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Your subscription includes Quick & Easy Dinners, a FREE digital recipe booklet featuring 8 delicious Vegetarian Times recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare!
Save the earth, one eco-tip at a time!
Vegetarian Times received hundreds of great eco-tips from readers, sharing their top ideas to reduce their environmental footprint. Below are some of our picks for our favorite, most creative, and most popular eco-tips.
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Eiminate dish washer solvents, electricty used to run the dish washer, gallons of water for the cycle. Instead: Each person per household uses one plate, one cup, one bowl, one set of utensils. Hand wash them after each meal and dry with a cloth towel. Develops self-responsibility and simplicity.
Buy a Toyota Prius. I get 46 miles per gallon of gas. I can drive using the electrically charged engine. It's an amazing vehicle. No more exhaust fumes and burning fossil fuels on the car lines at school drop offs and pick ups or at traffic jams.
we put all hairbrush hair into compost. the birds love it for building their nests.
Use as many reusable items as possible. I use wrap-n-mat sandwich wrappers for myself and my boyfriend in our lunches. They're great because the lined inner surface is great to eat off of and they can fit sandwiches of all sizes which some plastic containers can't. Also, chico bags, reusable bags are great because they're compact and have a hook on them that you can attach to your keys. That way no matter where you're shopping you always have a bag with you and when you unfold them they are so large they fit a ton. Both of those can be found at reusablebags.com
In the winter our house gets very dry. To add humidity to the air without using electricity, we hang our clothes on a drying rack. The drying clothes add moisture to the air while eliminating the need for the dryer and a humidifier, so we save electricity twice with one simple step.
When you are at the gym and you have to wash your hands, just dry them on your shirt or shorts. They are dirty anyways from all the sweating! Save a paper towel.
In order to conserve water in these uncertain times, we reuse the water that we wash our milk and juice jugs out with to water any indoor or outdoor plants. We also use the water from our basement dehumidifier to fill our washing machine.
Don't buy wrapping paper or gift tags. I save my old seed catalogs and calendar pictures to use as wrapping paper. I save the front of cards I've received to make gift tags. The best wrapped gift I've ever gotten was from my husband. He re-used the wrapping paper from our wedding gifts. He cut out hearts from the wrapping paper and glued them to a paper shirt box to create a beautiful collage of hearts to wrap my one year anniversary present in. Seven years later I still have this beautiful gift box.
Grow Vegan Children!! My wife and three kids (12, 15, 18) are all vegan, therefore not eating animals product foods which cause so much pollution and waste so many valuable resources. Going vegan is the best thing thing you can do for the environment. Also we drive dual Prius's (Prii?).
During the summer our weather can get hot enough that it literally makes the cold water "hot". I kill two birds with one stone by filling the sink with water from the cold spout to use for washing dishes. It eliminates having to let the cold run to cool it down and when I need hot water to wash dishes I've done it without heating up more hot water. An Arizona native always looking for cool ways to save energy.
Instead of buying commercial cleaning products, I use vinegar and rubbing alcohol to clean.
I sold my car. I live in a small town so there really is no need for me to continue to own one. I car pool when I need to go long distances or in the winter (which are sub-zero here in Mn). Walking or biking to run errands is simply better for both the environment and myself.
Buy the energy saving Lightbulbs- they don'rt cost haplf as much- but buy the bright kind!
shave after your shower with the water off, then, quickly rinse .
we've begun using only cloth napkins and towels instead of
using a lot of paper products.
we also have begun using re-usable lunch box containers instead of ziploc bags - which when we do use we re-use them and then when they are not food safe anymore i stash odds and ends in them such as the five unmatched barrettes from the last round of gift giving or crayons for the car etc...
Instead of going to the grocery store once a week in my car and stocking up, I now walk there several times a week instead. I always have fresh food because I only buy what I need, get an added bit of exercise and use my cloth bags instead of plastic. The only days it is a bit much is when I insist on lugging home a 40-lb. bag of dog food.
- When it rains, set out jugs/buckets to collect water and save to water plants
- use the back of page-a-day calendars to jot down notes, shopping list, etc.
- stop buying water bottles and get a reusable bottle to refill
- re-use bags that are usually thrown away to scoop kitty litter: cereal bags in boxes, packaged food bags, etc.
