Real Homemaking

Think that “going green” seems overwhelming? Here are a few ways you can begin making the switch to help the environment and won’t make you feel like your changing everything in your life all at once.

Throwing food into the trash wastes a valuable resource. Turn your coffee grounds, banana peels, and eggshells into a rich soil conditioner for houseplants, lawn, and garden by composting them. Keep a small bucket or crock near your prep area to collect waste, then add the contents to a backyard compost bin. If you’re a serious gardener, compost indoors with an odor-free system, such as the NatureMill Automatic Composter (naturemill.com, $400). To learn more, visit epa.gov/compost.

Everyone wants a putting-green perfect lawn. But constant mowing, watering and fertilizing is a bore, as well as a burden on the environment. A two-stroke, gasoline-powered lawnmower releases as many hydrocarbons into the atmosphere in 30 minutes as a car does in 90 minutes. Switch to an electric mower, which costs $8 to $10 a year to operate, and replace some of your sod with attractive, more environmentally friendly alternatives like clover, strawberries, and ornamental grasses.

Talked to the garbage man lately? Chances are you’re doing a few things with your recyclables that drive him crazy. Local recycling practices vary, but there are some universal no-nos. Shopping bags never go in your bins, even if they do organize the empty vino bottles nicely. Look on the bottom of your plastic items for a number and only put the articles with a 1 or 2 in your bin; most areas don’t take the ones with higher numbers. Don’t put light bulbs, broken glass, or bits of food in your bin, either. They gum up the process and make your waste professionals feel a little, well, tossed aside.

Like to linger in a hot shower? Stand under the pulse-jet guilt free with a solar hot water system. You can install solar panels on your roof that will work with your conventional water heater. The panels cost between $2,000 and $4,500, and they can reduce the need for conventional water heating by around two-thirds. A solar water heater cuts around 12 percent off the average household’s monthly electric bill. Most solar systems use a conventional backup heater, so you’re never left with a cold shower. For a contractor, contact: Solar Energy Industries Association