A family of four can save $3,000 a year simply by buying products in the largest size they can use and by buying long lasting reusable items...
By Earth911
Save Money and the Enviorment
A family of four can save $3,000 a year simply by buying products in the largest size they can use and by buying long lasting reusable items. Think about the effect of your purchases on the environment when you shop. Items with excess packaging and products that need to be discarded after only a few uses cost more money, use up valuable resources and create more waste.
Buy Products in the Largest Size You Can Use; Avoid Excess Packaging
A family of four can save $2,000 a year in the supermarket by choosing large sizes instead of individual serving sizes. Remember, ten cents of every shopping dollar is used to pay for packaging. Small sizes use more packaging for each ounce of product than larger sizes. So, if you buy large sizes, you save money, reduce waste, and help the environment. That is a really good buy. Here are a few good examples, look for others the next time you shop.
Buy cereal in a large box instead of in individual serving sizes.
Buy juice in concentrates and use reuseable containers instead of single serving packages.
Save money by buying bottled water in a large plastic jug instead of six packs of 16 ounce bottles. Reuse plastic water bottles.
Buy large packages of sugar and flour.
Avoid the small boxes of raisins and buy the same amount in the 24 ounce box.
Buy Products in Containers That You Know You Will Be Able to Recycle
It is important to familiarize yourself with your what types of containers and items can be recycled in your local recycling program. Once you know what you can recycle, look for products that come in the containers that you know you will be able to recycle when the products are all used up. Examples are products in commonly recycled containers made from aluminum, steel, #1 and #2 plastic, and glass. Check the Earth 911 Reuse and Recycling Services listings to see what types of containers/packaging you should look for in your community.
Buy Reusable and Long Lasting Items
Products that can be reused are cheaper in the long run than those you throw away and buy over and over again. Goods that are designed to last a long time are also cheaper in the long run than those that wear out quickly. A family can save $1,000 each year buy buying reusable and long lasting products.
Use rechargeable batteries in toys, flashlights, radios. You can save $200 a year by using rechargeable batteries instead of disposables in one cd player used two hours a day.
Use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. You’ll save $600 per child by using a laundry diaper service instead of disposable diapers.
Use a real camera instead of disposable ones. If you take 24 pictures each month you will save $144 each year.
Many families spend over $260 each year on paper towels and napkins. Switch to cloth napkins, sponges, and cloth towels or wipes.
Use washable plates, cups, and silverware for parties and picnics instead of disposable products.
Use an electric razor or hand razor with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors.
Buy high quality/long life tires. They cost less per mile traveled and reduce the problem of disposing of used tires.
Use a washable commuter mug for your morning coffee and eliminate a Styrofoam or plastic cup every day.
Bring bags to the market, either cloth ones or your old paper and plastic ones. Many markets will credit your bill for using your own bags. When buying only a few items, don’t take a bag.
Clean and service your appliances, computers, tools, and cars so that they will enjoy even longer lives. And, before you replace them, check to see if they are repairable. Consider sharing equipment that is used infrequently such as hedge clippers, pruners, fruit pickers, or chain saws.
Find out which trees to plant and where to plant them for the best energy-bill reduction!
By Earth911
Trees that lose their leaves in the fall (i.e., deciduous) are the most effective at reducing heating and cooling energy costs. When selectively placed around a house, they provide excellent protection from the summer sun but permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your house. The height, growth rate, branch spread, and shape are all factors to consider in choosing a tree.
Vines provide shading and cooling. Grown on trellises, vines can shade windows or the whole side of a house.
Deflect winter winds by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west sides of your house; deflect summer winds by planting on the south and west sides of your house.
In United States, about half the air pollution comes from cars and trucks. Two important ways to reduce air pollution are...
By Earth911
In United States, about half the air pollution comes from cars and trucks. Two important ways to reduce air pollution are to drive less, even a little less, and to drive smart. Taking fewer trips in your car or truck helps cut air pollution. And adopting smart driving habits reduces your car’s emissions.
Driving less doesn’t mean you have to stay home. Try combining driving with alternative modes of transportation
Carpool.
Walk or ride a bicycle.
Shop by phone or mail.
Ride public transit.
Telecommute.
Driving smart keeps pollution at a minimum
Accelerate gradually.
Use cruise control on the highway.
Obey the speed limit.
Combine your errands into one trip.
Keep your car tuned and support the smog check program.
Look for the most efficient, lowest polluting model–or even use either a non-polluting car or zero emission vehicle. Check out these Web sites for information that will help you identify clean and fuel efficient vehicles in any part of the country:
Thing that you might never think about could be affecting your energy bill and your wallet!
By Earth911
Be sure to place the faucet lever on the kitchen sink in the cold position when using small amounts of water. Placing the lever in the hot position uses energy to heat the water even though it never reaches the faucet.
