Tag: eco-friendly living

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Eco Tips Featured

6 Eco-Friendly Resolutions To Put Into Practice

As the current year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to assess how we have been running our lives and homes. Most of us can easily take a step back, learn to plan better, and put a few smart practices into place.

Reuse and recycle by donating your stuff. The New Year provides a good opportunity to clean out, simplify and start fresh. Have household items you no longer use? Give them away on Freecycle.org. Have clothes or shoes you don’t wear anymore? Donate the items to a local shelter, drop off at Goodwill or host a clothing swap.

Go dairy free and meat free once a week. Join “Meat Free Mondays” and make a green, animal-friendly, earth-friendly resolution for the coming year. By going meat free, you reduce your carbon footprint, limit cancer risk, reduce the risk of diabetes, help curb obesity and lessen the chances of heart disease.

Grow something. Start small with a pot of basil or thyme on your patio or kitchen windowsill. Plants give off additional oxygen, help clean the air, and bring living energy to a room. Having your own pesticide-free organic herbs to use when cooking isn’t a bad thing either.

Install and use smart power strips. Get in the habit of using smart power strips to turn off TV’s, computers, kitchen appliances, and other electronics completely. You just might notice your electric bill go down.

Replace the standard light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent ones. Energy-smart bulbs use 70-75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer.

Replace your air conditioner filter every 30 to 60 days. A dirty filter will block the airflow and cost you more to run since the unit has to work twice as hard. Have extra filters on hand at all times.

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Articles Eco Tips Featured

6 Ways to Green Your Bath & Body

Bathrooms tend to be one of most wasteful places in our homes. Water runs longer than necessary in the shower or in sinks, paper products are over-used, and many dollars are spent on high-end spa or beauty products that usually aren’t very healthy for our homes or bodies. Get greener in the bathroom and make a few of these easy modifications using eco-friendly products.

Create a Home Spa. Use natural ingredients you already have at home to create your own body scrubs such as sugar and sea salt. Blend with herbs and essential oils.

Watch the Water. Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth, shave, or lather up your hair.

Go Low Flow. Invest in a low flow shower head and toilet to conserve water.

Use Multi-Purpose Castile Soap. Organic castile soap has many uses. Use it to clean kids, adults, pets and even as a cleaner for the bathroom.

Buy Recycled Toilet Tissue. 100% post-consumer content tissue cuts back on over consumption of trees, water, and energy resources.

Recycle Empty Glass Jars. Reuse empty glass jars to store cotton swabs, toothbrushes or cotton balls instead of spending the money on special containers.

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By Topic Home Improvement

Green Materials to Use for Home Improvement

In need of a new look for the inside of your home? Widespread concern regarding pollution and the conservation of natural resources has prompted more homeowners to consider greener ideas and environmentally friendly materials.

Install Bamboo Floors. Most people think bamboo is wood, but bamboo is actually a grass … and one that grows quickly, within three to five years to be precise. This means bamboo is a good renewable resource. Most bamboo is grown and harvested in either Hawaii or China. Bamboo is resilient and comes in a variety of colors and shades.

Use Reclaimed Wood. Reclaimed or salvaged lumber can be used to build walls, as support beams or even in roof construction. Instead of dumping previously used lumber into a landfill, it can be put back into new construction projects.

Choose Low or Zero VOC Paint. A new coat of paint can transform the look of an old room into an exciting new space. However, most paints contain harmful volatile organic compounds that contribute to air pollution, smog and respiratory problems. By choosing low VOC paint, you can help reduce the volatile organic compounds in the air and still have a beautiful, freshly painted room.