April 17th, 2007

If you’ve taken the Ecological Footprint Quiz, the number of planets that you’ve destroyed with your carbon footprint is probably burned into your brain. But in your search for ways to reduce your impact on the planet, you learn that many suggestions turn out to be sales pitches for items that are well beyond your budget. Plus, some ideas about how to green up your life are almost impossible to comprehend, let alone implement. (Do you really need a solar-powered windmill?)

The following list provides you with 57 ways to go green and save a boatload of money at little to no cost. And you shouldn’t even need a credit card! If you begin to share a ride to work with one person, for instance, you can save up to $780 per year. Other suggestions are negligible since they depend upon your current habits; however, in each instance you can learn more about subjects that will help you create your own formulas for saving the green in more ways than one.

Transportation

If you drive to work alone you really aren’t alone. In 2004, the U.S. census estimated that out of the nation’s 128.6 million workers, 77 percent of workers drove alone to work, 10 percent carpooled, two percent walked, and five percent used public transportation The following savings are approximate, based on an average of $30 per week in gas — or ten gallons of gas per week at $3 per gallon — excluding payments for car maintenance, insurance, taxes, tag, etc.

1. Bike or walk to work. The only gas you’ll use with this option is oxygen. Savings: $1,560 per year.
2. Telecommute. Learn about this quiet revolution [PDF link] in the workplace. Telecommuting twice a week can save you 40 percent of your gas costs according to the Telework Coalition. Savings: $624 per year.
3. Carpool. If you must use your car, share your ride. Find a ride in your local paper or try craigslist. Savings: $780 per year if shared with one other person.
4. Keep your car tuned. A well-tuned car uses approximately nine percent less gas than a poorly tuned car, and you can lose about two percent in fuel economy for every pound of pressure your tire is under the recommended level. Savings: $150 per year.
5. Learn to drive. Rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gas mileage by five percent around town and 33 percent on the highway, or an average of $0.55 per gallon. And, you get less mileage for your money (23 percent less or $0.67 per gallon) if you drive over 60mph. Savings: $1.22 per gallon, or $634 per year.
6. Decrease your drag. If you aren’t using that overhead luggage rack, take it off (do you really need to carry that much luggage in the first place?). Also, it may help to turn off the AC and open up your windows to conserve gas, but not when you’re cruising down the highway at 60mph. Open windows at that speed increases drag and is less conservative than using the AC.
7. Lose the car. Consider all the money you’ll save on gas, maintenance, and taxes. You can donate that car for a tax deduction as well (see below).

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

8. Learn about tax deductions for charitable goods. Charitable items now must be in "good used condition or better." Learn more about where you can take deductions, how much you can take, and more through IRS Publication 526.
9. Learn about recycling. Europe is pioneering high-tech recycling, because its population is dense and landfills are scarce. Waste Online, based in the U.K., offers hundreds of strategies about waste, disposal issues, and solutions for turning waste into resources (like saving money and/or selling your trash). If you live in the U.S., this site can offer ideas so that you can…
10. Recycle locally, save on trash collection costs. Savings on recycling might seem negligible now, but the price for garbage collection is on the rise in the U.S., thanks to rising gas costs and the price of running a waste business. Use Earth 911 to find recycling resources in your area. If you can’t find a resource, then approach your local government about local recycling now that you’ve studied the issues.
11. Give your junk away. If you don’t have enough goods for tax deductions, remember, "One man’s junk is another man’s treasure." Use groups like Freesharing and Freecycle to move out unwanted items. You can find some great deals through these organizations as well.
12. Buy smart and save. When you need to purchase new items for yourself or as gifts, ask yourself if the item is recyclable. Plus, you can save some money in the long run if you read about Worldwatch Insitute’s Good Stuff before you make purchases to learn about items that represent sound ecological and economical decisions.
13. Live the new American Dream. It may seem that the new American Dream is to have a greener gadget than your neighbor. But, some green dreams cost little and they often reap huge rewards. Visit the New American Dream to learn how to live consciously, buy wisely, and make a difference.

