Greendogs
Tips and Resources
Green Living Tips
Follow these tips to conserve energy and resources and reduce pollution and waste.
- Save your lungs, and a little cash too, by making your own cleaners out of common household staples like vinegar, baking soda, borax and lemon juice.
- Cut back on paper waste by switching to e-billing. More and more companies are offering paperless billing options. Contact the companies that send you a bill each month and ask them what options are in place to keep the paper out of your mailbox.
- Bring reusable bags when shopping for groceries or other items. One reusable shopping bag can replace up to 4 plastic bags each time it is used. Designed to last two years, each one will replace 416 plastic bags if used just once a week, saving enough petroleum to drive a car about 30 miles.
- Change your furnace air filter once a month for optimum efficiency.
- Unplug chargers and adapters when not in use.
- Use rechargeable batteries. One rechargeable battery can replace up to 1,000 single-use batteries.
- Turn off lights when not in use.
- Use compact fluorescent bulbs. They last ten times longer and use less energy.
- Caulk or weather-strip around windows and exterior doors to prevent heat and air loss.
- Walk or ride a bike when possible. Riding a bike to school instead of driving a car cuts down on noise pollution, road congestion, air pollution and carbon dioxide gases that contribute to global warming.
- Purchase goods locally when possible to reduce transportation costs.
- Buy in bulk to use less packaging.
- Choose products packaged in recycled materials. Avoid buying disposable products.
- Use bar soap instead of liquid. It costs less, conserves oil used to produce plastic and reduces waste.
- Drink filtered water instead of bottled water.
- Do not use disposable razors, pens or other items that have permanent options. (Some two million disposable razors are thrown away each year.)
- Use birds, rather than harmful chemicals, to control insects in your lawn. Place bird houses, feeders and baths in your yard to attract birds.
- Compost kitchen and yard waste into rich soil. This will feed your home garden and keep this waste out of landfills. Instructions on how to make a compost bin can be found in "Composting and Mulching: A Guide to Managing Organic Landscape Refuse."
- Use reusable cups, plates and flatware instead of disposable.
- Email or use online party invitations to reduce waste, conserve resources and save money.
- Use both sides of paper and then recycle it.
- Say 'no' to styrofoam. Styrofoam is made of plastic which is made with oil.
Water Conservation Tips
Follow these tips to conserve water.
- Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes.
- Always turn off running water. Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
- Take shorter showers.
- Eliminate any and all leaks.
- Reduce the flow of toilets and showerheads.
- Know your plants' water needs and water accordingly.
- Place the "right" plants in the "right" places. Use water efficient plants and turfgrasses and group plants together based on their water needs.
- Add mulch to plants and trees to hold moisture in the soil.
- Collect water from alternative sources such as rain barrels and A/C units.
Additional Online Resources
- Go Green at UGA
- UGA Recycling Programs
- Conserve Water Georgia
- Agricultural Water Use
- Alliance for Water Efficiency
- C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park
- Conserve Georgia
- EPA WaterSense
- waterSmart