Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only - not the street or sidewalk.
Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
Purchase "Green Power" for your home's electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.)
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
If you've been sold on something "green" for your home renovation, be careful of the hype.
There's a lot of conflicting information about what's good for the environment and what's not — and there are plenty big claims, says Metropolitan Home editor-in-chief Donna Warner.
"People aren't aware because the information is not clear," Warner says. "It's really important to get professional help; it may be expensive but it can save you money in the long run."
In a special "green" issue of the magazine, Warner and industry experts, including two architects, a planner and an interior designer, weighed in on what's green and what's not:
— Make sure that the house is properly sealed up to reduce energy use but also ventilate it properly to avoid indoor air pollutants.
— Choose wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, Warner advises.
— For your flooring, select recycled tiles or wool carpeting.
— Remove your shoes at the door because toxins that get carried in them can worsen indoor air quality.
— Put a high-efficiency toilet in your bathroom. Warner is fond of a new device called Aqus that recycles gray water from a single sink to a toilet up to 10 feet away.
— Paint should be non-toxic and have low VOC (volatile organic compounds).
— Buy durable products that last a long time to avoid having to replace them
