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Random sustainability tips

5/30/2025

Today I’m listing several random sustainability tips for you to consider.

Take your own reusable container to restaurants to bring home your leftovers.
Close window shades on the sunny side of the house in summer to help keep the heat out. Close window shades in winter to help keep the heat inside.
Adjust your menus depending on the season. In summer, avoid using the oven for long periods and choose seasonal produce from local farmers.
Keep invasive plant species out of your yard and avoid toxic pesticides whenever possible.
Repair or mend items whenever possible. Watch for opportunities to re-purpose something you already have instead of buying something new.
Avoid single use plastic items and other disposables.
Share sustainability ideas gently and lead by example. It’s generally more effective than trying to force people to do something they’re not ready for.
You don’t have to change everything at once and you don’t have to save the world by yourself. Take baby steps and add new sustainability activities as you are ready.

Here’s a good article discussing several ways to reduce waste in the kitchen. There are many advantages to reducing waste. Organic matter (food, paper, wood, natural fibers) that ends up in a landfill releases methane gas as it decomposes, and methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas. It takes energy and resources to grow, harvest, transport, and prepare food. If that food is then discarded uneaten, all of those resources are wasted along with the food. In fact, any item that is discarded without being fully used wastes not only the item but the resources used to produce it. The kitchen is one place that small sustainability actions can really add up.
https://earth911.com/food-beverage/earth-action-simple-steps-for-waste-free-dining/

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Weather and fuel economy

5/11/2025

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Both hot weather and cold weather can affect the fuel economy of your car. These two articles provide some good tips for helping improve the fuel economy in both kinds of weather.

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fuel-economy-hot-weather
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fuel-economy-cold-weather

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Eco-friendly cleaning

5/5/2025

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This is a great article discussing some of the sustainable living topics that have competing viewpoints on which is the most eco-friendly alternative. The actual article may be behind a paywall for some of you, so I’ll summarize some of the main points.

In recent years, green cleaning products have improved significantly and are generally just as effective. Various certifications such as EPA Safer Choice, Green Seal, and UL Ecologo can help you identify the ones that work well.
Is a car more fuel efficient running the AC or driving with the windows open? It depends on the car and the speed. However, there are things you can do to help, such as keeping the windows open for a few minutes before you start the air conditioner to allow some of the hot air to vent out of the car. And use a sunshade against the windshield when parked to help reduce some of the heat buildup.
Studies show that reusable towels do a better job of cleaning than paper towels, so save the paper towels for the big messes.
There’s a lot of advice with diagrams on how to load the dishwasher for the best effectiveness. The two most interesting pieces of information are that the soap works better if your water heater is set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit (instead of hotter), and that modern dishwashers work better if you don’t pre-rinse your dishes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/07/09/eco-friendly-house-cleaning-practices/

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Random sustainability tips

Reducing waste in the kitchen

Weather and fuel economy

Eco-friendly cleaning

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