Properly and adequately insulate your home.
3. Fuel usage in your vehicle - Carpool. Combine trips - never go out for that one thing. Plan your grocery and supply needs so you can pick things up on the way home from work, instead of making a trip on the weekend. Start to use mass transit (or ride a bicycle or walk) one or more days a month. May not seem like much, but every day you can leave the car at home is a savings.
4. Food. What do you eat, where is it produced? Buying local helps. Reducing your consumption of animal products also helps.
5. Disposable items (napkins, paper towel, paper plates, etc.): minimize use of these items as much as possible....convert to the cloth rags and napkins; wash your plates instead of throwing the paper plates away, etc.

Hope this was helpful to you!
Cheers,

TheGreenestDollar · #7 06-19-2009, 12:24 PM

One green tip that I really think makes a big difference is BUY USED.

Books, clothing, furniture...all these things take resources to make. Buying used items (versus brand new) not only saves those resources, but it also saves you money.

I buy all my clothes at Salvation Army and consignment shops, purchase e-books for my Kindle (or buy them used from my local library) and get any furniture I need off of Craigslist or garage sales. It's amazing, but I can always find modern, very stylish stuff if I look patiently!

midori · #8 06-24-2009, 12:21 AM

you guys could share your eco-friendly tips on Borneo Motors - The PRIUS Tr3e Project

cos we need your help!! where i come from, we're a tiny island but our carbon footprint's 3x above the average.

u can help by posting a green note with ur tips.

for every 100th green note, a tree will be planted to neutralise our carbon footprint. at the same time, ur tips could make us even more eco-friendly!

you could help us with just a few words. it's really easy.

FruGalGreen · #9 06-25-2009, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by midori

you guys could share your eco-friendly tips on Borneo Motors - The PRIUS Tr3e Project

cos we need your help!! where i come from, we're a tiny island but our carbon footprint's 3x above the average.

u can help by posting a green note with ur tips.

for every 100th green note, a tree will be planted to neutralise our carbon footprint. at the same time, ur tips could make us even more eco-friendly!

you could help us with just a few words. it's really easy.

I'll check into it....which island is home for you? Knowing that may help direct the tips a bit better!

Thanks!

FruGalGreen · #10 06-25-2009, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGreenestDollar

One green tip that I really think makes a big difference is BUY USED.

Books, clothing, furniture...all these things take resources to make. Buying used items (versus brand new) not only saves those resources, but it also saves you money.

I buy all my clothes at Salvation Army and consignment shops, purchase e-books for my Kindle (or buy them used from my local library) and get any furniture I need off of Craigslist or garage sales. It's amazing, but I can always find modern, very stylish stuff if I look patiently!

I buy a lot of our household goods through resale shops as well. Hand-me-downs between the kids goes a long way to reducing footprint, too...and helps the household budget as well.

How about other disposable items like razor blades and such? The Preserve by Recycline has a nice feature of a handle made by recycled plastics (and it is also recyclable), but the razor blades are still a consumable item....