“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”

– Plato

Over the past 7 years, we have made the commitment to taking daily environmental action steps to enhance the quality of our lives and contribute positively to the world around us. These actions did not happen overnight; they were decisions that were made incrementally.

At the beginning, the changes were personally motivated: controlling allergies, eliminating toxic cleaning supplies and improving the quality of our food and tap water. Then the awareness driving those actions expanded, and we became conscious of our own role in determining the state of the environment, from reducing waste through recycling to supporting local sustainable agriculture.

This list of sustainability tips is a work in progress – all of them are practices that we have incorporated in our home and business. Most of the actions listed below didn’t require drastic changes on our part – some of them can even be implemented immediately. For ease of use we have classified them into categories.

We hope that you find these tips as useful in your lives as they are in ours. Remember…perfection is not required, but action is.

Around the House

1. Turn lights off when leaving a room
2. Change air filters once a month
3. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs
4. Use ceiling fans to keep rooms cooler during the summer months
5. Replace analog thermostats with programmable, digital thermostats that automatically adjust temperature according to a schedule

Kitchen

1. Unplug all kitchen appliances at the end of the day and when leaving the room
2. Keep refrigerator full to maximize coolness
3. Use microwave only for the minimum –defrost food ahead of time and heat food on a stove or toaster oven
4. Eliminate the use of disposable plates and utensils
5. Use glass or ceramic containers for food storage
6. Use washable cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
7. Use water filtration system instead of relying on bottled water
8. Run the dishwasher only when full
9. Use the dishwasher’s “no-heat” option to save energy
10. Replace paper filters on coffee/tea appliances with a reusable wire mesh filter
11. Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies

Bathroom

1. Use non-toxic and biodegradable chlorine-free, non-petroleum, phosphate-free based cleaning supplies
2. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth or shaving
3. Take showers together with your partner
4. Shower instead of taking a bath
5. Use a slow-flow showerhead that reduces water usage
6. Do not use the toilet as a trash can

Lawn and Garden

1. Start a garden
2. Use soapy water to get rid of aphid problems on plants and shrubs
3. Spread used coffee grounds on ant hills to control fire ants
4. Spray a light mist of a solution of hot peppers in water to prevent fungus on plants
5. Use crushed, dry eggshells as calcium supplement for plants
6. Install sprinkler system for a greener grass, they are most efficient at maximizing watering coverage on the lawn
7. When mowing the lawn, use lawn clippings to promote growth
8. Water lawns before sunrise, to minimize water evaporation
9. Landscape with native plants, which are adapted to the local climate
10. Use mulch or lawn clippings around trees, bushes and flowers beds to help retain water

Laundry Room

1. Use the cold water setting for every laundry load
2. Wait for a full load of clothes to start the washer
3. Clean the dryer’s lint filter after every use
4. Use non-toxic, biodegradable laundry detergents

Gym

1. Bring filtered water to the gym in a reusable bottle
2. Bring a personal towel to the gym to help save water and avoid exposure to heavy-duty cleaning detergents and bleaches
3. Use cardiovascular equipment that does not draw electrical power. Best options are elliptical machines and stationary bikes
4. Choose outdoor exercise when possible

Lifestyle changes

1. Support organic farming practices
2. Buy food locally
3. Structure a diet of mostly vegetables, meat, poultry and eggs
4. Eat mostly fruits and nuts with local honey as snacks
5. Seek out eco-friendly businesses and support them
6. Cut TV usage to 2hrs a week
7. Replace wall-to-wall carpet in the home with wood or tile flooring for allergy control
8. Buy books in audio formats (preferably internet delivery rather than CD media)
9. Read all products labels, be an informed shopper

Banking

1. Enroll in online banking
2. Decline ATM receipts
3. Request paperless statement from banks and credit card companies

Car

1. Keep tires properly inflated to maximize gas mileage
2. Re-fuel when tank is half full, instead of nearly empty
3. Do not idle, shut engine off if stopping for more than 30 seconds
4. Buy a hybrid vehicle
5. Carpool whenever possible
6. Keep vehicles tuned up
7. Use a commercial car wash (most recycle their water)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

1. Clean recyclable containers before putting in recycling bin.
2. Recycle baby food glass jars – fitted with a tea light candle they make beautiful lanterns when hung from trees during evening outdoor events
3. Stop newspaper distribution (read news online)
4. Eliminate or reduce magazine subscriptions
5. Recycle all junk mail
6. Request to be removed from direct marketing mail lists
7. Contact companies to cancel non-essential catalog delivery
8. Cut old articles of clothing and bed sheets into cleaning rags
9. Stop buying bottled water, use a refillable water bottle instead
10. Remove caps, lids and corks from bottles before recycling
11. Re-use food jars for other storage needs
12. Carry reusable bags on all shopping trips
13. Use recycled garbage bags

Office

1. Recycle paper, plastic, junk mail and printer, copier and fax cartridges
2. Replace all disposable plates and utensils in the office kitchen with ceramic plates, mugs, glasses, and flatware

   Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups each year.

3. Print on both sides of a sheet of paper
4. Use recycled paper in printers
5. Reuse paper clips
6. Avoid buying/using rubber bands
7. Shut down computers overnight
8. Carpool whenever possible
9. Turn lights off when leaving the office, storage or breakrooms
10. Bring home-cooked lunch to work
11. Carry lunch to work in reusable ceramic or glass containers
12. Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies
13. Use power saver mode on all computers
14. Use water cooler to discourage bottled water usage

Any suggestions? Email them to: contact@100MileHarvest.com