A Greenprint for your Life

You do your part: you turn off the water while brushing your teeth, you dutifully recycle your milk jugs. But the truth is: you’re no tree hugger. Guess what? You don’t have to be. There are a bunch of changes you can make in your daily life that will make an impact. And we’ve made it even easier. Following is a list of tips that will have you thinking outside the blue bin. We call it a greenprint for your life: an action plan of earth-friendly solutions, organized by the rooms in your house. And the best part? Every one of our suggestions will also help you — to lose weight, improve your health and even put a little green back into your pocket.

Living Room

1. Decorate with VOC-free paint
How it helps the planet: That new paint smell is really vapor released from toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). By using milk paints and other low-VOC paints, like those that are latex- and water-based, you significantly cut down on the release of VOCs into the environment.

Benefits to you: An Environmental Protection Agency study found that VOC levels indoors can be 1,000 times higher than outside when paint is drying and two to five times higher after paint has dried. Using alternative paints can cut down on your exposure to VOCs like benzene, a known carcinogen, as well as others that can cause eye, nose and skin irritation and respiratory problems.

Cost: $80, gallon of Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Co. paint, Woodcraft Supply, 1000 Division Street, East Greenwich, 886-1175. $25, gallon of Benjamin Moore Eco-Spec paint, The Paint Shoppes, various locations, thepaintshoppes.com.

2. Opt for sustainable materials
How it helps the planet: Products like bamboo, rubber and cork are fast-growing, renewable resources, and linoleum is made from recycled wood products and limestone. Choosing sustainable products like these for flooring and furniture (or Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, ensuring that it came from a sustainably managed forest) eases deforestation.

How it helps you: Bamboo and linoleum are extremely durable, easy to clean, and are often cheaper than installing a new hardwood floor. Also, some nonsustainable materials are toxic: vinyl, for instance, is not only made from petroleum, but also releases harmful-to-human VOCs into water and air during production.

Cost: $8–$10 per square foot for bamboo flooring. American Floors, East Providence, 433-0530. $448, cork stool by Providence designer Daniel Michalik, danielmichalik.com.

3. Unplug electronics
How it helps the planet: Many electronics, from office equipment to your entertainment center, continue to suck power even when turned off unless unplugged or plugged into a switched-off power strip. A plugged-in cable box, satellite, DVR or TiVo alone can use more than 250 kilowatts hours of electricity per year.

How it helps you: Cut your energy bill by as much as two percent.

Cost: Free.

4. Choose renewable power
How it helps the planet: When you pay for electricity in Rhode Island, you’re actually buying into a New England grid made up of many different energy sources (see “Light Source,” page 39). When you buy renewable energy certificates, you pay for nonpolluting electricity sources like wind, solar and hydroelectric power to be part of that grid. Purchasing renewable energy also increases demand for cleaner energy plants.

How it helps you: Get power that is just as reliable as your current energy.

Cost: As little as an additional $17.75 per month based on an average household energy use of 888 kilowatt hours, cleanenergyri.com.

5. Buy ENERGY STAR windows
How it helps the planet: Windows with the ENERGY STAR label are highly efficient, keeping the heat in during the winter and out during the summer, reducing energy use by as much as 25.3 million BTUs.

How it helps you: In addition to saving up to 30 percent on your home heating bills, the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows homeowners who install qualifying energy-efficient windows to deduct 10 percent of the purchase price up to $200 from their income taxes.

Cost: About 15 percent more than regular windows, energystar.gov.

Bedroom

6. Find a new dry-cleaning service
How it helps the planet: Conventional dry cleaning is the biggest source of the harmful chemical percholorethylene (perc). By patronizing cleaners who use carbon dioxide, silicon or wet-cleaning methods, you reduce the amount of perc released into the air, ground and water.

How it helps you: The Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board has identified perc as a possible human carcinogen. Perc exposure is also associated with loss of coordination, eye, nose and throat irritation, and headaches.

Cost: $1.90 for a men’s button-down shirt at Natural Dry Cleaners (147 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, 334-1840) using a wet-cleaning method.