During the winter months I keep a gallon or 2 of water frozen outside on the back porch. I place a frozen gallon in my refrigerator (top shelf, back) until the ice melts at which time I move in the waiting frozen gallon. My refrigerator/ice box combo uses less electtricity.... let mother nature do the chilling!
True this tip only works during winter months, but every bit helps.
Cloth bags for ALL purchases not just groceries. Petroleum-free cleaning products or vinegar/baking powder. Take tupperware to restaurants for leftovers/take out. Ride your bike. When it is time for a new car get an enviro-friendly one BUT wait until yours is dead--takes more to recycle an old car than you would save to buy the new hybrid...
I put my two shelties' fur from grooming out for the birds. I also became a vegan and eat at least one raw meal a day.
Instead of letting the water flow down the drain while waiting for hot water to arrive, keep a bucket in the bathroom to catch the cold water. Then use the bucket of water for the next toilet flush.
we live in a small but growing town and water/sewage is very high. we have lost 3 jobs in 4 .5 yrs and need to conserve. so when we had to replace a toilet we did so with a a water saving toilet and we only flush when its brown. we have seen good savings on our bill.
I make quilts out of even the smallest fabric scraps.. and use every part of a pair of old blue jeans to make tote bags to put groceries in or other shopped for items.
Thrift shops are my favorite haunt...I purchase old cook books that are falling apart, and magazines and make our own cook books to fit OUR LIFESTYLE. I save all large mail envelopes and make them into scrap book pages for my home made 3 ring binder cook books.
As I do this, my knowledge of good nutrition and healthy ideas has increased 10 fold. My day is filled with care about everything I use...and I make book markers, tags for gifts, out of pretty packaging and greeting cards. And making my own stationery is a joy. There are so many pretty pictures in magazines and numerous other places. I cut the wanted picture out, lay it on my copy machine and print. The cut outs are saved and used over and over....even small blurps about weight control and eating healthy and up to date health facts... We use lint from the dryer, WHEN WE HAVE to use it, and put it near or on the bird house ledges.... We live in a mountainous area with a lot of snow.
I try to by most of my items bulk when possible. I bring my own containers, and when I need a bag, I reuse the bag over and over again, washing it out and drying it. I use containers and no throwaways when packing lunch. I use cloth napkins, and dishtowels, no paper. I bought a soymilk maker and now I don't have all of the wax coated throwaway boxes adding up. Now I buy the beans bulk and bought glass bottles to store the soymilk in,this way there is no waste.
I use no chemicals for cleaning, just white vinegar usually. I use drying racks most of the time for my clothes. I keep a constant flow of cloth grocery bags in my car so I never need to use plastic, and even bring them into other retail shops instead of using there bags.
I also live in an apt, so I don't have an outdoor compost...instead I worm compost. I put my foodscraps in the two tier worm bin and it turns into wonderful "black gold" fertilizer, as well as worm tea for watering my plants!
I have found a complete line of household cleaners/cosmetics/skin care and nutritional products that are earth/pet friendly and are great. The household cleaners are less costly than just using vinegar and water. Here is the site to learn more: http://goshaklee.info/en/ Password is: RE20020. As an example the one pint bottle of Basic-H would make 48 gallons of solution equivalent to 409/Fantastik type of all purpose cleaner at $0.21 per gallon. The window/glass solution is only 1 cent per gallon. All biodegradable/environmentally very friendly. Many eco organizations/President Bill Clinton/Jacques Cousteau/Green Belt Movement/Wild Dolphin Project/Whale Conservation Institute all have very good words about Shaklee.
http://www.shaklee.net/steve/product/00015
Special on memberships this month! www.shaklee.net/steve
Make your food and don’t buy prepackaged items that use a lot of plastic and cardboard. Buy vegetables to cook with and store homemade foods in reusable glass containers. Plastic containers (which are carcinogenic) you just throw away because they get dingy and they are not disposable which makes you buy even more. Shop and eat at environmentally friendly shops and restaurants.
And of course...Go Vegan!
Make your food and don’t buy prepackaged items that use a lot of plastic and cardboard. Buy vegetables to cook with and store homemade foods in reusable glass containers. Plastic containers (which are carcinogenic) you just throw away because they get dingy and they are not disposable which makes you buy even more. Shop and eat at environmentally friendly shops and restaurants.
