Top 7 Ways To Reduce Your Water Consumption

Are you interested in reducing your water consumption around the house? It doesn’t have to be as hard as you might think to conserve water, and while you’re at it, save energy. Here are seven of the top ways to reduce your water consumption:
1. Achieve Efficient Dish Washing
See if your dish detergent maker recommends not pre-rinsing – many don’t require it these days, and it can save a lot of water to skip this step if possible. If you’re washing dishes by hand, you can also save water by turning the faucet off while washing dishes in a sink filled with soapy water, then gathering them together in a rack to rinse all at once.
2. Cut Your Showers in Half
Reducing the amount of time everyone spends in the shower can save thousands of gallons of water per year. Just four minutes in the shower can use between 20 and 40 gallons of water, depending on the showerhead! If cutting your shower down to four minutes sounds like too much to handle right now, just try turning off the shower while you lather up, work conditioner through your hair and perform other tasks. While you’re at it, turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush and rinse your razor in a sink full of water rather than leaving it running, too.
3. Get New Pipe Insulation
One of the simplest and easiest ways to reduce your water consumption is to insulate (or re-insulate) your water pipes with an affordable, pre-fit foam insulation product.
4. Maximize Clothes Washing
If you want to make the most of your dish and clothes washing, even if you can’t afford to install all of the latest energy and water efficient appliances, you can start today by waiting to run the washer until there is a completely full load. Avoid the permanent press cycle in the clothes washer, as well.
5. Reduce Use of Garbage Disposal
Every time you use a garbage disposal, you have to use water to dispose of your food waste properly, and if you have a septic tank, it can cause additional problems. By reducing use of the garbage disposal and possibly by starting a compost pile, you can greatly reduce your water and energy consumption in the kitchen.
6. Install High Efficiency Showerheads
When it comes to energy efficient products, showerheads are among the most affordable and easiest to install. This simple little piece of equipment can save many gallons of water with every shower, but to make the most of your low flow showerhead, also make sure everyone is taking the shortest shower possible. By reducing unnecessary use of hot water while showering, it’s possible to save 10, 20, 30 or even 40 gallons of water with every shower. 
7. Invest in High Efficiency Aerators
Make sure to outfit every faucet in the home with low flow aerators. From kitchen aerators to bath aerators, it’s important to keep water flow at an appropriate level in these rooms, or anywhere else in the home where there’s a faucet. This method is affordable and easy, and makes a big difference.
Jasmine is a DIY guru and loves to protect the environment. She enjoys advising people on ways they can make a difference with simple, easy-to-do fixes around the house. She hopes these tips help her readers make small changes for a big impact.

Green Living Tips For Parents: How To Develop A Sustainable Lifestyle

World Earth Day is fast approaching, as citizens grow increasingly keen to commit to an eco-friendly and more sustainable way of life. It is important to remember that safeguarding our natural environment must be a long-term goal, however, and cannot be achieved over the course of a single day alone.
The current generation of new parents are increasingly keen to adopt a more eco-friendly approach, primarily because they are hopeful of setting a positive example for their children to follow. By educating their infants on the importance of recycling and utilising natural resources, they can help to create a future generous of environmentally responsible adults.

Green Living Tips For New Parents

With this in mind, what practical steps can new parents take to create an environmentally conscious lifestyle that is sustainable for a prolonged period of time? Consider the following: -

Consider The Merits Of Breastfeeding

While breastfeeding is not always an option, in instances where it is it offers considerable benefits to parents. Although it is fair to suggest that breastfeeding remains a relatively controversial topic for discussion, it does deliver environmental advantages to parents who are seeking a more sustainable way of life. In essence, it enables families to eliminate a huge amount of waste in the form of formula containers, bags and bottles, without forcing mothers to compromise on the quality and variety of the nutrients that their child receives. On an additional note, breastfeeding will also reduce the number of trips required to the local store, which in turn cuts mileage and enables families to save on transportation costs.

