Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only - not the street or sidewalk.
Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
Purchase "Green Power" for your home's electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.)
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
Looking for a summer trip before school starts again and weather gets less than desirable? The following tips will focus on making your actual road trip as environmentally-friendly as possible.
The EPA has a site called AIRNow where you can find air quality conditions for anywhere in the U.S., while Earth 911’s sister site Beaches911.com provides water quality reports for states with ocean or Great Lakes access. If your potential destination has unhealthy air and/or beach water quality the days you want to go, consider a different vacation spot so you aren’t contributing to the problem.
If you’re going to be in the car for awhile, you’ll probably want some snacks and drinks to tide you over. But keep in mind that it’ll be tough to find recycling centers out on the open road. Instead of individually packaged snacks and drink containers, what about a Tupperware container full of trail mix and travel mugs for your drinks? If you pick up supplies on the road, store and recycle those plastic bottles using Earth 911.
The more stops you have to make along the way, the more energy you’re going to consume during the trip. A good rule of thumb is that if one person makes a stop to use the bathroom or stretch their legs, everyone should try and do the same. It will save you time and energy in the long run.
If you’re planning a road trip on Friday afternoon of a three-day weekend, you’ll inevitably face some traffic. Stop-and-go driving will reduce your fuel efficiency, plus it will make a three hour trip seem like three days. Leaving just a few hours later can sometimes make all the difference.
Blasting the A/C or heat hurts your gas mileage. It also uses up certain components of your car (e.g. air filters, antifreeze) sooner. Dressing for the conditions outside your car will lessen your need for these services.
Road trips are a great time to bring along pets because there aren’t the restrictions of air travel. But make sure your pet can handle a short car trip before trying it out on the open road. The last thing you want is a dog suffering from motion sickness when you’re already an hour outside of town. For more good pet safety tips, visit Earth 911’s sister site PETS911.com.
Taking two suitcases for a two-day trip is madness, and it will end up weighing down your car and reducing your gas mileage. This weight will also wear down your tires and other car components sooner. At the same time, don’t load up on supplies at your destination that you’ll have to bring back home.
We’ve all been on the road and seen signs for a petrified forest or historic cabin that is “right off the freeway.” Three miles later you’re driving down a dirt road in search of the holy grail, hurting your gas mileage as well as the plants absorbing all that dust. Plus the wear and tear on those tires will put you in the market for a new set. If that’s the case, recycle those old tires using Earth 911.
This story is part of Earth 911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas. Click here to see Earth 911’s “Green Eight” archive.
Earth 911 delivers actionable local information on recycling that empowers consumers to act locally, live responsibly and contribute to sustainability.
