Here are a few ideas to help cut household waste, consume less plus most of these tips will save you a few dollars every month.
The added bonus: they’re all ways to introduce a little earth friendliness into your home.
12 Easy Ways To Go Green
- Use A Clothesline: see How to Use a Clothesline [1], Lazy Line Dry [2] and 11 Free Clothespin Bag Patterns [3].
- Compost Kitchen Waste: see Free Tips & Tutorials For Compost Bins & Boxes [4].
- Cut Down On Plastic Bags & Packaging: see 35 Reusable Grocery Bags You Can Make – Free Patterns [5].
- Cut The Chemicals: see Tipnut’s Cleaning Recipes [6], many are environmentally friendly and very frugal.
- Plant A Garden: Not only for food, but you can also plant sunflowers to help bees thrive. Also see Make Your Own Organic Potting Soil [7] and more Gardening tips [8].
- Repurpose What You Can Use: see 20 Things You Can Use Twice Before Tossing [9].
- Recycle What You Can’t Use: see a couple recycling center projects on this page [10].
- Cut Oil & Gas Consumption: Even shaving just 30 minutes a week from our driving time, we can cut 26 hours of driving time a year–that’s a lot of fuel per person! Walk more, bike more, carpool when possible, take public transportation, plan your errands more effectively (to save time and driving).
- Limit Paper Products: Use cloth napkins instead of paper, cloth rags instead of paper towels, use washable/reusable plastic cutlery & dishes instead of paper plates.
- Respect Paper: Opt out of junk mail, use up scraps to make scratch pads, shred used paper for packing material, recycle when possible, buy recycled paper.
- Use Rain Water: Take advantage of free rain water for your garden & lawn needs, see How to Install a Rainbarrel [11], How to Harvest Rainwater [12], Build a Rain Garden [13] and Rain Barrel Guide [14].
- Use energy efficient light bulbs, rechargeable batteries (no waste), and make a move to energy efficient appliances as you can afford. These not only help reduce your energy needs, they also help save cash!