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6 ways to “Go Green” at Home 1.
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CENTRAL AREA MONTHLY
THE GREEN REVOLUTION
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle - It is important to not let recyclable items end up in landfills. Plastic, Paper, Aluminum and Glass are 4 of the top items used on a daily basis that can and should be recycled. Go to Earth911.com for a list of other recyclable materials. Use Green Cleaning Products - Eco-conscious stores such as Whole Foods stock their shelves with non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products for every surface. That's great news for your family's health and, best of all, these green cleaners really get the job done. Install a Water Filter - Clean, safe water without all of the waste. This is a simple home improvement that is smart, easy and cost-cutting: no more plastic water bottles, no more fossil fuels used to deliver the H20, and no more water delivery bills, either. Use Energy Efficient Light Bulbs - Did you know that 90% of electricity is lost by heat in incandescent (regular) bulbs. Energy-efficient bulbs produce the same amount of light using about 25% of the energy. There are energy-efficient light bulbs for every kind of fixture, providing a spectrum of watts, hues and ambience. There are even light bulbs that last 20,000 hours that's 5 hours a day for 11 years. Just one of them will replace 26 store-bought light bulbs. So smart! Use Recycled Paper Products (Unbleached or Naturally Bleached) - Every year, more than 900 million trees are cut down for U.S. paper and pulp mills. More than 40% of landfill is dominated by office and residential paper. What's more, the bleach used on most paper products has toxic chlorine-based chemicals that destroy the ecosystem, cause cancer and birth defects. Recycled paper just makes sense. Go for recycled content that has been naturally bleached. Toilet paper, tissue, feminine products, coffee filters, paper towels, printing paper, envelopes, stationary, notebooks and more are all available with recycled content. Purify Air with Houseplants - The EPA estimates indoor air to be 2 to 10 times more polluted than the air outdoors. Building materials, furnishings, carpet backing, cleaning products, computer circuitry and printers continuously release pollutants. Plants are not only nice to look at, they are also great, natural air purifiers. Plants are a fantastic way to "grow" fresh air every day. Source—Earth911.com & Family.com