Living Green at Holy Rosary

Holy Rosary Green TeamGod gave us our earth. Let us take care of it as proper stewards of the land, the air, and the sea. Let us also ensure that our children learn to appreciate, nurture, and protect the beautiful and fragile world they will inherit from us!

Here are some suggestions from CoolMom.org on how we can live green!

Driving Green, Driving Less

  • LIVE and work close to where you LIVE. Choose doctors, barbers, therapists, schools and entertainment close to home. Get to know your neighbors better: play and socialize near your home.
  • Are there telecommuting, carpooling or transit options for your career if your workplace is not near your home?
  • Walk to run your errands rather than driving to the gym to exercise.
  • Push your groceries in a stroller and make the kids walk—you’ll buy less stuff if you’re walking!
  • Start a walking school bus
  • Bike instead
  • Take the bus - buy prepaid individual bus passes.
  • Use the online Metro Trip Planner
  • Vacation via train
  • Minimize flying
  • Support alternative transportation when voting
  • When you do drive: Keep your car maintained and tires inflated, no idling, remove bike racks and rooftop storage when not in use, choose the smallest, most fuel-efficient car that works for your family.
  • Can you be a one-car family? SeattleCAN.org offers prizes for giving up a car and decreased driving
  • Consider a flex-car type of program

The Eco-Friendly Consumer

Stuff

  • Before each purchase ask: Do I really need this? Will it last? How and where was it made? Is it a sustainable product? How is it packaged? Could I be buying a used version of this product?
  • Minimize one-time products: no grocery bags, no bottled water, avoid paper towels/napkins/plastic utensils/cleaning wipes
  • Refill your old containers with “bulk bin” foods.
  • Buy used stuff: consignment stores, garage sales, craigslist.org, eBay
  • Share stuff with friends: magazines, newspapers, tools, kitchen equipment
  • Donate everything you can before trashing.
  • Use your trash for kids’ art projects. Make your own play-do.
  • Reuse their artwork for wrapping paper and greeting cards.
  • Support local businesses and products.
  • Choose products made from recycled materials (100% post-consumer waste is best) - printer paper/toilet paper/paper towels

Food

  • Buy local food that is in season. Learn to freeze or can to enjoy out of season foods.
  • Use the Farmer’s Market - use their weekly online produce list to plan ahead.
  • Support a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm and visit u-pick farms.
  • Plant a garden, even if it’s only a few plants. Try container gardens or using community gardens spaces.
  • Eat less meat! Choose local meat from a smaller scale, sustainable farm. Support a meat CSA.
  • Choose eco-friendly seafood low in mercury
  • Snacks/Lunches/Sports/Extra-curricular events: avoid extra packaging and disposable napkins/water bottles/utensils.
  • Buy in bulk - not individually-packed items.
  • Reuse plastic containers (yogurt/sour cream) for food storage.

Celebrations And Holidays

  • Choose quality time together over STUFF. Consider no party, but a special personal outing.
  • Plan small, local parties, make your own decorations, avoid one-time use stuff.
  • Avoid party favors that will be trashed/broken within minutes.
  • Gift ideas: museum passes, theatre tickets, music/sports lessons, make your own gifts, charity donations.
  • Give reusable/recycled bags, reusable water bottles as gifts.

Recycling

Energy Efficient Home

In General

  • Seattle City Light - has online home energy assessment. Be sure to have your utility account numbers handy (water, sewer, garbage, and electricity accounts.
  • Enroll your children to be on “light patrol”.
  • Unplug electronics and appliances that are not in use. Place electronics on power strips that can easily be turned on and off. Use rechargeable batteries.
  • Choose laptop computers over desktops.
  • Replace your burn-out bulbs with CFLs. DO NOT use CFLs on dimmers unless they are specially designed for this. It’s not recommended to use CFLs on motion detectors or electronic timers or in enclosed fixtures where heat builds up.
  • Use microwaves and toasters when possible.
  • Minimize preheating time.
  • Get rid of your 2nd Fridge/freezer if it’s not full. Refrigerators and freezers run more efficiently when full. Seattle City Light will pay you $30 to let them pick up your older-than-1996 working fridge and will recycle 95% of the parts.
  • Adjust your fridge temp to 37 degrees. To check temp - place a cup of water in for 12hrs and check with an instant-read thermometer.
  • Clean your refrigerator coils and motor.
  • Choose LED holiday lights.
  • Use a clothesline.
  • Choose ENERGY STAR(TM) rated appliance when you’re due for your next set (choose used 1st) - dishwashers/front loading washers/driers, etc.

Heating/Cooling

  • Buy an automatic thermostat (2 yr payback) and turn it down in winter—use sweaters/blankets/slippers.
  • Clean or change furnace filters often.
  • Install double paned windows (15 yr payback for entire home) and caulk or weather-strip any openings.
  • Insulate your home thoroughly (2-5yr payback) including your water heater if it’s warm to the touch.

Water

  • Check and repair water leaks in toilets and sinks.
  • Set water heater temp to 120, or play with the dial to get the temp as low as possible to still take a comfortable hot shower using only hot water running.
  • Fill the tub with less water. Bathe together!
  • Decrease shower-time by 2 minutes. Install low flow showerheads and aerate faucets. All made after 1992 are low-flow.
  • Only run full dishwashers and choose the “Air Dry” setting on your dishwasher.
  • Never wash clothes in hot water; use cold as often as possible and cold water detergents are available.
  • Flush less often. Choose low flow and dual flush toilets.
  • Keep a pitcher or glass near sinks to collect wasted water (like while waiting for hot water) and then water your plants with it.
  • Consider energy-efficient water heaters: solar and tankless systems.

Yard

  • Choose native plants that require little summertime watering. See greatplantpicks.org for plants that thrive in Seattle.
  • Let your lawn go “dormant” (brown) in the summer.
  • Water your yard only in the early morning or evening to minimize evaporation.
  • Install timers and soaker hoses.
  • Mulching beds with compost or chips helps retain moisture and reduce watering requirements. Compost = soil nutrients.
  • Install rain barrels.
  • Choose man-powered tools when possible! Electric is better than gas. NO GAS MOWERS.
  • Use a broom to sweep outside rather than your hose.
  • Choose the commercial carwash over your driveway washing. Commercial carwashes recycle the water.
  • Avoid backyard “kiddie pools”. Seattle’s wading pools began in order to decrease water use from backyard wading pools. If you do fill your own, use the water to water your plants when you are done.
  • Borrow a salmon-friendly carwash kit from King County for charity carwashes.
  • Minimize wood burning (both inside and outside).