In honour of Earth Day, every Wednesday in April we’re counting down the best food, fashion and travel eco-friendly ideas we’ve ever heard. City Style and Living Magazine (CSL) has gathered easy, proactive and affordable tips from some of our past issues (the CSL green ticker) so that you can make green choices in fashion and for your home. Here’s to actively making small changes that can add up big.
1. With tax season nearby, why not file online?
2. Properly insulate your home especially the basement and attic to reduce energy costs.
3. Close doors and windows when running the air conditioning or heat.
4. Choose a front load washing machine which uses less energy and water.
5. Organize a garage sale – to reuse, reduce and recycle.
6. Need to clean ceramic, linoleum and vinyl floors? Use 16 parts warm water mixed with 1 part vinegar for mopping.
7. Alter clothing instead of buying new.
8. Look for reclaimed or recycled gold jewelry.
9. During winter set up a clothing line indoors.
10. Repurpose dryer sheets as bug repellent – just stick a used one in your pocket to avoid insects.
11. Look for clothing made with low-impact dyes.
12. Reuse envelopes, wrapping paper, and other paper materials you receive.
13. If building from new, design a passive solar house to take maximum advantage of solar gain with glass on the southeast, south and southwest sides.
14. Paint your home a light color if you live in a warm climate and a dark color if you live in a cold climate.
15. Construct a bee house
16. Choose bleach-free toilet paper made from post-consumer waste
17. Catch rainwater in a barrel for watering plants.
18. Building a house? Orient it so the long axis runs east-west
19. Seek alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides
20. Use all-natural sunblock.
21. Wear clothes in natural fabrics like cotton, hemp, and linen which naturally wick moisture away from the body
