For some initial ideas, come explore one family's positive example as we visit the home of the Betsy, David, and Nomi Platkin-Teutsch.

Watch the Segment Now!

• Shut off the lights when no one's in the room. This is the simplest, most common-sense measure that a person can take. If you already do this, move on to shutting off the TV when you go to answer a phone call, or putting your computer on "sleep" when you run off for a quick bite to eat.
  
  
• Reuse boxes and shipping peanuts. Whether you need to send a birthday present to your niece three states over, or just want to store something in the attic until next Halloween, try to reuse packaging materials rather than going out and buying new ones.
  
  
• Give away clothes that you'll never wear. It's tempting to hoard clothing once you've outgrown it — or even if you never really wore it when it was brand new. This is a habit that you should try to break. Get unused clothing, and other items, into the hands of people who need them.
  
  
• Assign personal towels (if you're afraid your housemates have cooties). There is no need to wash a towel after using it only once or twice. Remember, after stepping out of the shower, you're pretty much as clean as you're ever going to get. Washing a towel after using it once is a tremendous waste of time and energy.
  
  
• Air-dry your laundry. Hang wet clothes up to dry for a couple of hours, and if you need to, stick them in the dryer for a few minutes after that to remove the last remnants of wetness. This can save you both energy and ironing time!
  
  
• Conduct a home "energy audit. " Whether you do-it-yourself, or have a professional come in, a next-level energy saving step is to find the cracks and leaks in your home heating and cooling system and make sure they get sealed. Some initial resources are listed below.

Watch the Segment Now!

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs use less energy than conventional incandescent light bulbs, and can last up to thirteen times longer. Some earlier generations of fluorescent bulbs did not produce the best light and seemed to die out quickly. Today that is not the case at all. Compact fluorescents cost a little more than conventional light bulbs, but the energy savings and longevity of compact fluorescents will save you money in the long run.
  
  
• Get a programmable thermostat, and use it! A programmable thermostat lets you change your home's temperature after you've fallen asleep and right before you get home from work. It's truly one of the wonders of this modern age. Programming your thermostat will help keep you comfortable at all times, without needlessly wasting heating and cooling energy.
  
  
• Look for Energy Star appliances. Products with the Energy Star label typically save you considerably more electricity than products without them. That's good for both the environment and your bank account.
  
  
• Research the environmental aspects of any large purchases. It's not every day you go out and buy a new refrigerator, dishwasher, air conditioner or car. When the time comes, make sure you have all the information you need to make an Earth-friendly decision. For example, did you know that front-end loading washing machines use only half the water that top-loading models do? Info like that is good to have before deciding on a purchase.
  

For More Information

Watch the Segment Now!

• Make sure the insects you want gone are in fact pests. Many insects are necessary for plants' survival. A further majority of insects are neutral to plant life-their presence isn't hurting anything. Before trying to kill insects, make sure you've actually witnessed them harming your plants.
  
  
• Kill real pests using a nontoxic insecticidal soap. This sudsy coating suffocates the insects, and can then be washed off your plants with a garden hose. Do not use regular household soaps, as they could burn your plants' leaves. Only mild, specially constructed soaps will do the trick safely.
  
  
• Get rid of mosquitoes using garlic. Backyard "bug bombs" are a definite no-no. Safe, nontoxic sprays containing concentrated garlic can rid your yard of mosquitoes for up to two weeks, with any detectable odor dissipating within a couple of hours. Planting garlic here-and-there throughout your garden can also help deter some other common pests.
  
  
• Try mint oil for ants and cockroaches. When the creepy crawlers from outside make their way into your home, you're going to want to get rid of them in a way that does not poison you or your family. Products based on mint or cedar oil can kill insects without harming people or pets.
  
  
• Use compost in place of chemical fertilizers. Compost can be used as a healthy, nutrient-rich topsoil or mulching agent. It is 100% nontoxic. It reduces your waste stream. And, if you have a little time to spare, it's completely free! Learn how to compost in the links below.
  

For More Information

Watch the Segment Now!

• Bring strong, reusable cloth bags on trips to the grocery store. Neither paper nor plastic is as good as a shopping bag that you can use over-and-over again.
  
  
• Buy whole fruits and vegetables, rather than pre-cut selections that come in plastic bags or containers. Apply this basic principle to other types of pre-prepared selections.
  
  
• Choose cereal in bags, not in boxes. When you get a box of cereal, you're usually getting cereal that comes in a plastic bag, and is then placed inside a box. That's just a waste. Try to find products that contain the minimum amount of packaging necessary to get the job done.
  
  
• Stay away from individually-wrapped items. There are times when "snack packs" and cans of soda are particularly convenient, but you can save oodles of money and packaging waste by purchasing the big bag of chips or the two-liter bottle.
  
  
• Buy bulk. When purchasing laundry detergent, bottled water or what-have-you, the largest package possible typically has the lowest unit cost and utilizes the least packaging material. You also save time, money and energy by having to take less frequent trips back to the store.
  
  
• Preference items packaged in materials that are easily recyclable. It doesn't matter that some strange plastic can be recycled somewhere. Know what materials are conveniently recycled in your own neighborhood. Other materials are too likely to end up in the trash.
  
  
• Reuse what you can. Things like glass jars and plastic bottles can be re-used before they're recycled. Many grocery stores — particularly co-ops — will sell generic items like beans, grains, honey, syrup, peanut butter and more at a discounted bulk rate if you bring your own packaging for them.
  

For More Information

Use It Again, PA
Your how-to guide for purchasing re-used products.