Tara V. publishes GoGreenStreet.com, a light green living blog dedicated to offering tips on eco-conscious living. Mother of five beautiful kidlets, ages 3 months to 12 years, Tara loves all things eco-chic and natural. She considers herself "light green" among the shades of being green and enjoys organic coffee to keep her going. Visit GoGreenStreet.com today for more tips on going green! Tara V. will soon be joining us as a regular contributor to Focus Organic!
Most of us think of "going green" as a cost-prohibitive step. However, there are a lot of small and inexpensive changes you can make around the home. Not only will they help you help the environment, but they will also help you keep more "green" in your pocket.
Here are some suggestions for DIY projects that can be completed for around $300 or less:
- Build a clothesline. Your dryer is the second-largest energy consumer in your home (other than your refrigerator). An old-fashioned clothesline will allow you to give your clothes the scent of the outdoors, and it will make a big dent in your energy consumption. You can use a pulley kit (available both in hardware stores and online) or you can build your own with square, pressure-treated posts and cotton cord. All the materials for a basic wooden clothesline should cost less than $70. With Spring upon us, there is no better time to get this green project started!
- Add a skylight. There's at least one spot in your house that doesn't get enough light in the daytime. That's a good spot for a skylight, which allows you to make use of the sun's rays. They capture light through a plastic, roof mounted lens, and reflect it down through a tube into a regular-looking light fixture. A tube light kit (complete) will set you back about $300.
- Add a recirculating pump. Standing around waiting for the hot water tank to fill up so you can do dishes or take a shower is a hassle! And letting the tap run while waiting for the water to heat up is wasteful and expensive. With a recirculating pump, you can capture the water before it exits the tap and return it to the hot water heater. They save water and energy and allow you to get your hot water a lot faster. A good recirculating pump will cost about $270.
- Insulate your pipes. Without being insulated, your house's pipes work as a huge radiator, letting heat out into the air so well that any water remaining in the pipes gets cold fast. Insulate your pipes wherever possible with rubber or polyethylene tubing, and seal the seams with duct tape. This should all cost less than $100.
These are just some suggestions to start with- by thinking a little harder, you can probably come up with a few more. Think of these steps as a small initial investment that will pay off later!
11 Responses
1
Barbra, BioTemplates
March 30th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
I absolutely love using my clothesline. There's something meditative about hanging the clothes out, and they smell so good when I bring them in. I highly recommend using a line whenever possible!
2
Anna
March 31st, 2010 at 6:52 am
I can't agree with the statment that eco-friendly living is expensive living. i think that everything is vice verse - the more eco-freindly - the cheaper.
3
Tara
March 31st, 2010 at 10:19 am
@ Barbra, I love my clothesline too! The area we live in actually had a fit about it, but it is still up! Until they pay my electric bill, they do not get to tell me what I have in my yard!
@Anna, I did not say that eco-friendly living is expensive living, I said many people think that it is. There are lots of eco living steps that are not expensive and help us save money, but there are some such as solar panels, that are a HUGE investment for the average person. Now, I will say honestly that when it comes to shopping, green does cost more. Organic cotton is more expensive, organic food is more expensive than non-organic, but the benefits are worth the price.
4
Charles
March 31st, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Great article. A needed reminder that it's the sum of a bunch of small things that are going to make the difference in the long run. Hybrid cars and solar panels are great, but it's the small stuff that can really add up if more people do it.
5
Keith Andrew
March 31st, 2010 at 7:19 pm
An old fashioned clothesline....very cool idea. We recently installed a skylight in our house as well.
6
Tara
March 31st, 2010 at 7:51 pm
@Charles, Thanks! Your 100% correct. A hybrid can or solar panels are out of the questions for some people. So instead of doing nothing, do small things that add up! If more people took the time to do the small things, they would all equal alot!
@Keith, Skylights can be great especially in the winter! They let in natural light which creates a heat source, plus reduces the need to lamps!
7
Francesca
April 4th, 2010 at 10:22 am
We have a clothes rack setup by our wood stove every winter works great!
8
Barry
April 5th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Energy to heat water is far more expensive to the environment (in most cases) than the water its-self - so I would think carefully about fitting a recirculating pump onto any hot water system. Its more of a luxury than an eco add-on.
9
max
April 5th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Great tips, let me also add that adding insulation to piping can also protect your pipes from pipe burst in the winter.
10
Dusan
April 14th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
My friend from Miami,FL installed a double layer roof thick glass on his summer house, filled the mid area with destiled water and he claims he got enough energy from generated heat to satisfy about 40% of its regular consumption. I do not know for anyone else trying this, but really looks plausible..
11
Paul
April 24th, 2010 at 5:28 am
Some really good ideas for us all th consider. Hpw about fitting a solar panel instead of the skylight to power some of your home energy. There are plenty of products with instructions and they don't cost the earth (excuse the pun).