Going Green Tips

by Anton Right on February 13, 2013

“We must save the environment”, “we need to reduce CO2 emissions”, “we must recycle”. These are some of the “clichés” we all say when we talk about going green. However, most of us all we do is to recycle glass, plastics and paper. But is this enough? Is that all we need to do in order to go “green”? Below are a few simple going green tips to really help you start going green.

  1. Grow your own herbs in your garden. This is an excellent way to have fresh herbs at any time with little effort. Plant fresh herbs, like oregano, mint, basil, thyme, rosemary and I promise you they will taste and smell much better than commercial ones. Engage the kids in this process. They will love it and build a green mentality as early as possible. If you live in a flat you can still plant some herbs in pots.
  2. Compost at your backyard. Composting is the process of producing humus by recycling organic elements like leaves, fruit and vegetable leftovers and any other “green” food waste. The process may take weeks or months but eventually you will have your own compost which is rich in nutrients. Compost is a key element for growing organic vegetables in your garden. Composting is an excellent Reduce-Reuse-Recycle methodology because it also helps you to significantly reduce your household waste.
  3. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. It sounds so simple but it’s amazing how many people tend to keep the lights on when they leave a room or even the house. It is even better to avoid turning on the lights as long as there is natural light.
  4. Use reusable bugs. Buy some reusable bags in order to replace the disposable bags. They are very cheap and really can make a difference to the environment. Take them with you when you go to the supermarket and refuse to use any disposable bags.
  5. Reduce your mail. Most of the mail we get at our house is junk. We just throw it away without even reading it. Unsubscribe from all mailing lists you are not interested any more. For those that you are interested in, ask them to send you an electronic version.
  6. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. When doing your laundry avoid using hot water and prefer warm or even better cold water. This is more than enough for most clothes that need nothing else than refreshing. It also helps to maintain clothes for longer.
  7. Do not use the dryer. Instead line dry your clothes naturally particularly during summer.
  8. Unplug unused appliances. Studies have shown than a lot of the energy bill of a household is consumed by unused appliances working on standby mode.
  9. Replace all the light bulbs of your house with LEDs. LEDs cost more but they have much longer lifetime (approximately 10 years of continuous operation or 20 years of 50% operation) and are much more efficient than conventional lambs. Alternatively, if you find the cost of LEDs too high use economic Compact Fluorescent Lumps (CFL) instead.
  10. Reuse any empty glass jars. Reuse them as leftover containers and for storage purposes.
  11. Support your local second-hand shop. Any usable items you do not need you can sell them there instead of throwing them away. This way you reduce the household waste and make some extra cash.
  12. Stop buying plastic water bottle. Instead use a water filtration system in order to make the water of your house drinkable and use glass bottles to store it in the fridge.
  13. Fix any leaky faucets. This will save a lot of water and reduce your water utility bill.
  14. Make sure your home is well insulated. Properly insulate your house in order to maintain a proper temperature for longer periods of time at the lowest possible cost.

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