Sustainability

Green Living on JBLM

By: Cathy Hamilton-Wissmer, Directorate of Public Works

The holidays are upon us, and while it’s time for family togetherness you can increase your comfort and joy by keeping a clean, fresh home. An eco-friendly home is good for pets, kids and their parents. With only a few simple changes you can go green in your home:

Clean your microwave with a slice of lemon in a small bowl of water, heat for 45 seconds then wipe away stains and eliminate unpleasant odors. Consider using an all-natural cleaner, it’s simple to make, safe for the family, and works anywhere in the home. Due to the chemical nature of many commercial cleaners, they can poison, corrode, explode, or ignite easily when handled improperly. Household cleaning, home improvement, automobile maintenance, lawn and garden care, and hobbies all produce by-products that are considered household hazardous waste (HHW) when discarded. Sometimes these are wrongly disposed of by pouring down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or putting them out with the trash. Joint Base Lewis-McChord housing residents can bring their household hazardous waste to the Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Services team, please call 253-967-4786 for details. Here are some more ways to go-green in your home: Worldwide over 27,000 trees are cut down every day just to make toilet paper! Switch to 100% post-consumer recycled toilet paper. • Add more organic produce to the shopping list and plan meals to reduce food waste. • Check out the Environmental Guidebook on the Environmental Division webpage to see what else you can recycle. • Use reusable bags when you are out, and pack your own groceries. Washington State is implementing a plastic bag ban beginning January of 2021.

Did you know? -- The average US household generates more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste per year. As much as 100 pounds can accumulate in the home, often remaining there until the residents move out or do an extensive cleanout. Cut slingload and go-green!

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