Focus On Making Homemade Food And Utilising Natural Produce

If you have the spare time or are able to create a window in your schedule, preparing homemade baby food for your child can serve as an excellent way of contributing towards a healthier environment. Not only does it save you considerable sums of money, but it also means that you are investing in minimal packaging while reducing the cumulative amount of food that you waste over time. Pre-packaged and ready-made food items are renowned for the amount of food miles that they carry, and by purchasing these you are contributing to practices that are harmful to the environment. If you still require convincing, you should consider the fact that preparing homemade food enables you to take charge of quality control and the nutrients that you are supplying to your child.

Use Natural Cleaning Products In The Home

Children make a considerable mess within the home, and every parent will testify to the need for a rigid and stringent cleaning regime. The use of toxic cleaning products can not only harm your child's welfare, however, but it also has a negative and detrimental effect on the natural environment. With this in mind, you should commit to using natural, organic and eco-friendly cleaning products wherever possible, while also utilising recycled materials to scour floor and wall surfaces. As a starting point, you should look to use natural products within the home that have in-built cleaning agents, such as vinegar, baking soda and lemons.

The Last Word For Eco-Friendly Parents

As a new parent, it is only natural that you should look to provide the best possible environment for your child. This goal can be at least partially achieved by adopting a more eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle, which will encourage you to invest in organic food, natural cleaning products and toxin-free skincare tools. This therefore provides an ideal set of circumstances for parents, who can optimise their child's physical welfare while also taking steps to create a healthier and more prosperous natural environment.

Go Green In 2014: Why You Should Replace Your Old Appliances

Replacing older home appliances is one of the most practical and effective steps a homeowner can take to reduce energy consumption. Not only is it great for the environment and means you do your bit to help save the planet it also means you save the pennies by replacing a few main appliances in the home and going for a newer, more energy efficient version.
With the new year looming, why not make it one of your New Year resolutions and upgrade your appliances? Check out the list below to see examples of appliances you should consider investing in.
An Eco Kettle
Kettles actually use a tremendous amount of energy to power them and many of us are guilty of overfilling our kettle, it’s estimated that in the UK, £68m is wasted a year from doing this. By investing in an eco-kettle, it cleverly measures the amount of water required for a single cup of tea or coffee so you don’t have to worry about wastage and you’ll be helping to cut down on your energy costs.
Water Efficient Toilets
Many newer properties will have installed toilets fitted with a ‘short-flush’ option. We use up 30% of our water every time we use the toilet so if you have an older model it makes sense to upgrade. Newer toilets are very competitively priced and you’ll be saving 2 to 3 litres of water every time you flush.
Energy Saving Washing Machines
The most efficient washing machines will use 33litres of water for a standard load; the least efficient machines use 72 litres. This does vary between machines even with the same energy rating so make sure you find out the performance of the washing machine before you buy. Try to limit the amount of times you run a pre rinse cycle and only use your machine on a full load to save wasting water, lowering the temperature can also help to cut energy bill costs.
Eco-friendly Shower Head
It’s well known that having showers as opposed to baths saves a lot of water and is better for the planet. Getting an eco-friendly shower head can help you to reduce water wastage even further by giving the same ‘feeling’ of a power shower, thanks to adding air into the stream of water coming from the shower and it does this using less water than a conventional shower. They are cheaper than most power shower systems and simple to install.
Refrigerator Thermometer
Fridges are not cheap so if you can’t justify purchasing a new one, consider buying a fridge thermometer. They can be hung inside the fridge thanks to the attachment or just placed inside the fridge thanks to its flat base. It can be adjusted to the optimum temperature to tell you when your fridge or freezer is too cold so that you can save valuable money and energy.
30 Minute Timer
It’s estimated that we spend up to 1.3 billion a year every single year by leaving our appliances on standby; this is up to 16% of our household energy usage.
A 30 minute timer when plugged into a multi-socket extension lead automatically turns off the power to appliances left turned on after a 30 minute period. This drastically reduces the risk of fires and other hazards in the home as well as keeping your energy bills lower.  This is particularly useful for things like an iron which can significantly overheat if it is left plugged in unattended.
Eco-Toaster
Toasters waste a lot of energy in the home as they are often left plugged in and as with most conventional toasters do not allow you to toast just one slice at a time. An eco-toaster has a slot that makes this possible which can help you make an energy saving of up to 50%.
Pro Energy Cylinder Cleaner
Consider getting rid of your old vacuum cleaner and replacing it for an energy saving vacuum cleaner. These have different settings depending on whether you’re using the hoover on carpet, flooring or even upholstery which means you get maximum performance while saving 50% on energy.
This article was written by Amy Elliott from Appliance City. The team at Appliance City like to promote a green way of living and believe that inveting in eco-friendly appliances will in time help to save the environment and money. Amy writes for them in her spare time so as to spread the message of green living.

