Canadian Living guide to greener living

Cleaning
• To save energy, rinse your clothes in cold water and hang them up to dry whenever possible.

• When you use your dryer, dry one load of laundry right after another to take advantage of an already toasty dryer, and clean the lint filter before every load to increase energy efficiency by as much as 30 per cent. Did you know… Front-loading washing machines and dryers use 40 per cent less water and up to 68 per cent less energy.

• Use rags instead of paper towels for cleaning up messes around the house. Paper towels are thrown into the trash after every use.

• Try a dry cleaner that uses GreenEarth, a safe, nontoxic cleaning process to dry-clean clothes.

• Use all cleaning supplies, including dryer sheets, bleach and fabric softeners, judiciously.

• In a pinch, a mixture of vinegar and water cleans glass just as well as a store-bought product, and newspaper buffs glass to a streak-free shine. Consider using a damp cloth to dust furniture. A half litre (two cups) of mineral oil mixed with five millilitres (one teaspoon) of lemon oil makes a great furniture polish. Try baking soda and water to clean bathroom surfaces.

Did you know… You can purchase eco-friendly drain opener, dish soap and furniture polish at green specialty stores. Visit www.ecobusinesslinks.com for a directory.

Hazardous waste in your home
• Many common household products contain hazardous chemicals, which contaminate our water, soil and air. It is important to be aware of the hazardous products and materials we use around the house and dispose of them with care.

• Compact fluorescent bulbs are energy efficient but contain mercury and should not be thrown in the garbage. Return them to the point of purchase after use; Ikea, for example, will properly recycle these bulbs for you.

• Rechargeable batteries contain corrosive heavy metals that contaminate soil and water. You can take them to Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Sears and select Ikea stores for recycling. For other locations, visit www.rbrc.org/call2recycle/dropoff/index.php.

• Used propane tanks contain trace amounts of combustible propane, so if they are discarded along with household trash they could explode during garbage collection. Many propane dealers will take back tanks; choose one that does.

• According to Environment Canada, every year we throw away or burn 158,000 tons of obsolete computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, televisions, mobile phones and similar products. These objects contain significant pollutants, such as lead, mercury, polybrominated flame retardants and cadmium, some of which eventually leach into our soil and groundwater. However, they also contain recyclable materials, such as copper, steel, aluminum and plastic.

Tip: Donate working electronics that you no longer need; charities and schools are a good place to start. Or contact your local waste-management facility or municipal government for an electronics recycler in your area.

• Look for hazardous-product symbols when you shop. For example, the toxic/poison symbol indicates the product can be damaging to living organisms.

• Ask about local programs that divert potentially hazardous or bulky items, such as scrap tires, electronics, used oil materials and rechargeable batteries, from landfills.

• Paint and paint thinner are flammable and toxic. If poured down the drain, sewers or dumped onto the ground, they will contaminate the soil and groundwater, including drinking water, and poison wildlife. Contact your municipality to see where you can safely dispose of them.

Follow these guidelines:
• Read and follow all directions carefully. Store hazardous materials, such as solvents, securely in a well-ventilated area.

• Always keep each material in its original labelled container and use only for the intended purposes.

• Give products time to work instead of using excess to finish the job faster.

• Buy products only in the smallest possible quantity – and give leftovers to someone else to use.

• Dispose with care. Check with retailers and your municipality to find out how you can safely dispose of hazardous products.

Check it out:
• For more environmentally friendly ways to clean around the house, visit www.lesstoxicguide.ca.

Check it out:
• Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
• Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention
• Toronto Environmental Alliance for info on pesticides and nontoxic alternatives, smog, waste reduction, etc.
• E-Waste Management/recycling

Shopping
• Look for the recycled symbol and support businesses that you know are environmentally responsible.

Did you know… The materials and quantity of packaging a company uses are a good gauge of its eco-friendliness.

• Buy products that aren't over-packaged, and let retailers and manufacturers know you are unhappy with excess packaging.

Did you know… Most companies have a customer service e-mail address or phone number posted on their website. Take the time to provide them with your feedback if you don't think their products are green enough.

• Rent, borrow or buy secondhand instead of buying new, when possible.

• Choose products in refillable, reusable or recyclable containers.

• What beauty products are waiting in the kitchen? Organic extra-virgin olive oil can be used to heal dry, ragged cuticles and split ends or broken hair cuticles, as well as moisturize the skin and lips. Simply apply the oil to problem areas.

