Since I was away in sunny California (yes, I am gloating!), I have fallen down on my 'green tip of the day' posts. So, once again, here is a catch-up post.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. They last 10 times longer and save up to $30 per year in electricity.
- Don't litter! The reasons are numerous... Besides the obvious environmental reasons, litter also costs a lot of money to clean up. Alabama spends $5.3 million dollars a year on the effort!!
- Install a programmable thermostat. Warm your house to 68 degrees on winter days and 55 degrees at night or when you will be out. For every degree you lower the heat, you can save 3 percent in energy costs.
- Set up a program at the office to reuse perfectly good office supplies that are routinely tossed. An internal employee exchange at Eastern Illinois University reclaimed more than 9000 pounds of computer equipment and 25 000 pounds of coated paper office supplies, saving the university about $7000.
- Lose less energy through your stove top (gas or electric) by applying the simplest of expedients - a lid over a saucepan to contain heat and warm food faster.
- Your furnace will work most efficiently if you keep it clean. Change disposable filters monthly, and wash reusable filters with the same frequency. Also, vacuum the vents and registers to promote good airflow.
- Use the back of blank cash register receipts for note paper.
- Before replacing the toner in the office printer, remove and gently rock the toner cartridge when it runs low - you may get several more prints from it. Also, select 'draft' printouts under your computer's 'print' command when possible. These prints use less toner and extend cartridge life. Millions of cartridges are thrown away needlessly each year, so buy from a supplier who reuses and recycles them when their useful life is ended.
Feel free to share any 'green' tips that you use in your households too. I would love to hear them!
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