101 Ways to a Greener Lifestyle

GREEN ENERGY & AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT

1. Conserve energy. Change your light bulbs. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs   (CFL) instead of incandescent bulbs. CFLs use up 75% less electricity and last up to 13 times longer.  Better yet, shift to light emitting diodes (LEDs) which consume even less electricity.
2. Turn on the lights only when needed.
3. Turn off lights and all electrical appliances when you leave the room.
4. Make sure that you avoid overcharging your mobile phone. Turn it off as soon as it is fully charged.
5. Unplug appliances when not in use. TV sets, radios, video players, air conditioners and computers when on standby still consume power.
6. Buy energy efficient appliances. Check the energy efficiency rating of any appliance that you will buy.
7. Maintain and keep your appliances in good working conditions to maximize their use.
8. Turn off your computer completely at night. And, don’t get addicted to it. If you open your computer for only 4 hours a day (instead of 24 hours), you will reduce its CO2 emissions by 83%.
9. Keep bulbs/lamps clean at all times to maximize the light that they give.
10. Switch to electronic banking and credit card payment, too.
11. Drive carefully.  Avoid rapid acceleration since this can burn as much as 50% more fuel.
12. Ride a bike or walk when going short distances. 
13. Use the mass transport system, as much as possible. Take the train or bus or jeepney. Leave your car at home. This will not only save gas, it will also reduce CO2 emissions by millions of tons.
14. If riding the public transport system is not practical, join a carpool. The idea is to get the most number of passengers for every vehicle on the road.
15. Consider buying a fuel-efficient car or a hybrid.
16. Turn your car engine off instead of idling.
17. Drive the speed limit.
18. Combine all your errands to minimize car trips. 
19. Minimize vehicle loads. Transporting excessive weight will increase your
vehicle's fuel consumption.
20. Pay your bills online. This means less car trips and less fuel spent.
21. Report smoke-belching vehicles to LTO at tel. no.09217411111 or to the anti-smoke belching unit in your locality.
22. Buy and use CFC-free sprays and perfumes.
23. Take care of your car. Keep your engine properly maintained and your tires properly inflated. Keep your air filter clean. Good engines, properly inflated tires and clean filters will give you a 17% increase in fuel efficiency.
24. Keep plants in your home/school/office to freshen the air. Plants absorb carbon dioxide (which is a green house gas) and releases oxygen.
25. Do not ride smoke belching tricycles, buses, taxis, jeepneys. This way you deliver the message that you demand clean air.
26. Give up smoking. Or at least, do not smoke in enclosed spaces.
27. Secondary smoke is toxic to your health. Tell smokers to stay away or better yet, encourage them to quit smoking. 
28. Open the windows to allow sunlight and air to enter the rooms.  This will reduce the need for electric fans or air conditioners.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

29. Do not burn your waste.
30. Undertake an orientation on ecowaste management for everyone in your home, your community, your school, your office or your factory.
31. Segregate the waste at source into biodegradables (left over food, etc), non-biodegradables that can be recycled or reused and the non-biodegradable waste that cannot be sold which become your residual waste. 
32. Compost the biodegradable waste and use the compost as soil conditioner for the plants and garden. Give away or sell excess compost. 
33. Recycle your paper, cartons, bottles, PET plastic, aluminums, metals, etc. and sell them to nearby junk dealers. For communities, schools, offices and factories, set up a Materials recovery Facility to store your recyclable and reusable materials.
34. Coordinate with your local government or with some environmental NGOs for the processing and/or safe disposal of the residual waste.
35. Buy organic products like organic food, soaps and detergent.
36. If you use plastic grocery bags, reuse them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners.
37. Reduce use of plastic & paper bags by using reusable totes. Most stores give a credit!
38. Keep candy wrappers and other small waste in your pocket or bag. Do not throw them in the streets.
39. Consider reading your newspaper and magazine subscriptions online. 
40. If you have a baby, use cloth diapers instead of disposables.
41. Take your used car batteries to a recycling center.  There is an ongoing Balik Baterya Program of Ramcar with Bantay Kalikasan.
42. Bring empty ink cartridges to accredited recyclers during the scheduled waste market in your locality.  Or have them refilled.
43. Distribute company information and post company materials online.
44. Share a magazine subscription with a friend, not only will you share the cost but you will cut down on the amount of trees used.
45. Use reusable containers instead of plastic or paper bags when bringing your lunch to work.
46. Save your old coffee grinds and reuse them as fertilizer for indoor and outdoor plants.
47. When you stop for coffee, bring a reusable mug from home. Refills are cheaper and there is no trash to throw away!
48. When going to the market, use a “BAYONG” or similar reusable bags.
49. Think before you print your emails and attachments. We can save trees by only printing necessary documents!
50. Minimize the use of disposable cutleries and plates during parties.
51. Reuse scrap paper. Use clean paper only for external communications.
52. Opt for recycled paper and paper products. Choose one with the highest recycled paper content.
53. Make rags out of old towels and t-shirts.
54. When riding a boat or any water vehicle, do not throw anything into the water even if the material is biodegradable.
55. If there is space within your home, school or office, establish a vegetable garden or a herbal garden.  Use the compost for these gardens.
56. Save the eggshells.  it can help organic farming

