Go Green

30 Quick Tips for Going Green

1.   If life were but a dream, my love...
Dare to dream of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle and make it happen little by little. Start with three achievable goals like generating less trash, lowering your energy bill, and conserving water. Document and celebrate all your efforts and achievements. Once you catch the ''green'' bug you will not be able to shake it!

2.   If I could save time in a bottle...
It would not be a plastic one! While convenient, plastic containers are made from non-renewable products and most end up in the landfill. In addition, studies have shown that toxic chemicals can leach into foods heated in plastic containers. To be safe and eco-friendly, use glass or lead-free ceramic containers to heat food and make sure food is completely cooled before storing in plastic.

3.   Mulch Sustainably.
Using mulch in your garden and landscape is an excellent way to reduce runoff and retain moisture where your plants can utilize it. However, you should be choosey about the mulch you buy. The best choice is to buy 'recycled' mulch or mulch that is created as a byproduct of milling. Avoid using cypress mulch completely unless you are sure it was sustainably grown and harvested. Cypress trees are an important part of Florida wetlands and can help attenuate hurricane force winds. At one time cypress mulch was created as a byproduct of fences, shingles and siding. But today, nearly half of the estimated 42 million cubic feet of cypress trees cut down every year in Florida is used solely to produce mulch.
 
4.   Join the Green Team in the Workplace.
Conserving energy and resources isn't just something you can do at home. These same goals and principles can be implemented in your place of business. Take the lead and start a green team in your workplace. Just like at home, change to energy-efficient light bulbs, start a recycling campaign, turn off the lights in rooms that aren't being used, and ask that non-toxic products be used for cleaning and renovating your office.
 
5.  Reduce Your Carbon Footprint!
Before you buy, know where the item was manufactured. If it was made on the other side of the planet, large amounts of carbon were emitted into the atmosphere on its way to you. Try to find a comparable product made in Florida or the United States. It will help our economy as well!
 
6.  Clearing the Air.
Be sure to fix any water leaks in your home immediately. Not only will you be conserving precious water resources, you will avoid humidity that can lead to mold and contaminate your indoor air.
 
7.  Simplify ... Less is More!
The expert green consumer realizes that the best way to ''buy green'' is to buy less.  Living with less is a relatively easy way to simplify your life. 

8. Breathe Easy Inside! 
Do you have that new paint or carpet smell that lingers for days or weeks? That's because traditional flooring, paints, and stains contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which may be linked to a variety of health problems. Keep your indoor air fresh by choosing low- or no-VOC paints and flooring products.

9. Give the Earth a Hand
If you prefer to hand wash dishes, be water conscious. Fill one side of the sink with warm water and soap and the other with clean water. Dunk your dishes to clean and rinse, rather than leaving the water running.

10. Sink the Bottled Water
Even though plastic water bottles can be recycled, many of them are not and end up in the landfill. Agree to go bottle free! Buy a filter for your sink and carry water in a reusable container. You will save money and reduce waste. 

11. Let it Rain...under your driveway
Choose porous materials like mulch and gravel for driveways, walkways, and porches instead of concrete. These materials allow rain to filter down through the soil, which reduces stormwater runoff and recharges our aquifer.

12. Recycle your Cell!
Studies show that there are over 500 million cell phones in our landfills or in storage facilities awaiting disposal. And the problem escalates by 2 million phones each week! Cell phones contain heavy metals like lead and should never be discarded with regular trash! Fortunately, many cell phones or phone parts can be recycled and put back into use. Used cell phones are accepted for FREE through the St. Lucie County's Household Hazardous Waste Program and may be recycled through other organizations as well.

13. Unplug It!
Some reports indicate that home electronics account for up to 25% of household energy usage, with 60-75% of the energy consumed by these electronics occurring while they are turned off or on stand-by mode. Consider unplugging electronics or turning off the switch to electronics that are powered by remote.

14. Tune Up!
Save money and the planet by keeping your vehicle tuned-up. A poorly maintained vehicle can increase fuel consumption by up to 50% and emissions by even more.

15. Give things a second life!
Donate your unwanted clothing, furniture and home renovation materials to thrift stores and the 'Re-store.' Many thrift stores are charitable organizations, so you'll be helping others while completing the 'cycle' in recycle.

16. Compost your yard clippings and kitchen scraps!
You can greatly reduce your curbside trash by composting your yard clippings and kitchen scraps. Whether you use a manufactured bin or just an informal pile in your backyard, a compost pile creates rich, organic fertilizer for your garden and potted plants.

17. Be Water Wise!
Water is a precious commodity in Florida! Challenge yourself to save water by fixing leaks, taking shorter showers, and irrigating your yard sparingly.

18. Use a Solar Clothes Dryer!
The average clothes dryer uses 4500-5000 watts of electricity to operate, making it one of the largest energy guzzlers in your home. Try air drying your sheets and towels outside. They'll never smell fresher!

19. Make It Last!
When your budget allows, buy products that are well built. These products will last longer, saving precious virgin resources and landfill space!

20. Drive Less!
Combine your weekly errands into one trip or make them part of your drive home from work.

21. Buy local!
Buying locally produced food and products reduces the environmental impact of long-distance shipping.

22. Change Your Air Filter Often!
Not only will this improve energy efficiency, you'll create healthier indoor air in your home. 50% of all illness is aggravated or caused by polluted indoor air.

23. Go Native!
Native plants are adapted for Florida and require less water, pesticides and fertilizer.

24. Avoid products with extra packaging!
Cast your green vote by avoiding over-packaged items that create extra waste.

25. Try to Catch the Rain!
Have a rain barrel or cistern to collect rain water for use in your landscaping. 

26. Flush less!
Low flow or dual flush toilets can save 800-2000 gallons of water per year.  A family of 4 will use 9,125 gallons of water per year just to flush toilets.

27. Take the Trash Challenge!
Challenge the family to see how few bags of trash you put curbside each week!  Challenge your neighbors, too!  The average household sends 40 pounds of garbage to the landfill every week.

28. Close the "Cycle"!
Buy products that are made from recycled materials.  You can buy papers products that are 100% recycled.

29. Give Wildlife a Home!
Replace unused areas of your lawn with native trees, shrubs and plants.  Lawns provide very little food or shelter for native animals.

30. Get out of the air freshener craze!
To really clean green, find the source of the odor and eliminate it. Open windows rather than use air fresheners that have been shown to aggravate asthma and allergies. A 2007 study by the Natural Resource Defense Council found that 12 of 14 of the most common household air fresheners include phthalates, which have been linked to health issues. For more information see http://www.nrdc.org/.