Greening Your Life

Greening Your Life:A Back to Basics Guide to Sustainability

By: Amanda Saylor, LEED® APHoffman, LLC

Defining “sustainability”

> Merriam Webster:> 1: capable of being sustained> 2 a: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not

depleted or permanently damaged> b: of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods <sustainable society>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustainability

> U.S. EPA:> “Sustainability means ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs.’”http://www.epa.gov/Sustainability/

> seventhGENERATION> “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven

generations.” - From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacyhttp://www.seventhgeneration.com/

Greening Your Life

> Reduce, Reuse, Recycle> Location, location, location. > Local Yokel> Save some for the fish!> Energize Your Efforts> Resources (Natural and Otherwise)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce> Goal

> Reduce the amount of waste produced in our daily lives. Less is more!> How?

> Cutback on consumption of unnecessary “necessities”> Don’t need a brand new cell phone just yet? Don’t buy one!

> Use less> Less packaging> Less cleaning fluid and detergent> Less disposables

> Awareness> Be aware of what you are consuming on a daily basis. One disposable coffee cup

on the way to work, one single serving size yogurt cup at snack time, and one can of soda or bottle of water at lunch can really add up by the end of the week. Think of how much waste these habits produce over the course of a year!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reuse> Goal

> Reduce the strain on natural and virgin resources by reusing instead of disposing.

> How?> Everyday

> Reusable water bottles vs. single use plastic bottles.> Ceramic mug or a thermos vs. styrofoam coffee cup> Reusable dishes vs. plastic-ware> Washable napkins> Reusable shopping bags vs. paper or plastic> Reusable storage containers vs. sandwich bags> Rechargeable batteries

> http://greenbatteries.com/

> Buy used!> Hit the used book store or a library> Check out Play it Again Sports> College student? Goodwill, consignment shops, moving sales!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Recycle> Goal

> Divert as much waste as possible from the landfill.> How?

> Find out the what, when, and where for recycling in your area.> Pay attention to what you throw away on a daily basis. Can any of it be

recycled instead?> Junk mail> The foil on your leftovers> Batteries from small electronics

> http://rbrc.org/

> Old gym shoes (for real!)> http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/the-impact/about-shoe-recycling

> Oil and radiator fluid

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Recycle (step 2)> Goal

> Feed the need to recycle.> How?

> Purchase goods that are manufactured with recycled material.> Look on the packaging to see if the product has any recycled content> Many paper products (paper towel, toilet paper, etc.) are now available with

recycled material

> seventhGENERATION

> Green Forest

Location, location, location.

Goal > Limit the amount of fuel used for your daily activities.

> How?> Looking for a new home?

> Look in neighborhoods near your work-place and with several of your weekly amenities close by. ( i.e. grocery store, bank, daycare, schools, gym, religious establishment, etc.)

> If you are building new, limit urban sprawl by finding an empty lot in a more urban location, such as an existing residential neighborhood.

> Running errands?> Plan your errands ahead of time to limit the amount of driving.> Park centrally to as many of your errands as possible and walk from place to

place. Don’t forget your reusable bags!> Ride your bicycle.

> Park and Ride> Share your daily commute by meeting someone at a “park and ride” and traveling

together.

Local Yokel

Goal > Reduce fuel and shipping costs and support the local agriculture and

economy.> How?

> Shop at a local farmer’s market (and remember your reusable bags!)> Fresh produce> Fresh breads > Locally raised meat> Herbs> Perennial flowers

> Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) > Make a seasonal contribution to a local grower and become a “shareholder” of

fresh produce, meat, milk, eggs, herbs, dried fruits, etc.> http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Save some for the fish!

Goal > Reduce water use in your home, lawn, and garden.

How?> In the house

> Don’t let the water run> Brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc.

> Limit shower time > in North America, showers account for 22% of individual water use.

> Install low-flow aerators on faucets and shower heads> Faucets < 2.75 gpm> Shower heads < 2.5 gpm> Test your current shower head using a 2qt. saucepan

Tip: Before buying an aerator, check to see if your faucet is threaded to accept one!> To find out more about aerators, visit:

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_lowflow_aerators.htm

Save some for the fish!

> In the house (cont’d)> Low-flow toilets

> Install an EPA Water Sense toilet that flushes 1.28 gallons of water or less - Old toilets flush 3-7 gallons of water / flush!!

> For more about Water Sense toilets visit:http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pubs/flushfact_vs_fiction.htm

> Check for rebates with your local water utility> Water Displacement

> Fill a 1qt bottle with water and submerge in toilet tank. Use two bottles if necessary.

> How is your household performing?http://www.us.kohler.com/savewater/calculators/residential.htm

Save some for the fish!

> In the lawn and garden> Limit water used for irrigation

> Native Vegetation> Drip irrigation vs. sprinklers> Water during the appropriate time of day

> Go Au Naturale> Certify your lawn as a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary> http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/backyard/landscape.htm

Tip: Call your local fish and wildlife department to learn more about certifying your Backyard Wildlife Sancturay.> Collect rainwater

> Rain Barrels> Cisterns> http://www.rainwatersolutions.com/> http://www.rain-barrel.net/> http://www.gardeners.com/Rain-

Barrels/Watering_RainBarrels,default,sc.html?SC=XNET8019> http://www.town-menasha.com/CDWeb/Planning/Stormwater/BMPs.htm

Energize your efforts!Goal

> Reduce energy consumption, promote renewable energy resources, and decrease dependency on oil (foreign and domestic).

How?> Simple energy saving techniques at home

> Switch out your incandescents for compact fluorescents> Turn out the lights> Unplug small appliances (i.e. miscellaneous loads)> One stop shopping at the refrigerator> Put a lid on it> Turn back the thermostat

> Energy Star Appliances> Newer technologies save 10-15% of energy use over standard models> Look for Energy Star refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, room air

conditioners, and dehumidifiers> Enjoy Federal Tax Credits!!!

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits

Energize your efforts!How? (cont’d)

> New windows> Keep the cold out in the winter, and the heat out in the summer> Look for a Low-E coating

> Sign up for interruptible power and earn cash> Agree to have power interrupted during peak hours when energy production is

more costly> Use your rebate to purchase “green” or renewable energy, such as wind> More money saving tips and incentives here:http://www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/home/home.aspxhttp://www.we-energies.com/residential/energyeff/index.htm

Resources, Natural and Otherwise.> At the Library

> It’s Easy Being Green, by Crissy Trask> The Green Book> Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part

of Your Life, by Lori Bongiorno> Cradle to Cradle, by William McDonough and Michael Braungart> The Philosophy of Sustainable Design, by Jason McClennan

> Online> http://www.greenhomeguide.org/features/45_ways_to_green_the_not_so_new_house.html> http://www.naturalbuilthome.com/> http://www.thegreenguide.com/

Any Questions?

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