It isn't easy being Green. Or is it?

levieenrose · April 2015

Earth Day is one week from today! In celebration, what little things do you do to help the environment?

Bragging is welcome!

ETA: Sorry, I did not realize that you could only pick one option. Please disregard polling stupidity.

southernbelle0915 · April 2015

We do all of these things except we do not hang our clothes to dry, though. I do not like to iron unless absolutely necessary.

So I couldn't really pick one.

We also try really hard not to waste food. Also, we try to buy local so we aren't purchasing products with a huge green footprint (plus we're supporting our area)!

lyndausvi · April 2015

Not really a good poll since I do more than one of those.

We only have 1 car. I ride my bike or walk when possible.

I always take in usable bags to the store. Especially since it's 10 cents a pop if I don't.

I turn off the lights. I even go as far as unplugging electronics not in use. Not all, but at the end of the day I power off the power strip in my office. I keep chargers unplugged. If we go away all the TV's, WIFI, etc are shut down.

We recycle.

I just bought a drying rack. I thought the HOA had a restriction, but they don't so I'm going to start air drying clothes more often.

jenna8984 · April 2015

I'm not even going to lie- we don't do any of these. Except recycle and that's only because we have a no-sort bin that comes with our trash service. Guess I can/should make some improvements.

levieenrose · April 2015

Oh, this is my first poll! I didn't realize you can only choose one option.

I guess it's too late to change it?

climbingsingle · April 2015

I do all of this already except for hanging our clothes to dry.

TrixieJess · April 2015

We do almost all those things and more. We have a one bag limit in our city for garbage; we put out one bag every two weeks. We cloth diaper our son, we use flushable kitty litter, we compost or green bin all food waste. We belong to a food co-op that sources local produce and products, we have a garden. Neither my FI nor I drive our own vehicles but we have a car share and bike share program in our city that we utilize. I take public transit to and from work.

labro · April 2015

We do some of those things.

H and I commute together on the days I don't work from home. I feel like this is our biggest "green" thing. We both drive compact, gas efficient vehicles.

We have a garden.

We always recycle significantly more than we throw away (and we have a compost pile for any food waste that further reduces how much we "trash").

I try to buy local when I can, but it isn't always easy. Luckily having a garden in the summer helps cut down on purchasing outside vegetables.

Lights are kept turned off unless we're in the room and need them. When we're not at home, our house is kept at 80 in the summertime and 65 in the wintertime. When we're home we keep the A/C at 78 and the heat at 67. We also just replaced our 25 year old furnace with a new model that is significantly more energy efficient (same with our A/C).

amelisha · April 2015

We have one car and don't drive to work, which is our biggest thing.

We're kind of bad with the energy-saving stuff at home because the bills are all included with the condo fees and because we don't pay for it directly we don't see the immediate impact of using the dryer all the time and stuff.

NowIamMrsKlein · April 2015

We hang our clothes to try and then just do a quick 'fluff' in the dryer. Helps thats most of our clothes aren't actually supposed to be thrown in the dryer, stops us from making the easy choice of chucking them all in there.

We are very conscious of turning the lights out, so that when we are home, only the room we are in has the lights on. We unplug everything (coffee maker, toaster, TV etc) when we are away from home for longer than a day.

We buy more eco-friendly cleaners, this one is hard because i don't find some of them clean as well.

We need to get more into recycling, but the program here is just pretty crappy so it's hard to commit.

lurkergirl · April 2015

Welp I'm terrible. I turn off lights and occasionally bring my own bags. If I remember. Otherwise it's lots of plastic. I also throw away batteries, light bulbs, small electronics...(ducks to avoid Internet tomatoes being hurled at me).

daria24 · April 2015

Living in NYC makes it pretty easy to be green. No car. Our trash is about 1 grocery bagful a week because we recycle nearly everything, plus I have a compost bin and drop off food scraps at the Green market. Soon we should have compost bins in our apartment building, which will be nice.