• Buying in bulk usually means less packaging for the products you purchase as well as a savings on gas because you aren't making as many trips to the store.

• Bring your own reusable shopping bags. Also, most grocery stores have large boxes they're happy to give away.

• Major fashion brands now make clothing using organic cotton and other all-natural materials such as bamboo. Take a small step by investing in an item that is made with organic materials.

• Currently favoured among Hollywood starlets and style setters, vintage clothing is a fabulous way to be eco-smart because wearing vintage fashion gives new life to an item that was on its way to being waste.

Tip: Dust off old pieces of jewelry from your grandmother's treasures. Everyone will ask about that one-of-a-kind piece.

• Buying a gift? Think about greener alternatives that don't have lots of packaging or manufacturing: gift certificates to a restaurant; prepay a month's worth of art lessons; adopt a piece of wetland on someone's behalf. For more info, visit World Wildlife Fund Canada's website.

• If you wrap gifts, be creative: use newspaper, leftover wallpaper, store bags or magazine pages. Save cards and recycle them into gift tags.

Check it out:
To ensure you are buying an ecologically sustainable product, look for Canada's Environmental Choice EcoLogo symbol.

Household waste
• Look for creative ways to reuse household items: the handles of broken hockey sticks make sturdy garden stakes; beads, feathers and even old greeting cards find new life in handcrafted items; margarine tubs or coffee cans make great storage containers –- use your imagination!

• If products or materials are still usable but you no longer need them, give them away. Many charitable groups accept toys, bicycles, appliances and other household items.

Check it out:
• The site for Waste Reduction Week in Canada provides resources and contacts to assist your business or community with conservation initiatives and waste minimization.

On the road
• National Resources Canada says that a single city bus can hold as many passengers as 40 cars, saving 10,646 litres of fuel and reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by 25 tonnes. On a smaller scale, an average van of seven passengers emits about seven times less pollution per kilometre than an individual who commutes alone.

• According to Canada's Go for Green Organization, each Canadian makes an average of 2,000 car trips of less than three kilometres each year. If half of these trips were converted to walking or biking, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 250 kilograms.

• Active and Safe Routes to School, a program of Go for Green Canada, can help you organize an initiative in which parents share the responsibility of walking a group of kids to school.

Did you know… If all students in Canada walked or biked to school on the same day, 3,149 tonnes worth of carbon dioxide emissions would be prevented.

• Find alternative ways to commute to work. The Commuter Challenge encourages Canadians to use sustainable modes of transportation.

• Idling not only wastes fuel but also unnecessarily pollutes the environment. If every driver avoided idling for five minutes one day, that single day would result in a savings of 1.8 million litres of fuel and $1.7 million in fuel costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4,500 tonnes.

Tip: Follow the 10-second rule. Here's how it works: Turn your car off if you're sitting in traffic for more than 10 seconds. When you start up your car in the morning, idle for no more than 30 seconds -– the best way to warm up an engine is to start driving.

• A few adjustments to your driving style and regular maintenance checkups on your vehicle will allow for a longer life for your car -– and a cleaner, greener commute for you.

Check it out:
• The Personal Vehicles Initiative of Natural Resources Canada provides motorists with helpful tips on buying, driving and maintaining vehicles to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. And for those looking for a new set of wheels, there's even an online guide to the most fuel-efficient vehicles for the current model year.

• Accelerating wears down your engine and tires and isn't fuel-efficient. You can save fuel by using cruise control when driving on highways.

Tip: Decrease your driving speed from 100 to 90 kilometres per hour and improve the fuel economy of your car by 10 per cent.

• Proper tire inflation and maintenance prolongs the life of your tires and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by increasing fuel efficiency. Properly inflated tires can save up to two weeks' worth of gas every year.

• Consider using alternative fuels that emit fewer pollutants than gasoline. For example, ethanol, a renewable fuel, which is now available at more than 1,000 gas stations across Canada, can be blended with gasoline.

Check it out:
• To create a walking or cycling school bus in your community, visit
www.goforgreen.ca/asrts/pdf/How2_WSB.pdf. Everyone will reap the benefits.

• To find a car pool in your area, visit www.carpool.ca. To calculate your savings from carpooling, use the calculator at.

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