Simple Ways in your home to conserve resources and protect environmentby Arushi Madan | 07-06-2013 23:20 |
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![]() Recycle everything you can newspaper, cans, glass, aluminum foil and pans, motor oil, crap metal, etc. Investigate local recycling centers that take items your garbage hauler doesn't (scrap paper, plastics, appliances). Save your kitchen scraps for the compost pile. Avoid the use of household pesticides. Fly swatters work very well. Clean your windows with vinegar and water instead of chemical products. Use cold water in the washer unless it's necessary to use warm or hot. Use washable rags, not paper towels, for cleaning spills and other household chores. Crumpled newspaper are great for washing windows. Use cloth diapers. The plastic in disposable diapers doesn't break down in landfills. Use cloth, not paper napkins. Don't put hazardous substances down your drain or in your trash (paint thinner furniture polish, etc). Dispose of them on designated hazardous-waste collection days. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand. Reuse brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic liners. Reuse bread bags, butter tubs, etc. Use reusable containers to store foods - not plastic wraps and foil. Write to companies that send unwanted junk mail...ask them to take you off their list. Save your coat hangers and return them to the cleaners. Take unwanted, reusable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop. Don't leave water running needlessly. Install a water-saving shower head. Set your water heater at 130 degrees. Have your water heater insulated free of charge by your utility company. Turn the heat down and wear a sweater. Lower your house temperature by one degree per hour every hour you'll be away or asleep. Turn the lights off when you're out of the room. Ditto with the TV. Get a free energy audit from your utility company. |