Green living mistakes easily made at home

FALLBROOK – Adopting a green lifestyle has its merits. In addition to benefiting the planet, an eco-friendly lifestyle can save families substantial amounts of money. Others are encouraged to adopt eco-friendly habits because of the impact that such lifestyles have on nearby wildlife.

Regardless of what motivates an individual to be more environmentally conscious, adopting such a lifestyle is an effort worthy of praise. But even the most well-intentioned men and women may be making certain mistakes as they attempt to live more eco-friendly lives. The following are some mistakes some may be making as they adapt their lifestyle in an attempt to be more eco-friendly.

Failure to unplug

Electronic devices tend to be the biggest energy hogs in a home. While some may go room to room turning off devices when a space is unoccupied, unless the device is actually unplugged, a person is not doing all they can to save energy.

Televisions, computers or video game consoles are still consuming electricity even when they have been turned “off,” as clocks and other components still need energy to operate when the devices are turned back on. This phantom load, often referred to as “vampire power,” can consume a considerable amount of energy.

Some estimate standby power energy consumption accounts for roughly 10 percent of the electrical energy used in a typical household. The best bet is to unplug all devices when they’re not in use. One way to make this more convenient is to plug devices into a power strip and then power off the strip when the devices are not being used.

Discarding biodegradable items

In an effort to be more eco-friendly, some manufacturers have started to package products in what they refer to as biodegradable packaging. Eco-conscious consumers then buy these products and dispose of them in the trash, confident that they will biodegrade in landfills. This works in theory but not necessarily in reality, as many landfills are not constructed in a way that facilitates proper decomposition.

In 2001, a group of researchers from the University of Arizona excavated 21 landfills across North America and reported finding hundreds of un-decomposed hot dogs, corn starch, and lettuce dating back to the 1960s. They also found 2,425 newspapers that were used to date the food.

Because some landfills are lined with clay and plastic to prevent leaching into surrounding soil and many also are covered with fresh soil daily to control odor, the buried trash is unable to decompose properly or promptly. These landfills end up preserving the trash rather than helping it to break down. If packaging says biodegradable, bring it to a composting company that will properly break it down.

Forgetting to weatherproof a home

Many homeowners know to install programmable thermostats to control their home heating and cooling costs. Programmable thermostats are ideal but can be rendered ineffective when one fails to seal up leaks in a home.

According to the “Solar Living Sourcebook,” un-weatherized homes in the United States leak air at a rate equivalent to having a four-square-foot hole in the wall. Sealing and insulating ducts, insulating the home properly, caulking leaks around doors and windows, and finding any other areas where indoor air can exit a home is essential.

Poor driving habits

Hybrid cars are a hot commodity, and drivers of such vehicles rightfully feel proud to know they are doing their part to reduce fuel consumption. However, if one drives their hybrid improperly, they may be wasting some of that saved energy. Accelerating quickly and then coming to a quick stop is a recipe for wasting fuel and burning a battery. To conserve fuel, gradual acceleration and deceleration is required. Slowing down may be challenging to get used to, but once a person does, they can rest assured they are saving energy and money.

Recycling before repurposing

Recycling is a great way to protect the environment, but even recycling consumes a lot of energy. So before recycling, think how things can be repurposed to give them new life. Glass jars and other containers can hold candles, pencils and many other items. Repurposing inspiration can come from anywhere, and the Internet is home to many websites offering ideas on how to repurpose items big and small.

Going green requires some awareness of what one is doing right and what a person may be doing wrong.