Green Tips

Tips for living green and saving some too.

One of life's greatest joys is that, when you give a little, you get so much in return. It's the nature of things. We have discovered this in building Oak Terrace Preserve, and we would like to share the experience. So we have collected some helpful tips for living green, which is fulfilling both personally and economically.

Moving Green
It's just a fact - by moving green, you save green. Here are a couple of ways.

• Pack yourself. Moving companies generate a lot of waste.
• Check websites like CraigsList.com for used boxes and supplies, and then post yours when you're done. Just another way to recycle.
• Get boxes from grocery, liquor or other stores. Better yet, save gas and start hoarding your work's copy paper boxes. Unless, of course, your office is green and uses little paper - in which case - well done.
• Ignore the urge to buy bubble wrap. Popping the bubbles is fun, but using your towels and clothing to wrap your breakables means less trash and money saved.
• Rent furniture wraps from a moving company or make it easy on yourself and use old blankets.
• Rent the right-sized moving truck. If the truck's too small, you will have to take multiple trips. Too big, and you're burning fuel and money.

Decorating Green
Compliment your green home by decorating and furnishing it green. Here's some tips for green décor you're sure to adore.

• Buy used furniture locally. You save money. You save the furniture from the landfill. And you save your guilt for something else.
• Buy furniture made of sustainable wood. You can save a tree or three, and it looks nice too.
• Purchase products made from recycled metal and plastic.
• Use bamboo whenever you can, whether it's for flooring, furniture or even sheets. Trees are valuable and purged too often. Bamboo is a grass, and grows super-fast, so it's constantly replenishing itself.
• Use Paint with no VOC's (volatile organic compounds). No fumes while you paint and no fumes to seep out over time so you will have cleaner air and a healthier lifestyle.

Living Green It's true - you don't have to be wealthy to live healthy. Here are just a few easy ways.
inside your green house

• Use a programmable thermostat. Many of our homes already include this feature that saves around $150 a year and gives the added bonus of waking up/coming home to a comfortable temperature.
• Replace your light bulbs with CFL bulbs, and lower your power bill. Plus you save on waste since they last much longer. And as of June '08 all Home Depot's will recycle used CFL bulbs, when they finally do wear out.
• Use permanent dinnerware instead of plastic or paper.
• Pack your own lunch. Less waste. Less gas. And it's better for you.
• Clean the lint from your dryer every time you use it. It will run more efficiently and cuts down on the utility bill.
• Use rechargeable batteries. This one's pretty self-explanatory.
• Unplug your unused electronics or use a power strip that cuts down wattage.
• Recycle old electronics. Somebody will know how to fix them.
• Buy local food. It's healthier, and the farmers will love you.
• When cleaning your house, avoid harsh chemical and synthetic fragrances, and instead use:
  • Baking soda cleans anything from bathtubs to countertops
  • White vinegar is a mild disinfectant that can be used to mop floors, clean glass and polish silverware

and out

• Buy a rain barrel. You know that watery substance falling from the sky? You can reuse it to water your yard or garden.
• Keep car tires inflated and maintain the engine. It saves you money and reduces your carbon footprint.
• Start a compost. Use it as food for your garden, and watch your effort bloom.

More tips:
Green Guide
Local green store DwellSmart
Green Living Map of Charleston
Lowcountry Local First
National Geographic