40 Ways to Go Green

Happy Saturday Afternoon! I've been working on a list of ways to go green. I've compiled some ideas that I've seen and added a few of my own. The highlighted ideas are ones that I personally do or try to do most of the time.

40 Quick Ways to Go Green:

1. Use the dishwasher – doing a full load is more efficient than hand-washing.
   
2. Plant an herb garden indoors or outside
   
3. Plant a vegetable garden. Some areas have plots you can rent.
   
4. Switch lightbulbs to CFLs - or how about LEDs?
   
5. Replace your shower head with a lower flow model (could save 14,000 gallons/year)
   
6. Create a homemade compost bin or a worm bin
   
7. Stop using disposable bags and make or buy your own
   
8. Buy a reusable water bottle
   
9. Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot
   
10. Turn off lights when you leave a room
    
11. Open your curtains and use natural light when possible
    
12. Share a car, carpool, take the bus or bike to your destination
    
13. Shop at your local farmer's market (ours is here)
    
14. Sign up for green power from the electric company (DTE offers it here)
    
15. Pay your bills online
    
16. Put a stop to unsolicited mail and opt-out
    
17. Reuse scrap paper
    
18. Check Craig's List or Freecycle before purchasing something new
    
19. 
    Fix leaky faucets
    
20. Make your own household cleaners and laundry soap
    
21. Repurpose something: how about making a shopping bag out of an old shirt?
    
22. Switch to cloth diapers – or at least combine with disposables
    
23. Switch to shade grown and fair trade coffee
    
24. Use reusable dishtowels instead of paper towels and reusable dishcloths instead of sponges.
    
25. Use cloth napkins instead of paper
    
26. Cut down on the amount of time you take to shower
    
27. Donate (and shop at) thrift stores such as Goodwill.
    
28. Replace a vinyl shower curtain with one that's washable
    
29. Place an aerator on your sinks to cut down on water usage
    
30. Get a programmable thermostat
    
31. Use drapes to keep the sun out in the summer (which will keep your house cooler)
    
32. Start a "no shoes" policy in your home. This will improve air quality and lower need for cleaners.
    
33. Choose LCD televisions over plasma (saves $36/year in electricity)
    
34. Unplug unused chargers or electronics or use a Smart Power Strip.
    
35. Use old t-shirts or towels as rags for cleaning instead of using paper towels.
    
36. Insulate your water heater and turn down the temperature 20 degrees (you'll save $20/year)
    
37. Ditch the paper bags and sue a reusable lunch bag to pack your lunch
    
38. Use a rain barrel for watering your garden
    
39. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth
    
40. Use refillable office supplies such as pens and pencils.
    

So as you can see, I still have a couple more items that I need t o do or get in the habit of doing more often. I'm extremely guilty of taking long showers. I need to get out of the habit of that…