Tips

Reducing your CO2 emissions

What are we missing? What do you do to reduce your carbon footprint? Please contact us to send your tips!

Recycle whenever you can. It’s old. It’s antiquated. It works. Reusing and recycling bottles, papers and cardboard boxes saves us from making new ones, but go beyond that. Think about all of the things you throw away, and then think about what could be used again. Doing renovations? Don’t toss your old stuff just yet. Lots of places will gladly re-use your countertops, flooring, moldings, etc. One man’s trash, right? And remember sharing is caring! Drink tap water. The energy to make a plastic bottle usually comes from a fossil fuel burning plant that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Simply drinking your tap water, or drinking filtered tap water reduces your footprint.

• Buy local.
• Transporting and shipping foods and imports across continents uses a lot of energy, and as a result CO2 is released. Keeping your purchases local saves the transportation. While not always possible, every little bit helps!

• Eat less meat.
• Yes, it’s delicious. But, conversely, we also consume far more than we should, it is quite fatty, and the means that we get it by are ruining our environment. Growing, processing and shipping meat requires an unsustainable amount of energy. Not to mention the methane released by the cows themselves. Eating less of it will make a real difference. Fish, eggs and poultry are a better alternative.

• Unplug it!
• When you aren’t using your small kitchen appliances, electronic devices and lights, unplug them. Keeping them plugged in, even if they aren’t on, uses electricity. Save the world, and some money on electricity bills.

Keep an eye on your refrigerator! Yes, we hope it’s running, but in a cool place preferably. Keeping it in the most shaded area of your kitchen, or just keep it in the basement. Hot foods should cool off before you put them in the fridge, and make sure to defrost regularly. This helps reduce the energy it requires to stay cool. Cold water wash cycle. Using hot water unnecessarily to do your laundry wastes energy and emits CO2. Using cold water keeps your whites white, and conserves energy.

• Hang clothes out to dry.
• Get a clothesline. Use the shower rod. Whatever. Just don’t throw your skivvies in the dryer; it uses more energy than almost any other appliance in your home.

• When you need new appliances, think (lime)green.
• New appliances require a lot of energy to produce and ditching your old ones contribute to carbon waste, but if your fridge goes on the fritz, think eco-friendly for your next one.

• Take shorter showers!
• Conserve water, and keep the rest of your family happy. All the hot water you’ll be saving will reflect not only in the amount of carbon dioxide not being released, but on your water bill!
• Low flow showerheads can still be powerful, yet they’ll save up to 67% of the water you would normally use. You can still have comfort while saving energy!
• And, while you’re at it, adjust your hot water heater. If you ever find that your water gets too hot, adjust it! Less energy will be used in heating your water if you do.

• Turn off your air conditioning or heating when you’re not home.
• Your furniture won’t complain about the temperature, we promise. You’ll know you’re doing a good thing when you check your electricity bill, too. It might even convince you to turn it down a little bit when you are around! Conserving energy and reducing emissions are always the right temperature!

• Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle
• Removing that bag of kitty litter from your trunk in the summertime will prevent overconsumption and improve your gas mileage.

The filled ball requires far less of a push. Tires look a little low? You waste gas and energy by driving on flat tires. Compare filled and flat tires to rolling a filled and a deflated basketball across a court. The filled ball requires far less of a push to make it across. Keep your gas mileage up and your carbon footprint down by making sure your tires are at their optimal pressure. Cut short car trips. Cold cars are carbon-emitting cars. Organize your schedule and your planner so that you make fewer trips to the grocery store every week or so. Use public transportation more often! Check the bus schedule, take the subway, whichever. Saving the world and being able to read a book at the same time? Amazing. You’re reducing your carbon footprint and promoting further development in public transport! Try carpooling with your friends! If you’re both going the same direction, why not? A little catching up never hurt!

• Talk to your employer about carbon emission reduction strategies.
• Mention the financial benefits of a lights-off policy and you’ll get their attention. Hey, you may even get a promotion!

• Compost anything and everything you can.
• Compost absorbs carbon dioxide and creates a new sink for CO2.
• While we’re talking about gardening, don’t burn your leaves. Unnecessary burning releases CO2 and affects your local environment.

• Plant a tree.
• Evergreen, conifer, it doesn’t matter. Just plant one. Green spaces are the new thing, and planting some in your yard will give your home the privacy we all deserve. Trust us, trees are cool.

Find out how much CO2 you emit by using our carbon calculator