7. Make your bed PBDE-free
How it helps the planet: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are harmful flame-retardant chemicals in many mattresses and upholstered furniture. Like dust, PBDEs puff out into the air when disturbed, and then remain active in the air, water and soil. By choosing a PBDE-free mattress material (such as natural latex or wool, a natural flame-retardant), you reduce the amount of this toxin in the air.

How it helps you: While health effects of PBDEs in the human body are still not completely known, studies have documented a delay in rodent brain development as a result of exposure to them. And a study by a national environmental watchdog, the Environmental Working Group, found unexpectedly high levels of the chemical in the breast milk of Ameri-can women, indicating a buildup of these chemicals over time.

Cost: $199, queen PBDE-free foam mattress, ikea.com.

Bathroom

8. Shower PVC-free
How it helps the planet: Polyvinyl chloride (commonly known as vinyl) is used to make many consumer products, including shower curtains. You may associate the fumes from a new vinyl shower curtain with cleanliness, but PVC releases dioxins and mercury, according to the Environmental Working Group.

How it helps you: Studies suggest that PVC exposure may result in many adverse health effects including cancer and reproductive problems.

Cost: $1.49, PVC-alternative shower curtain, ikea.com.

9. Lower your flow
How it helps the planet: An easy-to-install low-flow showerhead can save up to 1.5 gallons per minute, and a low-flow toilet can reduce annual water use by 16,000 gallons.

How it helps you: Savings of as much as $100 per year with a low-flow showerhead and as much as $80 per year with a highly efficient low-flow toilet.

Cost: $10–$200, low-flow showerhead; $600–$1,000, low-flush toilet, Rhode Island Kitchen and Bath, Route 3, West Warwick, 826-1550, ri-kb.com.

10. Insulate your hot water pipes
How it helps the planet: If you insulate your hot water pipes wherever you can reach them (like in the basement or under the sink), you could save up to 1,020 kilowatt hours of energy a year.

How it helps you: Such energy savings translates to up to $120 in annual savings on your utility bill, as well as water that is between two and four degrees warmer (without paying more to heat it).

Cost: $97.09, 15-foot Ace Insulating Pipe Wrap, Ace Hardware, various locations, acehardware.com.

11. Install a recirculating hot water pump
How it helps the planet: This kind of pump keeps your water hot, so you won’t waste gallons of cold water while you wait for it to heat up. Depending on your pipe volume and water use, you can save between 9,800 and 55,000 gallons annually.

How it helps you: If your water is supplied by Providence’s water board, this savings translates to between $25 and $145 per year. If supplied by Kent County, between $35 and $265. You’ll also save on water heating (3 to 5 percent). But the best part: you’ll never have to wait for hot water again.

Cost: $320–$799 (depending on home size), Metlund D’Mand Recirculating Pump Systems, gothotwater.com.

Kitchen

12. Visit a salvage yard during your next renovation
How it helps the planet: Buying gently used items like cupboards and sinks that would otherwise head to the landfill reduces waste.

How it helps you: Not only can you lower your renovation budget, but you might find something that is truly one of a kind.

Cost: As much as 50 percent less than retail, if not more. National Wrecking Company in Pawtucket (723-1545) has a wealth of items, like sinks, handrails, doors and ceiling brackets. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore in South County (southcountyhabitat.org) is also a good place to check.

13. Recycle smart
How it helps the planet: Increased recycling is critical as our local
landfill rapidly rises (see “No More Room,” page 44). Rhode Island has an extensive recycling program, including the only free plastic bag program in the country. And many recyclable items may surprise you. Did you know you could toss your old iron and metal clothes hangers into that blue bin?

How it helps you: You’re probably recycling anyway, so by becoming a more efficient recycler, you’ll reduce clutter.

Cost: Free. For a complete list of recyclable items and drop-off locations visit the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation website at rirrc.org.

14. Buy a share of community supported agriculture (CSA)
How it helps the planet: Several small farms in Rhode Island, many listed on farmfreshri.org, allow anyone to buy a subscription to a portion of the season’s produce. Organic may be today’s green buzzword, but buying vegetables, dairy and meat produced within 100 miles of your home is just as, or more,
important. The average fresh food item, whether organic or conventional, travels up to 1,500 miles to end up on your dinner table, a journey that contributes to air pollution and fuel consumption. In addition, CSAs, which usually produce organic or pesticide-free produce, provide large areas of chemical-free land free of soil erosion.

