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Go green at home
- Reuse
- Recycle
- Recycling electronics (eCycling)
- Composting
- Household hazardous waste
- Pressure treated wood
How to start saving energy with ENERGY STAR® today
ENERGY STAR® is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. There are several simple actions you can take to save energy.
- Change a light and save a bundle. ENERGY STAR® qualified light bulbs are 75% more efficient than incandescent bulbs. When just one room in every home is brightened by ENERGY STAR® lighting, the change will keep over one trillion pounds of carbon dioxide out of our air.
- Make a quick trip to the hardware store or home improvement center for a hot water insulation kit to wrap your water heater and save on water heating costs.
- Use an ENERGY STAR® qualified programmable thermostat that can automatically adjust the temperature of your home when you are away.
- Ensure that your whole system (i.e., furnace, heat pump, air conditioner, and heating and cooling) is energy efficient. Leaky ducts can decrease the overall energy efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20%. Duct sealing increases efficiency and lowers your utility bills.
- Upgrade your refrigerator if it is 10 years old or older. Refrigerators use more energy than any other appliance in your home, but an ENERGY STAR® qualified refrigerator uses about half the energy of a 10-year old conventional model.
- Consider replacing your central air conditioning system if it is more than seven years old. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when you buy and use 20% less energy than a standard model. If just one household in 10 bought ENERGY STAR® heating and cooling equipment, the change would keep over 17 billion pounds of pollution out of our air.
- Replace your clothes washer with an ENERGY STAR® labeled model when it is time. Clothes washers use energy to both clean clothes and heat water, so to save on energy costs, wash your clothes in cooler water. ENERGY STAR® qualified clothes washers use 50% less water and 70% less energy per load; that's up to $100 every year.
- Run your washer, dryer, and dishwasher only with a full load.
- Seal and insulate your home to improve comfort and reduce heating and cooling costs. EPA recommends Home Sealing to improve your home's "envelope" or the outer walls, ceiling, windows and floors. To improve the envelope of your home: Add insulation, seal air-leaks, and choose an ENERGY STAR® labeled window if you're in the market for new windows.
- Check with your local utility or use our Special Offers search to see what incentives or rebates are available for the purchase of ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances, lighting, or HVAC systems.
- Start saving energy by using our Home Improvement Tools. These tools can tell you how efficiently you use energy at home and recommend the most cost-effective improvements.
Reuse
The old adage "One man’s trash is
another man's treasure" defines reuse.
Reusing items by repairing them, donating
them to charity and community
groups, or selling them reduces waste.
Reusing products, when possible, is
even better than recycling because the
item does not need to be reprocessed
before it can be used again.
Action you can take:
Consider reuse when disposing of household items such as old computers, clothing and appliances. For reuse opportunities, see EPA New England’s pamphlet titled Reuse in New England, a resource guide to donation opportunities at www.epa.gov/region1/assistance/ reuse/index.html
Recycle
Recycling includes collecting recyclable
materials that would otherwise
be considered garbage, sorting
and processing recyclables into raw
materials, and manufacturing raw
materials into new products. Recyclable
materials typically include: paper
and paperboard (like newsprint,
cardboard, direct mail), glass, metals
(such as steel and aluminum), plastics
(like bottles, grocery bags), yard
waste (such as grass clippings, brush),
electronic equipment (like computers,
televisions, cell phones) and food
wastes. Collecting recyclables varies from
community to community; however,
there are four primary methods
of recycling: curbside, drop-off
centers, buy-back centers, and
deposit/refund programs.
Identify your community’s recycling program at www.epa.gov/ region1/communities/ recycling.html or contact your local department of public works or state environmental agency.
Recycling electronics
(eCycling)
Electronic equipment, sometimes
referred to as “e-waste” is an emerging
and growing waste stream. E-waste
includes electronic products discarded
by consumers such as TV and computer
monitors, CPUs and computer peripherals
(e.g., keyboards, mice), cell phones,
and printers/copiers.
Check what kind of electronics can be
collected in your community and which
retailers and manufacturers will take
their products back for free or for a fee.
E-waste contains natural resources,
including metals and plastics that
can be reclaimed. In addition, computer
monitors and older TV picture
tubes contain an average of two
to four pounds of lead (depending
on their age) and require special
handling when disposed. Electronics
also can contain other substances of
concern, including mercury, cadmium,
and brominated flame retardants.
When electronics are disposed of
improperly, these toxic materials can
present problems.
Extending the life of your electronics or donating your most up-to-date and working electronics can save you money and saves valuable resources. Safely recycling outdated electronics promotes safe management of hazardous components and supports the recovery and reuse of valuable materials. For detailed information on what you can do, go to: www.epa.gov/region1/solidwaste/electronic/what-u-can-do.html
Composting
Composting, the controlled biological
decomposition of organic matter such
as food and yard wastes into humus,
a soil-like material, is another form of
recycling. It is nature’s way of recycling
organic wastes into new soil which
can be used in vegetable and flower
gardens, landscaping and many other
applications. Composting can be done in your backyard in a compost pile
or
bin or in your home with a worm bin.
It is nature’s way of recycling organic
waste into new soil, which can be used
in vegetable and flower gardens,
landscaping, and many other
applications.
Collect your yard and food wastes and start your own composting at home. See www.epa.gov/region1/composting/index.html and check your state environmental agency’s composting site.
Household
hazardous waste
Discarded household products that
contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered
to be household hazardous waste.
Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils,
batteries, pesticides and solvents,
which contain potentially hazardous
ingredients, require special care at
disposal. If mishandled, these
products can be dangerous
to your health and
the environment.
Pressure treated wood
Never pour household hazardous wastes down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or put them out with the trash.
Proper disposal opportunities generally include community sponsored household hazardous waste days. Go to www.epa.gov/region1/communities/ hazwaste.html for detailed information.
Pressure-treated wood is wood that has been treated with a preservative to
protect it against dry rot, fungi, molds, termites and other pests. Since
the 1970s, the majority of wood used to build outside structures, such
as swing and play sets, decks, walkways, fences and picnic tables, was treated
with chromated copper arsenate (CCA). CCA is a chemical wood preservative
containing chromium, copper and arsenic. Exposure to inorganic arsenic
may present certain hazards. Use of CCA for wood products around the home and
in children’s play areas is no longer allowed as of December 31, 2003.
Even though CCA can no longer be used in residential settings, many existing
decks and other structures are made of wood treated with CCA. Although EPA’s
review of CCA is still ongoing, the agency does not believe there is any
reason to remove or replace CCA-treated structures, including decks and playground
equipment.