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© Richard G. Mills, ThinkMills.com, ThinkMills.info
All rights reserved.
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[Many
of these tips were first written for and published
on the Bourbonnais
Township Park District website
as part of its “BTPD is going green~” promotion”]
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| Green
tips you can use at home, at work, on
vacation, just about everywhere!
 There are many things
you can do to "go green" everyday that may seem
small but will add up in the long run. We'll be dividing
them into the following categories: Water Conservation,
Energy Conservation, Air and Allergen Pollution
Reduction, and Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Of course, you don't have to do all of these to start
going green! Choose the ones that are easiest for you
to do; then add more later! |
Water
Conservation
 Where I live, our water supplier
gets its water from the seemingly ever-flooding Kankakee
River; I tend not think much about conserving water; but,
if your water comes from a private or municipal well,
remember: wells do dry up over time! And if nothing else,
think of the money you'll save by using less water each
month! — I try to remind myself I'm saving my budget as
well as possibly saving the earth!
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| Install
"Low-Flow" Faucets
These
faucets force air through the water, so the pressure is
the same or greater than what you're used to, but less
water is used in the process. Low-flow showerheads can
give a 35% water savings over traditional showers; low-flow
faucets, up to a 45% water savings! Or you may just be
able to replace the faucet aerator! Ask at your plumbing
supplies store. |
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Install
a "Dual Flush" Toilet
Dual flush
toilets save water by letting the user decide how much
water is needed, usually pushing button 1 for liquid waste
and 2 (more water used) for solid. If you have kids (or
ever were one yourself!), you'll understand the significance
of the number choice! Making the right choice (in numbers,
as well as toilets) can save an average household around
2,000 gallons of water (and what it costs!) a year! |
| Fix
Dripping Faucets and Toilets
A
dripping faucet or constantly "running" toilet
can waste up to 3 gallons or more of water a day, a total
of 1,095 gallons a year! Compare the cost of that much
water to the cost of replacing a simple washer or tank
float! Your helpful hardware person can tell you what
you need and how to do it if you don't already know. |
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Turn
Off That Faucet!
Turn off
the faucet while you're brushing your teeth, and teach
your kids to do it, too. Turning the water off while brushing
saves up to 3 to 4 gallons of water! Give your kids this
math problem: multiply 3 or 4 gallons times the number
of people in your household and the number of times they
brush daily — and then times 365 days per year!! Maybe
they'll turn the water off then! |
Waiting
for Hot Water
If
you have to leave the water running for a period of time
for the hot water to get there, turn it all the way to
hot rather than warm. That will flush the cooled water
out of the hot-water pipe faster and not waste all the
water coming out of the cold-water pipe at the same time! |
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..and when you
shower
When you
shower, do you step out of the spray to suds up and scrub?
— Turn off the water during this time, turning it back
on only to rinse off! And don't leave it running before
showering for a steam-room effect, either! That wastes
not only water but paint off the walls!! |
| "Look
Down My Rain Barrel" And More....
Want
more water-conservation tips? More to come later! Keep
coming back!
For
now, continue to the next Go
Green! section, Energy
Conservation ► |
