Five Ways to Go Green that Might Not Have Tried Yet Home Improvement Support

Posted on August 4 2010 by Charles Thompson

Five Ways to Go Green that Might Not Have Tried Yet

With the wealth of information and statistics available to us all on the Internet, you’d think that going green would be a little easier. You probably cover most the bases by recycling, trying to drive less and turning off the water during brushing time. Sometimes you might feel like you are in a go-green rut however, you’ve made the changes that are plausible with your lifestyle (don’t worry, I drive to work because it takes 1/5 the time it would by bus and I just can’t bike up hills) but maybe you still want to do a little more.

Here are some go-green ideas that maybe you haven’t heard of yet. Do you have other unusual tips? Put them in the comments – I would love to hear from you!

1. Toilet train your cat

I know what you are thinking – my cat will laugh in my face if I suggest she/he starts using the toilet instead of the litter box. But seriously, after a bit of research it sounds like if you give it 6 weeks of dedicated work you will save a cat lifetime of litter – now that is good for the environment. And, you probably won’t teach your cat to flush, so no extra flushes wasting water.

Here is how you do it. Everyday move the litter box a little closer to the toilet that your kitty will be using. No sudden changes, just a little bit at a time. Once you have reached the bathroom, find a round tray that fits just inside the toilet rim, fill it with litter and have your cat use that. After a couple weeks take the litter away, a woohoo, kitty uses the toilet!

If that isn’t the tip you are looking for, read on:

2. Air Dry your Dishes

Simple idea here – Stop the dish washer cycle after it has rinsed, prop open the door and let the dishes air dry over night. This saves energy from being used for the fan and the heating element.

3. Shade your Air Conditioner Unit

Air conditioners have to work harder if their base unit is hot, hot, hot from being directly in the sun. Consider planting a tree strategically to shade your AC from the afternoon sun.

4. Put Down the Hose and Go to the Car Wash

Car washes are better about saving water than we are at home. Use it as the perfect excuse to not have to hook up the house and be sprayed incessantly from holes in the house. Statistics show that car washes use 100 gallons of water less than at-home washers and many also recycle and reuse water and have proper draining to prevent run off into streams and water supplies.

5. Opt-out of Receiving the Phone Book

Do you ever use a phone book to search for phone numbers? If not, opt-out of receiving them. Phone books make up 10% of landfill rubbish – easy fix! http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/

Of course if none of these suit your fancy you can always check out the great Eco-friendly lighting products at ATGStores.com . What are your favorite tips for easy ways to go green?

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