If you need to purchase a gas oven or range, look for one with an automatic, electric ignition system. An electric ignition saves gas because a pilot light is not burning continuously.
In gas appliances, look for blue flames. Yellow flames indicate the gas is burning inefficiently and an adjustment may be needed. Consult your manufacturer or your local utility.
Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean. They will reflect the heat better, and you will save energy.
Use a covered kettle or pan to boil water. It is faster and it uses less energy.
Match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element.
If you cook with electricity, turn the stovetop burners off several minutes before the allotted cooking time. The heating element will stay hot long enough to finish the cooking without using more electricity. The same principle applies to oven cooking.
Use small electric pans or toaster ovens for small meals rather than your large stove or oven. A toaster oven uses a third to half as much energy as a full-sized oven.
Use pressure cookers and microwave ovens whenever it is convenient to do so. They can save energy by significantly reducing cooking time.
Dishwasher Tips
Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer’s recommendations on water temperature; many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater to a lower temperature.
Scrape off, don’t rinse off, large food pieces and bones. Soaking or prewashing is generally only recommended in cases of burned-on or dried-on food.
Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded.
Don’t use the “rinse hold” function on your machine for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.
Let your dishes air dry. If you don’t have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster.
Refrigerator / Freezer Energy Tips
Look for a refrigerator with automatic moisture control. Models with this feature have been engineered to prevent moisture accumulation on the cabinet exterior without the addition of a heater. This is not the same thing as an “anti-sweat” heater. Models with an anti-sweat heater will consume 5% to 10% more energy than models without this feature.
Don’t keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37 to 40 degrees F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5 degrees F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0 degrees F.
To check the refrigerator temperature, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator. Read it after 24 hours. To check the freezer temperature, place a thermometer between frozen packages. Read it after 24 hours.
Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running. Don’t allow frost to build up more than one-quarter of an inch.
Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a piece of paper or a dollar bill so that the paper or bill is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need adjustment or the seal may need replacing.
Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
Move your refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum the condenser coils once a year unless you have a no-clean condenser model. Your refrigerator will run for shorter periods with clean coils.
How does cleaning the lint filter reduce energy?? Find out!
By Earth911
Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
Don’t over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.
Our growing dependence on electronics products both at home and in the workplace has given rise to a new environmental challenge: electronic waste. A recent study by the U.S. EPA shows...
By Earth911
Our growing dependence on electronics products both at home and in the workplace has given rise to a new environmental challenge: electronic waste. A recent study by the U.S. EPA shows that electronics already make up approximately 1 percent on the municipal solid waste stream. Research indicates that electronic waste is growing at three times the rate of other municipal waste.
According to the U.S. EPA, over 20 million personal computers became obsolete in 1998 and only 13% were reused or recycled.
Electronic circuit boards, batteries, and color cathode ray tubes (CRTs) can contain hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and hexavalent chromium. If improperly handled or disposed, these toxins can be released into the environment through landfill leachate or incinerator ash.
In just one year, over 112 million pounds of valuable materials were recovered from disposed electronics for recycling and reuse. Materials includes steel, glass, plastic and precious metals
If your hot water service is on its last legs and solar is out of your reach too; consider a tankless water heater.
Traditional tank systems have a couple of major drawbacks - firstly, they tend to wear out in under a decade; so millions of these things wind up in landfill annually. Another biggie environmentally speaking, not to mention ongoing costs - is energy consumption. Heating water accounts for over 20% of residential energy use in the USA and up to 40% of energy used in Australian homes.
All that energy has to come from somewhere and usually it's from fossil fuels (gas) or coal-fired electricity generation. For each kilowatt of electricity produced from coal, around 1.5 pounds of carbon emissions emissions are created. Then there's mercury, nitrous oxide and sulfur and all sorts of other toxic goodies thrown in as well.
The energy hog aspect of tank based hot water systems is due to the fact that much of the time they are cycling on and off to maintain water temperature. While you can reduce/retard the amount of heat escaping using a water heater blanket; you (and the environment) is basically paying for heating water that you aren't using at that moment - this is called standby heat loss.
Additionally, each time you use the hot water, cold water is flowing into the tank which lowers the temperature of water that had been heated; therefore even more energy is then required for reheating.
The tankless water heater
Tankless water systems work very differently by heating water on demand. A tankless hot water service applies heat directly to the pipe after being automatically activated when a hot water valve is opened. Once engaged, the heater delivers a constant supply of hot water. Tankless water heaters are continuing to gain popularity and now account for over 50% of all the new domestic systems installed in Britain.
Tankless hot water savings
While the initial outlay for a tankless water heater can be double the cost of a standard tank water heater - sometimes more; it should pay for itself in just a few years or less. The hardware should also last twice as long as a tank system. The average family can expect to save between 30 and 50% on water heating related energy bills each year. Both these points make it not only good for your wallet to switch to a tankless system, but good for the environment too.
© 2008