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green home: 10 steps
1. Use Green Cleaning Products
Common cleaning products are a host for toxic chemicals- compounds that are directly linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, lung and skin damage, and serious health concerns. Kids are especially vulnerable. Cleaning chemicals are a major contributor to indoor air pollution (where the EPA estimates most of us spend 90% of our time [1]).
All cleaning products eventually end up in the environment- devastating the eco-system, contaminating our water. Some of them will never degrade and will remain in the environment forever.
There is a battalion of eco-cleaning products for every surface, nook and cranny. Green cleaning products are non-toxic, biodegradable, and get the job done.
*See Green Cleaning Solution Chart for the full picture.
*See The Balanced Plate for more information
and Resource Guide to products
2. Install a Water Filter
Clean, safe water without all of the waste. Brilliant. Less plastic water bottles. Less energy, fuel and expense of water delivery. A smart and sound priority.
There are a bevy of water filters for the home to choose from. Counter-top, under-the-sink, for-the-whole-house, you name it! Even in-line filters for your garden hose and shower.
A good filtration system will reduce and remove:
Synthetic substances - PCBs, dioxins (from bleach), pesticides
Inorganic compounds – heavy metals, nitrates (from fertilizer), poisons (like arsenic and asbestos from industrial manufacturing)
Water additives- like chlorine and fluoride
Microbes and pathogens – like bacteria, viruses and cysts (yuck.)
*See Renée’s latest book, The Balanced Plate, for a savvy guide to water filters- effectiveness, how long they last, installation and cost.
3. Use of Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
There are stocks of energy-efficient light bulbs for every kind of fixture providing a spectrum of watts, hues and ambience. 90% of electricity is lost by heat in incandescent (regular) bulbs. Energy-efficient bulbs produce the same amount of light using about 1/4 of the energy.
Compact fluorescent, full-spectrum, color-corrected. All of them will save energy and money. Though some of the bulbs are more expensive than standard bulbs, their extended life and low draw of energy makes them cost-effective and eco-friendly. How about a light bulb that lasts 20,000 hours— that’s 5 hours a day for 11 years!— just one of them will replace 26 store — bought light bulbs. So smart!
4. Use Recycled Paper Products —
Unbleached or Naturally Bleached
Recycled paper just makes sense.
Every year, more than 900 million trees are cut down for US paper and pulp mills — we throw away enough paper to build a 12-foot wall from New York to California (every year!).
More than 40% of landfill is paper— office and residential paper dominates it. Go for recycled content. Choose 100% post consumer whenever possible. Toilet paper, tissue, paper towels, printing paper, envelopes, stationary, notebooks and more are all available with recycled content.
Producing recycled paper vs. virgin paper [2, 3]:
Generates 95% less air pollution
Uses 80% less water
Requires 65% less energy
Bleach! Virtually all paper (unless otherwise stated) is bleached with toxic chlorine-based chemicals. The by-products are devastating to the ecosystem and exact a horrible toll on human health- cancer, birth defects, reproductive and developmental damage.
Think: coffee filters, toilet paper and feminine products especially!
Choosing unbleached or naturally bleached paper is the way to go! Oxygen-bleaching is safe, effective and causes little to no pollution.
5. Purify Air with Houseplants!
Plants are not simply nice companions — they are exceedingly effective air purifiers! The EPA estimates indoor air to be 2 to 10 times more polluted than air outdoors [4]. Building materials, furnishings, carpet backing, cleaning products, computer circuitry and printers more or less continuously release pollutants. While electing for non-toxic products is part of the solution, populating the house with plants is the best way to grow fresh air every day.
Measurable benefits of houseplants:
4 Produce fresh air and oxygen
4 Reduce carbon dioxide in air
4 Reduce and remove chemical vapors emitted from synthetic materials, like formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia
4 Offer healthy, microbe-free humidity to dry indoor air
4 Reduce airborne bacteria, mold spores, and mildew
4 Foster a calm, peaceful environments, with measurable benefits including reduced stress [5, 6], more productivity in the workplace [7, 8], and quicker recovery time for hospital patients [9].
*See Renée’s latest book, The Balanced Plate, for a guide to the best air-purifying, super hero houseplants*
6. Go for Natural Natural Lawn Care — Stop Using Pesticides & Synthetic Fertilizers
Pesticides are intentionally toxic. 90 million pounds of pesticides are used on lawns in the US alone- per foot, this is more chemicals than commercial agriculture! [10] These terrible poisons are devastating to our ecosystem. Many of them will never break down, contaminating fresh water and causing serious harm to humans and animals.
Migrating indoors via foot traffic, these toxic chemicals do not degrade and collect in the house. Kids are the most vulnerable to the dangers and damage this stuff causes.