I do hang dry some of my clothes, but that's because my pants are barely long enough as it is, I can't dry them. I would gladly hang dry all my clothes if there was room in my one bedroom apartment.

ShesSoCold · April 2015

lurkergirl said:
Welp I'm terrible. I turn off lights and occasionally bring my own bags. If I remember. Otherwise it's lots of plastic. I also throw away batteries, light bulbs, small electronics...(ducks to avoid Internet tomatoes being hurled at me).

Me too. I only BYObags to places that make you pay for bags. Even then I forget and use the free boxes. I'm a chronic light leaver-oner. H regularly lectures me. Does not sink in.

I do at least bring the plastic bags back to the bag recycling thing at the store.

lyndausvi · April 2015

When I lived in the island electric was about 59 cents a KWH. In the states the average is/was? 9 cents.

I unplugged things and air dried my clothes just to save money. Not really to be green. I also had a timer on my hot water heater (only ran it 45 mins in the morning and evening). I was able to drop my bill by $50+ a month. Even then it was still running us $200+ every month for a 800 sq ft place.

Bubblegum5586 · April 2015

I have a 7 mile commute to work and drive a fuel efficient car (38MPG), I love bringing my reusable totes to the grocery store because they are so much bigger and better then those crappy plastic bags, and we live in a town where we have single stream recycling which makes it oh so easy!

emmaaa · April 2015

We do a few of these things.

-We can't really save gas because we both work an hour from home (in opposite directions). But since it is 30 minutes to town, we do everything in one trip.

-I'm awful at remembering to take my bags to a regular grocery store. At Aldi's or Trader Joe's I will always remember, or just carry my stuff out, bagless.

-I don't really check about the products we use being "earth-friendly." Although, for every day counter and bathroom cleaning, we use vinegar and water instead of other products.

-DH and I plant a small garden but are a part of my family's garden at my dad's. My dad's farm (which my brother runs now) also has pigs and cows for meat.

-We don't have trash pick up where we live so we have a burn barrel for trash and separate anything not burnable and take to a recycling center once a month.

-When it is warm enough, most all of our clothes are hung on the line. During the cooler months, we hang up shirts and jeans that would shrink if we dried them.

-I'm very anal about turning off lights before we leave the house and not having extra lights on when we are there. I don't unplug things though.

[Deleted User] · April 2015

We recycle almost everything. We put out our recycling for pickup every week, our trash can usually wait two or three weeks.

I try to use cloth napkins but FH is addicted to paper towels.

I just bought a Diva Cup so hopefully I'll stop using tampons soon.

I have a compost tumbler so coffee grounds and rotting cilantro get composted. I just built a raised bed in my backyard but need to fill it with more dirt before I can start a garden. I would love to start guerilla gardening in some of the empty lots and parkways around the city.

We use reusable bags for groceries.

I don't own a car. I use public transportation during the week, FH takes me places in his car on the weekends.

I'm looking into the possibility of installing a greywater system when we renovate our bathrooms. I need more information about this.

labro · April 2015

lyndausvi said:
When I lived in the island electric was about 59 cents a KWH. In the states the average is/was? 9 cents.

I unplugged things and air dried my clothes just to save money. Not really to be green. I also had a timer on my hot water heater (only ran it 45 mins in the morning and evening). I was able to drop my bill by $50+ a month. Even then it was still running us $200+ every month for a 800 sq ft place.

I should've added this.

A lot of the stuff we do (car-pooling, not running our A/C, stuff like that) is motivated more by a desire to save money, but the green side benefit is nice too!

[Deleted User] · April 2015

labro said:

lyndausvi said:
When I lived in the island electric was about 59 cents a KWH. In the states the average is/was? 9 cents.

I unplugged things and air dried my clothes just to save money. Not really to be green. I also had a timer on my hot water heater (only ran it 45 mins in the morning and evening). I was able to drop my bill by $50+ a month. Even then it was still running us $200+ every month for a 800 sq ft place.
I should've added this. A lot of the stuff we do (car-pooling, not running our A/C, stuff like that) is motivated more by a desire to save money, but the green side benefit is nice too!

