Sustainability made simple: Ways to start at home

Apr 01, 2012 2:50 AM by Laura Williams, M.S.Ed.

Posted in Living / Going Green / Live Green

Home, Sweet, Sustainable Home

So you want to start living sustainably, but you're not ready to give up your car or your weekend shopping habit? No problem! Start by taking these simple, nearly effortless steps to enhance sustainability at home.

compost pile

Switch out those bulbs

If you haven't already overhauled your home's incandescent lighting, do it now. Replacing old bulbs with Energy Star-rated compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can save as much as $40.00 per bulb over the course of its lifetime (up to 10 years!).

How sustainable is your lifestyle? >>

Replace your batteries

Consider replacing your old batteries with rechargeable ones. You can find rechargeables in your favorite brand, such as Duracell Stay Charged Rechargeable Batteries, so you won't have to worry about whether you can trust a new brand to work. Because you can charge them hundreds of times, you could save hundreds of dollars when you use them in high-drain devices in place of alkaline batteries.

Eat less meat

Meat is one of the most expensive things on your grocery list, and livestock production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas production. Start a Meatless Monday in your house to save money and help encourage sustainability.

Consider composting

If the idea of composting brings to mind images of your dad standing knee-deep in a pile of muck with a pitchfork, it's time to revise your composting mentality. While old-fashioned compost piles are still popular, you can opt for a more modern solution with an indoor compost bin. These bins do the work for you; all you have to do is throw your produce cuttings, coffee grounds and even meat trimmings into the bin. It's super-easy and creates fertilizer you can use on your own plants.

Keeping your cleaning routine clean >>

Let the light in

One simple way to conserve energy and enhance your sustainability is to use less electricity. Because approximately 25 percent of the average American household's electricity use comes from indoor lighting, it makes sense to simply turn the lights off. To avoid living in a dreary, dark cave, though, open those blinds to let the natural light in. If you're still dissatisfied with the amount of light in your home, invest in a few wall mirrors and place them where they reflect the sun's light. This will boost the natural lighting in your home.

Overhaul your laundry practices

You'd be surprised at how much energy you waste when washing your clothes in hot water. By switching to coldwater washing and using Tide Coldwater you could save up to 80% of energy in every load and get a brilliant clean. **Based on conversion from warm/cold to cold/cold cycles for all loads in a traditional top-loading washing machine with an electric water heater.

Plan a complete home energy makeover >>

Conservation keys: What really matters
Ways to conserve in the laundry room
Keep your cleaning routine clean

Tags: conservation going green

Comments

Comments on "Sustainability made simple: Ways to start at home"

meat in compose causes maggots. It is a big NO NO.

It might take some effort, but I love to engage in hands-on activities that result in tracing my food to the source (my garden, eggs, etc.). Check it out: http://mindfulstew.wordpress/2012/05/06/tires-tomatoes-and-gardening-ethics/

Using Coldwater you could save up to 80% of energy in every load and get a brilliant clean. Now put your clothes in the sun to dry, saving energy from the dryer when it is nice outside.

I've been composting for about a year as well. I'd heard not to put meat, bones or dairy in the bin because they can attract rats and other vermin. I figured that the writer meant that meat was OK for indoors only (because hopefully you don't have rats and raccoons roaming your home). I don't know anything about how bacteria fits into this. I know that you can't put cat or dog waste in a bin because of bacteria (i.e. it's not the same as cow manure because it can leach harmful things into your plants). Maybe meat is in that category as well. Use caution, and maybe seek a second opinion on the meat. But I love the idea of indoor composting. I'd like to get a tiny cute one for my office and use it on my window plants. TIP: Use a reusable, sealed container (I have a plastic ice cream tub, but a large coffee can or similar container could probably also work) to collect a few days worth of compost so that you aren't running out to the yard after every peanut. I keep my mini-bin under my kitchen sink; it's very light, so it balances on top of my cleaning supplies without taking up extra shelf space.

I don't understand why people aren't using solar-powered lights. There are many types available for outdoor use but no one seems to have considered using them indoors.

I would never put meat scraps in my compost. I've only started composting over the past year and I've read that you don't put meat in because it can contain bacteria that can be harmful. If that bacteria goes into the compost it spreads, then you unknowingly spread it over your vegetable garden, you can be putting everything you grow at risk of being contaminated.

I have been composting for 42 years, most of that time the traditional way in the U.S. Now I have a composter, since our Israeli garden is one-tenth the size of our American one. I've never heard of throwing meat trimmings in your compost though. Is this something only applicable to indoor composting?