As I mentioned this summer, Susan has been moonlighting over at Scott Common Sense.
It has been a fun writing gig for Susan as she shared tips on a variety of topics.
Once again, our friends over at Scott Common Sense have a gift for a couple of you.
One lucky winner will receive a $100 Gift Card and Gift Bag and the second will receive a Gift Bag. The Gift Bags will be full of products from their new Scott Naturals Line.
If you’d like to win, just leave us a comment with a tip/idea/suggestion for adding a bit of Green to your life.
We’ll announce the winner here on Saturday, October 17th.
5 Minutes for YOU to read, relax, & connect with other moms. We're here to inspire, encourage & empower you.
{ 339 comments… read them below or add one }
Use cloth wherever possible–diapers, washcloths, napkins, etc. Way easier!
Walk wherever you can instead of driving.
Line dry clothes. We save $30.00 a month on our gas bill and our clothes remain in better condition!
We only use reusable shopping bags for all our purchases.
We recycle all cans and bottles, we even take a stroll thru the parks, you would be amazed on how many people dont recycle!!!
primitivelyours@hotmail.com
I make packed lunches for 5 kids and my DH five days a week now that school is in session. Over the summer I came across a product called wrap-n-mat.Essentially, it replaces a plastic sandwich baggie. Not only does it hold sandwiches, it’s great for burritos, pizza, graham crackers, pretty much any flat food.I learned that these super “green” wraps were created by a mother of 4, who realized there had to be a “green alternative” to the plastic sandwich bag. If that’s not impressive enough, it also unfolds into a handy place mat measuring 33xm x 33cm which provides a practical and clean eating surface wherever you are and is big enough to catch any spillages.
My kids love them and have gotten a lot of compliments on them, and I am glad that we are saving money and doing our part in creating less environmental waste!
We’re using less paper plates and we don’t wrap presents in paper. We like to bag them up
I walk, bike or take the bus only.
We have started using bags instead of opting for ‘plastic sacks’ at the grocery store. I actually like it so much better because the bags are sturdier and hold alot more stuff!
We use organic disinfectants and laundry detergents and feel so much better about it!
My green tip is to use reusable water bottles instead of plastic disposables.
Reuse and recycle are the keys.
Reuse all bottles/cans, Ziplocs, boxes.
Bring your own shopping tote so no paper or plastic.
Make your own cleaner and detergent.
When im watching my grandsons,I use real washcloths for cleanups an diaper changes instead of baby wipes,an we use Real napkings too,they seem to like it an know to expect it now that ive made the change
We use cold water to wash most of our clothes (except for whites), we recycle whenever wherever possible. We use natural ingredients found in your cupboards, for cleaning our home naturally, safely, green!
We use cloth bags when we do our grocery shopping, no more plastic!
We buy Scott’s natural paper products!
I have a compost pile in my back yard and I use the compost to fertilize my small vegetable garden.
Twitter: makeetis
September 30, 2009 at 7:56 am
At my home we have been recycling everything that we can. We save our soda cans that we purchase and toward the end of the year we always take them to the recycling center and they pay us for them. We split it up between our 3 kids and give it to them to buy their brother and sister (or 2 sisters in my sons case) a christmas present. They enjoy this because it is like their money and they get to pick out the present. We have also been growing our own gardens and either freezing them or canning some of them. It really saves to have fresh vegetables instead of buying them.
We save all of our aluminum cans for the local church, who in turn uses the money for a scholarship fund. Double the good.
Use cloth diapers, wipe, napkins, towels, any thing that you can wash and re-use!
We use organic cleaning supplies as well as laundry detergents.
nhmummab@comcast.net
My tip is, instead of driving everywhere walk or take a bike. As long as it’s within a couple miles, I will walk or bike. I have an Ibert seat and helmet for my 17 month old and he loves it. I even walk to work everyday since I work right in town. It’s a relaxing, healthy way to go green!
I use organic cleaning products like vinegar, baking soda and borax!
My tip would be to use green cleaners. Thanks for the chance!
The best switch I have recently made is boycotting water bottles and buying a good-quality filter system! It has cut WAY down on the amount of plastic recyclables I put out on the curb, and the filters are equal to the cost of buying cases of water! I just fill a travel mug with water and take THAT to work or to class, instead of a bottle of water!
We save the newspaper. We use the comics as wrapping paper and the remaining sections in the garden footpaths to keep the weeds out.
We recycle, and try and reuse old clothes, newspapers etc.
would love this
Our town is having it’s be-annual town wide clean-up this weekend and the whole family is going to help pick up trash. We make sure we recycle as much as we can and I bring my own bags to the grocery store.
We like to dry our clothes on the line during the summer to save on electricity.
What a fabulous prize giveaway!
In our home, we have turned the temperature
down on the water heater and take no longer than
five minute showers. Also, I do most loads
of laundry in cold water! Many thanks, Cindi
Recycle everything you can, including stuff you don’t want anymore but is still perfectly usable.
I have been keeping any clothing that is ‘beyond wear’ to use as fabric for craft projects. I have made SO much fun stuff with this fabric! I love that it is getting a whole new life and staying out of the trash!