How To Live In An Environmentally Friendly Way

Do you sometimes reflect on the way you live and end up feeling bad about the impact your existence is having on the environment? Is so then you are like most of us but feeling bad won’t get you or the environment anywhere, decisive action is needed. You can make today the first day that you begin to live a greener life but you’ll need a guide to show you how. Well you’re in luck; let’s take a look at how you can live in a more environmentally friendly way.

Use Natural Products

Are you removing household stains and odours with bleach, vapour sprays and other mass produced cleaning agents? The answer to that question for most of us will be yes but have you considered using natural products instead? Why? Because they can do just as a good a job, they don’t contain toxins that will pollute the environment and it’s cheaper. Try removing a stain with a mixture of vinegar and water or some baking soda and you will see that they are just as good as the products you usually buy and without having to buy them you will be reducing the amount of rubbish you amass.

Eat Less Meat

The amount of land and resources which used up to sustain the demand for meat throughout the world is huge. If we all did our bit and just had 1 0r 2 days a week when we didn’t eat meat we could greatly reduce these figures freeing up more land for us to enjoy and less destruction of areas to create farm land. When was the last time you went a whole day without eating meat?

No More Plastic Bags

This is one that we will all be familiar with. You’re probably sick of being asked if you want a bag every time you go shopping but you really should consider bringing your own canvas bag which will last for years and eliminate the need for plastic bags. Think about how many plastic bags you throw out each week and then think about how long they take to decompose, the number is staggering.

Snuggle More

Do you have you heating blasting for most of the night? Try using it much less and when you’re cold put some extra layers on and snuggle up to a loved one (that includes the dog). Reducing the amount of oil or gas you use will greatly reduce your carbon footprint and as we all know these resources are on the decline.

Consider The Alternatives

Get some information on alternative energy sources and how you can utilise them. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are going to be the ‘must haves’ of the future so why not get in their early. Many governments offer incentives to people who use solar energy and your electricity bills will be greatly reduced so find out more about your options.

Plant A Tree

This is one of the simplest solutions out there but it really does help reduce your carbon footprint. Try planting a tree in your garden which will produce more oxygen for the environment, it’s that simple. Not only will it produce oxygen but it will use the carbon that you produce which will set you well on your way to living a much more environmentally friendly life.

Here's How You Can Help The Environment In 2 Minutes A Day

Saving the planet is not difficult. You can help the environment in 2 minutes a day by using common sense and logic. It does not take expensive ingredients to go green, but a desire to do your part. There are hundreds of tips and tricks written and suggested and you can probably think of many more.

Change your Bulbs

One of the best ways to help the environment in 2 minutes is to change your lights. You need to replace your old regular light bulbs with a new fluorescent bulb. The contamination reduction is equal to removing thousands of cars from the road in a one year period. There are regulations in place that require electric light bulb manufactures to cease producing traditional bulbs. Get used to those swirly fluorescents.

Turn off Computers

Do you leave your computer on all the time? Computers need sleep too and instead of leaving in it sleep mode all night you can save 40 watt hours per day buy turning your computer totally off at night. If you have a timer you can set it to turn on your computer automatically a few minutes before you get to work.

Don’t Rise Dishes

Many consumers have the feeling that they have to wash their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Today’s dishwasher models are designed to take excess foods off the dishes and flush them away. By not rinsing your dishes before your load them, you can save up to 20 gallons of water each load. You are also saving the time and energy that it takes to heat hand washing water.

