Green at Home Guide

Bring Sustainability Home!

The first step to going green at home is talking to those you live with: your roommates, housemates, your family, or whoever impacts your home decisions.  Ask them to brainstorm ways to be more sustainable while saving money. In this time of uncertainty, saving money is more important than ever, so most of the suggestions here can help reduce expenses: 

What are some sustainable practices that save you money? Here are some suggestions- challenge your household to pick at least 10 options to implement over the next month:

Transportation:

• Get an electric car for your next vehicle to save on gas
• Drive less and combine errands when you do. 
• Bike or walk for trips that are less than 2 miles
• Drive or train instead of fly for vacations 

Laundry:

• Wool Dryer Balls cut drying time/energy for laundry by helping separate and air out clothes in the dryer 
• Wash laundry in cold water saves 90% energy over hot- and preserves colors and fabrics
• Hang your clothes to dry (this will preserve them as well) 
• Consider installing a heat pump dryer to save 20%-60%

Bathrooms

• Purchase water efficient fixtures 
• Place a brick or full jug in your toilet tank to save water
• Shorter showers (time them using songs/playlists!)
• Get bulk liquid soap and/or concentrate, and refillable soap dispensers 
• Choose soap bars and shampoo bars instead of liquids
• Use reusable safety or electric razor instead of disposable ones
• Use a menstrual cup instead of disposable tampons/pads
• Buy white vinegar and baking soda in bulk and make your own cleaning supplies!

Kitchen: 

• Buy local produce and eat less meat (especially red meat)
• Reduce packaging by reusing and buying in bulk
• Get rid second fridges/freezers (food often gets forgotten/expired there anyway)
• Switch to an induction stovetop for cooking, instead of a gas range
• Use reusable and washable rags instead of paper towels! Make your own DIY rags from old/stained/ripped cloths and towels
• Regrow some of your own produce (surprisingly, a lot of produce can be regrown from the discards! celery, romaine lettuce, chives, etc!)
• Save and reuse jars from pasta sauce, salsa etc instead of buying tupperware and glasses
• Use reusable straws, cloth napkins, utensils instead of disposables
• Use reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water

Energy: 

• Select energy-efficient lights like LEDS
• Invest in energy-saving smart power strips home to reduce energy drain
• Use thermal insulating curtains and block drafts under exterior doors
• Set electronics(laptops, computers, printers, etc) to hibernate automatically, putting electronics (TVs, video games etc) that are on 'standby' on a powerstrip and turning it all off so it's not draining unnecessary power, etc, too
• Lower the heat/ac and dress for the weather instead
• Get solar water heaters, solar PV panels or geothermal energy to save on electricity (recoup your investment in around 8 years and get savings from then on) 
• Switch to LED bulbs 
• Use a programmable thermostat to cut back on heating/cooling 
• Insulate your furnace and water heater 
• Get a home energy audit (available for free from Pepco & BGE energy providers!). They will provide swaps for more energy efficient fixtures and make energy saving suggestions for your home. During COVID, these are also offered virtually

Purchases:

• DIY upcycled crafts for gifts/cards
• Downsizing the size of your home to something smaller, and in a walkable/bikeable area with public transit
• Buy used (Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, ebay, or thrift stores) 
• Buy things that will last instead of fast fashion, quick trends, or low-quality things that could break/fall apart easily 
• Switch from gas to electric (stoves, heaters, etc) 
• Get clean energy! Even if you can’t afford panels, you can get a PPA, or if you rent, you can pay your energy bill to renewable energy providers

Yard:

• Use your balcony or backyard to grow vegetables or plant a pollinator garden
• Explore and use green landscaping practices for your plants, yard, and trees 
• care for your trees—make sure you are watering, pruning, and mulching correctly to ensure healthy trees
• Switch to solar-powered or LED outdoor lighting
• Trade gas-powered equipment for manual or electric versions
• Utilize the University of Maryland Extension Home & Garden Information Center's Climate-Resilient Gardening Story Map to find examples of how to adapt your gardens and community green spaces to mitigate and adapt to climate change
• Listen to the University of Maryland Extension's monthly Garden Thyme Podcast

Communicating your values, goals, and intentions with others can inspire them to follow suit! Asking them for their input, advice, and ideas can help motivate them to take action with you. If you live with your family or housemates, it will be easier to implement changes if everyone is part of the process of setting goals, determining strategies, and implementing improvements! Make it a team effort with your household! And, share your list and progress with others too- post to social media, or send a message to a handful of close friends, neighbors, or relatives, about the savings you noticed and how you achieved them!