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Share your energy/resource saving tips
JennyC:
Print longer document on both sides of a sheet
I know my husband’s office printer is defaulted to print on double sides. Some older printers, however, do not have that option.
When send out document for people to review, I normally add a reminder that they may want to print it double sided if it’s longer than 40 pages.
If you have to have a hard copy of a long document (I know sometimes I do as I need to make notes), try to have it printed or copied on both sides of a sheet.
henrypie:
Hi Jenny!
I believe batteries are hazardous because they leach metals into the groundwater.
Now, I did just read that not all alkaline batteries (AA in your tv remote for example) are classified as hazardous.... car batteries, silver oxide, nickel-cadmium, and others definitely are. Because of my doubt in general (and fear that even those not classified as hazardous might in fact be), we take them all to hazardous waste drop-off day. We go maybe once or twice a year.
Here's another tip, not a major revelation or anything: turn off the light! In general.
Another thing I do which some might consider nasty or taboo, is to group toilet flushings. Especially in the summer heat, it is NOT a good idea to wait too long before flushing; however, at bedtime, for example, when my husband and I go through the toothbrushing and peeing routine, we both go and then flush. Barring anything out of the ordinary, mind you. I also try to remind myself, when doing anything inconvenient, time-consuming or oddball in order to save resources, that we have it SOOOO much easier than most of the people in the world. Compare consolidating toilet-flushes with not having plumbing at all and an open sewer running between your shantytown and the neighboring one. I'll take consolidating flushes, please.
Oh! And on paper. I rarely use virgin paper. For all drafts, all in-house memos or copies to be filed, I use scrap paper. I work in a music library; people fill the recycling bin next to the copier very quickly with scrap.
Oh! And bags at the grocery store. Now this gets me in a real knot, and thank God for automated checkout, which reduces the chance that I'll have to convince a vacantly-staring minimum-wage cashier. I bring my own bags, and I let the checker-outer know immediately not to use any bags; just send it all down and I'll bag it, I say. The waste of blue plastic bags is very upsetting to me. Cashiers double-bag unless you ask them not to; if they pull a bag off the rack and then don't use it, they throw it in the trash. This is reason for a letter to Safeway or wherever because I know they're trained to double-bag. What would be really cool is if they could be trained to use their judgment for heavier bags. That doesn't seem likely.
Jeff Wrangler:
I accidentally, or unintentionally, saved myself a lot of money on my electric bill when I bought a new refrigerator.
When I bought my condo, it included the original, 1973-model refrigerator. When I bought a new fridge just because I wanted to get rid of the old one, I was amazed at home much my electric bill dropped.
Other things that I do that I hope help are:
1. Only run the dishwasher when it's full.
2. Do as much laundry as possible in cold water.
3. Absolutely no paper plates! I also use cloth napkins.
starboardlight:
--- Quote from: thierryhenrypie on July 20, 2006, 09:41:37 pm ---Oh! And bags at the grocery store. Now this gets me in a real knot, and thank God for automated checkout, which reduces the chance that I'll have to convince a vacantly-staring minimum-wage cashier. I bring my own bags, and I let the checker-outer know immediately not to use any bags; just send it all down and I'll bag it, I say. The waste of blue plastic bags is very upsetting to me. Cashiers double-bag unless you ask them not to; if they pull a bag off the rack and then don't use it, they throw it in the trash. This is reason for a letter to Safeway or wherever because I know they're trained to double-bag. What would be really cool is if they could be trained to use their judgment for heavier bags. That doesn't seem likely.
--- End quote ---
I'm fortunate to have Trader Joe's near me. They're all over SoCal, actually. But the one near me promotes people bring their own bags. They will give you a chance to win a weekly drawing each time you shop and use your own bag. I have a canvas bag that I bring with me every week. I haven't won anything yet, and with my luck, I probably won't ever. Still I'm glad that they promote not using wasting bags.
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on July 20, 2006, 09:59:14 pm ---2. Do as much laundry as possible in cold water.
--- End quote ---
something I never knew until a friend of mine told me. Most major brand detergents use enzymes to help break up the dirt and oil in your clothes. Just read the active ingredients on your detergent box, it'll say "enzyme". That enzyme actually is broken down when you use hot water and become ineffective, so they work best in cold water, actually. Using cold water is not only more energy efficient, but will get the best out of your detergent.
Jeff Wrangler:
I didn't know that about the enzymes in laundry detergent. I just started to wash as much in cold as I could as an energy-saving measure--at least, I hoped it would help save energy.
The hot water is supplied as part of my condo fee, so I thought if I did as much laundry as possible in cold water, it might help with energy saving.
However, I admit that I haven't been able to overcome my mother's training that "whites," like sweat socks and underwear, must be done in hot water! :laugh:
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