No Pre-Heating

Avoid preheating the oven. Just turn it on when you put in your food. You do, however need to use the pre-heat selection when you are baking. Check the condition of your food through the oven window instead of constantly opening the door.

Recycle Glass

If you recycle your glass instead of throwing glass in the trash you will reduce pollution by almost 20 percent. Related water pollution that is caused by glass can be reduced by 50 percent. Glass does take almost a million years to decompose.

Cloth Diapers

You will have a terrible time convincing mothers and fathers that they need to use cloth diapers. Yet we use about 4000 to 8000 diapers on a child from the day of birth until they are potty trained. Diapers are nasty, generally do not decompose quickly, and fill up trash sites. Find a friendlier disposable if you insist on using these types of diapers. You can find eco-friendly diapers in the organic section of your supermarket.

Vegetarian Diets

If you have ever wanted to jump on the vegetarian bandwagon for a meal or too, you can switch in no time and save the planet. One less meat based meal during a one week period will give both you and the planet increased health. It requires 400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. It takes only a couple of gallons of water to produce lettuce. Save trees by eating vegetarian. Every hamburger that comes from animals raised on rainforest land costs approximately 44 square feet of trees.

No Bottled Water

Almost 100 percent of plastic water bottles never hit the recycling bin. They do take thousands of years to decompose and when throw away water bottles on the ground you produce an ugly landscape and damaged ecology. Your tap water is better for you than most bottled waters, which is really fancy tap water. The FDA has more stringent requirements for home tap water than bottled water manufacturers.

Featured images:

•  License: Image author owned 

While working with DATS Environment Services, the author, Craig Miller, has been working to educate people on how they can do their part in helping to take care of the environment. He has contributed many articles to different sites and spoken at several green conferences.

Decreasing Your Personal Carbon Footprint

Unless your name is Al Gore, you probably can’t afford solar panels, a house remodel to increase energy efficiency and a new Hybrid car. Although efficient, these ways of reducing energy consumption and lowering your carbon footprint can be costly. These types of endeavours don’t only require thousands of dollars – they necessitate a large time commitment and plenty of forethought and planning. Some of the best methods to lower your carbon footprint are the small changes you can make to your daily life. Like crash dieting, doing something drastic isn’t as effective as making smaller, incremental changes you can pursue for the long-term. Here you’ll find a comprehensive list of several tactics that that will help you develop sustainable lifelong practices that will help you help the environment.

What is a Carbon Footprint and why it Matters

Your personal carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated to your consumption. Examining your carbon footprint is an effective way in determining your indirect effect on the environment. There are many tools available that can help you estimate your carbon footprint, and knowing this number can provide a clear view of your consumption and how it’s affecting Mother Earth. Knowing your “number” isn’t everything; whatever it is, most people can still make small improvements to their overall consumption habits. Greenhouse gas emissions matter – especially for global warming believers and evangelists. If you haven’t caught on yet, excess greenhouse gas emissions are the primary cause of global warming – which is bad for everyone.

Buying Local Products Results in Less Emissions

Production of local products, like produce, cheeses, and honey, are the least likely to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike large production plants local establishments are smaller and have limited resources, making their production processes different from those of their larger competitors. The carbon footprint of local facilities is usually a fraction of a larger plant’s footprint. Local products also travel a fraction of the distance to get to distributors, like your local food market. Shaving cream that has been manufactured in London and that is sold in a London shop has a much lower carbon footprint than a product that would have been manufactured in China, due to the transportation-related emissions. Sometimes it’s just impossible to buy local products, like coffee. Coffee beans are cultivated from approximately 70 countries around the globe and Germany is the world’s largest transfer point of coffee beans. This doesn’t mean that Germany produces the beans. In fact coffee beans aren’t cultivated in Europe at all. The largest cultivators and exporters of coffee beans are Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa and India. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation alone should definitely incite cutting back on your trips to Starbucks.

