Reduce Your Impact

Reduce your energy consumption

  • Turn off lights, TVs, and stereos when not in use for 5 or more minutes.
  • Use power strips to switch off televisions, home theater equipment, and stereos when you’re not using them.
  • Unplug your chargers when you’re not charging.
  • Use task lighting whenever possible instead of brightly lighting an entire room.
  • Install compact fluorescent lamps.
  • Set computers to stand-by when idle.
  • Purchase Energy Star appliances.
  • Turn the thermostat down, especially at night.
  • Dress warmly in the winter and coolly in the summer to relieve the thermostat.
  • During the winter season, leave shades and blinds open on sunny days and close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
  • Close shades and blinds during the summer or when the air conditioner is in use or will be in use later in the day.
  • Carpool, ride a bike, or take advantage of public transportation.

Reduce your water use

  • Shorten showers to 5 minutes or less.
  • Report leaks immediately.
  • Match water level in the washer to load size.
  • Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
  • Wash only full loads in your dishwasher, using short cycles for all but the dirtiest dishes.
  • This saves water and the energy used to pump and heat it. Air-drying, if you have the time, can also reduce energy use.

Reuse

  • Donate unused items to Surplus Property or From Old2Gold.
  • Use a reusable mug or water bottle.

Recycle

  • Aluminum, tin, metals, glass, newspaper, wood, cardboard, paper, and plastic.
  • Print front/back and use narrower margins.
  • Recycling one ton of newspapers saves 4,074 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
  • Recycling one ton of plastic milk jugs saves enough energy to light a home for a year.
  • Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

“Consult green.nd.edu for even more tips >”:http://green.nd.edu

Compiled from resources provided by the National Resources Defense Council, Recycle at Work, and GreeND