Green Living

By making small changes to the way we live — at home and at work — we can collectively reduce our pollution and environmental harm. Simple changes of habit can go a long way to conserving our natural resources and combating global warming.

Top 10 Ways to Go Green:

1. Change Your Light Bulbs. Switch to high-efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use two-thirds less energy than standard bulbs.
   
   
2. Rethink Your Travel. Use mass transit, bike or walk when possible. Consider buying a fuel-efficient vehicle or join a car-share such as CityCarShare, Zipcar, or Flexcar.
   
   
3. Buy Fewer Things. Reduce your consumption of all those endless consumer products. Buy quality products that last longer and purchase reusable items versus one-time disposable.
   
   
4. Tame The Energy Monsters. The top energy guzzlers in your household are the heating/cooling system, refrigerator and hot water heater. See our Green Home Tips list for ways to save money while you reduce energy/CO2 emissions.
   
   
5. Save a Tree. Stop your home junk mail and reduce the use of paper in your home and office. Click on junk mail brochure for tips.
   
   
6. Buy Non-Toxic Products. Opt for less toxic cleaning and personal care products. Buy furniture, carpeting, paint and other home products that don’t contain or off-gas toxic chemicals.
   
   
7. Recycle & Buy Recycled-Content Products. Recycle your wastes and avoid buying plastics and excessively packaged products. Remember to choose recycled products: it takes less energy to manufacture a recycled product than to create a new product.
   
   
8. Go Organic, Eat Local. Most commercial foods are sprayed with pesticides that affect soil fertility while they pollute our food, land, air and water. Buy organic and locally grown food. Consider planting a garden.
   
   
9. Conserve Water. Install faucet aerators, fix dripping faucets and replace old toilets. Use less water on outdoor plants by buying hardy, drought resistant plants.
   
   
10. Plant A Tree. Shade trees can lower home heating-cooling costs by 20-25%. Trees also provide habitat for birds, bugs and people.