In Honor of Earth Day: 10 Tips to Green Your Home

Image By: Simon Howden

We all try to be as responsible as we can, when it comes to living a green, and eco-friendly life. But the reality is when people get home at the end of the day, their tired, and being responsible isn’t always the easiest choice to make. So here are some eco-friendly tips, that will help you save time, money, and energy.

1. Shut off your electronics completely, by plugging them into a UL-certified power strip. Not only does it make turning off your electronics easier, you can turn multiple items off with one button, but by turning off the power strip at night, you prevent electricity from being used for stand by power. Also called vampire draw, it is the power consumed by an appliance while they are switched off, or in standby mode. It can make up to 10% of the total residential power consumption.

2. Items like cell phones and laptops don’t take all night to charge, and continue to draw energy as long as there plugged in. Instead of charging your electronics while you sleep, plug them in as soon as you get home. That way, they can be fully charged, and ready to go for the next day without wasting any energy.

3. Recycle your old CD’s,  DVD’s, DVD cases, electronics, cables, cell phones, TV’s and more, easily at Best Buy. They have a wonderful new recycling program that not only accepts almost every electronic device that you can think of, but is at no cost to you. Simply check their e-cycle list of accepted products, and then bring your recyclables into your nearest store!

4. Finally a recycling program for all those #5 plastics that you would love to recycle, but can’t since most recycling programs simply don’t accept them. The website Preserve, My Gimme 5, has set up drop off locations all over the country where you can bring in all of your number 5 plastics, otherwise they would be going straight to a landfill. With the Gimme 5 program, plastics are recycled in this country, and turned into the wonderful eco-friendly products you can purchase through Preserve.

Amazing Design from Used Plastic Bottles

Images Curtesy of http://www.gulnurozdaglar.com

Sometimes the things people create, are so beautiful, so absolutely magical, and lovely that you can’t even imagine what the creation is even made out of. It’s even more amazing when you find out that the art is made out of something we consider to be garbage, or in my house recycling. Created by Turkish Artist and upcycler Gulnur Ozdagler, these bowls are created with simple tools found in almost every home; scissors, x-acto knife, heat pen, and a bit of dye. Her collection is called Tertium Non Data which means “the third is not given” a reference to alchemy where two disparate elements can create a third totally different material. Check out Ozdaglar’s amazing and functional art and jewelry at these following websites.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gulguvenc

http://www.gulnurozdaglar.com

http://www.envi.me/brand.php?id=44