Earth Day is today. Here are some easy helpful tips to help out our planet and your wallet year round.
1. Buy LED light bulbs – LED light bulbs last up to 25 times longer and have really dropped in price, some costing as little as $8. LED bulbs can save you more than $100 over their lifespan.
2. Recycle moving materials – Take bubble wrap and foam peanuts to a local shipping store, where they can be reused.
3. Compost at home – Vegetable scraps, tissues, coffee grounds return fiber and nutrients to the soil. If you don’t have yard space to compost, green bin services in the Quinte Area will pick up your compost.
4. Don’t forget extra recyclables – If your curbside recycling service won’t take some items, you still could save it. You can return grocery bags and plastic film back to grocery stores. Sandwich bags and newspaper bags can be stretched with your thumb and also be returned. Some grocery stores also will take foam items like cups and packaging.
5. Measure your energy usage – Some power companies offer online tools to help monitor home energy use, so you can track your heating, cooling, water and light costs.
6. Wash clothes in cold water and use the fastest spin speed available
7. Upgrade the aerators on your kitchen and bathroom sinks – If you have an older faucet, install a new water efficient aerator for under $5 and you can cut its water use by up to 40 percent.
8. Recycle your old consumer electronics properly – Quinte Waste Solutions offers electronic waste recycling services at its Belleville depot. Click here for event details and schedules.
9. Turn off your furnace when the cold weather ends
10. Buy a new toilet that uses no more than 1.28 gallons per flush