Of the 30 most commonly used pesticides on lawns [11]:
19 are carcinogens
13 are linked with birth defects
21 are linked with reproductive defects
15 are neurotoxins (cause brain damage)
26 cause kidney and liver damage
11 interrupt hormone systems
Synthetic fertilizers may be a quick fix to green a lawn, but actually weaken grass and deteriorate soil in the long run. Chemical fertilizers leech in to the water supply causing contamination. They also kill healthy microorganisms that build healthy soil. Healthy soil grows nice grass. Try adding clover seed or other nitrogen-fixing plant seed to grass seed to improve the soil and/or opt for natural and organic fertilizers. It’s the only way to go to stay truly green!
7. Choose "Green Energy" Options through your Electric Utility
How cool is it that so many utility companies offer “green energy” options? Yes — standard utility companies!
For a small premium, you can elect to get your electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or biomass. This is a direct way to personally get off fossil fuels. Very cool. And will keep our planet from melting. Sign up and save the world!
*See Residential Green Energy Options to find a program in your area or state though a utility provider.
For areas where green energy options are not directly available, you can sign up for “green credits”. For a small premium, you opt to add green energy to the grid from a renewable source- an effective way to offset emissions and grow the demand for clean energy development.
*See Green Energy Credit Programs for more information.
8. Favor Cloth over Paper
Each of us uses an average of 700 pounds of paper products per year (which makes up a third of what goes into landfills). Using cloth towels, napkins and rags instead of disposable paper goods can save heap of rubbish and a few bucks in the process.
Cloth dish-towels are a smart eco-choice over paper towels. Go for organic cotton- better for you, better for the planet.
Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. There are plenty of pretty ones out there (go for organic cotton or linen!). The initial cost will quickly be offset by the reduced need to buy disposable paper products.
Use towels, rags, and sponges for cleaning and wipe-ups.
4 Ratty dish-towels and washcloths are great to recycle into cleaning rags.
4 Old tee-shirts make great rags- just cut ‘em up to size!
Buy some cloth grocery bags. Period. They are easier to carry that disposable bags, hold more, and protect breakable items. Keep a small basket or crate in the trunk of your car and put them back after unloading groceries so you don’t forget on the next trip to the market.
9. Be Wise with Laundry
My mom is the queen of smart laundry and taught me well.
USE BIODEGRADABLE DETERGENT AND OXYGEN BLEACH— free of chemicals, toxins, irritants and harmful substances that do not break down. Better for you, your kids and the environment.
WASH CLOTHES ON COLD — washing machines perform just as well with cold water as with warm or hot. It will save energy and money and extend the life of your threads.
WASH FULL LOADS, BUT DON’T OVERFILL — it takes the same amount of energy for a small load as a large load. Of course, large loads use more water, but an overfilled machine won’t perform as well and may need a longer wash/rinse cycle. Pre-soaking gets clothes cleaner with a shorter cycles.
HANG DRY WHAT YOU CAN — Nothing is better than fresh, line-dried clothes. It will save energy, money on electric (dryers are a huge draw of power), and smells wonderful. Your clothes will thank you too- the dryer is rough on fabric, elastic and wears out colors quickly. Even in cold moths (or sans yard), some laundry can be hung indoors- socks, under-ware and lightweight clothing such as tee shirts will dry quickly. A folding rack can be stashed away without taking up much room. If you like clothes fluffy, tumble drying for a few minutes will do the trick.
CLEAN THE LINT SCREEN— every time the dryer is used. Simple. Air will flow more freely for efficient drying time. Ch-ching.
BUY AN ENERGY EFFICIENT WASHER AND DRYER WHEN THE TIME COMES — they use 50% less energy and 35-50% less water for the same washing and drying action. Look for the Energy Star* models, which meet strict guidelines by the Department of Energy and the EPA.
10. Get Off Junk Mail Lists/ Recycle Paper
More than 62 billion pieces of unsolicited junk mail arrives in American mailboxes every year. Each of us receives about 41 pounds of junk mail- annually 44% of it ends up in the landfill unopened. That is more than 4 million tons of wasted paper!
There are ways to get off unsolicited and junk mail lists and reduce the hemorrhage of waste. It takes a little time and effort- so be persistent! Our planet is worth it.
Avoid having your name sold to advertisers by specifically requesting that your name not be lent, sold or traded to any other organization for their mailing lists whenever you send a check for donations, for mail order purchases, to renew subscriptions or when returning a warranty card.
*See Get off Junk Mail for removal action!
:: source notes ::
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Lemons are an effective cleaning agent to naturally cut grease and deodorize.
On average, most American tap water contains more chlorine than recommended to disinfect a swimming pool.
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For a small premium, you can elect to get your electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or biomass. This is a direct way to personally get off fossil fuels. Very cool. And will keep our planet from melting. Sign up and save the world!
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Plants are not simply nice companions — they are exceedingly effective air purifiers! The EPA estimates indoor air to be 2 to 10 times more polluted than air outdoors.
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Each of us uses an average of 700 pounds of paper products per year (which makes up a third of what goes into landfills). Using cloth towels, napkins and rags instead of disposable paper goods can save heap of rubbish and a few bucks in the process.
Half of all U.S. public water violates one or more pollutant limits!
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