Jun
11
Jun
11
An average household is similar to many business organizations. You have multiple people working (and living) together to achieve common goals. The end product is a successful and happy home and family life. A sustainable family organization is one that has zero or low impact on the Earth and its resources but can still maintain a happy and satisfying family environment. It is definitely not impossible and most families need only try and get over the initial perceived inconveniences before seeing the true overall benefits.
Food
No family can live without food. The problem is that food creates most of the waste we generate in our homes. After all, where is the main household trashcan usually located? The trick is to never buy packaged food or other products. Groceries can come from the local farmer’s market or other grocery stores and can be purchased in bulk. Items like cheese or coffee can be placed in resalable jars. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be placed in reusable mesh bags which are also great for washing the produce before use. Liquids can also be placed in washable glass containers and all items can be carried in earth friendly reusable bags.
One of the benefits of buying in bulk is that it can save you money as stated here, “According to the Bulk Is Green Council, a trade group representing bulk-food manufacturers, bulk foods like rice, grains, nuts, and dried fruits can cost anywhere from 30 to 96 percent less than their packaged counterparts.” [1]
Another benefit of eating this way is that all foods are fresh. Studies have shown that eating a diet comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables can lead to, “Lower blood pressure; reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and probably some cancers; lower risk of eye and digestive problems; and a mellowing effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check.” [2] Thus these healthier eating habits can save even more money with less trips to the doctor and create a happier family unit.
Waste
The average household of four people produces around 10 to 15 pounds of waste per day. [3] Most of this waste can be avoided, however, with a few simple changes. Households should start by placing all food scraps into a compost bin either residing in the house or in the yard. The compost created can then be used for fertilizing the household garden where families can grow their own local produce to avoid having to purchase everything from the store.
The home can be cleaned with washable and reusable cloths and sponges. Natural cleaning products can also be purchased in bulk and placed in reusable generic spray bottles and containers. By getting off junk mail lists, houses can eliminate all the wasted paper that is delivered directly to homes. Another important waste eliminator is to turn all bills to e-bills and receive and pay them online.
Households should recycle any products that they can’t avoid accumulating in the household. If recycling is not picked up in the neighborhood, many private recycling services such as Nashville recycling service Earthsavers will come direct to your home and pick up everything from electronics to paper waste and take is to the appropriate recycling facility.
Travel
Most family members will need to leave the household at some point during the day. Parents usually have to work and children usually have to go to school. Although new technologies are making it easier to work and actually school from home, American society just isn’t there yet. Plus, most people need a break from the family so it is always good to have an opportunity to get away.
The simplest way to travel sustainably is to just walk or ride a bicycle. An added benefit of these actions is that they also provide exercise and can reduce overall stress leading to health benefits. One study has shown that, “that walking 150 minutes a week can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by nearly 60 percent.” [4] Of course, walking or riding a bike will not always work due to distances needed to be traveled. In these instances, public transportation can usually suffice. Most areas have buses and trains that are already running and are extremely low cost travel options. Another option would be to purchase one of the new electric vehicles such as the Nissan leaf. This type of vehicle provides another benefit due to the fact it can work as a local power storage unit (see Energy below). Of course, no family wants to compromise on their cool factor with a nerdy looking car. Luckily, there are sportier electronic options available such as the Tesla Roadster and the Fisker Karma as shown here.
Energy
According to the US Energy Information Administration, “In 2009, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,896 kWh, an average of 908 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. Louisiana had the highest annual consumption at 15,276 kWh and Maine the lowest at 6,252 kWh.” [5] Most houses receive this power by hooking up to the local power line and receiving energy from the central grid. The problem is that there is a loss of power through the transportation process in power lines. Another problem is that power must be continually generated due to the fact it can’t be stored by homes. A better system for a house would be to get power from more local renewable sources and store that power onsite through a system of batteries or give that power back to the main power grid. This would eliminate the costs of purchasing the power, the cost of transporting the power, and the pollution caused from generating the large amounts of power from a regional power plant.
Based on a household’s location, different solutions can be visited to allow the household to generate their own power. The sun currently supplies much of the energy that the Earth could ever need, although we are unable to convert all this energy to usable power. Current conversion rates of the sun’s energy are around 10-15% from photovoltaic power cells. But if you have enough space and sunlight, you can cover most of your energy needs with solar. [6]
Residential wind turbines can be added because when the sun isn’t shining during the day, hopefully it is because wind has blown in the clouds. The smaller turbines based for household use can produce 1,580 kilowatt hours per year of energy. [7]
Of course, the cheapest power is the power that you never use. Most homes can reduce a large portion of their power simply by choosing to practice a few of many potential cost saving activities. Some of these activities may include:
- 1. Wait until you have a full wash load before doing laundry and use cold water
- 2. Turn off electronics when not in use and use a programmable thermostat
- 3. Ensuring your home is properly insulated and sealed
By just looking for ways to eliminate wasted energy and using local renewable sources, households may be able to live completely off the grid and even give power back.
Do you think households can live completely sustainable? What are some ways your household is moving towards greater sustainability.
References:
1. http://www.rodale.com/eating-healthy-foods?page=0%2C1
2. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits
3. http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm
4. http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/info-09-2010/martina_easiest_exercise_walking.html
5. http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3
6. http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/question418.htm
7. http://www.peachygreen.com/renewable-energy/honeywells-small-wind-turbines-have-a-big-impact
Jun
8
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Jun
6
Peanut butter, so good but SOOO messy!
I recently just finished off this jar of delicious peanut butter and was about to I toss the empty plastic container into my recycling collection bin. But is it really empty? Isn’t there something I need to do first before sending it off to be remade into possibly another peanut butter jar?
If you guessed – wash it out – then you were right!
The question often comes up about washing out your recycling before placing it into the bin. If you can, it is always best to clean out items before sending them off for recycling collection. The two main reasons being that items containing food and sitting in the recycling bins, and later at the recycling center, can attract bugs and rodents. Nobody wants to be surrounded by ants, bees, and rats when they are trying to do their job! Another reason is that food particles can potentially gum-up recycling machines. You want to ensure you are cleaning out all the impurities in your recycling so that the recycling process can happen as efficiently as possible.
This doesn’t mean you have to use hot water and soap. The whole point of recycling is to eliminate waste – but you don’t want to waste more energy and resources to clean out the recycling. So try to use left over water, or a little cold water direct from the tap, to remove the food items. For a peanut butter jar, one trick is to scrape out as much of the peanut butter as you can first before cleaning with water.
If you are not able to rinse something before hand, don’t worry too much as the recycling plant will catch it. But it is always best for the recycling center if YOU are cleaning up your products beforehand.
Looking for a place to throw all those food scraps? Try recycling your food as well by composting!
Ready to get all your recycling picked-up direct from your home? Contact our Nashville recycling service today!
