The Sustainable Future

10 ways to cut your refrigerator's energy costs

Your refrigerator is one of the most energy intensive appliances you have. Here are ten ideas to cut its energy use and the resulting costs.

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Sustainable living tip: Buy recycled

You're not really recycling unless you're buying recycled. The most important part of recycling is buying products that contain as much "post-consumer recycled content" as possible. Look for it and ask for it when you go shopping.

Source:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Saving the Environment - Environmental Tips

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Sustainable living tip: Only drive part of the way

If getting where you’re going by bike or public transit alone isn’t going to happen, consider driving part of the way and then jumping on public transit or your bike (a folder would be perfect). A great way to beat traffic!

Source:
TreeHugger: How to green your car

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Sustainable living tip: Deep soak your lawn

When watering the lawn, do it long enough for the moisture to soak down to the roots where it will do the most good. A light sprinkling can evaporate quickly and tends to encourage shallow root systems. Put an empty tuna can on your lawn - when it's full, you've watered about the right amount.

Source:
eartheasy: 25 ways to save water at home

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Sustainable living tip: Check your taps for leaks

"Check your taps - one drip per second wastes around 1200 litres of water in a year, that’s around 4 litres a day.  A new washer is all that might be needed to stop that drip.  Never changed a washer? Click here for instructions."

Source:
Basingstoke and Deane: Sustainable Living: Monthly Tips & Information

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Sustainable living tip: Buy all-natural clothes

"...buy clothes made with natural fibers, such as cotton, hemp, and wool, and made with all-natural dyes (such as vegetable dyes or herbal dyes). By wearing all-natural clothes, you'll be helping the environment by avoiding cloth that required a lot of energy and waste to produce, and you'll be helping yourself by avoiding irritating and uncomfortable synthetic fibers and unhealthy chemical dyes."

Source:
10 Simple Steps to Living Green

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Sustainable living tip: Reduce idling

"Not only does idling your engine waste gas, excessive idling can contaminate engine oil and harm engine components.

• Except at a traffic signal or in slow traffic, turn your engine off if you're going to be stopped for more than ten seconds. Idling your engine for more than ten seconds uses more gas than turning your engine off and starting it again.
• Reduce warm-up idling to less than 30 seconds, as long as your windows are clear. Then drive slowly and avoid rapid acceleration for the first few kilometres of your trip to let your vehicle warm up.
• Don't use a remote car starter. It will encourage unnecessary idling."

Source:
About: Canada Online - Energy Saving Tips to Save Gas and Money

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Sustainable living tip: Water plants with shower warm-up water

"Got house plants? Capture shower water left running until it heats up and use it to water your plants!"

Source
Sustainability at Puget Sound

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Sustainable living tip: Only boil the amount of water you need

"Fancy a cupper? Well only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need!"

Source:
Shropshire County Council - Energy conservation tips for businesses

Sustainable living tip: Change your furnace filters

"In the winter, change your furnace air filters once a month. The heater uses more energy when it is full of dust."

Source
Greenpeace - Tips for Green Living

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