Save Money while Protecting Our Environment

Reduce Waste: Reuse and Recycle

Choose products made from recyclable material rather than disposables.  And whenever you can, recycle paper, newspapers, glass and plastic.  If you can recycle half your household waste a year, you can save the environment 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning

Make sure your home has proper insulation in the walls and weather stripping around doors and windows.  Turn down the heat a couple degrees in the winter and use your air conditioning at low volume in the summer, and you can save about 25% in your energy bills to heat and cool your home, while saving the environment 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Change a Lightbulb

Replace regular lightbulbs with compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFL) whenever possible.  Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.

If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

Walk More, Drive Less

For every mile you walk or bike instead of drive, you will save one pound of carbon dioxide plus get in some good exercise.  You can also look into public transportation or carpooling.

Buy Energy-Efficient Products

There are many energy-efficient appliances (ENERGY STAR) for your home that will save you money over the long run.

Use Less Hot Water

Set your water heater to 120 degrees and wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket if it is more than five years old.  Let your dishes in your dishwasher air-dry.

Turn off the Lights

The age-old mantra, “Turn off the lights when you’re not in the room,” will save on electricity and will help the environment.  Turn off the radio, television, computer, etc. when you leave the room.

Plant a Tree

Trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and release oxygen in the air.  They are integral to our atmospheric exchange cycle on Earth, but there are too few of them to counteract the increases from human activity such as automobile traffic and manufacturing.

Get a Free Energy Audit

Contact your local electric supplier for a free energy audit of your home.  Check if your utility company offers a rebate program for upgrades to energy-efficient upgrades.

Natural Products for Home Decor

There are many eco-friendly products out there, from kitchen cabinets, furniture, paint, wallpaper, flooring and more.