Food and Food Waste

14. Cut back on meat consumption. If you cut back on meat you can help to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. This act alone can save you a boatload of money in future medical costs.
15. Plastic water bottles create small-scale environmental disasters. American demands for plastic water bottles requires the use of more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel approximately 100,000 U.S. cars for a year. Use filtered tap water in a reusable bottle, and you’ll save money as well as show the world that you’re green. Switch to a glass container at home or in the office, stainless steel when biking or bungee jumping.
16. Move away from plastic food storage containers. The problem with plastics is dependency on this non-biodegradable material despite its possible toxicity. Save money and protect your health and the environment when you purchase foods in glass containers and then reuse those containers for food storage (but not in the freezer!).
17. Learn how to compost. Even if you live in an apartment, you might find a ways to use food waste as compost in a personal or community garden. But you might need to learn how to compost first. Go to American Community Garden to find or to create a community compost project. You can learn about how to conduct group efforts from sites like that one, but don’t expect to make a living from a small compost project. Instead, you can enjoy the organic local veggies for health benefits.
18. Learn to love worms. Another "in" food waste management program involves worms, or vermiculture, even in urban areas. But, go small before you decide that this is the green money-saving and moneymaking project for you (yes, you can sell your worms, and prices vary by area and weight). Two warnings about vermiculture: 1) The worms are noisy, so keep them in a place where the noise won’t creep you out (from personal experience); 2) Beware of Ponzi schemes that offer to buy back your worms.

Water

19. Learn why water conservation is so important. Yes, water is a renewable resource, but its access seems to be both unpredictable and arbitrary. Learn more about the international water crisis so that you can relate the world situation to your local access.
20. Then, learn about your local watershed through adoption. The EPA invites you to adopt your local watershed. Through this effort, EPA challenges citizens and organizations to protect and restore water resources at a local level. You will become more aware of what you can do to conserve water and cash, like…
21. Wash clothes only when you have a full load. Two socks or a full load require the same amount of energy to wash. You’ll save money on your water bill when you wash clothes less often.
22. Use cold water whenever possible. Home laundering accounts for up to 36 percent of total household hot water use. You can save 90 percent of the energy you use to wash clothes when you switch to a cold wash. A switch to a cold-water detergent might cost a few pennies more per load, but if you wash clothes less often, that issue might be moot.
23. Learn how to find water leaks. One drip can waste 250 gallons of water a month, which translates to 3,000 gallons of wasted water annually. Additionally, you can save money when you take matters into your own hands. Learn how to read your water meter to determine if you have water leaks. If you have a leak, learn how find that leak. For instance, you can test toilet leaks when you add a few drops of food coloring or instant coffee to the tank and don’t flush. If the color shows up in the bowl within a few minutes, you have a ’silent’ leak that needs repair.
24. Use less water when you flush. Up to half the water consumed in a home is used in the bathroom. New low-volume flush toilets don’t need displacement devices; but, if you own an older toilet, a plastic bottle will come in handy in this instance. Instead of throwing the bottle in a landfill, fill it with water, recap it, and place it in the tank. You’ll reduce the flow by 40 percent and still maintain enough water for a good flush.
25. Install a low flow showerhead and take short showers. The goal is to limit the flow to less than three gallons per minute, as this amount is far less than you might use with a regular shower. Learn how to install one yourself.
26. Reduce your water heater temperature to 120° F. It makes no sense to cool off water that’s too hot to use.
27. Wrap your water heater with warmth. While you’re reducing the thermostat you can wrap that baby in an insulating jacket, especially if the water heater was installed before 1992 (although newer models will benefit as well). Don’t wrap the water heater if the instructions prohibit it, and don’t cover the thermostat or the air inlets on gas- or oil-fired water heaters. This small effort will save you betwen four to nine percent in water heating costs.

