Tips for going green
– Reuse big plastic containers that yogurt, cream cheese, and whipped cream come in as Tupperware for your lunch, leftovers, kitchen essentials, or plant an herb garden.
-Recycle all those empty 40ounce bottles of Coke into plant containers, just turn them over, cut off the bottom and start planting.
-Instead of drinking Coke, use it to clean your toilet. It cleans better than many house hold cleaning products and is better for the environment.
– Reuse notebooks from previous semesters that are half full or buy recycled note books and printer paper.
– Reuse copy paper that has only been printed on one side.
– Have two garbage cans in your apartment, one for recycling and one for garbage. Utilize them appropriately.
– When running small errands within two miles of home, ride a bike. It can be faster and is more cost effective.
– Help reduce inversions by biking, carpooling, using public transportation, or any combination of the above to reduce your carbon foot print.
– Don’t turn the air conditioning on at night, open a window or use a fan. The night temperature in Logan is half of what it is during the day, you do the math on what that can save you.
-Bring your own bag to the grocery store instead of collecting endless plastic bags, which are made from petroleum, or reuse the plastic bags you already have. Smiths gives a discount for every bag you bring to the store.
– Shop at the local Farmers Market, buying local reduces the amount of produce that has to be trucked in from other places.
– Buy organic when you can. When it comes to things such as grain and thin skinned fruits which require more pesticides that in turn pollute the soil.
– Skip the screen savers and put your computer to sleep. Those moving images on a computer monitor can cost an extra $50 or more of electricity a year.
– Use compact florescent light bulbs in your apartment. They may be a few extra dollars but they last up to two years and save you money when the roommates leave the lights on all night. Plus, you can take them with you when you move.
-Hang plants such as Boston ferns, Peace lilies, Kentia and Areca palms in your apartment to help lower the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by cleaning products, pesticides, paints, perfumes, pressed woods, and carpets. Doing this can lower the amount of VOCs in a living space by as much as 20 percent
List compiled from ecologue.com, Green Greener Greenest, and real life experience.