Take a few extra minutes out of every week to rinse items out to recycle versus throwing them away because of the hassle. We have always recycled items that are easy to recycle, such as newspapers. So many households do not recycle items that are inconvenient to recycle, such as pet food cans. Many of us do not want to “smell” our recycle bins. Take the extra time each day to rinse these items out and recycle them.
We have a recycling area in our garage to put items that are recycled through trash pick up and also that we can re-use.
Such as our left over lawn & leaf bags – I discovered that the heavy kraft paper works great to wrap packages. I cut it down into smaller sections and use it to wrap gifts and then stamp sentiments on the paper. Much cheaper than wrapping paper!
If you use dryer sheets, these can be reused to dust furniture or window sills and blinds.
member (dot) thao (at) gmail.com
Twitter: longwait4bella
September 30, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Buy recycled toilet paper at Costco. It is a good deal too!
Compost! Save all that kitchen waste from going into the trash, and it’s great for our garden.
Using reusable bags, composting and reusable bottles help us go green. Would love to win!
I use cloth napkins at mealtime. If I don’t have any to use, or if I’m packing a lunch, I use napkins made from recycled materials.
Besides recyling, we try to find new life for items we would otherwise toss out. For example, we recently took down an old deck and with that wood, we built planters and stained them. New life to old wood and they look great.
Thanks so much.
All about recycling in our house. When we go anywhere in nature as well, you bring out what you take in.
Unplug appliances when they are not being used, such as toasters and coffee makers. You spend more on the little flicker of electricity throughout the day when it’s not being used then the few minutes the appliance is working.
We also use dimmers and timers on our lights, use eco friendly bulbs, use green cleaners, and line dry our clothes. Also power strips are great for home and office work. Thank you!!!
Use energy efficient light bulbs.
Carpool to work/school.
We no longer use paper or plastic at the grocery, we use cloth shopping bags that we bring to the store.
how about reading papers and magazines online and cutting out catalogs and junk mail- there is a place to stop it…
but i repurpose till there is no purpose, and donate those old magazines to nursing homes and schools for reading and projects.
We have a compost heap. Also, my father recyles old refrigerators and coke machines into cooking smokers!
You can add a bit of Green to your life by doing the following!
Electricity:
Turn off the Light when you’re not in the room.
Replace old light bulbs with energy efficient ones.
Buy accredited green power.
Buy solar panels for your roof and/or a solar hot water system.
Turn down your thermostat in winter and up in summer
Don’t run the Aircon/heating when you don’t actually need it.
Double Glaze your windows and insulate your house
Also, one can Buy low packaged food/drinks.
Buy organic food, as they are chemical free.
Say no to shopping bags and bring your own.
Reuse your water bottle, and other packaging when possible.
Buy local, as it has not had to travel so far. Also known as Carbon miles.
There are so many more things to list, however here are just a few things that are important to us at our home and in our everyday lives!
roxxyroller(at)hotmail(dot)com
I reduce first, reuse second, and finally recyle what’s left. I always look for the item with the least packaging and if I can buy it in glass, that’s what I choose.
Start using the papertowels that can tear off into smaller sizes
Awesome givaway, thanks guys!… =D.
I grow my own wheatgrass for my cat, which saves a trip to the pet store each week. It’s economical too!
We don’t eat out a lot, but when we do I bring our own reusable containers to take home leftovers. Saves the earth from a few more of those nasty foam containers, and saves us from the chemicals that are in them.
Our town is a HUGE biking town – so biking instead of driving is very green, thanks!
Reusable grocery bags.
Deborah
comfortjoydesigns AT gmail DOT com
Stop buying bottled water (sooo much waste!) and invest in a water filter and nice decorated stainless steel water bottles for each member of your family.
I made a recycling center for the garage.1 med trash can for newspaper,1-for plastic-1 for aluminum cans and 1 for glass. Makes recycling much easier when I can pull the garbage bag out take to the center and put all the contents in the bin. Then I bring the used bags back and re use them
I like to buy recycled toilet paper and now I am looking into recycled paper towels. I say why not, right. : )
use the bike !! thanks for the opp
dry clothes on a line outdoors or on drying indoors
When you’re done using a product, e.g. can of soup, then take the label off the can.
Children can cut out pieces of color off the label and use for paper piecing projects or for glueing designs onto paper projects for school or crafts. They can do this instead of cutting into a new piece of wrapping paper or card stock, especially if they only need tiny pieces.
Labels off cans where there is no glue can be used to make confetti, or cut in stripes and fan folded to fill up around birthday presents that are put inside of re-usuable cloth bags, or re-usuable boxes.
I take my bike almost everywhere, just add a basket and take a backpack, and you can lug a lot of stuff around
I stretch my ranch dressing out by removing half of it from the bottle and storing it in a jar in the fridge. I then add milk to it. It makes it a little thinner but the flavor is the same on the salad and you get more out of it and less calories.
sign me up
my suggestion is to wait to do laundry until you have a really huge load and do it on cold.