How it helps you: CSA produce, straight from the earth to your table, and often organic, is guaranteed to be fresher than if you got it from a store.

Cost: At Ledge Ends Produce in East Greenwich, a $450 subscription entitles you to organic produce for a family of four, June through October (pick up is at the farm or on Providence’s East Side), ledgeendsproduce.com.

15. Buy a water filter for your faucet
How it helps the planet: The United States consumes 23.9 gallons of bottled water per person each year, which results in 1.5 million tons of plastic waste.

How it helps you: Bottled water can cost more than $21 per gallon, while filtered water is as little as $.20 per gallon over the lifetime of the filter. Filters remove chlorine, bacterial contaminants and lead, leaving you with healthier and better tasting drinking water.

Cost: $19.99, Culligan water filter, Benny’s, 66 Branch Avenue, Providence, 861-5995, and various locations, hellobennys.com.

Dining Room

16. Serve one meatless meal a week
How it helps the planet: One fourth of the earth’s land is used to graze cattle; nearly half of the water consumed in the United States is used to grow feed and provide water for cattle; and estimates place the carbon dioxide emissions from the production of a single cheeseburger at between 1,442 and 4,340 grams. In addition, during its two-year lifespan, a beef cow produces around 220 kilograms of methane, a greenhouse gas twenty-three times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

How it helps you: Lower your cholesterol and lose weight. Swap out one 630-calorie, twelve-ounce New York strip steak for one 150-calorie veggie burger each week, and you’ll lose seven pounds in a year.

Cost: No additional cost on your grocery bill.

17. Set with reusable tableware
How it helps the planet: It may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s a crucial one. Nearly 113 billion disposable cups, 39 billion disposable utensils and 29 billion disposable plates are thrown away in the United States each year.

How it helps you: Sure, you’ll save a little cash. But more important, using real plates and cloth napkins may encourage you to sit down and really enjoy your meal. You could even light a couple of soy-based candles to complete the effect.

Cost: If you must have disposable, consider these: Bambu-brand bamboo plates (quickly biodegradeable and made from a renewable resource), $8.95, set of eight, bambuhome.com or Whole Foods.

Garage

18. Tune up your car
How it helps the planet: Clean air filters can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, while keeping tires properly inflated can improve it by up to 3 percent.

How it helps you: A clean air filter will keep about $.23 per gallon in your pocket, while properly inflated tires will save you $.07 per gallon.

Cost: $20–$35 for an air filter.

19. Look into low-emission car options
How it helps the planet: Hybrids are a good option, producing up to 90 percent less pollutants than many of their gas-powered counterparts. But you don’t have to drive a hybrid to make a big dent in your emissions. In fact, the Toyota Yaris and Corolla were named 2007’s fourth and fifth greenest cars in the country by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (greenercars.com).

How it helps you: Purchasing a hybrid makes you eligible for a federal tax credit up to $3,400. You’ll also save a ton on gas: the hybrid Toyota Prius gets 51 mpg, the Yaris 40.

Cost: The hybrid Toyota Prius starts at $22,000. The Toyota Yaris starts at $11,150.

20. Don’t toss hazardous materials
How it helps the planet: One gallon of oil can create an eight-acre slick on water, harming wildlife and rendering one million gallons of water undrinkable. Whe-ther changing your auto oil or finishing up a paint job, don’t just toss these hazardous materials in the garbage. Take them to the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation’s Eco-Depot, a free, appointment-only drop-off (rirrc.org).

How it helps you: Hazardous materials that leech into the ground can contaminate drinking water.

Cost: Free.

21. Shorten your carbon footprint
HOW IT HELPS THE PLANET: Each year, the average American releases 18.99 tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes global warming, into the atmosphere. Visit carbonfund.org to calculate your carbon footprint, the amount of emissions you indirectly release into the atmosphere each year through common activities like driving and heating your home. Then, you can calculate the cost of offsetting your carbon footprint and donate that amount to carbonfund.org, which will put the money toward renewable energy, reforestation and other carbon-defeating causes.

How it helps you: Figuring out your footprint helps you learn what your most carbon-intense activities are, and in turn how to reduce your contribution to emissions. And by taking actions like turning down the heat and driving less, you’ll save money.

