The ultimate goal of sustainability is as simple as a closed loop, a circle. Unfortunately, with all the excess of modern times this goal appears more complicated than it needs to be. One person can make a difference in their energy consumption and waste output by closing the loop. Living a more simple life will save money and create less stress and clutter in our homes. Easy practices we all know to reduce energy consumption such as turning lights off when we leave the room, turning the faucet off while brushing our teeth, and recycling became routine years ago. In 2009 we can take these habits a step further. The following practices are surprisingly simple and go a long way in saving water and energy while preventing unnecessary waste:

Kitchen

We spend most of our time in the kitchen so most of the work of reducing, reusing and recycling happens here with what we buy and with what we do with what we buy:

• Buy products with limited packaging or products that can be recycled or reused in your home.
• If you are only buying a few things at the store, refuse a bag
• Try to buy in bulk whenever possible. Items such as grains, nuts, flour, sugar and dried fruit can be purchased in bulk at most health food stores.
• Use a sturdy water bottle and fill with water from a faucet or refrigerator purifier rather than buying a pack of small water bottles that will become trash in a land fill and are made of weak plastic that can leach harmful chemicals when re-used or left out in the sun.
• Cloth napkins and small towels clean up messes as well as paper towels without filling up the trash can. Soaking napkins and sponges over night in a bowl of white distilled vinegar diluted with water refreshes them without having to do a load of laundry.
• Keep a couple of canvas grocery bags both in your car and at home for shopping without using petroleum based plastic bags or wasting paper.
• Re-use plastic grocery bags to pick up pet waste, line small garbage cans or to carry your lunch.
• White distilled vinegar and baking soda go a long way in keeping a kitchen clean, sanitized and deodorized without using cleaners with harmful chemicals and sickening odors.
• Using a dish washer saves more water and energy than washing dishes manually.

Shower

The bathroom is a place of routine. These habits are difficult to change but small adjustments make a large impact:

• Cutting back on baths will make a big difference in saving water and energy.
• Taking cold showers during the summer is refreshing and saves hot water.
• Save on energy while still indulging in a nice warm shower by lowering the temperature on the hot water heater to 120º F.
• Shorten your shower time by a minute or two. Using an egg timer can help train yourself to be more efficient in the shower.
• Showering only every other day and take sponge baths when you need to feel clean but aren’t filthy.
• Clean the grime out of your shower and bath tub and refresh your shower curtain using all natural chemical free cleaners such as vinegar and baking soda.
• To find out how many gallons of water you are using per minute you spend in the shower put a gallon bucket in the tub and using a watch, time how long it takes to fill the bucket. An older high-flow shower head could use 4 gallons per minute, using 20 gallons each 5 minute shower. A low flow shower head would only use 7-8 gallons per 5 minute shower. Of course, make sure to test your old shower head against your new one using this method. There may be a setting on your old shower head that reduces the flow to the equivalent of the newer low-flow showerhead or lower.

Clothes

Even the way we wash our clothes makes a difference when it comes to saving energy.

• Get a couple of wears out of your clothes before you wash them, especially towels and jeans. As long as they aren’t noticeably dirty or smelly they do not need to be cleaned.
• Refrain from using warm or hot water in a washer cycle. Cold water saves energy, reduces shrinkage and makes colors running together a non-issue. By using cold water in the washer you can wash more clothes at one time.
• Make sure to specify the correct size of your load or even a size smaller so as not to waste water.
• Empty the lint trap every time you dry a load of clothes.
• Use the tumble dry setting whenever possible.
• Take it to the next level by line drying your clothes. Even if you need to do a final once over in the drier it is still better than a full 45 minute cycle.
• Reduce pollutants by purchasing an all natural, non-petroleum, chemical free detergent. Arm & Hammer makes a good one that is competitively priced with traditional detergents.

Lawn & Garden

What you put on your lawn trickles down into the rivers, lakes, ocean, and aquifers. You can save your drinking water and the oceans by limiting your out door pollutants:

• Limit your outdoor irrigation to no more than 2 times a week and water only at night.
• Landscape using native plants which require little to no watering or fertilizer
• Build a compost pile by chucking your left over veggies, fruits, eggshells, coffee grounds as well as yard waste into a crate in your back yard to decompose for use as rich organic fertilizer. Do not put meat or animal waste into the compost. Turn periodically.
• Start a seasonal organic vegetable garden. Gardens allow more self sufficiency while providing relaxation and saving money and fuel.
• When it comes to washing your car, let the rain do all the work. If it gets unbearably dirty use non-toxic soap and wash over a grassy area to prevent run-off.

Home Improvement

Retrofitting your home can be the most beneficial and cost effective practice in saving energy, especially with government incentives and rebates:

• Leaving one ceiling fan on can add up to $7.00 a month to your utility bill. Treat them just like lights—turn them off when you leave the room!
• Purchase low flow toilets and showerheads
• Eliminate air leaks by weather stripping and calking doors and windows.
• Install energy efficient windows.
• The best way to save money on heating and cooling is to keep the AC on automatic with a temperature sensor so your thermostat knows when your desired temperature is reached. If you live in an older home without a sensor, these can be purchased with government rebates.
• In the summer months keep the thermostat at 78º F or warmer and in the winter months keep it at 68 º F or cooler. Turn your thermostat up, down, or off when you are not at home.
• Wrap your hot water tank with jacket insulation and save up to 10% on water heating costs.
• Typically, the five most used lights in a home are found in the kitchen ceiling, in living room table and floor lamps, in the bathroom, and outdoors on a porch or post. Purchasing high efficiency 20-watt Energy Star light bulbs for these locations can save money and reduce pollution from power plants.
• Do it yourself! Save money and resources and learn self reliance by repairing simple problems around your home using your hands your tools and your time.

Daily Life

Green Living does not stop when you leave home. There are things we can do every day while out in the world to lower our environmental footprint.

• When going out to eat, bring your own reusable plastic food containers so as not to waste Styrofoam or tin foil.
• Ride your bike! It is easy, fun, and burns calories but not fuel. If you live close enough, riding your bike to work once a week can save on gas. Taking the bike to the grocery store several times a week and buying a few things each time instead of going once and filling up your trunk with supplies saves both gas and grocery money. Even riding your bike to a park or other weekend destination to which you would usually drive your car makes a difference in the amount of fossil fuels released into the atmosphere.
• Letting the car idle for 2 minutes uses the same amount of gas as driving for 1 mile except you aren’t going anywhere. If you are going to a drive through or waiting for something it is best to turn off your car.
• Whether it is food or other services, buying local supports your local economy and community and cuts down on the use of fossil fuels world wide. Farmers markets and local food co-ops are good for buying inexpensive local and organic produce. Eating at small restaurants usually gives you more taste for your buck and supporting other small businesses adds flavor and property value to your neighborhood.