Don’t ‘brown bag it”, make sure you use a reuable bag.
Use cloth napkins, diapers etc.
line dry where possible
I’m doing my best to compost!
Recycle everything. From toilet paper cardboard tubes to clothes price tags to toothpaste boxes. It all adds up.
buy stainless steel bottle to stop the plastic bottle abuse and buy washable cloth napkins to put in the kids lunch bags
tvollowitz at aol dot com
We walk to school instead of driving. Also hang out our clothes on the line when the weather is good.
Make your own household cleaner with soap, vinegar and water.
I recently added a touch of green by switching to microfiber cleaning cloths. I’ve used them for dusting and never thought to try them wet.
They are wonderful in the kitchen – no soap or cleanser required. Just use them wet to safely clean the microwave, the glass cooking top and the refrigerator. Throw them in the wash to clean. The microfibers are very effective and gently scrubbing things clean.
Very effective to use instead of a number of cleaning products.
we use to re-use baggies, now we use tupperware even for chips and bring them home and wash them…saves money and the enviroment. you just need a bigger lunch sack
We’ve used florescent light bulbs for over 12 years
We use an outdoor clothes line, weather permitting.
How I “add Green” to my life:
* Stay “in.”
* Limit driving.
* Recycle.
* Walk a lot.
* Enjoy nature.
* Breastfeed.
* Birth naturally (with a midwife, without drugs).
* Buy secondhand.
My current favorite green (and frugal) tip is all about white vinegar. You can use it to clean SO MANY things…and it is safe for the environment. My favorite use is for disinfecting and getting the mildew smell out the washing machine while empty and getting the mildew smell out of a load of towels. Works wonders!
Thank you so much for this generous giveaway – I would be SO thrilled to win!
We make “no-throw” lunches. Everything my son takes to school for lunch goes in reusable containers. We also grow a lot of our own veggies in the summer.
i found that the best way to go green, is to ask what your ancestors would’ve done.
Use mass transit.
Buy locally grown fruits and veggies.
Change all of your lightbulbs over to green ones.
Use organic products to grow your veggies
My top three:
1) Participate in community supported agriculture.
2) Use a plug load meter to measure how much electricity each electrical device is using. Figure out ways to reduce the amount of electricity you use.
3) Water conservation! (Energy is used to clean and deliver the water you use)
bring your own bags shopping to stores
To go greener:
1. Plug electronics into a power strip, and turn off everything before bed with a single switch.
2. Hang your clothes to dry when possible.
3. Use rechargeable batteries
4. Plant a garden or tree
5. Skip paper plates and cups
6. Use greener cleaners
7. Recycle magazines
I use wash clothes instead of baby wipes. Not only does it eliminate the paper product but it’s always softer of baby bottoms.
Switch to energy saving light bulbs.
Using plastic bags for liners in small trash cans.
I use energy efficient lightbulbs and reusable grocery bags.
Save boxes and bubble mailers and reuse them to save trees
use white vinegar/water and newspapers to clean you windows
bring your own bags to the store
recycle
turn down the thermostat
cook from scratch
I have two tips to live life a little more greener.
1 – Use a 50/50 vinegar and water solutionto clean almost everything.
2 – We gave up one car in order to save money. Now I ride my bike at least 5 miles every day (to work and back). In addition to saving a LOT of money we are saving the environment as well. If you trip is under 1 mile you should always try to walk or ride your bike instead.
Our family walks, cycles or jogs as much as possible to work, school, shopping or recreational activities. We leave the car in the garage so we won’t pollute our earth.
Thanks for the contest.
We re-use everything – plastic utensils, plastic bags, boxes, etc.
we are using less paper towels and no more paper plates
I turn off the vampire electronics whenever possible, recycle everything I can, and use reusable shopping bags.
use more paper towels..stay clean and free of sickness
Make sure to put your reusable shopping bags back in your car as soon as you’re done putting groceries away, so they’re available for you to use next time!
When a bathroom or kitchen sink is draining slow, pour a half-cup of baking soda down the drain, followed with a cup of vinegar. (This will fizz like some kind of science project!) After it has stopped fizzing pour boiling water down to flush it. This works as well as toxic drain cleaners for me. It’s healthier for the environment, saves money (you probably already have vinegar and baking soda at home), and it’s amusing to watch. LOL
I walk to save energy.
I only use reusable shopping bags and I recycle everything I can
We scrap our household metal.
The easy start which saves us money – switch to CFL bulbs
We are cutting back on using so many paper products.
Wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot
I’ve been using cold water to wash clothes, and then line dry them
I have started walking to work instead of driving; using reusable bags for groceries; recycling newspapers, magazines, pop cans.
Wash laundry in cold water and dry on a clothes line.
Try to reduce your hot water usage. Take shorter showers and no baths. Use cold water detergent. These things add up!
Walk instead of drive, unless you own a hybrid. Enter me please.
We cut the bottoms off of gallon milk jugs, bury them by our plants in the garden, and fill them with water to water the plants. Less water evaporates and the plants get a deeper watering.
we walk almost everywhere
Buy cloth shopping bags to reuse instead of getting tons of plastic bags.
