| A green home is one that is eco-friendly and is at | | | | etc. are bio-friendly. |
| harmony with the environment. You can help the | | | | 5. Energy-efficient lighting. Replace incandescent |
| environment by making your home greener. Here | | | | bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs). |
| is how you can do so by adopting a more | | | | CFL bulbs use 66% less energy and last 10 times |
| energy-efficient and earth-friendly lifestyle. | | | | longer. |
| Read the following top 10 ways to green your | | | | 6. Use recycled paper. Whenever you buy paper, |
| home. | | | | get 100 % post-consumer recycled paper. These |
| 1. Upgrade to greener appliances. Make your home | | | | consume less virgin pulp and keep waste paper |
| energy efficient by upgrading to greener | | | | from ending up in landfills. You can also save more |
| appliances. Replace old appliances with | | | | trees by opting out of junk mail lists. Using |
| energy-efficient models that are Energy Star | | | | unbleached paper is more eco-friendly as the |
| rated to scale down your energy bill. According to | | | | bleached paper process results in the creation of |
| the Energy Star site, use of energy-efficient | | | | harmful byproducts. Also, eschew paper and |
| appliances in just one in 10 homes is equal to | | | | plastic bags and carry your own cloth bags for |
| planting 1.7 million new acres of trees. | | | | shopping. |
| 2. Temperature control. More than 50% of a | | | | 7. Bamboo floors. Bamboo floors are more |
| home's energy bill is from heating and cooling | | | | environmental friendly than hardwood floors. |
| appliances. Moderating the thermostat according | | | | Bamboo matures in four to six years while it |
| to the weather goes a long way in reducing | | | | takes 50 to 100 years for typical hardwoods. |
| energy consumption. Other energy saving | | | | 8. Shun plastics. Plastics are not bio-degradable. |
| methods include using a modern furnace, cleaning | | | | They produce harmful greenhouse gases that |
| its air filter every month and the use of ceiling | | | | contribute to global warming when processed, |
| fans instead of air conditioners. | | | | burned or dumped into landfills. The best way is to |
| 3. Saving water. There are hundreds of ways one | | | | avoid plastics, the next best thing is to reuse and |
| can save water and reduce energy consumption. | | | | recycle them. |
| A few include fitting faucets with aerators and | | | | 9. Eco-paint. Use environmentally safe paints that |
| installing water efficient low-flow toilets. | | | | are organic and solvent-free to paint your home. |
| 4. Clean with green products. Buy green household | | | | 10. Green your garden. Avoid synthetic fertilizers |
| cleaners that are made of natural, non-toxic | | | | and chemical pesticides. Instead use organic |
| substances instead of toxic ones. Carpet and | | | | manure such as compost and non-chemical pest |
| window cleaners containing grain alcohol, | | | | control methods. |
| detergents made of coconut or other plant oils | | | | |