Apartment Green Living

Sure, it's a little harder to green up a space you don't actually own. (Tip #1: Your landlord may not like those new rooftop solar panels as much as you do.) But there are still plenty of ways to help provide lasting benefits.

1. Plant one (or more). More than just brighten up a room, living plants provide real health benefits. Plants give a feeling of well-being, so are beneficial for a positive mood and help to overcome stress. This has been proven in multiple studies. And according to Dr. Leona Rogler in "The comprehensive office series," in offices with plants, complaints about headaches, stress, heart/circulation-symptoms as well as colds are reduced. Not only do complaints about headaches, stress, heart/circulation-symptoms and colds decrease when indoor plants are present, but also richly decorating a room with plants can help keep the air clean. Summary: The influence of plants on air quality and our general wellbeing has been proven. Just importantly however, is the positive psychological effect they have on us. On a side note, they'll also give you someone to talk to (who won't talk back).
2. Give up the (water) bottle. Not only can buried water bottles take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade, studies show that bottled water is not guaranteed to be any healthier than tap water. Save hundreds of dollars annually and reduce landfill waste: buy a Britta or other water filter for home/office/cave and a stainless steel, reusable water bottle that you take with you.
3. Get out and move. Turn off the TV or computer and grab your walking shoes, bike, dog, kids… anything but your car keys. Create at least one "earth hour"(or even half hour) for yourself per day. This does three important things. It… A. Reduces energy costs when you're moving and not sitting. B. Improves your physical and mental health through exercise. The data is irrefutable. C. Accesses the healing power of the sun, used for healing since the time of ancient Egypt. Vitamin D deficiency is now epidemic across all age groups, affecting 40% of the U.S. population; nearly twice that for pregnant mothers. Natural sunlight provides the most efficient source of vitamin D and is one of the most powerful healing therapies in the world; no drug comes even close. It boosts the metabolism, bone health and is believed to reduce breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. People with darker skin need even more sun exposure. The good news? It's free of charge. (Source: THE HEALING POWER OF SUNLIGHT & VITAMIN D by Dr. Michael Holick)

4. Reduce, recycle, reuse (Listen to Grandma) "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." And turn off/unplug. Previous generations knew a lot about maximizing resources. Before you buy something new, clear old the old. If you don't need it, donate it to someone who does. Our "Tribal Gatherings" tab can give you some ideas.

   Recycle everything you can. If you don't have curb-side pick up or want to recycle a specialty item go to www.earth911.org to find out where you can go. Whenever possible, avoid disposable items. For example, buy re-chargeable batteries. And look around your house at the electronics in sleep mode. Phone chargers, DVRs, coffee makers… these little energy vampires with their telltale red lights drain power even when they're not in use. Put your gadgets on a diet by pulling the plug (or tripping the power strip) whenever they're off duty.

   Other smart tips…
   • Turn down your thermostat by two degrees in the winter (and up two degrees in the summer). You'll save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide this year!
   • If every household in the US replaced 1 roll of 1000 sheet bathroom tissues with 100% recyclable rolls, we could save 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water. Only run full loads in the dishwasher and the laundry machine. You use the same amount of energy to power these machines if you have a 1/2 load or a full one- so wait a couple of days to make sure you have a full load.
   • Don't leave the water running when you brush your teeth or wash the dishes.
   • Bring a reusable insulated mug when you go out for coffee.

5. Buy thoughtfully. Where possible, opt for renewable materials, local craftsmanship and/or low-VOC compounds for your furniture and furnishings. Or instead of buying new at all, work the flea markets, classifieds and thrift stores. You'll keep a lot of stuff out of the landfill, reduce demand for new materials and give your space the kind of character that doesn't come from a catalog.

   Buy locally produced items, including produce and other goods. It reduces the amount of fossil fuels required to transport the things you buy from other parts of the country or the world. It also reduces the amount of plastic and paper products consumed in the packaging of such far-traveling products.

   Instead of using grocery stores' disposable plastic or paper bags, bring your own reusable tote bags, which are available for sale at many grocers and other retailers. The bags are sturdier than disposable bags, making the trip home easier, and they don't waste resources or end up in landfills. You alone could keep up to 1,500 bags per year out of landfills! If you must use disposable bags, ask your bagger to avoid double-bagging whenever possible.

6. Turn down the lights (at least the bill). Replace standard incandescent lights with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs (also called "CFL's). If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. IMPORTANT: CFLs contain mercury, so you will need to be careful how you dispose of them; Home Depot and Lowes will recycle. Source: U.S. Department of Energy

7. Be a green cleaner. There are great alternatives to the toxic bombs we buy at the drug store every day. Seventh Generation, Clorox brands and others offer a range of super toxin-free cleaning products—available at many mainstream stores. Just read the labels carefully. Also, switch to cold-water washing and save 80% on laundry energy.

   If you dry clean your clothes with traditional cleaners, air out your clothes outside for as long as possible before bringing them inside. Most dry cleaners use a harmful chemical called PERC in the cleaning process. Even better, use a green dry cleaner in your area.

   If you are doing any painting, use no or low-VOC paints. VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds are not anything you would want in your body. Fortunately there are now several great brands of healthy paints.

8. "Green" your landlord. Share the knowledge with your landlord and fellow tenants, and everybody saves! If 10,000 landlords of high-rise apartment buildings make Energy Star-suggested changes, the energy saved could power their each of their TVs for 1,640,625 years. And if your apartment building doesn't provide recycling options, it's time to enlighten the landlord.
9. Junk the Junk Mail. 100 million trees' worth are sent out each year. Visit www.dmachoice.org/MPS/ to opt out of the Direct Marketing Association's member mailings.

10. Cheap, green travel. Let's face it, we can't all afford (or we may not want) the latest energy-efficient car. As an apartment dweller you may already take the best forms of transportation to work - your feet, your bike, or public transit. Whenever possible, navigate the neighborhood without your car. Is your apartment on a convenient bus or rail line? Do you have access to a car-sharing service, carpool or other flexible transportation option? If you're in the market for a car, check the U.S. Department of Energy's list of most fuel-efficient cars to find the one that's right for you.

    More Science Behind the Suggestions
    • The lowly spider plant is tops when it comes to removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air indoors. Source: NASA study
    • The construction of two pounds of polyurethane rigid foam (the type found in sofa cushions) requires nearly 800 pounds of water, 1.5 pounds of crude oil, and 0.9 pounds coal, and produces waste consisting of 9 pounds of carbon dioxide, as well as other solid and liquid waste byproducts. Source: National Geographic's Green Guide
    • More than 82% of trips five miles or less are made by personal motor vehicle. The problem is, 60% of the pollution created by automobile emissions happens in the first few minutes of operation, before pollution control devices can work effectively. Since "cold starts" create high levels of emissions, shorter car trips are more polluting on a per-mile basis than longer trips. Source: Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey