61 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Eliminate your lawn. Stop slaving over a hot lawn mower every weekend, gas/oil-emissions.
Plant a zero-scape yard or plants native to your area/ground-covers.
Heat resistant plants won't need as much water either.

Collect rainwater (probably already mentioned) but use that rainwater to water the ground-covers or native plants
once you've gotten rid of the grass.

Spring cleaning?
http://www.altenergy...__fromsearch__1

http://www.altenergy...__fromsearch__1

[MyDigitalpoint]

Leave the car behind is not only a great principle to living green because it helps reducing pollution, but also contributes to health.

Going through the public transport let you exercise your muscles, and even best if you can substitute transportation by walking whenever possible.

[dkramarczyk]

This quite a nice list of ways to make the shift to living green. I found it to be very helpful and realized different ways that I had already gone green without even noticing. It's pretty neat.

[Pat]

Use vinagar as a weed killer instead of pesticides.  You can also use vinagar to clean windows and in the laundry to help remove stubborn odors.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Pat, on 10 April 2012 - 12:49 PM, said:

Use vinagar as a weed killer instead of pesticides.  You can also use vinagar to clean windows and in the laundry to help remove stubborn odors.

Final rinse-laundry. Removes soap buildup/residues.
Final rinse-for your hair while showering. Removes soaps/shampoos buildup.
Shower glass doors. Or shower curtain; launder with no soap-just vinegar to remove buildup.
Coffee maker clean-up. Run a full pot of vinegar through. Rinse. Save vinegar for another use later.
Anyone still using evaporative coolers? Pour 1/4 cup in. It's not an overwhelming odor and will help
eliminate hard water buildup on pads.
Same thing applies in winter time for humidifiers.
Ladies personal care product. Don't waste money or your health on man-made chemical personal cleaners.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar to hot tea and honey. Will help restore your levels/balance in your GI tract.

[dkramarczyk]

Pat, on 10 April 2012 - 12:49 PM, said:

Use vinagar as a weed killer instead of pesticides.  You can also use vinagar to clean windows and in the laundry to help remove stubborn odors.

Will vinegar really kill weeds? That's pretty cool. It's probably a lot cheaper too. I have foodshare, so that would be nice using vinegar to kill the weeds.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

dkramarczyk, on 11 April 2012 - 05:34 AM, said:

Will vinegar really kill weeds? That's pretty cool. It's probably a lot cheaper too. I have foodshare, so that would be nice using vinegar to kill the weeds.

It does work, just takes patience-doesn't work too quickly. Mostly, I just weed the few I have by hand.
Also, be careful of the area you spray. You could kill off goodies you want to keep-throws the ph balance off.

[dkramarczyk]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 11 April 2012 - 04:42 PM, said:

It does work, just takes patience-doesn't work too quickly. Mostly, I just weed the few I have by hand.
Also, be careful of the area you spray. You could kill off goodies you want to keep-throws the ph balance off.

The only goodies in my yard that I want to keep is the grass. Other than that, I naturally have a black thumb, so I can't really have a garden or anything. I've tried multiple times and I just can't pull it off.

[clewand550]

Use you dishwasher instead of hand washing your dishes.  
Only use the washing machine if you have a full load of laundry.
Open up the windows during the summer instead of using the air conditioner.
Car pool instead of driving.
Be sure to recycle all of your paper instead of throwing your paper in the garbage, this includes school papers and mail.

[MyDigitalpoint]

Learning to make our own sustainable products is a good way to make the shift because it's the only way to ensure your products meet your green living expectations.

[aspen]

Buy second hand clothes. Read books from libraries.Don't buy newspapers and magazines.

[Green Steve]

May I just comment on #17 - it must be said that we should only be using peat free compost - peat extraction and use is really bad for the environment as it contains sequestered carbon that is released when extraction occurs.

Making your own out of waste food is a great idea of course!

[Hayden]

Updated! Official count is 73 almost to 100!

[QuatreHiead]

I don't know if I saw this sifting through or not, but…
if you do end up purchasing containers for items such as sour cream, whipped cream, takeout food treats, etc that are plastic I can often get minimum 1-2 more uses out of them before merely recycling. This helps too some I like to think!

This can be especially helpful if you're in an area where plastic recycling is limited to only certain types which these containers may or may not be.

I grew quite attached to them and now I avoid purchasing Tupperware altogether!

Another habit I have picked up is to try and use reusable containers that can be washed when packing lunches for school and/or work. I find that Pyrex glass (infused with borosilicate in order to allow it to withstand temperature changes) is much better than purchasing little plastic Ziploc bags over and over to use. If you're brave and confident you could also use plastic grocery bags to store your lunch, but I am guessing most people who would consider going that green likely never get plastic bags because they bring their own to checkout.

[johnygreen]

Very Interesting. All tips are nice and useful.

I like green and frugal living. I do not believe in excess usage of any natural resources, wastage of any thing like electricity, water, food, wood, or any other resources. I like green trees and wish to see them everywhere around wherever I go.

[kayham43]

I tried number 39 but my community told me I was under violation and that I had to get rid of my garden because I would have to have a permit to grow in my personal back yard. I truly believe that was unfair to me and my property.

[Nematoad1998]

Great post!  I'm really interested to look into xeriscaping now that it was mentioned.  I had always read about it on other places and seen people with it but never really read into it or did much research.  It will be really interesting to see how much it can help, considering how much water i use to water my plants and flowers.  Thanks for the post!  I will be definitely be looking into many of the methods listed on here.

[butlera555]

Thanks for posting this! I have been wanting to start living greener and this list really helps.

[SednaLED]

Brilliant list - I like that if we all did one of these a day we could be "green" within one year!

[SednaLED]

I have 9 more...

Invest in a flask You only need to boil the kettle once in the morning to provide all your hot water for tea or coffee for the rest of the day. If you take it to work you will save yourself a few pounds each day as you will not need to buy tea or coffee once there – bonus. AND you won’t be wasting paper by throwing away the plastic cups. The advantages are endless..

Use bars of soap instead of gels You will be saving money by choosing only bars of soap as they last a lot longer than the liquid variety and upfront cost is usually a lot lower. The unnecessary excessive packaging and short life-span of shower gels makes them an extremely bad choice environmentally.
Shop locally and avoid the big supermarkets This assures that you only get what you need, rather than masses of produce which will just be thrown out later. It’s always good to support local businesses too
Make fresh food last longer - Make vegetables last longer by storing them properly - store vegetables wrapped in 2 pieces of kitchen paper in an airtight plastic box in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. When you buy a lettuce, put it straight into a lidded box or bowl in the fridge so it doesn't wilt
Drive at a steady speed - Gear changing is the one function in a car that uses up the most petrol, so don’t be a boy racer and try to drive at a steady speed to save petrol, the price of which is becoming eye-wateringly higher and higher.
Save paper - Use email instead of writing a letter when possible, refrain from printing unnecessarily, try to use both sides of the sheet and make sure you recycle it. Making your own celebration cards is a great way to recycle, be creative and touch someone’s heart with a more personal touch
Recycle, reuse, recycle, reuse - Try to recycle all items that you can. This also includes things like taking your old unwanted items to charity shops - remember: your junk is somebody else’s treasure. Use your own bags when out shopping.
They say nothing in this life is free – but that certainly isn’t the case for www.freecycle.org, a website on which people offer their unwanted items for free. Go and see what gems you can find…
(Note that many components of LED lighting are recyclable.
Walking - This is probably an obvious one, but not enough people to do it. Beneficial to the environment, your wallet AND your health is opting to walk instead of using the car. Of course we’re not expecting you to do the triathlon daily but if a journey is under a mile you should aim to walk it. You’ll notice the benefits on your health too soon enough.
Draft excluders - Got the heating on full whack but still feels a little draughty? The likely problem is that there are a few hidden cracks and gaps in your doors where cold air is finding its way in. Solution: get creative and make a draft excluder with an old pair of tights, a bag of rice and some old fabric, then turn that heating back down.