Go Green

Here are some simple ideas for the home an the office on how to conserve our natural resources, reduce energy costs, and help preserve the environment:

Home

1. Don't Wait to Insulate. Upgrading your insulation to a higher R-value can lower energy costs dramatically. Start with insulating the attic and unheated crawl spaces. Sealing ducts, caulking, and weather stripping reduce energy loss even more.

2. Lower the Flow. Turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth. Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool. Your old shower head probably delivers a lot more water than you really need. Reduce that to 2.5 gallons a minute or less with today's standard shower head – it can make a difference in your water bill. For even greater savings, replace your old toilets with today's standard low flush models that use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.

3. Reduce the Runoff. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems can lower your water bills by delivering water directly where you need it. By reducing or eliminating runoff, you also reduce the burden of fertilizers and pesticides on our lakes, streams, and oceans and still have a gorgeous garden or lawn.

4. Keep Your Cool. Ceiling fans can make you feel cooler while reducing air conditioning costs by as much as 40% in summer. In winter, they can save up to 10% in heating costs by circulating warm air from the ceiling to the floor where you can enjoy it. Learn more about reducing your energy bills.

5. Try Branching Out. For an all-around environmental boost, plant a tree. When properly sited, trees and other landscaping can save up to 30% in home cooling and heating costs. They also help cool your community and make your Smart Choice home even more enjoyable.

6. Look for the Energy Star Label. Replace your old, inefficient appliances with Energy Star qualified appliances and save energy and money.

7. Something Bugging You? Stay in control by starting with nature's own methods to beat the bugs. Attract birds with birdhouses, feeders, and natural backyard wildlife habitats to help reduce pests. Bug lights, screening, citronella candles, and insecticidal soaps are other less-toxic alternatives.

8. Clear the Air. Tune up your systems to make your family more comfortable while you save on heating and cooling costs. Upgrading and properly maintaining your home air filters is easy and helps improve indoor air quality. Vented range hoods and room exhaust fans also help remove smoke, moisture, airborne bacteria, and other indoor air pollutants.

9. Get the Lead Out. In the U.S. and Canada, over 58 million homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paints. To reduce lead hazards in your home and protect your family during any home renovation, ask our Paint Department for the free information sheet "Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your Home."

10. Make Your Own Mulch. Composting is the smart way to dispose of leaves, yard clippings, selected food scraps, and other organic wastes. Instead of burdening landfills, you'll produce rich nutrients to fertilize your garden the natural way. And it's free. Make it a habit to recycle your glass, cans, cardboard, and newspapers, too.

Business

1. Be bright about light. Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings. Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can and make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures,  which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting. Install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

2. Maximize computer efficiency. Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year. Turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by up to 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy. Make sure that old equipment is properly recycled.

3. Print smarter. The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year. If you have to print, print on both sides of the paper or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible. Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content, recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones.

4. Go paperless when possible. Think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item. Post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.

5. Ramp up your recycling. Try to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.

6. Close the loop. Purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.

7. Watch how you eat. Bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office and provide your employees with reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled water waste.

8. Rethink your travel. Check out Metro and take the train, bus, or subway when feasible instead of a driving your car when traveling locally on business. If you have to rent a car, a growing number of rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles. Invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.

9. Reconsider your commute. Promote carpooling, biking or taking Metro to work. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like Zipcar or Flexcar instead of owning your own wheels. Encourage telecommuting and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.

10. Create a healthy office environment. Use non-toxic cleaning products around the office. And brighten up your cubicle with plants, which can absorb indoor pollution.