Here are 10 easy ways you can start making a difference:. About this blog News, ideas, and inspiration from the Office of Sustainability, to help advance a Bright Green future for Austin.
Meet our new employee: Phillip Duran. How to be a green pet owner. Net-Zero Hero: Taylor Youngblood. Meet our new team member: Celine Rendon. Planning your fall garden. Meet our new team member: Caitlin Admire. Butterfly gardens take flight at Athena Montessori Academy. Meet our new team member: Brooks Bailey.
Meet our new team member: Phoebe Romero. Meet our new team member: Sam Night. That's a Wrap for Earth Month. Net-Zero Hero: Caroline Reck. Net-Zero Hero: Nhat Ho. Want to save money and fuel? Recognizing the best in Climate Protection. Ideas for a greener Valentine's day. Our top moments of Real Tree or Artificial Tree: Which is the greener choice?
Feeding animals with rescued food. Net-Zero Hero: Susan Peterson. Oh my gourd! It's pumpkin season. Net-Zero Hero: Anneliese Tanner. Net-Zero Hero: Tom Myers. Make Austin your playground with these family-friendly parks. Net-Zero Hero: Susan Ward.
Back to School with the Three R's. The City's Sustainability Report Card. Net-Zero Hero: Juan Benitez. How to have a red, white, and green 4th. Our future is in very green hands. Net-Zero Hero: Laura Huffman. Net-Zero Hero: Trisa Thompson.
Net-Zero Hero: Chris Brooks. Going the Extra Mile. Texas Women in Agriculture. Net-Zero Hero: Heidi Tse. Net-Zero Hero: Sherry Lepine. Not your typical farm at Bailey Middle School. Buy a laptop, not a desktop computer. Laptops take less energy to charge and run. Replace lights. LED lights use up to 85 percent less energy, last up to 25 times longer and are cheaper to run than incandescent lights.
About two billion sockets in the United States still have an energy-wasting bulb in them, said Mr. Don't set your fridge and freezer temperatures lower than necessary. The United States Department of Energy recommends around 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit for the fresh food compartment and 0 degrees for freezers. And unplug that old fridge in the garage when you don't need it to chill anything. Choose renewables. If you live in a state where you can choose your energy supplier, pick one that runs on renewables.
Replace old fridges. This certification means a product has met energy efficiency standards for the United States. How to Recycle Americans generate about roughly million tons of trash a year , million tons of which ends up in landfills and incinerators, according to a report from the E. Here are some tips to make sure your waste ends up in the right place: Look for a number inside a triangle on the bottom of plastic containers.
Empty and rinse food containers before putting them in the recycling bin. A dirty container can spoil a whole batch of recyclables. Recycle paper. Recycle paper and steel and tin cans. Before throwing away, ask: Can I re-use or repair this?
Donate working electronics. Recycle broken electronics. Many local electronics stores offer free recycling programs for old goods. Collect dry cell batteries. You should be able to recycle them through your local municipality. Contact your local car dealer or municipality to recycle car batteries. Make Your Home Energy Efficient Small changes to the insulation and design of your home — from do-it-yourself hacks to building changes — can help you reduce your carbon footprint at home.
Seal your home well. Trouble spots can include the attic, windows and doors, where heat and cool can escape. Insulate your home. This helps keep the temperature stable. There are a range of materials you can use. This guide can help you to choose the right one. Some insulation does degrade — for example, prior to the s, sawdust and newspaper were used for insulation. Install a cool roof. This is made of a reflective material which redirects light away from your house, keeping it cool. Plant shrubs and trees around your home.
This is an easy, and pretty, insulation fix, especially for older homes. Check the energy-efficiency rating for your windows, doors and skylights. Look into incentives. These may include tax credits and rebates. Make Me Greener, Please June 10, What You Buy Buying less is the first step.
How to Dress Sustainably According to the World Resources Institute, 20 items of clothing are manufactured per person, per year. Here are some tips to minimize your impact when you purchase clothing: Look for a fairtrade, or similar logo. This indicates your clothes were made sustainably. Take a look at this transparency index from the organization Fashion Revolution. Shop vintage. Ask yourself: How many times will I wear this?
Consider the fabric. Think wool over synthetics. Donate old clothes. Better yet, use those too old to be donated for other purposes, like sewing projects or cleaning rags. Some animal shelters will take old sheets and towels for bedding material as well. Here are some tips: Take a reusable bag to the store. Skip the packaging. Invest in quality products that last. Buy carbon offsets. Remember to be cautious in choosing your offsets , to make sure they are authentic.
Fig Leaves Are Out. What to Wear to Be Kind to the Planet? May 24, Buying Into the Green Movement July 1, How to Have a Green Vacation March 1, What You Do In addition to changing your day-to-day habits, exercising your rights as a citizen is one of the most significant things you can do to help the planet.
Here are some other tips: Know your facts. Understanding the science of climate change will help you talk to your family, friends and local representatives with about the issue with confidence. They are expensive, they take up space to store and to throw out, they are made of oil, they leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals into our food, they choke fish and birds, and they last for a million years literally.
Carry some cutlery. I like to use the silverware from our house, in a pretty little case. A fork, a spoon, and some chopsticks. But if you want something lighter, try a bamboo spork. Just make sure it lives in your bag so you can refuse single-use plastic cutlery when you are out. Let your little pick their own straw and carry it with you.
We like glass, but stainless is fabulous, too. Un-paper your paper towels. Too many trees are cut down just for us to use paper towels, which then end up rotting in a landfill making methane a potent greenhouse gas.
If you are a parent you are doing laundry, so why not replace your paper towels with cloths. The trick is to keep a laundry hamper in the kitchen to collect the dirty towels. Swap your dryer sheets. Dryer sheets are another landfill-bound product that also carry some gnarly chemicals. Trade them for reusable wool dryer balls. If you want a scent, just add a few drops of essential oil onto each ball.
Ditch the single-use tooth flossers. I find single-use tooth flossers ALL over the place from the baseball stadium, to the side of the road, even on the airplane jetway. If your kid needs a device to hold the floss, get a reusable flosser and string it with silk floss. Bubbles are better than balloons. Did you know that helium is a finite resource? It also generally goes into plastic balloons which end up choking wildlife. So, rather than use balloons to mark your party location, get a bubble machine , that you can use for every occasion.
This applies to everything from dentist office toothbrushes to dollar store trinkets. But you do not have to take these items. When you refuse them you send a message to everyone: This clutter that trashes the earth is not something you want to deal with. Choose quality over quantity. This can be applied to just about any scenario, but I think it is best illustrated in school supplies.
And check out the rest of Wisdom Supply Co. Eat all the food. I also store all my leftovers in glass containers , so I can see what food is in my refrigerator. Finally, if you can compost, do it. Swap your sponge.
The ubiquitous blue or yellow sponge is destined for the landfill. Swap it for a wool sponge which will last longer, can be washed when dirty, and can ultimately be composted. Get a bamboo toothbrush. Every plastic toothbrush ever made still exists. If you use a new one every three months…that is too many toothbrushes in the world. Switch to a bamboo toothbrush.
The bristles still go into the landfill, but the handle can be composted. Invest in a few stainless steel snack holders. These will be forever handy and will greatly reduce your need for single-use zip lock plastic bags. I use one of these to pack lunches and bring home leftovers. And I use these for in the car or on-the-go. Eat your ice cream zero waste style.
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