Although it is possible to be more efficient when hand-washing, it’s actually pretty tough. Can you successfully wash and rinse a soiled dinner plate in just over a cup of water? If you can keep the water use low, equal to an efficient machine, you’ll require less energy. However, doing an entire load of dishes in 4 gallons of water is roughly equal to doing them all in the same amount of water you use in 96 seconds of showering (using a showerhead that releases 2.5 gallons per minute).

So, as long as you don’t often run your dishwasher when it’s only half full of dirty dishes, run during peak hours (try running your dishwasher during off- peak hours- bedtime), or unless you are very miserly with your water use (or have an old, inefficient dishwasher), the automatic dishwasher is likely to be more efficient.

Remember:

It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow. 

A fun way to do this is to get three (or more) colorful containers and write on each one of them. For example, PLASTIC, or PAPER, or GLASS, or METAL. You can decorate your containers any way you want to.  Then just dump the trash into the respective container and bring it to your local recycling center. Some neighborhoods now have recycling pick up service too, to make it even easier for you to embrace the world!

Remember:

It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

Also, try switching off and unplugging all of your electronics (T.V., air conditioning/ heaters, cell phone chargers, etc.) for an hour once a week. Try spending time hanging out with your family for that hour. For example on a cold night, snuggle together by the fireplace and read the family’s favorite story together. If a fireplace isn’t available, use a flashlight. You can go as far as choosing a family member to be the narrator, preferably the one who does funny and-or scary voices the best. Then let other family members dress up as characters in the book and act out their parts as the story unfolds. Be inventive!

Remember:

It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

Tub & Tile Scrub
• ½ Water
• ½ Baking Soda
Use a sponge or brush and scrub away! If you feel you need more “power” in the scrub, add some soda crystals.

Remember:
It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

Also, these plastic bottles are then thrown away into landfills, where they live on and on and on and on, taking up valuable landfill space, leaking toxic additives into the groundwater. Plastic can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, if ever. This means, as of now, if you lined up plastic bottles end to end, it could travel from Earth to the Moon, and back, 10 times!!!!

The best thing to do is to buy yourself a stainless steel water bottle. Stainless steel bottles last a lifetime and are easy to clean – and water will always taste the same – good and clean. Also, there are SO many different designs out there- you can choose one for each day of the week to match your mood or clothing!

Remember:
It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

It’s also more efficient to grow grain directly for food than to grow grain to feed livestock. For example, it takes 16 pounds of grain or soy to produce one pound of steak! One of the greatest things we could do to help the environment would be to reduce the amount of meat we consume. Simply switching from steak to salad could cut as much carbon as leaving the car at home a couple days a week.

Meat used to be a luxury in our diet. People used to eat it, maybe, once a week. Now we eat it every day! So, ultimately, being a vegetarian, or vegan, would be ideal for the environment. However, for many of us, this is unrealistic. So, the next best thing? Try not eating meat, or any animal by-product (anything that comes from, or made from any animal), once every week. Even if you give up meat for a day, or a few days a week, it makes a difference. A difference in your health and in the environment.

So, try and get you and your family to go meatless on Mondays! This means, for the ENTIRE day, promise each other that you will not eat meat at all. Or, if you want to do better for the environment, try not eating or drinking any animal by- products. This means, no JELL-O (it’s made out of bones and hides!).

Once a week can make a difference! If you get used to your Meatless Mondays and want to do more, add another day to the week!

Remember:
It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

A traditional 60- watt light bulb can last about 750- 1,000 hours, whereas if you use an energy efficient light bulb, at 15 watts, you are able to save three- quarters of the energy that is used in a traditional bulb. Not only do you save energy, but it will last ten times longer than a traditional bulb!

The only thing you have to watch out for, with the energy efficient light bulbs, is how you dispose of it. These light bulbs contain mercury (about 4 mg) that will emit from the bulb if it breaks. Therefore, the best way to dispose an energy efficient light bulb is to bring it to a place that recycles these light bulbs, safely. Call 1.800.CLEAN.UP to find your closest recycling program.

If you have broken a bulb, the best thing to do is follow these instructions:

• Open nearby window to let all the escaped vapor out.
• Using gloves, a dustpan, and a broom, sweep up all fragments. DO NOT TOUCH IT WITH YOUR HANDS! Make sure the area is wiped up completely. Use a damp disposable paper towel for smaller glass fragments. DO NOT USE YOUR VACUUM CLEANER!
• Place all the fragments into a sealed plastic bag and take it to your closest recycling program. Although theses light bulbs may seem scary, they really aren’t. The mercury in them does not contain as much mercury as in, say, a normal thermometer (500 mg). Just use the proper precautions when disposing of it.

Also, yes, these light bulbs do cost a little more than traditional light bulbs, but…

Remember:
It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

Did you know that using your toaster oven, when compared to using your convectional oven saves energy to about 50%? You can not only use your toaster ovens to toast bread, but you can make a variety of dishes!

There are so many recipes out there where you can use just your toaster oven to cook a meal. For example, you can actually cook fish by placing it in foil packets, add a little salt and pepper, pop it into the toaster oven, and voila!, one fish entrée. The possibilities are endless!

It may take a little more time in the kitchen if you’re cooking for a few people, but…

Remember:
It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

Plastic and paper bags have about the same amount of negatives. Paper uses a lot of natural resources to be produced, but can be recycled back to its organic matter eventually. Plastic, on the other hand, takes less to be produced, but can never be recycled back to its original matter.

In fact, every bit of plastic ever made is probably still on this earth today. It’s just in a different form. Can you imagine how much plastic that is?

In the end, neither paper, nor plastic is environmentally friendly. The best way to go is to bring your own reusable bag. You can find these at your neighborhood supermarkets. Some are even decorated with drawings and designs, and cute sayings. Best of all, YOU can have fun with them by buying a non- marked reusable bag and decorate it yourself! Just don’t forget the bag(s) at home when you go do your grocery shopping!

Remember:
It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.

Did you know that buying local groceries can help improve the environment?

Buying local products can be more expensive. However, at times, it may actually cost less if you take a second look. Next time, notice how much bigger a head of lettuce is when it’s grown locally and organically when compared to the head of lettuce you see at the supermarket. Also, some herbs and vegetables (such as artichokes) can be cheaper at the local farmer’s market than your neighborhood grocery store.

Given, there still are locally produced foods that are more expensive, but it’s a small price to pay to save the environment. Plus, food really does taste better when it’s fresh!

Remember:
It’s better to pay a small price today than it is to pay a bigger price tomorrow.