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Sustainability -- Information for Homeowners
We all care about our environment and want to do what we can
to take care of it, but with the busy lives we lead, that isn't always as
easy as we might like. Nonetheless, there are things you can do and
changes you can make that are affordable, easy, and good for the
environment no matter how busy you are.
This page will be an ongoing resource to help you make those
choices, with information and tips that you can readily incorporate so you
can start making a difference today.
LATEST TIPS
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Earth Day 2009. April 22nd is Earth Day, and this year there are
lots of activities and volunteer opportunities for anyone interested in
doing something to help Planet Earth.
Plant a tree (or
many trees!),
spend the day outdoors, do some
spring cleaning and
reduce,
reuse, and
recycle,
change out all your incandescents to CFLs,
start a vegetable garden,
go for
a walk or a bike ride, donate to an
eco-charity,
spread
the word to friends and family...or
anything else you can do.
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Get a break going green. Just in time for figuring your taxes...did
you know you can get tax breaks for green improvements to your home?
Replacing things like the windows, the furnace, the roof, the water
heater, etc. with green upgrades can entitle you to both federal and state
tax breaks, thanks to the recent Stimulus Plan passed by Congress and to
longstanding incentive programs here in Oregon.
PlanetGreen has
a good summary about the federal tax breaks. And
visit the
Energy Trust website for the rundown on state incentives
available.
-
Roses are red green... For some, Valentine's Day
is an opportunity for a little romance and maybe a token of appreciation
to a special someone. This year, why not inject a little green into the
holiday of red roses and pink candy hearts? Skip the expensive cards
(that'll probably end up in a landfill anyway) and send an e-card instead.
Forego the overpriced flowers (that probably weren't sustainably grown or
harvested) and plant a rosebush for many years of beautiful bouquets.
Check out this list for more creative, simple, and inexpensive V-Day gift
ideas.
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Cleaning up after the holidays. When the holidays are over, reuse
or recycle what's left. Save bows, containers, packing peanuts, and
wrapping paper for reuse next year. Make this year's holiday cards into
gift tags for next year. Recycle paper, boxes, cards, and peanuts that you
can't reuse, as well as holiday catalogs and magazines. The
Metro
Recycling website has an indispensable guide on to help you find
where and how to recycle these items.
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Give the gift of charity. If you're feeling the stress and pressure
of getting the right gifts for everyone this year, why not consider
charitable donations instead? Making a donation on behalf of someone you
love is not only a great gift they can appreciate (without risk of getting
them something they don't want or need), it has the added benefit of
taking the stress out of holiday shopping. There are no lines to stand in,
no overflowing parking lots to navigate, no last-minute gifts to wrap.
Most charities make it as easy as possible by allowing you to make an
online contribution. You're less likely to overspend, as well, and
choosing a charity to match your loved one's interests or causes can make
your donation all the more meaningful. This time of year is when most
charities need your help, especially in our current economy, as charitable
donations are down even as need has increased greatly. And by choosing
charitable donation in lieu of a gift, you're saving valuable resources of
all kinds...including wrapping paper!
-
Efficiency downloads. With rising prices and increasing evidence of
global climate change, we're all doing what we can to save energy and cut
costs. Even with our computers, which don't use as much energy as the real
energy hogs our homes (like our refrigerators), doing what we can to curb
wasted energy use can make a difference.
For most of us, that means using the Sleep mode on our computer to make it
shut down after a period of inactivity. But there are
some great -- and fun!-- options out there to manage your computer
even more efficiently.
-
"Spooky" insulation. Traditional housing insulation can be pretty
scary -- the chemicals used to make them are hard on the environment. Many
insulating materials include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are
ozone-depleting compounds and a source of pollution. Instead, consider
insulating materials made from recycled materials.
-
Warmcel 100 insulation is made from 100 percent recycled newspapers. It's
non-toxic, non-irritant, and presents no health hazard. The insulation can
be disposed of safely without creating toxic waste and it uses very little
energy to manufacture, much less than other insulation materials.
-
Thermafleece is manufactured from pure British sheep's wool. Wool is a
natural fiber derived from a fully renewable resource and the production
process takes a fraction of the energy required to produce glass fiber
insulation. It's safe to handle, has a life expectancy of more than 50
years, and is also recyclable.
-
UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber insulation contains 85 percent
post-industrial recycled natural fibers making it an ideal choice for
anyone looking to use a high quality sustainable building material.
UltraTouch consists almost entirely of natural denim and cotton fibers
that are 100 percent recyclable. The product requires a minimal amount of
energy to manufacture.
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Hung up on hangers. Clothes hangers seem pretty harmless, don't
they? Chances are, we don't think twice about how many we use, nor
pitching them when they're no longer useful or we have too many of them.
But did you know that
8 to 10
billion plastic and wire hangers are manufactured every year, and only
about 15% of those ever get recycled? That's a lot of hangers! In fact,
it's enough to fill the Empire State Building...four times!
They're not easily recycled, either. Plastic hangers are often made of
different types of plastics that make them hard to separate, and wire
hangers often get mangled into a knot that gums up the works at a
recycling plant (and plastic hangers do this, too). Which doesn't mean you
shouldn't recycle them, but a better answer is to reduce your use of them
and reuse them as much as possible.
Give them to your local second-hand store where they can be used for
merchandise or given/sold to folks who need them. (And when you need more
hangers, buy them at a second-hand store instead of buying them brand
new.) Dry cleaning vendors can also make use of them. Or look up some good
craft projects for the kids that make use of old hangers. There are even
biodegradable hangers made of
corn
and
wheat and
recycled paper. You might even consider folding more of your clothes
or better yet, cleaning out your closet and getting rid of some clothes
altogether....
Sustainability ·
Sustainability ARCHIVE
Homeowners ·
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