Cost: A donation of $104.46 would offset the average American’s annual carbon footprint. ‰

22. Travel green

How it helps the planet: Travel puts a lot of strain on the earth — flying between Providence and Los Angeles, for example, will produce 1.27 tons of carbon dioxide. You can offset those emissions (see tip 21). But you can also choose hotels that implement green practices — everything from not changing towels and bed sheets to providing fair-trade amenity products to using solar panels and wind energy. Check out greenhotels.com to find environmentally friendly lodging in your destination.

How it helps you: Many hotels that employ eco-friendly practices are smaller and privately owned, a nice change from sterile, generic chain lodging.

Cost: Starting at $119 per night, Copley Square Hotel, Boston, a historic Back Bay hotel featuring low-flow toilets and showers, low-VOC paint and energy-efficient lighting, among dozens of other green initiatives, copleysquarehotel.com. Starting at $219 per night, Tree House Lodge, Costa Rica, a small hotel in a wildlife refuge, featuring solar heating and lighting, costaricatreehouse.com.

23. Bike to work
How it helps the planet: A four-mile round-trip bike commute prevents about fifteen pounds of carbon dioxide from polluting the air. If everyone who lived within five miles of work commuted by bike, nearly five million tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be saved annually.

How it helps you: A commuter with a weekday drive of thirty miles roundtrip spends $9,297.60 per year to drive, according to commutesolutions.org, which has a comprehensive commuting calculator. After the purchase of a bike, riding to work is free.

Cost: $430, Giant hybrid, East Providence Cycle, 414 Warren Avenue, East Providence, 434-3838, eastprovidencecycle.com.

Garden

24. Compost
How it helps the planet: Kitchen compost adds an abundantly nutrient-rich layer to your garden. And by putting all those food scraps into the compost instead of the trash can, you could potentially reduce the amount of garbage you send to the dump by 70 percent, a huge amount, especially considering that more than 20 percent of the waste in the Johnson landfill is food.

How it helps you: Once you start your pile, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year to see results, but the rewards will be great. Compost improves the quality of your soil, increasing its fertility and water-holding capacity.

Cost: $50, SoilMaker compost bin from the RIRRC. 65 Shun Pike, Johnston, 942-1340. (Call ahead.)

25. Use a manually operated grass mower
How it helps the planet: Air pollution from a gas-powered lawn mower used for one hour is about the same as a 100-mile car ride. A human-powered trim is a much more environmentally friendly alternative.

How it helps you: For every hour of manual mowing, the average woman will burn almost 400 calories, the average man 500.

Cost: $84.99, Great States manual mower, Standard Hardware Company, 360 Taunton Avenue, East Providence, 438-1420.

26. Install a rain barrel
How it helps the planet: A rain barrel, which is simply a plastic barrel attached to a downspout to catch excess rainfall, is a great water source for your garden. Every inch of rain that falls on a 1,000-square-foot catchment area (i.e.: your roof) will generate about 600 gallons of rain water that otherwise would have come from your pipes.

How it helps you: Reduce your water bills while keeping your garden looking fresh during even the hottest months, when water bans are often implemented throughout the state.

Cost: $139.99, fifty-two-gallon rain barrel, Domina’s Agway, 1348 East Main Road, Portsmouth, 683-1203, dominasagway.com.

27. Control pests naturally
How it helps the planet: Lawn chemicals and pesticides can potentially contaminate groundwater and kill beneficial microorganisms that inhabit the soil. There are many natural solutions to common horticultural problems, including the five listed below.
•Cornmeal Sprinkling this over your plants attracts members of the trichoderma fungus family, which kill other disease-causing fungi in a matter of weeks.
•Aster plants These daisy-like plants attract ichneumonid wasps, which kill bagworms, the moth-like larvae that spin cocoons in trees.
•Hot pepper oil A spray wax that repels many types of pests and insects.
•Bat guano Works as a great natural fertilizer and has a high humus content.
•Tobacco spray When tobacco is steeped in water it can be sprayed on plants to kill caterpillars, aphids and many other types of bugs.

How it helps you: Using natural products cuts down on your exposure to harmful chemicals.

Cost: $24.99, 64-ounce bottle of hot pepper wax spray, cleanairgardening.com.