Reduce Heat in Your Home

The most obvious issue to address is the temperature of your home. Did you know that simply reducing the temperature on your thermostats by one or two degrees can result in a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions? Whether your heating is electric, oil or slow combustion stove (the kind you fill with fire wood), reducing the temperature, consumption and general use of the heating source will lead to a reduction of your carbon footprint. Reducing consumption will also be good to your bank account. With the rise of heating oil prices, did you know that turning down the heat by one degree could reduce your heating costs by up to 10%?

Another heat source to consider cutting back is the temperature of your water heater. Most households have their water heater set too high anyway, and reducing the temperature by the same one or two degrees will lower your carbon footprint and save you money on heating oil prices.
Finally when considering heat for your home, think of the hot water used to wash your clothes. Most detergents work just as well in cold water and, in fact, washing your clothes in cold water prevents stains from setting in the fabric. Washing your clothes in cold water will save you money on your power bill, reduce your carbon footprint, and lengthen their lifespan.


Nick Thorping is a writer with an interest in sustainable business practices. He suggests that just as reducing consumption of heating leads to a reduction of heating oil prices, reducing consumption can lead to cost savings in your home.

Where does the UKs electricity come from?

Almost 40 countries across six continents make up for more than half of the fuel that the United Kingdom uses. They are the damning facts of the latest statistics about our fuel production and outsourcing. With so much talk about renewable energy and being self-sufficient, this is just another piece of information that should spark the UK into action.

Dependence on other countries to run our electricity supply is something that we all knew was true, but with just 43.1% of fuel being sourced in the UK we need to sit up and take note. Seeing the facts and figures in the cold light of day just brings home the sheer size of our problem.
With around half of the country’s population keen on the idea of being self-sufficient with their electricity, this research will make us wonder just how we could reach a 100% goal in the next 40 years. Poland, USA, Indonesia, Russia and Columbia all send the coal, while Qatar produces the majority of our liquefied gas and our dependency on imported uranium adds Canada and Australia to the mix. There are countries across Africa, Asia & the Middle East, Australasia, Europe along with North and South America all doing their bit to keep us warm at night.

In a lot of ways, it’s not the percentages that are the shock but just the sheer amount of countries that the UK needs to sustain the population. The research and time that has evidently gone into this was thorough and detailed, and it’s this determination and mind-set that the whole of the United Kingdom needs if we’re going to lower our fuel output. Whether you’re unplugging your laptops before you go to bed or switching your home to good, green energy, slowly but surely we can all make a difference.

Infographic one - continent level

Source: Green Energy, Renewable Energy Company

Infographic two - country level

Source: Green Energy, Renewable Energy Company

Green Ways to Heat Your Home

With heating oil prices constantly on the rise over the past several months, many people have started looking for alternative ways to heat their homes, but most end up coming right back to what they started with. Avoid becoming one of the many who gets stuck using home heating oil, and do your part to help out the environment at the same time with these suggestions for heating your home the green way.

Use Your Fireplace

Perhaps one of the most obvious ways to steer clear of heating costs but still heat your home is to use your fireplace or a wood stove more often than you currently do. While some may argue that it's not exactly a "green" heating alternative because of the amount of wood each device requires for burning, it's actually not so bad.
There are logs out there that you can purchase specially that are meant to burn longer than regular wood. There are also synthetic logs on the market that still burn longer than their natural counterparts. And by using a fireplace or wood stove, you're dramatically reducing your energy costs, thereby saving the environment from enormous greenhouse gas emissions.

Invest in a Pellet Stove

Perhaps the most efficient way to heat your home aside from a traditional fireplace, as well as a more green answer than burning wood, is a pellet stove. Pellet stoves are generally inexpensive to install because they don't require any ventilation from a chimney, but they can be tricky to put in. They're newer than fireplaces and easier to keep running to use as a full-time heating source during colder months.
The Environmental Protection Agency names pellet stoves the most environmentally-friendly heating device because they burn cleanly. They actually pollute so little that they don't even require EPA certification for their emissions. They burn little compressed wood pellets that are cheaper to buy than firewood or even electricity.
A pellet stove does require some electricity, though, to keep the motor running to burn the pellets, but it's a tiny fraction of the cost of electric heaters.