On the Saving Money side of things, which also happens to be good for the environment, I eat less meat. (A breakfast sandwich without sausage costs less than one with it.) I call myself a Flexitarian (read an article where that was one of the Top Medical Buzzwords of 2012). It's basically a half-assed vegetarian; when I get to choose my own meals, I choose to eat vegetarian, but when someone else is cooking for me or has chosen a non-vegetarian restaurant, I'll eat meat. Turns out I eat meatless meals about half the time, mostly breakfasts and lunches during the week, meat-optional at dinner and on the weekends.

hellosweetie1015 · April 2015

We don't use lights until we can't see without them.

Right now, I'm carpooling.

I try to do all my errands in one fell swoop.

We planted a garden this weekend! First garden in a long time, and I'm excited about it. I hope it's getting enough light in this rainy weather - afternoons are turning sunny though, so that's good news.

I want to have a compost eventually, when we've got our own yard (whether we're renting or if we own).

The only things that stay plugged in are our phone chargers, because the plugs are hard to get to behind furniture. We pull the strip FI's TV / Playstations / etc are all plugged into as we walk out the door, and I unplug my computer from the wall once it comes off the charger.

redheadbride15 · April 2015

Nice thread! A few more ideas (some of which PPs have mentioned) that we try to do:

- If you drive a lot, buy a fuel-efficient car (Like a hybrid! Or at least the smallest one that fits your needs)

- Buy local, in-season food whenever possible

- Switch to LED or fluorescent light bulbs

- Programmable thermostat in your house to turn down the heat or A/C when you're out!

- Get rid of (or better yet don't buy in the first place) things you don't use. Having fewer things allows us to live in a smaller space.

BONUS: all of the above save money too!

[Deleted User] · April 2015

I try to buy in bulk; less packaging involved. And you can always refill the smaller containers you already have. Mostly I use this for soap and shampoo and sometimes OTC meds.

lyndausvi · April 2015

Some other things I do is never run the washer without a full load.

I mostly hand wash dishes, but if I'm going to use the dishwasher then it's a full load.

I take 5 minute showers. I never let the water run when brushing my teeth.

ShesSoCold · April 2015

redheadbride15 said:
Nice thread! A few more ideas (some of which PPs have mentioned) that we try to do:

- If you drive a lot, buy a fuel-efficient car (Like a hybrid! Or at least the smallest one that fits your needs)

- Buy local, in-season food whenever possible

- Switch to LED or fluorescent light bulbs

- Programmable thermostat in your house to turn down the heat or A/C when you're out!

- Get rid of (or better yet don't buy in the first place) things you don't use. Having fewer things allows us to live in a smaller space.

BONUS: all of the above save money too!

Depending on your unit and house, this might not work. My stepdad works in heating/AC and depending on the unit, it could work super hard to bring the temp back up/down when you change the temperature when you get home, negating all the energy you saved throughout the day.

redheadbride15 · April 2015

ShesSoCold said:

redheadbride15 said:
Nice thread! A few more ideas (some of which PPs have mentioned) that we try to do:

- If you drive a lot, buy a fuel-efficient car (Like a hybrid! Or at least the smallest one that fits your needs)

- Buy local, in-season food whenever possible

- Switch to LED or fluorescent light bulbs

- Programmable thermostat in your house to turn down the heat or A/C when you're out!

- Get rid of (or better yet don't buy in the first place) things you don't use. Having fewer things allows us to live in a smaller space.

BONUS: all of the above save money too!
Depending on your unit and house, this might not work. My stepdad works in heating/AC and depending on the unit, it could work super hard to bring the temp back up/down when you change the temperature when you get home, negating all the energy you saved throughout the day.