We have changed out our lightbulbs to the curlicue kind almost 3 years ago-no burnouts yet! Thanks!
We use cloth grocery bags and energy efficient bulbs. Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
We pack our lunches daily and use re-usable Tupperware sandwich keepers.
I bring my own shopping bags to the store.
walk almost everywhere
Sew yourself a couple of heavy duty fabric bags to use at the grocery store instead of using their plastic bags. Thanks!
Don’t do one load of laundry each day. Do it all at once so you don’t use all that extra energy of having your dryer heat itself up each time.
ride your bike instead of driving the car
I recycle almost all paper, plastic, and metal, as well as composting. I now have a really tiny amount of trash that gets sent to the dump now.
Recycle, recycle, recycle. We are fortunate enough to live in a town that recycles plastics, cans, paper…Repurpose items: anything we don’t still need we give to Goodwill; we go to garage sales to buy second hand items we can use (toys are a wonderful thing to get at garage sales), changing out light bulbs for more energy efficient ones, taking our own bags to the stores, walking, using stainless steel water bottles,…we are looking at other ways and add them as we can.
We use reusable bags. A local store even gives a 5 cent discount for each reusable bag a customer uses. A win situation all around.
Reusable shopping bags are a easy way to g a liitle more green, and we have found them more convenient anyways!
sblilly14(@)yahoo(.)com
Run your washer hose out to water backyard plants with gray water.
Wash a full load of clothes in cold water and hang clothes to dry.
I run full loads of laundry and dishes, recycle everything possible and use CFL bulbs where I can.
A way to be more green at our house is to change all the lightbulbs. I haven’t changed them all yet to the new kind.
THANKS!
we no longer buy bottled water-but use reuseable/washable water bottles
Use solar energy and dry your laundry outside.
washing clothes in cold water and trying to walk more and recyling helps too.
I have started to take the city bus instead of
driving all of the time, I also recycle and use reusable bags at the store.
We live in an apt complex that doesn’t recycle so we did some research to find a recycling center nearby to take as much of our stuff as possible. It’s a little more work on our part, but I feel good knowing that most of what we use ends up being reused rather than going to a garbage dump somewhere. I also love antique and thrift shops–a great way to practice “reusing”!
This summer I started composting my garbage. It was great for the garden and we actually produced less trash for the dump. We also started using reusable bags for shopping as well.
Reusable bags for groceries. Recycling including special electronic recycling where appropriate. I use public transportation where possible. Unfortunately that isn’t always an option.
I don’t have any new tips, I’m sure, but when I bought reusable grocery bags about 10 years ago, it was immediately apparent how much I was wasting using the plastic bags. And many grocery stores will give you a few cents for each reusable bag you bring.
Recycle all you can. It really makes a differene in the amount of trash going to the landfills.
Use bottle caps, soda can tabs and game pieces for crafting.
melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com
reuse and recycle what you can
I think the easiest thing for us was to hang our clothes out to dry. It’s been especially hot, so it’s actually worked very well!
i wash all my clothes in cold water and never use the dryer. i airdry everything
I’ve quit using the expensive and toxic toilet bowl cleaners. Now, I usually use some borax (sprinkle in, let sit for a while, scrub and be done), and occasionally some vinegar and lemon juice (great for hard water deposits – also works on shower heads).
Get rid of your dryer sheets. They have all sorts of fun chemicals in them. Thanks! thebubbledies(at)gmail(dot)com
I always reuse grocery bags for taking out trash.
reuse, reuse, reuse
We reuse grocery sacks when we don’t use our regular ones. We use cold water for washing most everything. We try and avoid bleach when cleaning or washing clothes. I only run the dishwasher when it’s FULL (and only cold water with no drying afterward) and MUCH more.
Buy fresh food — there is no waste.
Using cold water for laundry. Also, taking reusable bags to the grocery store.
We cut out cable/Direct TV and watch Hulu on the internet instead. THat saved 100.00 a month
You can recycle used cosmetic bottles/jars/etc at any Origins store or Origins counter. They even reward you with a free Origins sample!
chrisny2 at AOL dot com
stop buying bottled water!
Thanks for entering me! Great Contest!
Janna Johnson
janna@FeedYourPigBlog.com
jannajanna@hotmail.com
http://www.FeedYourPigBlog.com
I would like to add more recycling in our life. We have a recycling center near my work and I would like to start taking things in more often.
We try to use as many all natural green products in the house as possible
Grow your own herbs in pots in your sunny windows over the winter. You’ll have safer, better herbs and you’ll eliminate packaging and shipping.
Keep all items unplugged when not in use. With winter on the way ,now is the time to go through your home and repair windows and any cracks. This will save on oil
Thanks
matternu@aol.com
Recycle all your aluminum cans. Not only do you help the environment, you can also cash them in and make money.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
When shopping online, opt for ship-to-store option. It cuts down on the amount of packaging that is needed. Thank you.
Recycle whatever you can and compost, so much less out at the curb. Thank you!