And of course...Go Vegan!
Unplug cell phone chargers and all appliances (microwaves, computers) when not in use. A surge protector works too! Even if off, these things still use massive amounts of energy. If using tinfoil or parchment paper for cooking, use it more than once. Same with tea bags. Dry your own chiles and herbs. They taste better, are cheaper, and have no packaging. Open your oven after cooking in the winter to heat the house. Sleep with lower heat, more clothes (a hat will keep you warmest). Wear the same clothes several times before washing. Try making ANYTHING from scratch - bread, mustard, pasta. It is fun, tastes great, is better for you, cheaper, and less packaging. Ask your local supermarket to fade out plastic and sell or give out cloth bags.
if you are still using dryer sheets instead of dryer balls,reuse the sheets as dust cloths.Use cold h2o for laundry.Run the dishwasher and washmachine in the pm,more cost effective.If you use a dishwasher,turn off the drying cycle,conserves energy used to power the heating unit.
I grow an organic garden and raise chickens for their eggs. We compost and food-cycle via the chickens and a healthy compost pile. I drive the Honda Civic Hybrid and just love my every-two+ week fillups. At work, I reuse mugs and drink tea/coffee from fair trade and song bird companies. I keep a box of paper at my desk so that I can use the back sides of single printed sheets. We buy used clothing since GoodWill carries so many name brands these days. We shop at a co-op, reuse the main bags and reuse the bulk bags for bulk items. We have adopted the stance that garbage and waste makes us sick, as well as plastics. We don't watch TV and do not purchase newspapers. To read, we do it at the library where a book or magazine can serve many. We donate to earth friendly organizations that support wildlife and sustainable programs like reforestation. I also recently took part in a native plant salvage day on a development site. The plants will go into my front yard where we are planning to eliminate the lawn altogether.
Save anything that could be used for crafts: old blue jeans, nice packaging material (like in keen shoe boxes), cool bottle tops, cans, shoes boxes for storage, shoe string for a necklace, and anything else really. It's great to stay creative.
i recycle just about everything - greeting cards, envelopes, paper, labels, buttons, stickers on fruit, pages from old books that are falling apart , old book covers, fabric,even rusty bits of hardware , old sweaters, etc and i make collages - from greeting cards , to book covers for blank books to wall art - they make unique gifts ..i make my own cleaning solution by infusing vinegar with lavender from the garden, i save my own seeds every year from the garden and share with friends and neighbors . for holiday presents i make wreaths of plants that went to seed in the garden and they feed the birds and other amimals during the winter.. i made wall shelves from the drawers of an old wooden desk - i find a new purpose for just about everything -
I have 3 dehumidifiers in my basement and use the water they collect to water the garden all summer long. I also put a bucket to catch the water from my clothes washer to use in the garden so i don't have to run a sprinkler or a hose in the summer. I plant mostly all native plants so they can take the weather conditions in our zone. I still do the "if it's yellow let it mellow..." with the toilet to conserve water. Everything else I do has been mentioned and I did discover some really good new ideas. Thanks
We only buy unbleached paper towels, only use them for spills (not to wipe hands dry), and reuse them by letting them dry if we only use to wipe up water spills.
we use the water collected by the dehumidifier in the basement to water our indoor plant and outdoor foliage.
I fill clean, empty milk & juice cartons & jugs with water & freeze them to use later in the ice chest. It's less messy than loose ice and when it's melted, you have nice cold water to drink as well! I also put the frozen water jugs in my dog's house when she has to be outside on a hot day. Instant doggie air conditioning!
Use vinegar in your washing machine rinse cycle. It makes the clothes soft and keeps the colors from fading. I have an HE machine, so I just fill the fabric softener dispenser with vinegar. So much better than all the chemicals and artificial fragrance. I also use vinegar to clean around my house.
Unplug all unused appliances to save money and energy...even appliances that aren't being used are consuming precise energy from our precise world
Don't buy what you don't want to be here on earth 100 years from now (i.e. Don't purchase useless plastics)
Think Global---act local---buy local produce. If you don't know where to purchase--research local farmers markets and get involved in community supported agriculture efforts. Vote with your dollar! Avoid buying out of season produce---paying for the shipping of those exotic fruits and veggies.
a simple switch from plastic bottles, to glass bottles is a practice WE ALL can begin!!