Energy

28. Learn how energy and heat flows work. When you understand how your body interacts with heat and cold, then you can learn more about how to monitor your thermostat at home and at the office. Based on the principle that energy as heat will flow as long as one temperature is higher than another, you can get creative about how to save money and energy in your green money-saving mission.
29. Apartment hunters can save money. Heat rises, so look for a high-rise apartment if you live in the north and a ground-level apartment if you live in the south. While you might argue that top-floor apartments are insufferable during the summer, that hot season lasts only about three months per year. Use fans to generate air flow from an air conditioner throughout the rooms. Additionally, upper-floor urban apartments don’t gather city soot like ground-level apartments, so you can open your windows at night with less dirt accumulation inside (all from personal experience!).
30. Install ceiling fans. Ceiling fans can be a great buy, because you don’t need an expensive one to work the magic. But, pay attention to the direction that they rotate. During summer months, set them to go counterclockwise to create a downdraft. During winter months, set them to go clockwise to assist hot air to the ceiling.
31. Seal your home. Wind chill can accelerate heat loss. While some ventilation is essential — especially if you have solid-fuel or gas fires inside — don’t forget that energy constantly moves and it will move in and out through any leaks in your home. Use insulation, sealers, and door snakes to control temperatures no matter the time of year. These items are well worth the price in the money that you save. Plus, if you mention your efforts to your landlord, it may help with the refund on your apartment deposit when you move on.
32. Remember that glass is a conductor. Window glass conducts outside and inside air, but outside influences often are more powerful. In summer, interior surface temperatures of poorly insulated tinted glass and clear glass with tinted film can become as hot as 140° F, so any air that comes in contact with that glass will become…you guessed it…hot. The opposite effect occurs during the winter. Special window treatments, even in apartments, can influence how that window treats your room. Remember to use white - at least on the outer face of your shades or curtains - because white reflects light away from the inside of your home.
33. Insulate your body in winter. In cold conditions, evaporation can quickly suck away warmth, especially if you’ve been active and then are stationary, leaving your skin exposed. Think of your body as a water heater and wrap yourself in insulating layers. Wear dark colors to absorb any outside light or heat energy.
34. Expose your body in summer. Heat-loss through evaporation is needed to regulate your body temperature in hot weather. Wear fewer clothes in fabrics (like cotton) that allow your body to release evaporation. Wear white or light colors to reflect light and heat energy.
35. Hold more indoor winter parties. Turn your thermostat down and let your guests provide the heat. One journalist believes that each guest can equal a 175-watt heater, so a large group could really heat things up quick.
36. Camp out inside. You can dramatically decrease heating costs when you turn down the thermostat at night. Some folks are comfortable even when they turn off the thermostat and open the windows, because they’ve learned how to sleep with several blankets (layers for insulation) and a cap on their heads (think Scrooge). This action is feasible only if you don’t live in arctic areas. Learn how to sleep in a cabin for some hints on this activity.
37. Monitor your thermostat. If you practice all the tips above, you can set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer. This is the point of these practices, because you can save substantially on your heating and cooling bills even when you adjust the difference by just a few degrees.
38. Move lights away from cooling appliances. Lights generate heat, so move them away from the air conditioner and fans so those appliances don’t work overtime. They can also affect thermostat readings, so move them away from those tools for accurate readings.

Electricity

39. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). If an entire country (Australia) can do it, then you can do it too. But, wait until your current bulbs burn out before you make the switch so you don’t waste your money. Yes, CFL bulbs are more expensive, but even the cheapest energy saving CFLs will typically last for 5,000 hours compared to only just over 1,000 hours on average for the best conventional bulbs. And, the light is different, so you’ll need to make some mental adjustments to the change. But, the effort is very green both for the earth and for your wallet in the long run. You can save $30 or more in energy costs over each CFL bulb’s lifetime.
40. Learn about CFL disposal. When those CFL bulbs do burn out, you’ll be faced with trace amounts of mercury on your hands. So don’t throw them into your garbage. Instead, save them until you learn about how to dispose of them locally.
41. Learn more about electricity. Ask "Mr. Electricity" for advice about how to conserve energy and cash on any electrical appliance, including lighting. Banish myths, calculate your energy output, and learn how to live greener.

