10 ways to Green your Home

Being earth-friendly doesn't require going solar or growing all your own food. There are plenty of easy ways to make a big difference. Original Article By Ann Archer

• Green up your appliances.
  

  If any of your appliances is more than 10 years old, the EPA suggests replacing them with energy-efficient models that bear their "Energy Star" logo.

• Watch the temp.
  

  Consider a new furnace. Today's furnaces are about 25% more efficient than they were in the 1980s. (And don't forget to check out furnaces carrying the Energy Star label.)

• Save water.
  

  Behavioral changes also add up quickly: using a broom instead of the garden hose to clean your driveway can save 80 gallons of water and turning the water off when you brush your teeth will save 4.5 gallons each time.

• Clean green.
  

  Stop buying household cleaners that are potentially toxic to both you and the environment or read lables for specific, eco-friendly ingredients

• Let there be energy-efficient light.
  

  Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 32-watt CFL can save $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.

• Save a tree, use less paper.
  

  You can buy "tree-free" 100% post-consumer recycled paper for everything from greeting cards to toilet paper. Paper with a high post-consumer waste content uses less virgin pulp and keeps more waste paper out of landfills.

• Want hardwood floors? Opt for bamboo.
  

  Bamboo is considered an environmentally friendly flooring material due to its high yield and the relatively fast rate at which it replenishes itself.

• Reduce plastics, reduce global warming.
  

  Reduce, re-use and recycle your plastics for one of the best ways to combat global warming.

• Use healthier paint.
  

  Opt for zero- or low-VOC paint instead of conventional instead of paints that contain solvents, toxic metals and volatile organic compounds.

• Garden green.
  

  Use native plants as much as possible, focus on perennials, stop using chemical pesticides, and use compost instead of synthetic fertilizers

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