WATER – CONSERVATION AND POLLUTION PREVENTION

57. Fix leaky faucets right away and regularly check them.
58. Use a glass while brushing. Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth.
59. Teach everyone to close the faucet while soaping their hands and open it only when washing.
60. Check out your bathroom. Use low-flow faucets, showerheads.
61. If installing new toilets, use dual flush toilets which use less water for flushing urine.
62. Stop using the bathtub.  This wastes a lot of water.
63. Limit the length of your showers. Shut off the water while soaping up and shampooing.
64. Better yet, use pail and dipper (tabo) when bathing.
65. Wash towels and bed sheets after several uses.
66. Collect rainwater, and use it to wash your clothes, flush the toilets, and water your houseplants and garden.
67. Recycle used water from washing clothes. Use this to flush the toilet and to clean the floors.
68. Use a basin when washing dishes instead of letting the water flow continuously.  Better yet, wipe the plates, spoons and forks first before washing them.
69. Just thaw your frozen food inside your refrigerator. Do not use running water to thaw it.
70. Use a basin of water instead of running tap water to clean your fruits and vegetables.
71. Water your plants/garden early in the morning or late in the afternoon to lessen evaporation.
72. Use a pail and wash cloth when cleaning your vehicle. Do not hose it down.
73. Wash clothes in bulk for fewer loads in your washing machine. Set the rinse cycle to “cold.”  And, hang clothes to dry, rather than using an electric dryer.
74. Check your septic tank. Make sure it is sealed. Have your septic tank dislodged regularly (3 to 5 years for a regular household).
75. Connect to a sewerage system, if one is available in your area.

GREENING

76. Plant/landscape with native and indigenous plants.
77. Support Organic Farming! Do not use chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides.
78. Start Urban Farming!  You can have creeping vegetables on your walls and fences, or even up on your roof.
79. Plant a tree at least once a year.
80. Find your local watershed.  Ask the nearest DENR office. Be involved in protecting and/or rehabilitating it.
81. Better yet, adopt a forest. Coordinate with your local DENR office to identify your watershed and offer not just to plant once but to adopt a portion of that watershed. Mobilize your family and friends (students, faculty, administrative staff and the parents for schools; management and employees for offices and factories) to go and plant the area and regularly maintain it.  You can raise the seedlings or buy same from local communities. Seek technical advice from the local DENR.

COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

82. Support efforts to protect and/or rehabilitate mangrove forests in your area.
83. Learn about threats to ocean life and help environmental groups take action.
84. Join the Bantay Dagat in your locality.
85. Support efforts to stop dynamite and cyanide fishing.
86. If living in a coastal area, lobby with your local government to establish marina protected areas.
87. Do not buy dynamited fish and endangered animals like turtles, manta rays, wild birds, etc. Remember when the buying stops, the illegal killing stops too!

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY

88. Attend seminars and symposiums on environmental management and protection.
89. Share with family and friends, especially kids, the need to protect the environment.
90. Be involved in legislation of environmental ordinances or laws.
91. Donate to your favourite environmental cause.

MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE

92. Build a greener home by using non-toxic and non-hazardous materials.
93. When painting your house, use lead free and non-hazardous paint. Also ensure proper disposal of the remaining paint.
94. Use organic all natural cleaning products like a mixture of baking soda and vinegar instead of chemical-based products.
95. Support local restaurants that use organically grown food and use food derived less than 100 miles away.
96. Buy locally made products. Products from far away consume a lot of fuel to transport.
97. Use services within your locality.
98. Opt for eco-friendly and holistic health products.
99. When you catch a wild animal like snakes, birds, etc., turn them over to the Protected Areas & Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) or the local DENR.
100. During holidays and birthdays, give your family and friends the gift of saving the earth. Plant a tree in their name or support groups that do so.
101. Ensure the physical cleanliness of your area.  Set aside regular clean up days either weekly, every two weeks or once a month when you and your neighbors (for communities); students, faculty, administrative staff and parents (for schools); management and employees (for offices and factories). You can rotate this activity among the different streets (for communities), different grade levels or different sections (for schools); different departments (for offices).