Defining Green

Leading a cleaner, greener, more eco-friendly existence doesn’t mean you have to move into a yurt and grow your own rutabaga. In fact, we found several smaller-scale lifestyle changes that, in the long run, make a big difference. Try them yourself or, better yet, enlist a few friends: The greater the number, the greater the impact!

Greener Groceries

Avoid Pesticides: Download the “Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce” at www.ewg.org. It sorts the fruits and vegetables that tend to be higher in pesticides (like apples and spinach) from produce with a lower count (like bananas and peas). Put it in your wallet for easy reference while shopping!

Choose “Certified” Coffee: Look for coffees that are Rainforest Alliance Certified—meaning coffee that’s grown so it preserves the ecosystem.

Buy Local: Visit www.eatwellguide.org to plug in your ZIP code and find purveyors of organic and sustainably produced meat, poultry, eggs, etc. Buying locally means not having to rely on farms that ship food nationally, which helps to decrease dependence on oil and cut back on gasoline emissions.

Bring a Bag: Forget agonizing over paper vs. plastic. Simply bring your own! If you need a bag, visit www.cathkidston.com or www.reusablebags.com.

Look for Excess Packaging: Did you know that every American produces about four pounds of garbage every day? So when making purchases, take into account the amount of packaging used (i.e., cardboard, plastic, miscellaneous wrapping, etc.).

Home Economics

Go with the (Low) Flow: For a family of four, a low-flow model showerhead can cut water usage by as much as 280 gallons per month! Visit www.kohler.com or www.niagaraconservation.com to shop their eco-friendly models.

Adjust Temps: Maximize refrigerator efficiency by keeping the fridge at 37°F and the freezer at 0°F.

Get Enlightened: Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They’re a bit more expensive but last up to ten times longer than traditional bulbs, so you can lower your electric bill and pay less in the long run. To save even more money on lighting, install dimmer switches and use timers, indoors and out.

Don’t Trash a Treasure: When you have items to discard, visit these sites first: www.freecycle.org and www.earth911.org. Both offer alternatives to dumping—including community-specific resources.

Smarter Remodeling

Choose Wisely: Many remodeling materials contain hazardous chemicals, and many repairs can be made with recycled or alternate resources.

Paint It Green: Paint companies like Sherwin-Williams have developed water-based products that perform well but give off virtually no volatile organic compounds. Krylon’s H2O paint is the first low-VOC latex spray paint that can be cleaned up with soap and water. Made from 99% food-graded ingredients, Anna Sova’s Healthy Wall Finish (www.annasova.com) leaves your room smelling like vanilla! At the very least, choose water-based latex paint over oil-based alkyd paint—and never use exterior paint indoors.

Raise the Roof: If your old shingles need to be replaced, look into a Classic Metal Roofing System (www.classicroof.com). Made from recycled aluminum cans, they resemble traditional shakes or tiles. And, thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, installing this type of material can qualify you for a $500 tax credit.

Pick a Star: Replacing appliances? Look for the Energy Star label, often awarded to fridges, washers, and other products that exceed government efficiency standards by using less water or electricity.

Eco-conscious Consumption

Eat Your Greens: Try to introduce at least one vegetarian dish each week. In terms of energy, raising produce is cheaper than raising animals. Visit www.vegweb.com for many tasty recipes.

Say No to Shuckin’: Rather than stripping off the green corn leaves, soak the ears whole and then place them right on the BBQ. This way, no aluminum foil is required.

Park It: Avoid drive-through windows, especially if there are long lines. This not only provides a bit of exercise but also cuts down on car emissions.

Get Scrappy: Don’t trash food scraps: Instead toss them into a compost pile, or better yet, into Gardener’s Supply Company Kitchen Compost Crock, a ceramic countertop composter that’s perfect for first-timers. www.gardeners.com

Do Bamboo: Bamboo bowls and service wear are not only pretty and stylish, but they’re also highly sustainable (compared to wood) because bamboo grows extremely quickly: www.lamsonsharp.com

The Great(er) Outdoors

Mow-ercise!: Non-gasoline-powered reel lawn mowers are much easier to push than they used to be. And beside the zero-emissions eco-benefit, they provide a great workout. If you simply insist on a power mower, consider a quiet, battery-operated model from Black & Decker.

Soak Up the Sun: Even though you may not be completely ready for a sun-run home, you can get a taste of the technology by using solar-powered lighting in your yard or on your patio. Check out Malibu’s Solar Floodlight at www.intermatic.com.

Go Native: Plant flowers and shrubs that are well suited to your climate. You’ll use less water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Office Efficiencies

Laptop, Baby: Laptop computers use considerably less power than desktop computers.

Double Up: Configure your printer so it prints on both sides of the page. And any extra “junk” pages can be put back into your printer to print on the opposite blank side.

Get Rid of the Junk Mail: Register with the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service at www.dmaconsumers.org and you’ll see a significant reduction of mail after three months.

RecycleAtWork.com: Check out this website for all the facts and fiction about recycling in the workplace. For example, did you know that you CAN recycle documents with paper clips and tape? Recycling is easier than you think! Check out the site for more tips and then share with co-workers.