Use reuseable bags when shopping.
Don’t just turn off your TV set, unplug it. You’ll save both energy and money.
don’t leave battery chargers plugged in and turn off your computer at night
i use cloth diapers and cloth wipes for my baby and we have an he washing machine thanks for the chance
A tip for being “green” is to strive to motivate communities (that have limited recycling programs available) to start up a more “aggressive” recycling program.
(I say that… as I live near a city of about 300K population, but I don’t have curbside recycling pick-up.)
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
I don’t have recycling at my apartment but I save it and bring it to my parents when I visit once a week.
I make my own cleaning supplies. It’s simple and fast and they work great. And they’re cheap! Recipes are all over the web.
I’ve been utilizing cloth instead of paper – napkins, rags for cleaning as well as resealable containers over plastic bags.
My family recycles everything that we can. We also never leave any of our trash or mess when we go to the River, Lake, Nature Hiking etc. In fact, we always try to pick up a few things that someone else left behind to help the areas stay clean.
ShawnaMichelle@ymail.com
we’ve used cloth diapers for both our kids.
Instead of bottled water in the disposable plastic bottles, buy yourself a nice water bottle & use it instead with either tap or filtered water (such as from the Britta or Pur pictchers). You’ll save lots of money on water & there won’t be as many plastic water bottles taking forever to decompose.
I keep the curtains drawn during very sunny, hot days. Keeps the temperature down in the rooms and keeps the cost down over the summer to cool the house.
I always use reusable bags at the grocery store. They are so much more convenient!
Use the dryer as seldom as you can. We line dry everything but towels right now…
Cook in more!
I grew a small garden this year, so nice to pick fresh veggies minutes before eating them!
Recycle! So easy to do!
Subscriber!
we just started a compost pile in our backyard – it was really simple
My green tip – compost all your kitchen scraps. It reduces garbage and make great fertilizer for your garden!
Reuse everything you can. We Americans tend to be pretty spoiled – there’s a lot of things we can reuse or just do without!
I use cloth bags for grocery shopping and have given up on water in plastic bottles.
I’m a subscriber!
Use plastic grocery bags for trash bags. No more buying trash bags.
recycle
Always turn the water off while brushing your teeth or lathering in the shower.
You will be surprised just how much water it conserves.
Thank you so much for the chance to win.
I am subscribed to your Newsletter.
I am subscribed via email.
Turn off and unplug any electrical item that’s not in use.
Ideas: Recycle, use cold water when washing (with today’s detergents, you don’t need hot water), lunch bag for hubby and kids, every degree you lower saves you 3% electricity, and pay bills online and save trees!
unplug appliances when not in use
The easiest thing to do is switch out your light bulbs for the more energy efficient kind. It is inexpensive and you don’t have to think about it for a long time. Another easy thing to do is to use your own cloth grocery bags. Thanks!
We try, whenever possible to repurpose items along with the usual measures.
For mild to moderate clogged drains, use baking soda and white vinegar to unclog the pipes instead of chemical drain openers.
Use that same baking soda for an upset stomach or heartburn by mixing 1/2 tsp in 1/2 cup of water and drink up. It works so much faster than any antacid product on the market.
Dip back into that box of baking soda and create a water/baking soda paste to clean porcelain surfaces such as sinks or bathtubs.
Lastly, Mr. Baking Soda sprinkled in your wash helps remove unpleasant sweaty odors.
All this from a cardboard (not plastic) box of baking soda.
Get reusable shopping bags. they’re cheap and last forever.
what better way to add green to your life than plants! helps indoor air quality and brightens up the place
Monthly add 1 c. white vinegar to dishwasher to help cut down build up and refresh inside.
Clean the top and underside of the rubber flapper over the disposal drain.
Use old sheets, towels, etc. for really messy soils, spills, water leaks – save a paper towel and save a tree.
walk or bike
Use a washcloth instead of paper towels.
walk instead of driving
Spend the money for a good bike, so that you will actually use it.
green is easy! We replaced all of our lightbulbs, use reusable shopping bags, wash in cold and have replaced a few of our appliances. Also, keep your car maintained!
My best tip for a greener life is to see everything possible as reusable. Even if it makes a nice craft gift by repurposing it! Thank you for the lovely giveaway.
Hugs,
Erin
Buy food that is grown or produced locally.
Switch to “green” pet products (corn-based kitty litter, organic pet foods) – better for the earth and your furry beloveds.
Use dish towels that can be washed instead of paper towels.
I use reusable items whenever possible.
Use CFL bulbs. You will soon learn to love them for their long life and economy.
One tip I have is to use baking soda to scour your sinks. Cheaper and more environmentally friendly than other scouring powders.
ssovrnej(at)gmail.com
Reusable grocery bags. Local food sourcing helps your family and the environment. Recycle and compost. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Put on a sweater and warm socks before you turn up the heat – good for the pocketbook as well as the planet.
Use post-consumer recycled paper goods for the paper products you must use, such as toilet paper.
I recycle what I can, and carry an aluminum refillable bottle with me everywhere!
