Here is an archive of the “Hump Day Tips” we have posted on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Home/Garden

• Light up your house this holiday season with LED lights. They use 90% less energy and are more durable than conventional lights
• Pesky summer bugs got you down? Here are some natural ways to get rid of ants in your home.
• On your next jaunt to the farmer’s market or produce section of the grocery store, take a reusable produce bag. Did you know that by reusing your produce bag once a week you reduce as many as 150 plastic bags per year? Talk about being sustainable! U can find these bags at Raisin Rack, Whole Foods, or online. Oh and don’t forget your reusable grocery bag.
• Here is a simple way to reduce your paper usage. How about getting an inexpensive white board to put up in the kitchen or mudroom instead of leaving notes on paper. It might not seem like much but every little bit counts!
• Junk mail is very eco-unfriendly. Here is a place to put an end to junk mail at your home.
• A dirty oven consumes more energy, and causes food to cook unevenly. Clean your oven before cooking this Thanksgiving. Try using a green cleaning solution of just baking soda and water.
• Cut down your CO2 emissions by 440lbs (gas heater) or 600lbs (electric heater) per year. Just turn down your H2O heater thermostat to 120F. If everyone did it we’d save a Kuwati or Libyan sized load of CO2!
• With the cold weather upon us remember you only need to warm up your car for about 2 minutes before its ready to go. Warming it up any longer wastes gas and pollutes the air.
• Don’t bag it! Turn your fallen leaves into mulch this fall instead of kicking them to the curb.
• Use all of your pumpkin this Halloween! Make roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin bread, etc. & compost your pumpkin when done w/ it

Electronics

• What to do with old techie gadgets you’ve upgraded? Declutter by reusing or recycling old computers, TVs, and cell phones. Learn how in this EPA videohttp://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/eCycling/eCyclingvideo.htm
• Light up your house this holiday season with LED lights. They use 90% less energy and are more durable than conventional lights
• Energy Vampires. Check out the discussions tab on FB to see how to stake out these suckers.
• Courtesy of the EPA, About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts, and consider giving a battery charger as well. Rechargeable batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away, and can save money in the long run.

Pets

• Bag the plastic for biodegradable dog waste bags & 100% recycled paper scoops. There’s even a doggy loo too!
• Turn kitty’s litter green w/ biodegradable liners & litter instead of strip mined bentonite & harmful silica found in clumping clay litter.