EcoSmart Bio-Ethenol Fireplaces

These trendy new fireplaces burn bio-ethenol fuel instead of wood or gas, making them incredibly eco-friendly. Plus, they're so new and modern that they make an awesome aesthetic addition to any home.
EcoSmart fireplaces can either be built into an existing fireplace so it looks like a real fireplace, or they can be free-standing so you can do as you please with them. They're a great alternative way to heat your home because they do produce real, warm flames - just without the harmful emissions. The bio-ethenol that they do burn is a completely renewable and sustainable resource.

Fill in the Cracks

If you feel any drafts coming into your home while it's cold, make a point of filling in the spaces where the cold air comes in. This is easily accomplished by stuffing blankets or (safe) insulation into the cracks.
You can also cover your windows with plastic that keeps the cold air out. It may look a little strange, but all you need are some good, decorative curtains that take attention away from the plastic. And speaking of curtains, buy a set that's thermal to trap the heat inside and help keep the cold out. You'll be able to manage the heat in your home much better if you try just these simple changes.

Cuddle Up

The easiest way to stay warm during the cold months - cuddle up under a nice comfy blanket! Better yet, get a buddy or a significant other to snuggle up next to and share some body heat. Pets also make wonderful natural heaters, so get close!

Moderate air pollution raises stroke risk by a third

Environmental concerns can often seem to be completely separate from issues surrounding health. But a new study has suggested that there may be some close links in place.
The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center studies more than 1,700 patients for more than a decade. The study found that even moderate levels of air pollution can increase the risk of a stroke by more than one third.

Study conducted in Boston
Stroke victims in Boston, for example, would found to be a far greater risk of an attack at times when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had issued a yellow warning on air quality levels.
The senior author of the study noted that the increased stroke risk levels associated with specific particulates “can be observed within hours of exposure.”
As a result of this study, there are suggestions that any considerations of air pollution levels simply must take into account the health risks that are associated with them.

The research team compared the stroke symptoms experienced by each patient with levels of particulates, as monitored on an hourly basis by the Harvard School of Public Health.

As a result of this research, the team have been able to calculate the patients are at the greatest level of risk is they are exposed to pollution around 14 hours prior to a stroke event.

Vehicle pollution is seen as being particularly worrying, with black carbon and nitrogen dioxide both being closely linked with stroke risk.

Stroke causes around 53,000 deaths each year in the UK, so it’s clear that this research has some significant implications.

It’s clear that air pollution warnings may need to be strengthened, in order to ensure that the public are aware of the dangers that they may be facing at certain times.

Indeed, it’s thought that cutting certain forms of air pollution by around 20% may be enough to save thousands of lives in America each year. It is admitted, however, that further research is required in order to be able to reach more definitive conclusions.

This research study was backed by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The implications for the UK
Although this study was carried out in the United States, it’s clear that it will inform policy makes here in the UK. With the environment very much on the political agenda, these sorts of links to health issues are bound to have an impact in terms of political thinking.
At present, there seems to be some concern within government that environmental issues are being seen by the public as a way to raise taxes. This link to health risks may start to change that thinking.

Keith Barrett takes an interest in environmental news and also studies the actions of politicians and other policy makers in this area. He also writes extensively on a range of green issues.

4 Great Reasons to Recycle

When you finish a can of soda or a bottle of water, where do you throw the remains? Does the container go in the trash can with the rest of your garbage, or in its own separate container for recycling?
The answer should be the latter, and if it's not, then you should really reconsider your disposal methods. Recycling can never do any harm, and in fact, here are 6 reasons why it's a great idea to separate out those plastic, aluminum and glass containers from the rest of your trash.

It's Good for the Environment

Probably the most obvious benefit, recycling is the best thing you can do for the environment. Studies show that nearly 60% of your garbage that you throw away on a daily basis can actually be recycled, otherwise it ends up in landfills where it's left to decompose to nothing. Problem is, it takes forever for recyclable materials to decompose, so all they do in the landfills is take up space where other garbage should be going.
By keeping your recycling products out of the landfills, you're leaving more space for your actual garbage, keeping extra garbage off streets and sidewalks. It will also take less energy to recycle an old product and use it for another purpose than it would to create a new product for the same purpose, so recycling saves energy.