Agreed. It's certainly helpful to consult with a heating/AC guy to see if it will work for your home because there are factors including insulation, home size, and climate to take into consideration. It's also important not to change the temp too much for when you're out (we only drop it from 68 to 62 during the work day and overnight, for example). We've saved noticeable $$ on our bills since we installed ours though, and I know this translates to a reduced carbon footprint.

sophhabobopha · April 2015

I do all of these things.

Also we only do full loads of laundry. And shower together, you know, for the Earth.

hellohkb · April 2015

Thanks for the reminder about Earth Day! I do all of the above except plant and hang out our clothes because we live in an apartment... Although lately I HAVE hung up some clothes a couple of times in my bathroom!

dolewhipper · April 2015

We do about half of these things. I try and remember to bring my reusable grocery bags and I try to carpool with coworkers to events whenever possible. My mom got me in the habit of turning off the lights/disconnecting items when not in use, and we raise the temps a bit when we leave the house (though we can't make it too warm since we have a humidity problem). I air dry some clothes but moreso for the fact that they should be air dried, and use less hazardous cleaning agents because they're cheaper, more effective and won't get my kitties sick.

I want to go to Animal Kingdom on Earth Day; they usually have a few special events that day. They also have a conservation fund that I don't think a lot of people know about: CLICKY

jenna8984 · April 2015

lyndausvi said:
Some other things I do is never run the washer without a full load.

I mostly hand wash dishes, but if I'm going to use the dishwasher then it's a full load.

I take 5 minute showers. I never let the water run when brushing my teeth.

@lyndausvi How?! I feel like I really don't dilly-dally and yet it's always 15 minutes. I get the shampoo in & let it sit while I wash my upper half & shave pits. Then I get my conditioner in and let it sit while I wash my lower half & shave legs/bikini.

lyndausvi · April 2015

jenna8984 said:

lyndausvi said:
Some other things I do is never run the washer without a full load.

I mostly hand wash dishes, but if I'm going to use the dishwasher then it's a full load.

I take 5 minute showers. I never let the water run when brushing my teeth.

@lyndausvi How?! I feel like I really don't dilly-dally and yet it's always 15 minutes. I get the shampoo in & let it sit while I wash my upper half & shave pits. Then I get my conditioner in and let it sit while I wash my lower half & shave legs/bikini.

when you live in the islands and pay over 10 cents per gallon water, you learn how. In the days I had a cistern (yeah for free water) I went has far as turning off the water between rises. A delivery of water would set me back $500. You did what you could to stretch out the water use between rain storms.

One time we went some 40 days without rain. I had to break down and get a delivery. I figured I would run out in 3 days. It took 7 days later to even get the water. The last few days I had to resort to taking showers at work just to save water for the toilet. Then the day after I got the delivery, yep you guessed it, it rained. A lot. The mother-fucking-cistern was overflowing. I'm still pissed thinking of it - LOL

Sorry for the random rant, I do pretty much the same as you. I rise my hair and then shampoo. While the shampoo is in I shave everything. Wash out the shampoo, throw in some conditioner and do a full body wash. Then rise. I only wash my hair ever other day. So maybe my hair washing days might be a little longer, but not more than 10 minutes. I know I can get up, hit up the bathroom, brush my teeth and shower in under 15 minutes.

banana468 · April 2015

We re-use the trash bags that we do get from the grocery store and try not to eat out a lot (less disposable waste). We own 3 vehicles for the two drivers but we make efficient use of our driving. I don't go out for the sake of a drive and we use DH's commute to be the time he gets items from places like Target or the grocery store (so we reduce the # of trips to the store). We're also lucky to both work close to home. DH's employer is 11 miles away and I work out of the house so my morning commute is to drop the kids off at DC. A fuel efficient car is great but what pollutes less - not driving!

In the summer, we'll grill more often so I won't be heating up the house while an AC runs. We have a well which runs on electricity so in order to avoid wasting water, we run the dishwasher for almost everything that needs to be washed. That uses less water and less electricity than hand washing the dishes for a family of 4.

We also have a HE front loading washer and I rarely put in small loads unless there's a biohazard issue.

It isn't easy being Green. Or is it?

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