Consider commute when buying a home
If you’re in the market to buy a new home and want an eco-friendly abode, be sure to look beyond the obvious, like the efficiency of the windows and the type of heating/cooling system. Think about the places you’ll go on a regular basis, like your place of work, the supermarket, the gym or school for your kids. The length of your commute to those places from your home adds up to considerable time, fuel and energy expenditure over the years and should be considered in home purchasing decision.
FARMERS MARKETS
When shopping at the farmers market for organic fruits and vegetables, ask the vendors if they can give you a discount if you buy a larger quantity or are willing to purchase the less pristine-looking pieces. If there are organic tomatoes that have a slight blemish on them and you’re planning to cook with them anyway, you are more likely to get a better price than if you bought the picturesque bushel. Also, shopping at the end of the market hours can help you score deals on perishables.
CRAFT SUPPLIES
Many of us love to do DIY projects at home, which means creating kits for crafting or entire rooms full of supplies to create new things. But when you’re stocking up on DIY tools, avoid the temptation to buy cheap and cheaply made versions of necessities such as scissors, cutting boards and glue guns. If you think about it, supplies that don’t hold up and need to be replaced not only create waste, but they also cost more money in the long run. A surprising place to find well-made supplies is the hardware store, where you can find crafting essentials made with professionals in mind.
ECO-FRIENDLY TOILETS
The old green tip to place a brick in the tank of your toilet to help displace water and cut back on water usage each time you flush should be retracted. Over time, the brick can break down and clog up parts of the toilet, making it inefficient at least, and at worst unusable. If you have an antiquated toilet, consider investing in a new low-flow or dual-flush toilet. Those more eco-friendly models are not expensive and can be easily installed yourself or by a licensed plumber.
PROLIFIC PLASTICS
Who knew? The plastic bag recycling program at your local supermarket can take more than just plastic grocery store bags for recycling; you can also deposit clean sandwich bags (like Ziploc), newspaper bags, dry-cleaning bags, bread and produce bags, plastic wrappers that cover toilet paper and paper towels, and even plastic shipping envelopes. All of those plastics get collected and made into new products like recycled plastic lumber.
PLASTIC VS. FOIL
When you have a choice between a plastic tub or a foil-wrapped option at the supermarket, always go with the foil first. Grocery staples like butter and cream cheese often come in two options: a plastic tub (which is recyclable but costs more to do so) or one minimally wrapped in foil with a recyclable outer paper layer. Aluminum is one of the most valuable recyclable materials, and recycling it saves 90% of the cost of producing virgin aluminum. Just be sure the foil is clean before you deposit it into your recycling bin.
LEFTOVER COFFEE
Leftover coffee doesn’t have to go down the drain. Soak an old cotton T-shirt in the cold coffee and wring out the excess; wipe down a scratched-up table with the shirt and watch light-colored scratches and scuff marks almost disappear. Repeat several times and allow to air-dry for the natural coffee stain to work its java magic. You can also feed your acid-loving plants. Dogwood trees, hemlocks, violets, blueberry bushes, hydrangeas, oak trees and rhododendron are just a few of the hundreds of common plants that will get a healthy jolt from your leftover coffee. You also can sprinkle used grounds around the base of the plants to keep pests away from them.