It Saves Money

Think about if you were to use every container you're done with over and over again for different purposes. It makes sense, right? Maybe you finish a jam jar one day, and you need to store some leftover soup the next day. If you saved your jam jar, you can save yourself a trip to the store for some Tupperware by just using the jar you already have.
If you buy bottled water, think of other things you can use the bottles for before you throw them away. Maybe you drink 1 case of bottled water, then purchase a filter for your faucet or a filter pitcher and continue to refill your empty water bottles for several months following their purchase dates.
You can also do all kinds of fun arts and crafts with kids using recycled products. Kids can figure out some of the most creative things to do with recycled bottles, so instead of having to go out and buy extra arts and crafts products, use what's already in your recycling bin next time your kids have an itch to craft.

It Makes Money

We've all seen the little 5 cent deposit for can return messages on the sides of our bottles and cans, but how many of us actually collect up our containers and take them to a recycling center to redeem our change? A few cans or bottles can really add up to a good payout!
Start collecting now! Create bins to store all of your recycled containers in, and twice a year take the contents of the bins down to your nearest recycling center to deposit them. You'll be surprised how quickly the change adds up - depending on how many recyclables you collect, you could end up walking away with up to a couple hundred dollars!

It's Easy

Recycling is probably one of the easiest things on the planet to do. All you have to do is be conscious of what you are throwing away. Before you toss something in the trash, think to yourself, "Could I actually recycle this?" If the answer is yes, sort it into a recycling pile. Recycling trucks come back just as frequently as garbage trucks, so it's really no hassle for you to collect your recyclables and bring them down to the curb every week just like you would your trash.
The next time you go to throw an empty container away, think of all of the other things you or someone else could be doing with it, and seriously consider starting a strict recycling routine.

5 Frugal Sustainable Living Ideas for 2012

More and more people are getting into the idea of living both sustainably and frugally. It’s easy to understand why we would want to live frugally; the economy is in a fragile state and household income is being squeezed more than ever. But sustainable living is also worth shooting for, particularly as it means we can live successfully without harming the environment around us.
Here are four ways you can do just that in 2012.

#1: shop locally and eat local produce
It’s great to be able to eat food that has been grown in other countries and shipped halfway around the world to reach us. But it is also bad for the environment because the food has to cover thousands of miles to get to where you live, this means a big cost in terms of money and environmental factors too, hence the carbon footprint will be a lot bigger than it would be for food that has been grown locally. So shop locally but eat locally grown produce too.

#2: grow your own vegetables
You can grow an amazing amount of vegetables in your back yard, they are great for your health and your finances too. Buy some seeds to begin with and freeze vegetables to make them last through the year. Remember to save some seeds from your efforts, drying them out and keeping them to replant for new vegetables the next year as well.

#3: shop smart
Most of us don’t need as many possessions as we think we do. Get into the habit of thinking twice before buying anything, and buy green whenever you can. Luckily we have access to a huge range of eco-friendly products today that can all help contribute to a more sustainable way of living, by buying less, but buying more conciously you can saving money whilst also being able to afford a better quality of product when you do splash out.

#4: be energy conscious
Being frugal with your energy usage is essential if you want to live within your means. Unplug all appliances when they’re not being used to ensure they aren’t using any energy at all. Switch off lights when you’re not in a room and make sure you are economical with the heating. Turn the thermostat down a degree or two and make a difference this way as well. Each year this practice can save literally hundreds of dollars, pounds or whatever currency you operate in.

#5: say no to fossil fuels
Much electricity is still generated from non-sustainable sources, but you can shop around and pick a supplier who uses green energy sources and it often won’t cost any more than you are already paying.
On top of that though, why not consider generating your own energy? Installing a wood burning stove and looking for sources of waste wood to burn can save you loads, and if you live somewhere sunny, solar panels are another great way to get free heat for your water.

Summary
Being frugal doesn’t have to mean missing out. Living sustainably is easier than you might think too, and combining the two means you can enjoy a better and happier way of life from now into the future. Live smart and enjoy it!