28. Go native
How it helps the planet: A garden planted with native plants decreases the need for fertilizers, water and pest control. The Rhode Island Wild Plant Society gives a list of plants native to Rhode Island on its web site (riwps.org), as well as a list of local sources from which to purchase seeds and plants.

How it helps you: A garden that requires less work will free you up to enjoy it more.

Cost: No extra cost if you already plant an annual garden.

Office

29. Recycle empty printer ink cartridges
How it helps the planet: Worldwide, consumers throw out approximately 300 million ink cartridges a year, creating a pile-up of plastic waste that does not degrade for hundreds of years. Recycling ink cartridges so that they can be refilled will reduce this unnecessary waste.

How it helps you: Staples, located throughout the state (staples.com), will give you a coupon for three dollars off your next ink cartridge purchase when you return any Lexmark, HP or Dell ink cartridge to any of their stores.

Cost: Free.

30. Donate (or recycle) e-waste
How it helps the planet: By the year 2011, more than four million computers, televisions and monitors will become trash in Rhode Island alone. Computers and electronic equipment contain lead, mercury and other toxics; if disposed of improperly, they can leech into the ground and into the water supply. E-waste such as home computer equipment and cell phones is actually recyclable in Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation accepts these items (942-1430, rirrc.org). The Women’s Center of Rhode Island (womenscenterri.org) also accepts cell phone donations, which are then given to abused and/or homeless women and children who can use them to call for help if necessary.

How it helps you: E-waste donation is a feel-good, easy way to get rid of electronic clutter, while also getting some money back through a tax write-off.

Cost: Free.

31. Get rid of junk mail
How it helps the planet: 100 million trees are destroyed each year to make junk mail, even though about 44 percent of it gets tossed out unread. Go to directmail.com and get yourself on the national “Do Not Mail” list. Another way to cut down on paper mail? Sign up for online bill pay, offered by most major banks and billing agencies.

How it helps you: You’ll have less annoying mail to sort through, and online bill paying will help you keep track of what you paid and when.

Cost: Free.

32. Invest in the environment
How it helps the planet: By investing your money in companies that follow environmentally responsible practices, you support business done greenly. Boston-based Progressive Asset Management is a firm that specializes in this kind of investing and has a satellite office in Providence (pamboston.com).

How it helps you: Investing responsibly can actually get you more for your money, as companies that have a history of environmentally unfriendly practices may have greater liabilities and charges against earnings due to regulatory pressures and fines.

Cost: Varies depending on service.

Sources

1. Worldwatch Institute
2. GreenHomeGuide, “Buyer’s Guide to Green Flooring Materials” (greenhomeguide.com)
3. Chicago Tribune “Living the Green Life” (chicagotribune.com)
4. CleanEnergyRI
5. ENERGY STAR (energystar.gov)
6. Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov), EnvironmentalChemistry.com
7. Environmental Protection Agency, The Green Guide (thegreenguide.com)
8. Environmental Protection Agency
9. Flex Your Power (fypower.org)
10. Positive Energy (pstvnrg.com)
11. Grundfos USA (grundfos.com)
12. National Wrecking Company
13. Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation
14. Farm Fresh Rhode Island (farmfreshri.org)
15. Health Politics (healthpolitics.org)
16.“The Footprint of a Cheeseburger” (openthefuture.com), Beyond Beef Campaign
17. Environmental Protection Agency
18. Chicago Tribune “Living the Green Life” (chicagotribune.com)
19. Environmental Protection Agency, Greenercars.com, Hybridcars.com
20. Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, Earth911 (earth911.org)
21. Carbonfund.org
22. Green Hotels Association (greenhotels.com)
23. International Bicycle Fund (ibike.org), Commutesolutions.org
24. Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, Natural Resources Defense Council, compostguide.com
25. Clean Air Gardening (cleanairgardening.com)
26. University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension (uri.edu/ce)
27. Clean Air Gardening (cleanairgardening.com)
28. Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (riwps.org)
29. Recharger magazine “OfficeMax: Consumers would rather refill” (rechargermag.com)
30. Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, Clean Water Action
31. Native Forest Network (nativeforest.org), Environmental Protection Agency
32. Progressive Asset Management(pamboston.com)