Daily Greenz #152

1.  Okay, so we know you’ve heard this one before, but we can’t emphasize it enough: replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). Given that the average home has about 30 light bulbs, using CFLs would save about $200 a year and nearly $1,100 over the life of the bulbs. Plus, you’ll be reducing your energy consumption (and responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions). Calculate your energy savings on GE’s website.

2.  Stop buying plastic water bottles. The average American buys 167 bottles of water per year. At close to $2 a bottle, that adds up to about $335 – nearly a dollar a day. Instead, invest in a reusable water bottle and a home filtration system. Even at $20 for an aluminum Sigg bottle and $60 for a Brita system and replacement filters, you’ll have an extra $276 to spend on something else.

3. Clean up your household cleaners. Cutting down on the variety of cleaners you use reduces the waste produced by all that packaging, and choosing products made from natural ingredients with no toxic synthetics is much healthier for both your respiratory system and the earth. Instead of buying multiple cleaners for each different surface, choose an all purpose cleaner like Method All Purpose Cleaner or Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner. Both are biodegradeable, non-toxic, and derived from natural ingredients. 

4. Unplug phantom appliances. Many appliances continue to sip electricity while they’re plugged in, even if they’re turned off or not in use - think cell phone chargers. Make your life a little bit easier by using a power strip, so you only have to unplug a few times. This small change in routine can actually help you save big - Energy Star estimates that 40% of the electricity that home electronics use is consumed while the products are turned off. One Berkeley study concluded that you can save up to 25% on your bill. With the average American family spending $1,400 a year on electricity, that could amount to a $364 savings.

5.  Switch to a low-flow showerhead. We particularly like the Panda Rain Eco-friendly Shower Head, which basically conserves the water that’s wasted while you’re waiting until it reaches the perfect temperature. Even conserving that seemingly small amount can save you up to $75 and 2,700 gallons of water per year.

The average American can save up to $1000 a year by incorporating these simple, eco-friendly changes - all while reducing negative environmental impact.

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Daily Greenz #151

We’ll bet you didn’t know that the air inside the average American home was on average 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside. Scary, right? According to the EPA, the things that cause our indoor air quality to suffer the most are simple household products like cleaners, paints, cosmetics, and even carpets and furniture. All of these products emit toxic vapors called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. VOCs continue to be released over time, so even after your freshly painted walls have dried and the bleach scent has faded from the bathroom, toxic gases continue to be released.  So with VOCs present in so many products, how can we improve our indoor air quality without completely revamping our homes? Simple: invest in an air purifier like the NanoBreeze Air Purifier. In addition to reducing indoor air pollutants on a molecular level, the NanoBreeze also gets rid of odors, algae, bacteria, dust mite waste, mold, viruses, pollen, tobacco smoke, and pet dander. All of these offending polluters are oxidized into harmless carbon dioxide and water, allowing you to breathe easier in your own home.  Plus, it doesn’t require cleaning or filter replacement. We think that all of that’s certainly worth a $199 investment. To read more about how NanoBreeze works and where to buy it, take a look here.

Check out our Buyer’s Guides for more advice on how to green your cleaning and your home furnishings.

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