My family is actually getting annoyed because I will not WASTE anything! They keep saying behing my back, “Waste not, want not!” HA! But it’s true. I no longer over-buy at the supermarket, so veggies and cheese don’t “go bad” in the fridge. I unplug all small appliances and lamps when not in use. I turn junk mail into note paper for shopping lists and phone messages. I even reuse baggies and aluminum foil whenever possible. And of course I recycle everything the town will take. We’ll all benefit in the long run, no?
My green tip is to use reusable water bottles instead of plastic disposables which take 700 years to disentegrate. jelly15301@gmail.com
Pack your own lunches. Make sure you get a nice, reusable bag. This will save money and cut down on all disposable products that fast food joints use.
I’ve just started using reusable sandwich bags and the girls really like the fun prints. No more plastic baggies for us.
Wash cloths in cold water and line dry.
Always think before you throw things away. Can I reuse this somehow? Would somebody else want it? Can I donate it? Can it be recycled? Can I make it into something else?
Always think before you buy. Is this toxic to my family/the environment? Has any of the packaging been recycled? Is there a comparable product that has recycled content and isn’t toxic?
I buy a lot of things in bulk at the co-op grocery store – I buy only what I need and I don’t waste anything. I recycle, bring my own bags to the grocery store, and walk/ ride my bike as often as I can~
Switch oput your light bulbs, it’s easy and will save you money in the long run.
Get your children excited about recycling and composting – train the next generations.
Please use your own bags when you shop. It’s so wasteful not to and is so easy to do. Not much effort and the bags I saved myself must be in the 100′s.
I now use reusable bottles for my water instead of the plastic kind.
I have been lowering the settings on both my washer and my heat.
My tip is to buy and USE your own cloth grocery bags and to try to conserve as much energy as possible.. Walk if possible instead of driving
My tip is to bicycle instead of walk whenever you can. I don’t even have a driver’s license; I bike everywhere! Thanks for the contest! codisweepstakes2 (at) gmail.com
Plant you own veggies. They are so good and you can even container garden for small living areas
We reuse all shopping bags.
Tracyf2386@aol.com
We use a low flow shower head to reduce water used in showering. We also make sure to wash only full loads of dishes (or clothes)
I wash aluminum foil and plastic bags to reuse
I don’t use paper towels anymore. I decided to buy a few packs of washclothes and kitchen towels to replace when I used to use paper towels. Not only is is helping the environment but I am saving a ton of money.
Recyle and always unplug cords when not in use
We use shopping bags but whenever we get plastic shopping bags, we re-use them as trash can liners, diaper bags or other uses.
I work from home and I conserve energy by letting the sun heat up my office space.
I leave the windows open at night and shut them in the morning, to store cool air in the house (in the summer).
I think someone already mention this….We are a family of 6 and we line dry for most of the year.
We changed out all our light bulbs to energy effecient ones and we recycle everything that we can.
Get rid of paper towels and napkins! Cloth napkins, rags, and products like Skoy cloths work great.
Walk or bike instead of using the car!
Reuse and recycle everything you can. Involve your kids in all the green things you do so it will all be second nature to them when they grow up.
We recycle everything
I check with local schools, churches, organizations etc. to see what they are collecting like drink top pull rings, boxtops, soup labels etc. so I can help them out by collecting these items for them as well as recycling. Thanks! senekers@comcast.net
I always recycle, take my old broken appliances to the appliance recycle they have once a year, hang out my clothes to dry, hand-wash dishes, plant vegetables and flowers with the seeds from last year’s plants, walk or bike around town, watch tv with the lights out unless I’m also reading or sewing or something, and use my cloth shopping bags.
I use a portable clothes hanger for my washed laundry in the warm weather
and hang dry the washed clothing in my laundry room in the colder weather.
Support local agriculture through a CSA. Plenty of fresh veggies and less impact from transportation.
Use your own cloth bags at the grocery store.
madamerkf at aol dot com
Along with our daily recycling efforts, we always use re-usable ‘hemp’ tote bags for grocery shopping – instead of using plastic and/or paper bags.
We also use 3-way lamps in our home! They’re very efficient at saving energy when a bright light is not needed in the house.
Thanks for the great giveaway offering!
Please, include my family and I into your drawing!
Good luck to all!
Always use the HOV lane while driving on the expressway whenever you have more than 1 person in your vehicle. (carpool whenever possible)
Install a clothes line and hang out your clothes on nice days. Not only will you save electricity but yo” also get some excise.
Plastic is the most “dreaded” danger to our planet, it does not disappear, plastic is the residue of crude oil and even if ou melt it in the dumps it still will be resides!!!!!!!!!!!!
so we do not use plastic bags anymore!
Genevieve
I bought my reusable bags at Michaels arts and crafts and they are perfect size wise for grocery!!! Also they are black so it does not show the dirt!!!
I’ve switched to using cloth napkins instead of paper napkins and also grow many of my own veggies.
We recycle cans, cardboard and bottles. We also save our old newspaper to donate to the local kennel for our furry friends.
Recycle – aluminum cans, glass, plastic.
