Keep organic matter out of landfills by composting food
Composting is a great way to take food scraps and yard waste and transform them into beneficial mulch for your garden. It’s also an environmentally friendly way to keep organic matter from going into landfills. To achieve a successful compost, experts agree that there are two musts: Keep it big, and shred everything. A large compost pile will create enough surface area for the material to heat up and break down. When the matter is broken down into smaller pieces from the start, it’ll break down more quickly, too.
TIME-SAVING CARS
We all know fuelefficient cars are better for the environment and your wallet, but did you know they also can save you time? A recent study by the Ford Motor Co. showed that investing in a fuel-efficient hybrid significantly reduces the number of trips you need to make to the gas station to refuel. Over the course of just one year, the average hybrid owner saved about 10 hours of time in refueling.
TRY TERRACYCLE
Did you know some of the hardest items to recycle — including plastic straws, single-use coffee creamer plastic cups, K-Cup coffee pods, Styrofoam cups, potato chip bags and candy wrappers — can be recycled for free at participating Subaru dealerships? It’s part of a program called “Subaru Loves the Earth,” in partnership with TerraCycle. More than 600 dealerships are participating, and Subaru transforms the hard-to-recycle waste into new products like park benches and items for local playgrounds.
AVOID COAL TAR
Resealing a macadam driveway is a smart way to protect a pricey investment. But be sure to ask your resealer to use only coal tarfree sealants when working on your driveway. Coal tar is a common ingredient found in many asphalt seal coating products; it’s also a suspected carcinogen linked to cancer. Do-it-yourselfers will be glad to know that stores such as The Home Depot and Lowe’s have banned coal tar completely from all of their asphalt sealing products. And when resealing your driveway, do two things: Keep your windows closed during the application, and for at least one week after, and keep shoes off inside your house.
GREEN TRASH BAGS
What’s the greenest trash bag? One made from biodegradable materials like potato or corn starch, or one made from recycled plastic, which does not biodegrade? Go for the recycled one. While biodegradable trash bags may sound like the greenest choice, the reality is, they don’t degrade in landfills. Modern landfills are designed to be airtight, so nothing inside will ever degrade, including biodegradable products. Recycled plastic at least diverts plastic trash to be made into new bags, and they are generally more durable than biodegradable bags, which prevents trash ripping through the bag and ending up strewn all over the street.
BAMBOO COFFEE FILTERS
If you use disposable coffee filters to make your morning cup of Joe, two things in the supermarket aisle can help you make the greenest choice. First, choose undyed brown filters over white ones, which are bleached using chlorine or other chemical methods. Second, look for filters made with bamboo fiber. They have the feel and function of paper filters, but they come from a fast-growing, renewable resource with no ties to deforestation. The greenest choice is a reusable filter. Consider investing in one to save money and time and to reduce waste.
SHOPPING BAGS
Reusable shopping bags are better for the environment, but how many times do you need to use them before there are any environmental benefits from not using single-use plastic bags? According to the United Nations Environmental Programme 2020 study, bags must be used at least five to 20 times before there are eco savings. It all depends on the type of reusable bag, but err on the “more is better” side. And if you have a glut of reusable totes, give them to your local food bank.