earthcare
connections
| AT home |
| in the kitchen, bath, and laundry
room |
Each of us uses about 340 litres of water each day—just
indoors! Of that, 30% is flushed down the toilet. Another 35% is used
in showers and baths.
• Reduce water use in the toilet by about 20 percent by installing a toilet dam or placing a weighted plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet tank. Low-flush toilets reduce water use by 50 to 80 percent.
• Always be sure to turn taps off tightly so they do not drip.
• If you have an automatic dishwasher or a washing machine, use it only to wash full loads, and use the energy saver option or shortest cycle necessary to get the dishes or clothes clean.
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator, instead of running the tap until the water gets cool each time you want some. Be sure to rinse the container and change the water every few days.
• When washing or shaving, partially fill the sink basin and use that water rather than running the tap continuously. (This reduces water use by about 60 percent.) Use short bursts of water to clean razors. Likewise, when brushing your teeth, turn off the water while you are actually brushing, instead of running it continuously. Use water from a mug for rinsing. (This reduces water use by about 80 percent.)
• Short showers use less water than baths. If you still prefer bathing, avoid overfilling the tub—one half full should be enough.
• Never flush garbage of any kind down your toilet. Cigarette butts, paper diapers, dental floss, plastic tampon holders, condoms and the like can create problems at sewage treatment plants or with your septic tank.
• Use washable cloth rags instead of paper towels and cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
• If your washer has an adjustable water level indicator, set the dial to use only as much water as is really necessary. If possible, line-dry your clothes outside in the summer. The clothes smell great and it saves money on energy bills.
| energy efficiency |
Canada is one of the highest users of energy in the world. You can significantly
cut your energy consumption and costs, and help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions leading to climate change by taking a few simple steps around
your home.
• Check the EnerGuide label when buying major home appliances and choose those with the lowest energy consumption ratings. It will save you money in the long run.
• Turn off the lights, television, stereo, computer and radio when you leave the room.
• A compact fluorescent bulb uses about 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb and lasts 10 times longer.
• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically turn down the heat at night and when you will be away during the day.
• Keep appliances and energy sources well maintained and repaired to save energy from escaping, thus saving you money.
| practise the 3 Rs |
The average Canadian generates almost two kilograms of garbage
every day—more than any other citizen in the world. The best way
to cut down on waste production is to reduce our consumption of products.
Next, we should re-use products as much as possible, before discarding
them. And when we recycle items, we are conserving our forestry and metal
resources and reducing the pollution caused by manufacturing and by ordinary
garbage disposal methods. For example, one family’s yearly supply
of newspapers can be recycled into almost enough insulation for one house.
Reduce
• Avoid over-packaged products. They produce unnecessary garbage.
• Think twice before throwing away items that no longer work properly or are worn. Will repairing or refinishing them make more environmental sense than replacing them? Is there a charitable group in your community that fixes old appliances and sells them? Can they be put in a garage sale?
• Buy products that are well made and durable; that way you’ll reduce waste while saving yourself time, money and aggravation.
• Completely use up the products you have before you buy more — don’t throw unused portions away.
Re-use
• Empty glass jars and plastic containers can be used to store bulk
food, workshop articles and odds and ends.
• Purchase re-usable cloth bags for your weekly trips to the grocery store and for other shopping.
• Cans can be used to sort and store small household and workshop items, as indoor plant pots, and to place around garden plants as protection from insects.
• Books and magazines can be donated to hospitals, senior citizens’ residences, religious and social service organizations, and schools.
• Many items can be donated to schools and day-care centres for use in handicrafts. Call to find out what they need.
• Tissue paper and gift boxes and bags can be re-used for packaging gifts or parcels.
Recycle
Recycling can have a dramatic effect on the amount of energy used.
The environmental costs of recovering, re-using, and recycling materials
can be up to 100 times less than the environmental costs of producing
new materials. For example, every tonne of glass recycled reduces the
equivalent of 1,057 kg of carbon dioxide emissions. The use of secondary
paper resources instead of virgin materials results in a 74 percent reduction
in air pollution, a 35 percent reduction in water pollution and a 58 percent
reduction in water use.
• To help reduce pressures on our natural resources and build markets for recycled products, buy products made of recycled materials.
• Take time from your day to recycle items that you would throw out anyway.
| © 2005 Earthcare Connections |