Use reuseable bags for groceries & shopping.
Eat less meat, or become vegetarian. The meat industry is one of the most significant contributors to environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.
We no longer purchase bottled water and are recycling everything that we can.
Recycling as much as possible and when purchasing items, keeping in mind if the packaging is in fact recyclable.
We walk to the store and carry bags with us. Backpacks make it much easier to carry heavy things home!
We recycle everything, including old towels and sheets these days.
We bring our own reusable bags to the grocery store.
As a teacher in my classroom, I have my students fill up a sheet of paper with as many assignments as possible before turning it in (instead of a separate sheet for each assignment). You would not believe the amount of paper (and trees!) that saves.
macd82 at gmail dot com
Last Christmas, and for birthdays during the year, we started wrapping gifts in colorful fabric. The recipient saves the fabric for the following year and we can continue to recycle and save money by not buying paper gift wrap. (And you can get very fancy with it too.)
Make an effort to unplug non-essential devices and appliances when not in use and cut back on water usage by taking shorter showers and running your washing machine and dishwasher on more efficient settings!
Whenever possible ride a bike rather than drive.
Reduce. Re-use. Recycle. We look for ways to be creative with stuff that would get thrown away, like my husband re-wires old lamps, repaints, and ends up with something that looks really good. My mom will turn an old lamp into a holder for a gazing ball for her garden.
Switch your regular napkins to cloth to be green!
Hang your clothes to dry!
Thanks!!
Reuse water bottles. Even better, get a plastic one you can wash in the dishwasher and do away with bottled water completely.
txhottie_86 at yahoo dot com
Carry your own bag to the grocery store. Thanks
Already brought one plastic bag when we walk the dog..now we being two…the extra is for picking up cans & bottles that people littered with so we can recycle them
Thanks
Carry your own stainless steel water bottle. It helps cut down on the number of plastic bottles that don’t get recycled.
We try to use as little packaging as possible. Reusable bags, lunch containers, etc.
We combine errands.
Besides recycling, carrying reusable shopping bags is easy and wonderful for the environment!
Breastfeeding is the best feeding. Actually using breasts for what they were intended.
I’ve been trying to get a little ‘greener’ this year. So far the best tips I can think of are:
Change to CFL light bulbs
Put a plastic bottle of water in the back of your toilet
My kids all use stainless water bottles in their lunches
Thanks for the chance to win!
sasquatch1bmf[at]gmail[dot]com
We’ve been really working on reducing our use of disposable items such as paper napkins, paper towels, brown paper bags for lunches, baggies for lunches, etc. We’ve made quite a bit of progress towards using reusable items. We already recycle. Thanks so much!
We buy recycled products whenever possible and save things like cans to recycle ourselves. We even bought a small 4cyl car for my husband to commute to work in. Like others, I love to hag clothes out to dry, they smell nice and it saves!
Thank you
One tip that I have is lower your hot water heater temperature by 10 degrees. Big savings here!
recycle cans and botles ty.
Thanks for the chance at winning.
My tip would be that every little bit helps. It adds up. My family recycles, drinks from reusable water bottles, composts, uses low flow water faucets, etc.
Every time a light bulb in our house burns out we replace it with a compact fluorescent bulb. We actually use the Scott Naturals ones and we really like them. They last so much longer and it means I don’t have to replace light bulbs as much.
We’ve been teaching the kdis about recycling. They have fun taking things to the recycle bins.
We use totes for shopping bags all the time now.
We just started using Scotts Naturals and I really like the product.
We use our own shopping bags at the store!
I recycle everything possible (and encourage others to do so), give usable things away using website sites such as Freecycle, ReUseIt and Craiglist, and brainstorming ideas with friends to come up with better ideas to use solar and wind energy. Thanks for offering this great contest!
I am into reusing everything I can. Reuse your dryer sheets.After you’ve used your softener sheet in your dryer, they make wonderful dusting cloths.
iheartsweeping@aol.com
We use the energy saving light bulbs and they have made a difference. We recycle our cans. We go through a ton of them. I would like to start using reusable bags at the grocery store. I will have to start slow with this because we buy a lot of groceries at one time. lol Thank you!
Quit buying bottled water and get a filter for your faucet! Use cold water for washing clothes instead of hot.
We really do try to bring our reusable bags when we go shopping. Thank you
Bring your own shopping bags to the store.
Find opportunities for recycling in addition to your household stuff. A friend of mine takes a bag with her on walks to collect things she sees along her route.
I recycle and use cloth bags for grocery shopping.
i add a bit of green to my life by carpooling. i take turns buying the gas with my carpool buddy. we save a tank a week.
use cfls in your lamps and lights!
I’ve started biking for short errands. It’s good exercise and also saves on gas. Also, your car creates the most pollutants within the first mile of driving so cutting out short drives makes a huge difference
Organic cleaner, we recycle and changed al light bulbs.
My tip involves buying gas at the gas pump. We all know how Gas prices and our economy in general has spun out of control but if you’re mindful and thrifty you may well take advantage by doing this next time your filling up your vehicles gas tank.
