Come to the Green Side

Brought to you by the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council.

1.  Take public transportation, carpool, walk or bicycle to work.
2.  Turn off office lights whenyou are not going to be in the room for a significant period of time.
3.  Adjust your computer settings to go on standby after 15 minutes on inactivity.  Select “None” as your screensaver setting because screensavers do not save energy.
4.  Turn off your computer monitor whenever you are not using it.
5.  Reuse office paper for notes, memos or printing drafts of documents.
6.  Set defaults for copiers and printers to double-sided printing.
7.  Bring a reusable travel mug to work for coffee and lunch breaks.
8.  Use products efficiently and completely before discarding.
9.  Recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, toner cartridges, light bulbs, batteries and other waste for which recycling is available.
10.  Post memos and publications online or on an office bulletin board rather than printing multiple copies.
11.  Reuse file folders and envelopes, and keep mailing lists current.
12.  Share technical journals, magazines, newspapers and phonebooks with office colleagues.
13.  Edit documents on your computer screen rather than printing multiple drafts.
14.  Whenever possible, use e-mail for correspondence.
15.  Shut down your computer and other office equipment at the end of every workday.
16.  Buy from environmentally and socially responsible businesses.
17.  Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries.
18.  Buy organic and locally grown foods for lunch.
19.  Save and reuse plastic bags and office packaging.
20.  Remove plants, books and furniture that block office vents and radiators to promote more efficiency.

1.  Use your library to read books, watch movies or listen to music.  Libraries are the ultimate recyclers!
2.  With summer upon us, try using reusable glasses and dishes at picnics or outdoor barbecues rather than plastic or styrofoam.
3.  Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
4.  Consolidate your errands.
5.  Stop unwanted catalogs by taking the time to call the company’s 800 number and have your name and address removed from their list.
6.  Plant a tree to provide shade for your home and lower cooling costs up to 25% over three to five years.
7.   Turn down the temperature on the water heater to 120 degrees–especially in the summer when hot showers aren’t as necessary.
8.  Wash only full loads of clothes and dishes.
9.  Try to leave a store without having  your purchases bagged.
10.  When printing at work or at home, try to do two-sided or duplex printing.

Lighting accounts for close to 20% of the average home’s electric bill.  CFLs use up to 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.  However, there are instances when CFLs are NOT the best option.

• In vibrating fixtures (i.e. ceiling fans, garage door openers) as vibration can cause the CFL to fail.
• In recessed lights as some fluorescent ballasts are unreliable in ambient temperatures over 120 degrees.  This can sometimes be a problem in enclosed or recessed ceiling fixtures in the heat builds up.
• With a dimmer switch unless you buy a CFL designed especially for dimmers.
• In fixtures turned on/off frequently, as CFL bulbs work best if they are left on for over 15 minutes each time they are turned on.  Frequently switching them on and off will shorten the life of the bulb. 

Source:  Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce and Industry Newsletter.

If you use a de-icer on your sidewalk or driveway, look for products made from magnesium chloride instead of sodium chloride (salt) or calcium chloride.  Magnesium chloride melts ice at temperatures as low as minus 17 degrees (salt stops working at 15 degrees above zero) and does less damage to concrete, your car and surrounding plants.

Winterize your vehicle by checking your air filter and fluid levels, checking tires for tread wear and proper inflation, and checking the condition of your windshield wipers.

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, save your ashes in a tin instead of throwing them away. Cold wood ashes can be mixed in your compost heap to create a valuable soil amendment that provides nutrients to your garden.

Use electric snow removal products rather than gasoline-powered ones. While electric products consume energy, they do not emit greenhouse gases.

Start by setting your thermostat to 68°.  Your heating system will operate less and use less energy. Turn your thermostat down 5° at night or when leaving your home for an hour or more.

In the winter  make the most of natural sunlight by opening window coverings on south-facing windows to warm your home.  Also, consider closing window coverings in rooms that receive no direct sunlight to insulate from cold window drafts. At night, close window coverings to retain heat.

Run fans in reverse.  Counterclockwise rotation produces cooling breezes while switching to clockwise makes it seem warmer by making an updraft that sends the warmer air pooled near the ceiling back into the living space.

Air dry your dishes.   Skip the heated dry cycle on your dishwasher. Instead, open the door and allow your dishes to air dry.