Appliances

42. Before you buy an appliance, learn about what’s available. The Federal Trade Commission database can help you learn about new energy-conserving appliances. In addition, you can refer to the manufacturer’s Web site to learn more about the appliance and to find authorized repair shops.
43. Learn how to make your current appliances run more efficiently. You can learn how to make your current appliances more efficient when you study the Web sites behind the links on this page. To be more succinct, spend some time with basically unbiased information provided by Mr. Electricity, How Stuff Works, and Energy Hawk.
44. A dishwasher may be your friend. This is one appliance that needs to be addressed, as the answer to this statement is currently a toss-up. The newer and more energy-efficient Energy Star dishwashers can save you money and conserve water if you wait until you have a full load. And, you don’t need to pre-rinse, since booster heaters in the new machines heat the water temperature efficiently to clean the dishes. But these dishwashers can sense food, a perceived benefit that can actually create energy conservation problems. Just scrape food off plates into your compost. And let your dishes air dry instead of using the heat dry feature. As to arguments against dishwashers, you can beat the energy-saving washer if you use some strict hand-washing techniques. The resolution to this argument is whether your time spent washing dishes can be used more efficiently elsewhere.

Cleaning

45. Learn to be an anti-consumer, even with cleaning products. You can use simple ingredients such as baking soda, soap, and vinegar to make cheap, easy, and non-toxic cleaning products that work on everything from your bathroom to your kitchen. And, most of these homemade solutions are a lot easier to make than a sandwich. Beware of any products that might contain allergens for you, and conduct more research to make sure that certain combinations are safe.
46. Clean up your indoor air. This is another health savings tip, because indoor air pollution can affect you physically. Learn about where that pollution comes from and how to treat it, including mold, natural gas, and pesticides that you can track into the house.
47. Change heating and cooling filters when you pay your electricity bill. That action may sound pretty extreme, but for people with allergies it makes sense. And, if you want to save money it makes "cents" as well. Your heating and air units will act more efficiently, and you can save more money when you purchase the filters in bulk.

Electronics

48. Learn about environmental and health hazards involved in electronic product use and disposal. E-waste has become a valid problem, and when you learn about the issues it might change how you use everything from your cell phone to your computer.
49. Keep your computer as long as possible. New computers are very seductive, but software is what makes the world go ’round. If you insist on having the newest, fastest machine around, then learn how to recycle your former workhorse.
50. You might want to change your monitor, however. A flat-screen LCD monitor can use up to one-third the energy of that old space-consuming CRT monitor. Plus, you cut down on harmful radiation emitted from CRT monitors, a definite health savings.
51. Tech heads can conserve, too. Even if you don’t turn off your computer or put it to sleep for reasons beyond a layman’s ken, you can conserve energy if you balance your consumptive budget. If you work at home, for instance, you might be able to cstelecommute or donate your car and use a bike instead. On the other hand, most techies understand that a cool room can benefit a mainframe or server rack; so the suggestion to turn the thermostat down a notch or two during the winter probably isn’t an issue.
52. Be responsible with your toys. If you’re enthusiastic about technology, you can join a global organization that promotes the responsible use of computer technology. CPSR (Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility) offers a free subscription to their updates, and membership dues are minimal. While this effort does cost time and money, you’ll learn how to save and conserve through this effort. Plus, the networking capacity is enormous.
53. Recycle your old cell phones. Donate your phone to the Collective Good.
54. Recharge your batteries. Batteries — can’t live with ‘em and can’t live without ‘em. Learn why some batteries are harmful to the environment, learn how to recycle certain batteries (even rechargeable batteries), and learn about how to recharge your batteries through a recharger or your USB port and why this practice will save you money.

Learn More

55. Thoroughly investigate any new "green gadget." Save your money on new "green" gadgets until they’ve been tested, and read comments or reviews on any given item to form your own opinions. For instance, the new "silver nano-particle" plastic containers cost a pretty penny, the FDA has not yet regulated the nano-silver food-storage boxes for toxicity, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proclaimed its concern about their potential environmental effects.
56. Learn more from lists like this one. Or, like this one offered by Global Warming. But, watch out for lists that promote expensive gadgets that have no apparent benefit for you. Anti-consumerism is pro-planet and -wallet.
57. Think about investment possibilities. Finally, you might think about what you’re going to do with all the money that you save when you go green. But, since this is a risky proposition, learn as much as you can about Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) first. Then type "SRI" into a search engine to learn more before you invest.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 10:09 am and is filed under Features.