You can get medium grade(Plus) gasoline if you fill 1/2 your tank with Premium grade(Super) and 1/2 your tank with Low grade(Regular)which will make (Medium grade)-Plus, if you do so. It may take a minute longer to do this but if you’re saving near $3 I’d say better the money in your pocket than in the Oil companies pocket!
This was told on a news media show I listen to so I’m assuming its accurate and true.
I’ve been recycling for so many years it’s just a habit for me. I try to buy products with the least amount of packaging possible and always look for products that use recycled paper.
I unplug unused appliances and recycle whenever you can.
I carry a reusable canvas bag with me when I go grocery shopping.
I walk as much as I can instead of driving…including small trips to the store.
Seriously people, spend the $40 and get a programmable thermostat. We installed one last year and it cut our heating bill in half. YES, HALF! We saved nearly $500 the first year and every year after we save more.
I ride my bike alot!
I USE ALL OF OUR USED COFFE GROUNDS IN MY GARDEN
Compost all possible kitchen waste for our garden.
Use our chipper-shredder to turn all yard waste into mulch for our garden and flower beds.
Replaced all lightbulbs with CFL’s.
Line dry most laundry.
Always use canvas shopping totes.
Replaced card store ‘gift bags’ with canvas shopping totes, 2 gifts in 1!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Use dishtowels more often, and when packing your lunch, use reuseable containers. Saves money, cuts down on trash.
Use CFU’s instead of regular light bulbs.
Try to combine errands into one trip.
We turn off all the lights when they’re not in use. We used to be really bad about keeping lights on but now we don’t do that at all anymore!
Bit ‘o green: When you can, buy from thrift stores and garage sales. This saves you money and saves the resources it would have needed to make new items. Thanks for the contest.
We recycle in our city. All types of paper products, and plastics. Other things we do is not let the car idle. Turn off lights if not using them. I use totes for grocery bags.
rhondastruthers at yahoo dot ca
I bought filtering system for our water. I stopped buying cases and cases of water!!
Reuse whatever containers you can. Recycle and learn to compost.
Grow your own fruit, veggies and herbs
I bring my own shopping bag when I go shopping
We always use our own bags when going to the store and recycle everything we can!
We put some of the appliances we don’t use on a regular basis on a surge protector with a on/off switch. That way I can easily shut it off when I’m not using it. Since appliances suck power even when they’re off this helps out.
My 4 year granddaughter has started me on recyling and now her mom and dad and also us are really trying to save the earth all that we can, literally one can, box, or plastic one at a time.
I turn off the Water heater when it’s not in use to be more green!
I try to plan my errands(like mapping them out) so I use less gas.
Cook with a Toaster oven for smaller meals ..this way you use less electricty & don’t heat up your whole house like a oven would.
Even better using the microwave instead of the stove top helps too.
On nice fall days cut off the central ac/heater & open your windows & use ceiling fans.
Re-using things is even better than recycling them!
I camp all summer and use no paper plates…only real plates and cups
I always bring canvas bags to the stores and recycle all plastic bags
I use cold water instead of hot water for my laundry.
I set the temperature on the thermostat down 1 degree from where my wife normally likes it. It really adds up.
We lowered the temperature settng on our hot water heater by just a bit and the difference is remarkable.
When we moved into our new house we only put in desert landscaping which requires almost no water. It saves a lot on our water consumption which is really huge here in Arizona.
i use, reuse, reuse, reuse then recycle. I carry my own bags for the grocery store, the farmer’s market, and for shopping at the malls.
UNPLUG (don’t just turn off) your computer, printer, etc. when not in use and save upwards of $100 per year/device on your utility bill…unless you have already gone 100% solar.
Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Also I have new placemats that are made of birch with a clear finish. I can just wipe them off but they look fancy.
I purchased stainless steel bottles and no longer purchase bottled water.
I have a compost pile in my back yard that I use to fertilize my small veggie garden.
We use cloth bags instead of plastic and recycle everything we can.
Use reusable grocery bags and water bottles – it saves a lot of plastic!
Get a rain barrel and use rainwater to water your lawn.
I only clean when company is coming over. teeheehee Just kidding. I actually started wearing comfy sweaters, robes, etc around the house instead of lounging in my undies and I turned the furnace down to 62 degrees instead of 72. In summer, we only use the a/c about once a week and set it to 79. It saves us a fortune on energy bills.
One “green” tip we implemented was to turn down the heat on our hot water heater. We really don’t need scalding hot water so we turned do the temperature and this saves us on our gas bill and also prevents scalded backs!
We throw out our wash and bath water. The grass and plants thrive on our soapy water.
make sure you bring re-usable totes back out to the car so you always have them when you go shopping for groceries. I know both Shop-Rite and Target give you 5¢ for each reusable bag you bring.
I subscribe to your blog’s feed via google reader.
Get a rain barrel and use rainwater to water your lawn.
I try to reuse everything I buy. I reuse glass jars to hold stray buttons or nails.
Virtually anything that can’t be composted can be recycled if you look hard enough. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
Turn down the thermostat.